move from G9ii to OM-1ii?

[prairiedog]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

 

[Squire Photographer]

Hi, I switched from the G9 mk1 to the OM-1 mk1 when it released. Having the Pana 100-400mm too, I only lost dual IS. That has never bothered me, the lens IS is good enough for what I do: Photography of wildlife in general, and birds in flight (in which case I deactivate any stabilization). I also do the occasional landscape.

All my photography is handheld.

For video, you indeed lose the flexibility that Panasonic offers when it comes to the format, codecs etc.

With OM, you want 10 bits? Then you have to use Log. No way around that.

OM Systems is oriented towards nature photography: video is kind of an afterthought.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll do my best to answer

 

[prairiedog]

Hi, I switched from the G9 mk1 to the OM-1 mk1 when it released. Having the Pana 100-400mm too, I only lost dual IS. That has never bothered me, the lens IS is good enough for what I do: Photography of wildlife in general, and birds in flight (in which case I deactivate any stabilization). I also do the occasional landscape.

All my photography is handheld.

For video, you indeed lose the flexibility that Panasonic offers when it comes to the format, codecs etc.

With OM, you want 10 bits? Then you have to use Log. No way around that.

OM Systems is oriented towards nature photography: video is kind of an afterthought.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll do my best to answer

Useful stuff, thanks for responding. Losing Dual IS sounds drastic but from everything I've read it isn't really a big deal.

I have glasses and the G9 viewfinder magnification options were great - lost that at the mkii but still very usable, though seeing the whole frame is a stretch. I'm hoping the OM-1 will be OK but that's something to test in a store.

 

[Squire Photographer]

I can't comment on the viewfinder for you. Indeed, trying it out in a store is the best option !

 

[SusanLane]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

LoL... "It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire"


Make the switch! I've been shooting with Olympus up here in the Great White North (where the daylight in winter is scarce and nights in front of the fireplace are looooong) since the 1970's. Except for my EVOLT E300, every Olympus I've ever owned felt that way, and yes -- there have been countless winter nights where I've actually fallen asleep just playing with them.


All these years I've believed I was some kind of strange (ahem) fetishist -- and now you tell me this and I no longer feel alone!


Case in point: I still cannot imagine ever giving up my E500, in part because the Kodak KAF-8300 CCD sensor is STILL the closest thing to 'Digital Kodachrome' ever seen, but if I'm honest, it's among the best 'snuggle-up' DSLRs ever made.
Since then, I've had similar experiences with more Olympus cameras than I can count, everything from the 35mm OM-2 to Stylus to the SP-350, E-3, PEN E-P5 and my latest toy, the E-M1X.


When the MFT format came out I tried a couple of the Panasonic bodies and got rid of them within weeks. I'd been a Panasonic video fan from the days of VHS-C, but IMPO Panasonic never did get MFT 'right' -- starting from their choice of OIS over IBIS (the latter allowed me to get some of my best shots over the years using OM System Zuiko film camera lenses) but also because of the 'feels-right-in-the-hand' factor.

I would say that if you've gotten into MFT but never owned an Olympus (or OMS) MFT, you really haven't 'lived the system' yet. It's one of those intangible aspects that you just won't get until you get one -- then you get it.

 

[SusanLane]

Hi, I switched from the G9 mk1 to the OM-1 mk1 when it released. Having the Pana 100-400mm too, I only lost dual IS. That has never bothered me, the lens IS is good enough for what I do: Photography of wildlife in general, and birds in flight (in which case I deactivate any stabilization). I also do the occasional landscape.

All my photography is handheld.

For video, you indeed lose the flexibility that Panasonic offers when it comes to the format, codecs etc.

With OM, you want 10 bits? Then you have to use Log. No way around that.

OM Systems is oriented towards nature photography: video is kind of an afterthought.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll do my best to answer

Useful stuff, thanks for responding. Losing Dual IS sounds drastic but from everything I've read it isn't really a big deal.

I have glasses and the G9 viewfinder magnification options were great - lost that at the mkii but still very usable, though seeing the whole frame is a stretch. I'm hoping the OM-1 will be OK but that's something to test in a store.

