G9 vs G90

Hello all & would like your thoughts re:the 2 cameras.

I want to "consolidate" my camera gear (reduce GAS) & have looked at these 2 that would allow me to use current lenses:14-140 & 12-60

I like taking photos of local lake wildlife & landscape & anything else that catches my eyes.

They share similar features such as?20mp, IBIS, no anti-alias.

The 9 does have 2 SD slots, 225 focus pts vs 49, is 6K 20 fps vs 9fps.

So I ask myself, for my use, do I really need what the G9 has & it's heavier?

Both have comfortable ergonomic grips for me.

I have the following for sale to support this upgrade:

GX85 (w JBDesigns palm grip)

G7

12-32 (w JJC open close lens cap)(OIS, 3.5-5.6(

35-100-4.0-5.6, OIS

Opinions welcomed-just be kind

Thank you, Judy

These two have been compared many times in the past 12 months or so. Arguments were skewed by several offer prices that made the G9 literally cheaper, and by quite a bit, than the G90. I was happy with my G80s and resisted the noticeably larger G9 and its high initial price. An offer in March 2020 brought the G9 body down to £799 plus a free 25mm lens, extra battery and battery grip. The G9 is fantastic but I use with 8-18mm and, mostly the 100-400mm; both lenses are on the larger size and sit very well on the G9. The weight of the G9 is less noticeable when paired with big lenses. The extra card slot is not of importance to most users IMO.  My hands are not large and I find the G9 very comfortable. I can truly say I’ve reached Nirvana, not interested in upgrading again. Still have my G80s and quite happy to keep them too.

I have the 12-60mm and 14-140mm, both very good lenses, with the 14-140mm a great walk around lens. They would sit well on the G90. The overall package would be a good bit lighter.

If you haven’t already, I think it essential you handle both cameras. I’m not sure how many dedicated Fn buttons the G90 has, the G9 certainly has plenty - something to suit everyone.

Goid luck.

Having animal AF might also be a plus for the G9.

Both cameras are very nice, my sister has the G90, I have the G9 and gx80.

With my 2 cameras the gx80 goes with me for short walks as it fits in a (jacket) pocket with the lumix 45-150. The G9 does all my favourite stuff, indoors with flash for portraits, and anything where AF might be tricky.

To me the choice boils down to, are the extra features and performance of the G9 worth the extra 120g?

Bigger battery, backup in camera (or more space) with two fast cards, AF performance/extra modes (animal AF) and weather sealing were just some of the things that helped me decide the G9 would be perfect for me going forwards.

If it was an option I'd go with keep the gx85, get a G9 enjoy the size a performance difference, and if the G9 goes everywhere with you sell the gx85.

Hope you work it out, having handled the cameras I guess you probably have a reasonable idea already, not sure any of my jumbled rambling will help XD very good luck!

windmillgolfer wrote:

These two have been compared many times in the past

Here are three prior threads that might contain a few useful morsels:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4525765

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4421941

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4474237

rick in vegas wrote:

G9. Price difference is nill. G9 EVF better. G9 better Video Codecs. G9 Weatherproofing, G9 more buttons, G9 Screen on top, G9 225 AF points, G9 Better Autofocus, G9 12FPS, 60 electronic shutter., G9 better IBIS, G9 no Video Crop, G9 10 bit 4:2:2 internal, G9 6K photo, G9 Better battery life,

So G9 all the way

Though for me the G9 has one serious downfall. You can only record up to 30 minutes of video, while the G90/G95 offers unlimited recording. In pre-Covid times I would record performers, both at local renaissance faires and for a local theater troupe.

The renfaire performers typically had a 30 minute window, but several of them went over their time limit.

For the theatrical troupe, I record the entire show (1.5 hours) and break it up into acts later. That way I avoid false exits where the scene seems to end, but one character still has a few lines. Note, unlike a lot of bigger shows, this group only does one show, and I'm not involved with rehearsals, so I don't know much about where to break the video.

Finally, my niece got married and I offered to record their wedding. The main ceremony went to 35 minutes.

My point is if you are recording real life events (as opposed to scripted material that you can do over multiple times) the 30 minute limit can be a problem.

Some posts have suggested that it isn't just due to the European tariff on video gear that recorded 30 minutes or more, but the G9 can overheat if it is doing long continuous recordings.

Note the video tariff expired in 2019 I think, but some manufacturers like Olympus have not deigned to remove the limit from the cameras.

judyb wrote:

Hello all & would like your thoughts re:the 2 cameras.

I want to "consolidate" my camera gear (reduce GAS) & have looked at these 2 that would allow me to use current lenses:14-140 & 12-60

I like taking photos of local lake wildlife & landscape & anything else that catches my eyes.

They share similar features such as?20mp, IBIS, no anti-alias.

The 9 does have 2 SD slots, 225 focus pts vs 49, is 6K 20 fps vs 9fps.

So I ask myself, for my use, do I really need what the G9 has & it's heavier?

Both have comfortable ergonomic grips for me.

I have the following for sale to support this upgrade:

GX85 (w JBDesigns palm grip)

G7

12-32 (w JJC open close lens cap)(OIS, 3.5-5.6(

35-100-4.0-5.6, OIS

Opinions welcomed-just be kind

Thank you, Judy

Hi Judy

I have both and its hard to pick a winner, both have their pros and cons and don't think either would disappoint you.

The G9 is mainly used with an Olympus 12-100, they seem to balance well together, but its quite a large weighty duo. Also the grip doesn't suit everybody, its fairly deep and might make a small hand ache after a while

My G90 often has either an Olympus 12-45 or Panasonic 8-18 attached, use these for wandering around cities and towns. I can use a smaller bag and the lighter weight is appreciated after a long day.

