Big, ugly and quite good

In 2021 my GX7 developed a dial flaw which gave me an excuse to indulge in my dreams of later generation goodies. My preliminary choice was a used G9. I had some misgivings about the bulk. When I first saw one live, I was shocked, it looked huge. I almost decided to get an EMii instead. But I couldn't ask to hold one that time as I was with the SO. Next time I visited the store alone and got physical with it, it miraculously shrank. Also surprised that it fine into the slot in my bag where my GX7 used to be. I didn't have to take out any lenses or other stuff. So I coughed up the money (799€ IIRC) and took it home. It's not a beautiful camera like the GX7 (I'm no fan of the faux DSLR look) so it's a more business-like no nonsense relationship. The the list of improvements over the GX7 was impressive;

• sensor shift hi res mode
• better stabilisation
• FAS
• zebra (yes, no, the GX7 really doesn't have it)
• focus bracketing
• weather sealing
• joystick
• bigger viewfinder
• 20MP

and some that I didn't much care about (would have preferred a tad less bulk and price):

• double cards
• top display
• video features (GX7 was plenty good enough for my needs)

The most exciting feature (hi res) I have used only once. Not because it didn't work but the tripod tends to stay at home nowadays. And the G9's stabilization sure makes that an easy decision. I think I have got a sharp 1/2s exposure. I normally I feel confident to go down to about 4/FL and slower if I take several exposures. Have enjoyed the return to FAS (had it on my 2 first digicams) very much. Adds lots of flexibility and comfort for my style of shooting. The drawback is that it doesn't work well with an L bracket. I even sawed an opening in it to give the screen more room to swing. It helped but not enough. So now I just keep the vertical member in the bag and screw it on when needed. Fiddly but as I said not been doing much tripod work lately so not much of an issue.

I used to have a Sony R1 which was ergonomically great and a rather nice piece of design. The G9 hasn't got the looks but feels similar. Very comfortable grip so weight is a non-issue. The Sony weighs 1000g according to specs. So a tad lighter than the 1164g of my G9 with Arca Swiss plate and the Oly 12-40 mounted. Still not much. The only problem is that it makes me wonder why it's not an S5 with a 20-60. But my bank account knows why.

Usability? On the whole, very good. But I can't understand why there has to be dedicated buttons for WB, ISO and EC. Why can't they be configurable like all the others or probably better still replaced with a 4th wheel. I adjust EC every few frames like I imagine every ETTR shooter does. No way I'd want to have that behind a button. Instead I configured the back panel wheel for that because it's the easiest to move though not in an ideal position. Might switch it to the top rear dial. The shutter button is supposed to be very sensitive on some specimens, too sensitive for many. I don't know to which end of the scale mine belongs but I find it close to ideal. The more sensitive, the less movement induced by pressing. Still not hard to half-press and very few accidental exposures.

Another feature that turned out very useful is focus bracketing. Although it's still a primitive affair where you learn by trial and error (what's so hard in making it work properly?) it is easier than doing it manually (where you risk moving the camera accidentally).

I have discovered that having double cards can save the day if you forget to pull one of them out of the computer. The little things: The battery spring is strong enough to eject it so you can grab it (on the GX7 I had to shake the camera or fish the battery out with my fingernails), Yes, the viewfinder does have a bit of pincushion distortion but it is a non-issue and it is nice and big. I have found myself using the VF more often since I got the G9. I lost the eyecup early on. Can't say I have missed it. The menu is basically the same mess as on the GX7 (how dreadful must Oly menus be if Pana's are supposed to be so good?) but I found it easier to use, maybe because I can put the most frequently used items on My menu and there are more configurable buttons so can't remember last time I needed to go there. The problem, of course, is to remember how you've configured them. The top panel? I've consulted it a couple of times but mostly forget it's there and would do just fine without it. 20MP? I imagine I see a tad more detail but that could be due to the lack of a low pass filter. Not interested enough to do any side-by side tests. Another thing that reminds me of the R1 is the joystick. Not sure it's a joy to use but do prefer it to the touch function on a FAS.

It's a serious beast. Doesn't leave much to be desired, so my GAS has lately moved toward lenses.