Are you sure you'd be losing Dual-IS? My E-M1X will do that, but I'm not sure it will work with all OIS lenses.

 

[Sam Bennett]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

I originally was hoping that I'd have a dual-system setup where I was using the S5 II for Full Frame (with wide to normal lenses), and the G9 II for MFT (primarily tele work). There were a few factors that led me to the OM-1 Mark II after that experiment:

1. Size - To your point, the G9 II/S5 II is a brick. Some will like the size, some do not. I've been using the E-M1-style body since the original was release, and the OM-1 just feels "right" to me.
2. Slowness - The G9 II/S5 II are slow to boot, slow to review images, slow to "rate" images, etc. To me, it doesn't meet the bar of "professional" body that the S1 and OM-1 line does.
3. Lens Compatibility - The 40-150/2.8 is my primary lens, and it simply does not focus as consistently as it does on the OM-1. That was the nail in the coffin for me.

Ultimately I kept the S5 II since there isn't really a "better" solution for me an FF is a small part of what I do. But needless to say, if OM System created an FF in the same size, I'd be all over it.

 

[Skeeterbytes]

Not having one, think I'd mostly miss the larger G9ii 25MP files, in both normal shooting and hi-res.

Do have the OM-1ii and it's the best camera I've owned or used. I can't think of any gotchas beyond the loss of sync-IS with Lumix OIS lenses, and the list of plusses is long.

Good luck!

Rick

 

[Be More]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

I was originally was planning to upgrade my G9 go the G9II to pair with an OM1 that had already been an upgrade from my EM1III, that is until I had the chance to handle one in the shop and immediately realized the new model was a successor in name only. I instead ended up with a second OM1 and really couldn't be happier.

I too wear spectacles and have never had any issue with the OM1 viewfinders magnification. I have appreciated the increased resolution, brightness and responsiveness over the G9, which always was a little laggy in my experience.

The only thing I really miss from the G9 is the top info plate and the ability to have near and far focus buttons set up.

For me the way a camera feels in hand is paramount. If I don't like holding it I won't like taking it out and using it. Both the original G9 and EM1 series had this "fits so right I need them in my life" feeling. The OM1 actually surpassed both the G9 and EM1III in the way it feels in hand, at least for me personally.

For some time my primary lens on the OM1 was the PL200mm. The IBIS alone in the OM1 delivered better slow shutter results than I had enjoyed with the G9 and its duel IS. I don't believe you would miss duel IS at all.

As others have suggested. Find a way to handle and use an OM1 in person before making a final decision.

 

[StevoPhilo]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I understand this a lot. The G9 has a personality of it's own. The grip was perfect. The EVF was amazingly large. The front switch was convenient. The top LCD made it stand out.

The g9ii has all the features on could ask for, but it also took away the identity of the original G9. The biggest part I miss is the EVF and grip.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

It's a bit more blocky and generic in that sense.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I think it really is a matter of taste. Like you, I don't care for Oly/OM menus. The newer menu isn't nearly as bad, but the panasonic interface is just so easy to understand and setup the camera the way you want to.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Dual Stabilization may be the only thing, but I don't think it matters much past a certain point.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

I have the OM-3 and G9ii now. While I think it's tempting, I wouldn't swap one for the other as they serve different purposes for me. The g9ii has become almost like a video camera for me with a cineback attached to it.

I would just rent one for a few days and see how much you like it. It's hard to really say whether you should make the jump or not. I don't think it's worth trying to learn a whole new camera just for the feeling of the original G9.

 

[prairiedog]

Great idea about renting, I hadn’t considered that. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Photongraphy]

Hi, I switched from the G9 mk1 to the OM-1 mk1 when it released. Having the Pana 100-400mm too, I only lost dual IS. That has never bothered me, the lens IS is good enough for what I do: Photography of wildlife in general, and birds in flight (in which case I deactivate any stabilization). I also do the occasional landscape.

All my photography is handheld.