From what you have said I think you might be better off with the G90, but definitely worth handling both if possible.

I can understand your dilemma i'm thinking of selling one to finance a S5 and lens, some very good deals on in the UK . Just can't decide which one to part with, never know you might even see one on the for sale forum.

I had a G7 and GX85, and I upgraded the G7 to a G9 a few months ago. I've retained the GX85 for light use, although I haven't really used it much since I got the G9. I can't speak about the G90/95.

The G9 is quite a bit heavier than the G7, but outclasses it in every way. It also has several advanced features I'm only starting to explore (damned virus) - 6k Photo mode that will give you 18mp jpegs, high res mode etc. There was a firmware update last year too that makes is nearly as good as the GH5 for video apart from recording time, and there's also no crop at 4k, which makes a huge difference if you want to do video, and the EX Tele mode allows you to punch in 1.4x and still be at 4k resolution.

I feel the photos I'm getting are noticeably better than I would have gotten from the G7 or GX85 - sharpness is superb, colour is so much better, and I really enjoy using it. I don't find the weight a significant penalty, although it is noticeably bulkier. I mainly use it with a 14-140 at the moment, although I've just picked up a used 12-60 (for the weather sealing), so that will be going on it. I have a 12-32 and it looks teensy on the G9, but performs fine.

I love my G9, although I'm still getting used to it. I agonized for a long time between the G90 and the G9, but in the end I'm glad I went for the G9. It's a beast of a camera, and the only penalties are a couple of hundred grams weight and the video recording limit. I think I would have felt I'd compromised and gone for the conservative choice had I picked the G90/95, and may have regretted it - but that says more about me than the cameras.

judyb wrote:

Hello all & would like your thoughts re:the 2 cameras.

I want to "consolidate" my camera gear (reduce GAS) & have looked at these 2 that would allow me to use current lenses:14-140 & 12-60

I like taking photos of local lake wildlife & landscape & anything else that catches my eyes.

They share similar features such as?20mp, IBIS, no anti-alias.

The 9 does have 2 SD slots, 225 focus pts vs 49, is 6K 20 fps vs 9fps.

So I ask myself, for my use, do I really need what the G9 has & it's heavier?

Both have comfortable ergonomic grips for me.

I have the following for sale to support this upgrade:

GX85 (w JBDesigns palm grip)

G7

12-32 (w JJC open close lens cap)(OIS, 3.5-5.6(

35-100-4.0-5.6, OIS

Opinions welcomed-just be kind

Thank you, Judy

Honestly?

If extra weight & size are not a problem for you then the G9 is a better camera in many ways.

It is offered recurrently at significant discount most everywhere on earth so that you can grab a great deal for a truly fantastic camera. I have had many different bodies (from full frame to 1" mirrorless ILCs) in the past 10 years and none felt as good in my hands as the G9 does.

Image quality is top for mFT, the camera is as snappy as it  gets and customizable to the anyone's liking. Really one gem of a camera.

Cheers

F

And The size difference isn`t as much as it was compared to the G80 and lets face it, even the G9 is only 660 grammes , a feather of a camera compared to even regular DSLRs . the grip is bulky for some hands but the diff in size and weight compared to the G90 is minimal and not worth sacrificing the extra in AF, Sensor performance . build, card slots, ergonomics, features etc especially given the very close pricing a lot of the time ...

Saying that , I could be biased as I carry a D850 rig around for work, the G9 + Oly 12-40 F2.8 Pro or 14-140-II weighs less than the D850 body alone let alone plus pro level FF zooms .

AdamT wrote:

And The size difference isn`t as much as it was compared to the G80 and lets face it, even the G9 is only 660 grammes , a feather of a camera compared to even regular DSLRs . the grip is bulky for some hands but the diff in size and weight compared to the G90 is minimal ...

Agreed. Some folks do complain about her weight. To me it is absolutely lovely and 'trusty'.

I have never had the G90 which many praise.

However, I really consider the G9 (and the Fujifilm X-T3, in other terms) best cameras money can buy, sub one thousand.

Cheers

F

Agreed. Some folks do complain about her weight. To me it is absolutely lovely and 'trusty'.

I have never had the G90 which many praise.

People also forget the vast IBIS difference, the G9 is the only panasonic to achieve EM1-II levels of IBIS performance for stills - not even the GH5 gets close let alone the G80/90 , add the bigger grip for even more stability and you can hand hold at crazy EM1-III esque low shutter speeds with non OIS glass .

at £899 Minus Cashback the G9 is as much as an amazing bargain as used EM1-IIs are

I confirm.

I am so much used to G9's IBIS efficiency that I forget how amazing it is. Pair it with its generously sized EVF and framing with long zooms becomes a walk in the park..

I have the G90, and tried the G9. I stuck to the G90. It can do panoramic shots, which I often use during travelling. The G9 can't. It also supports V-Log, which makes it easier for me to produce great videos in post without knowing much about video processing. It also takes all my G80 bits and pieces, and fits in my G80 bag. I sold the G80 by the way.

Sranang Boi wrote:

I have the G90, and tried the G9. I stuck to the G90. It can do panoramic shots, which I often use during travelling. The G9 can't. It also supports V-Log, which makes it easier for me to produce great videos in post without knowing much about video processing. It also takes all my G80 bits and pieces, and fits in my G80 bag. I sold the G80 by the way.

I have owned the GX7, the G80/85, GX80/85, GM1, Panasonic cameras, plus a number of others, mainly Canon and Olympus.

I thought a lot about the G9, went to a local store and handled it. Did not like it. Too big for me.

Bought the G90, love it.

As can be seen from this thread, we are different, so, only you can decide what you want.

My take is that both cameras are great.