Panasonic Lumix S9
Panasonic has finally released the highly anticipated Panasonic Lumix S9 compact full-frame mirrorless camera. It received hybrid advanced autofocus, image stabilization, and support for video recording in 6K with 10-bit color depth. The company has achieved the compactness of the Panasonic Lumix G9 II (M4/3) in Thus a full-frame camera combined with high functionality. Of course, there were some compromises.
The new full-frame Lumix S series camera is truly compact. Panasonic Lumix S9 weighs 403 grams (for comparison: the new Fujifilm X-T50 weighs 389 grams without battery and flash drive). At the same time, a number of functions that the new camera has received are truly advanced.
Firstly, a productive 24.2 megapixel matrix. The same sensor is installed in the Panasonic Lumix S5 II camera (which, by the way, is almost $300 more expensive). Available sensor sensitivity ISO 100–51200.
The Panasonic Lumix S9 camera supports double base ISO for shooting in low-light conditions. In standard recording modes, native ISO values are 100/640. When switched to V-Log, dual native ISO is 640/4000. If you shoot in HLG mode, dual native ISO will be 400 and 2500.
The second point worth noting is the 5-axis image stabilization based on sensor shift (IBIS). It's an achievement that Panasonic has managed to pack advanced stabilization into such a compact full-frame camera body.
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Its effectiveness is estimated at 5 exposure steps, and when working in conjunction with a lens with optical stabilization - 6.5 steps.
Western reviewers rated the quality of stabilization of the Panasonic Lumix S9 very highly and it is clear that the system works well. This, by the way, is a fairly traditional situation for Panasonic, which developed the IBIS system a long time ago and equipped cameras with M4/3 matrices with it. The Panasonic Lumix GH6 model, by the way, has one of the highest quality matrix stabilization systems on the market at the moment.
So: four different IBIS modes are available: BIS Dual IS2, Active IS, EIS (electronic stabilization) and Boost IS. Each of which provides a different level of effectiveness. Accordingly, it is necessary to select a mode for each specific shooting.
The new Panasonic Lumix S9 also received high-quality hybrid autofocus. This makes it possible to compete with cameras from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm in this parameter. The autofocus system has 779 points and can recognize people, pets/birds, cars and motorcycles.
The autofocus system works like in photo and video mode. In photo mode, you can track objects in burst mode at a speed of up to 30 frames per second.
There is also advanced video shooting functionality: recording to memory cards with a resolution of up to 6K 30 fps in 4:2:0 format 10 bits in 3:2 Open Gate mode. You can also record in 4K Open Gate 3:2 at up to 30 fps. This functionality will provide the ability to install anamorphic optics on the Panasonic Lumix S9 camera. It is interesting that the company has provided such features even in such a compact camera, and seemingly not aimed at such shooting.
Panasonic Lumix S9 also has shooting modes available: 6K and 4K (16:9 and 1.89: 1) - with a frame rate of 29.97 fps.
According to Panasonic, the new full-frame camera can record in 6K format for up to 30 minutes without interruption. Some Western bloggers report that in reality the available timing will be less. In general, this is logical, taking into account the lack of an advanced cooling system due to the maximum compactness of the Lumix S9 body.
Separately, it should be clarified that the rolling shutter indicator when shooting on the Panasonic Lumix S9 is quite high. Firstly, it is noticeable in the videos published by bloggers. Secondly, the more expensive model - Panasonic Lumix S5 II has a very strong rolling shutter: 22 ms (the lower the better) when shooting in a resolution of 3840x2160 at a frequency of 25 frames per second. For comparison, the Sony A7SIII has a similar figure of 8.7 ms.
The press release clarifies that when recording in DCI 4K/4UHD and below, you cannot record footage to an external SSD via the USB-C port.
For more convenient video shooting, there is a rotating 3-inch display with a resolution of 1.84 million dots. There is also a button for applying LUTs in real time. Accordingly, you can pre-load your own LUT into the camera or use built-in options.
The new Panasonic Lumix S9 camera weighs 403 grams, which is significantly lighter than the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, which weighs 740 grams.
The new Panasonic Lumix S9 camera has a rectangular shape and does not have a side grip. However, the camera is very compact and has built-in Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.
Panasonic has also introduced a new companion app called "LumixLab", which allows you to import, edit and share photos/videos using your smartphone. The app also includes a LUT library that can be downloaded to the camera wirelessly.
Panasonic Lumix S9 Camera Key Features:
- 24.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor
- Compact and lightweight design without EVF or mechanical shutter
- 10-bit 6K 30 fps 4:2 video recording: 0
- C4K/4K60p 4:2:2 10-bit, unlimited
- 3.0-inch free-angle LCD touchscreen with 1.84m resolution< /li>
- 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization
- ISO 100–51200
- Real-time LUT