For video, you indeed lose the flexibility that Panasonic offers when it comes to the format, codecs etc.

With OM, you want 10 bits? Then you have to use Log. No way around that.

OM Systems is oriented towards nature photography: video is kind of an afterthought.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll do my best to answer

Useful stuff, thanks for responding. Losing Dual IS sounds drastic but from everything I've read it isn't really a big deal.

I have glasses and the G9 viewfinder magnification options were great - lost that at the mkii but still very usable, though seeing the whole frame is a stretch. I'm hoping the OM-1 will be OK but that's something to test in a store.

Are you sure you'd be losing Dual-IS? My E-M1X will do that, but I'm not sure it will work with all OIS lenses.

Yes. Dual IS works only on Panny bodies with Panny lenses. You probably have Sync IS that only works on Oly/OMDS bodies and (some) stabilised Oly/OMDS lenses. Unfortunatly both systems aren't compatible.

 

[prairiedog]

I too wear spectacles and have never had any issue with the OM1 viewfinders magnification. I have appreciated the increased resolution, brightness and responsiveness over the G9, which always was a little laggy in my experience.

Good to know, thanks.

The only thing I really miss from the G9 is the top info plate and the ability to have near and far focus buttons set up.

Top plate no issue for me, but I do use near focus on my G9/G9ii - something to think about

For me the way a camera feels in hand is paramount. If I don't like holding it I won't like taking it out and using it. Both the original G9 and EM1 series had this "fits so right I need them in my life" feeling. The OM1 actually surpassed both the G9 and EM1III in the way it feels in hand, at least for me personally.

Again, good to know. So many reviews raved about the original G9 ergonomics and I had to agree. The G9ii grip actually hurts my fingers!

Thanks for the comments.

 

[prairiedog]

All these years I've believed I was some kind of strange (ahem) fetishist -- and now you tell me this and I no longer feel alone!

not sure if I feel comforted by this or not - I'm now a fetishist!

Thanks for the detailed reply - appreciated.

 

[HicHic]

If you shoot wildlife, you're going to lose the burst rates you get with G9ii. You'll also lose 4K120 video shooting. Heck, even 4K60 and 4K24 will be much softer and lower quality, unless you shoot H265 log, which will force you to grade every single video you take. Oh, and this option isn't available for frame rates above 30. The autofocus is better in some ways, but worse in others. If you shoot mostly perched birds, the G9ii is more sticky and has less tendency to pulse in and out of focus. Birds in flight too, actually. But the OM-1ii is much faster at acquiring focus.

You'll also lose some resolution (20 vs 25) and dynamic range, especially when shooting at base ISO.

 

[gary0319]

Ever since I upgraded my G9 to the G9ii I've had a love hate relationship with it.

I'm familiar with the interface, performance, buttons etc and love the camera but but I've always struggled with it feeling like a brick. It just doesn't feel right in my hands.

I've held the OM-1ii in shops and it's a bit like the distracted boyfriend meme - I keep looking at it and thinking about it. It reminds me of the smoother curves and comfort of my old G9. It just feels right and I can see myself snuggling up to it on cold winter nights in front of the fire (OK, I'm going a bit far now)

Most reviews say choose G9ii if interested in video but other than that it seems to be 6 and half a dozen.

I have a PL100-400, and a mix of other Oly and Panny lenses, shoot wildlife, landscapes etc.

My main worry is that I'd lose something I didn't expect if I switched.

Has anyone had the same feeling, made the same switch, have anything to persuade me either way?

I was originally was planning to upgrade my G9 go the G9II to pair with an OM1 that had already been an upgrade from my EM1III, that is until I had the chance to handle one in the shop and immediately realized the new model was a successor in name only. I instead ended up with a second OM1 and really couldn't be happier.

I too wear spectacles and have never had any issue with the OM1 viewfinders magnification. I have appreciated the increased resolution, brightness and responsiveness over the G9, which always was a little laggy in my experience.

The only thing I really miss from the G9 is the top info plate and the ability to have near and far focus buttons set up.

The OM-1 cameras have an internal focus limiter option, plus the OP’s PL100-400 has its own full/far focus limiter.

For me the way a camera feels in hand is paramount. If I don't like holding it I won't like taking it out and using it. Both the original G9 and EM1 series had this "fits so right I need them in my life" feeling. The OM1 actually surpassed both the G9 and EM1III in the way it feels in hand, at least for me personally.

For some time my primary lens on the OM1 was the PL200mm. The IBIS alone in the OM1 delivered better slow shutter results than I had enjoyed with the G9 and its duel IS. I don't believe you would miss duel IS at all.

I use the PL100-400 with my OM-1 II and the internal camera stabilization alone works better than the lens OIS alone. The IBIS allows for faster bird detect focus lock on BiFs than with the OIS alone.

As others have suggested. Find a way to handle and use an OM1 in person before making a final decision.

 

[DDoram]

After using the G9ii and the OM1ii for the past year you are asking an interesting question. If you shoot video, the G9ii has no comparison. In shooting wildlife like birds, both cameras work well; the focus acquisition time of the OM1ii make it slightly better for birds. However, for birds in flight, once the G9ii acquires a bird, the AF seems to stick slight better. Of course how each is set up affects AF and I have not tried all of the AF settings on each camera.

For me, the OM1ii wins overall for better features like focus stacking and I like the out of camera IQ slightly better; of course both cameras allow fine tuning of output.

Dale

 

[ikolbyi]

After using the G9ii and the OM1ii for the past year you are asking an interesting question. If you shoot video, the G9ii has no comparison. In shooting wildlife like birds, both cameras work well; the focus acquisition time of the OM1ii make it slightly better for birds. However, for birds in flight, once the G9ii acquires a bird, the AF seems to stick slight better. Of course how each is set up affects AF and I have not tried all of the AF settings on each camera.

For me, the OM1ii wins overall for better features like focus stacking and I like the out of camera IQ slightly better; of course both cameras allow fine tuning of output.

Dale

One thing you didn’t cover is lens compatibility.

i use both the OM-1.1 & G9.2 and my response is what are your lenses and what is your subject?

I have found OM lenses on Panasonic body don’t operate to their full potential. If you are photographing static subjects, then this is less of an issue, but anything moving and it is like operating with one of your hands tied. This is not so much the same issue with Panny lenses on OM body, the only thing you loose is lens image stabilization if the lens supports it.

I also found the loss of the 5MP noticeable if you crop.

but my editor DXO handles high ISO on OM-1 better.

trade-offs is best way to phrase it. In the end, if you are not picking up the G9.2 because it does not feel comfortable in your hand, then that is your answer.

 

[DDoram]

Good points; in real use I find the extra 5 MP not that much of a difference

Dale

After using the G9ii and the OM1ii for the past year you are asking an interesting question. If you shoot video, the G9ii has no comparison. In shooting wildlife like birds, both cameras work well; the focus acquisition time of the OM1ii make it slightly better for birds. However, for birds in flight, once the G9ii acquires a bird, the AF seems to stick slight better. Of course how each is set up affects AF and I have not tried all of the AF settings on each camera.

For me, the OM1ii wins overall for better features like focus stacking and I like the out of camera IQ slightly better; of course both cameras allow fine tuning of output.

Dale

One thing you didn’t cover is lens compatibility.

i use both the OM-1.1 & G9.2 and my response is what are your lenses and what is your subject?

I have found OM lenses on Panasonic body don’t operate to their full potential. If you are photographing static subjects, then this is less of an issue, but anything moving and it is like operating with one of your hands tied. This is not so much the same issue with Panny lenses on OM body, the only thing you loose is lens image stabilization if the lens supports it.

I also found the loss of the 5MP noticeable if you crop.

but my editor DXO handles high ISO on OM-1 better.

trade-offs is best way to phrase it. In the end, if you are not picking up the G9.2 because it does not feel comfortable in your hand, then that is your answer.

 

[JosephScha]

I have the G9 II and in my hands it does not "feel like a brick". I am about to turn 69 years old, but the G9 II is a great camera for me.