Panasonic Lumix G9 II Review

[SECTION]INTRODUCTION[/SECTION]

It has been a long wait, but the MkII version of the highly capable G9 is here. It bears less resemblance to the original G9, the G9 II looking very much more like an MFT version of the full-frame S5 II. However, this is a definite positive as the ergonomics and facilities offered look to be of the same high calibre. The initial reaction when opening the box is favourable, so let’s dig a little deeper and see how this new MFT flagship works out in practice.

Panasonic Lumix G9 II Features

The G9 II body is very similar to the S5 II, and users of the larger format sibling will have no difficulties when changing from one to the other. Panasonic design is also very DSLR-like, with plenty of external dials and buttons to satisfy those who are familiar with that operational style. The body is also dust and splash-resistant, as well as being freezeproof down to -10C.

Whilst not overly bulky, the camera feels solid and this does inspire confidence in its longevity. It weighs in at a reasonable 658g, measuring 134.3 x 102.3 x 90.1mm.

Looking down on the top plate, we have the drive mode dial, a very handy way of being able to quickly set the self-timer, high-resolution mode and various other drive parameters. The mode dial is easy to grip and is surrounded by the on/off switch. Ironically, the design of the G9 II might be generally slicker than the G9, but the on/off switch has been taken away from my preferred position around the shutter release button. We have also lost the top plate screen, but these both prove to be fairly minor points in the overall scheme of things. A red button controls the start/stop of video recording and this is reasonably well placed. There are three buttons to allow access to White Balance, ISO and exposure compensation. There are two control wheels, the back one at the corner edge and the front one around the shutter release button.

The rear of the camera houses buttons for playback, LVF selection, AF, single, continuous AF or MF, AF on/off, Q menu, back button and display button. A joystick controls the AF position. A four-way controller provides navigation through menus, has a menu switch in the centre that doubles as a set (OK) button and a rotating rim that duplicates the changing of some parameters once they are selected. The Q menu is another way to gain quick access to parameters such as Photo Style, White Balance and ISO. There is no shortage of alternative ways to operate the camera, so it should suit a wide variety of photographers’ needs.

Both the free-angle touch screen and the LVF are crisp and easy on the eye, enabling fatigue-free viewing for extended periods.

Moving to the left side of the camera we have two rubber doors, which are hinged, not just loose, but it would be better still if these were hard plastic. If charging is done at this point via USB then wear and tear on the appropriate door could be very heavy indeed. The larger door reveals a full-size HDMI Type A socket and a USB-C charge point. The smaller door reveals sockets for mics and headphones.

On the right side of the camera is the large, solid plastic door that reveals the two SD card slots. The base houses the battery compartment and the grip connector, plus of course the usual tripod socket.

Having reached this really well-balanced set of features brings the G9 II to new heights of functionality for the MFT system.

Panasonic Lumix G9 II Key Features

• 25.2MP Full-Frame sensor
• 100MP high-resolution mode
• ISO 50-25600 (Standard)
• Dual SD card slots (SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I and UHS-II compatible)
• BIS 8 stops
• Dual 5 axis IS 7.5 stops
• 4:2:2 10-bit 5.7K 60p video
• 14+ stop V-Log/V-Gamut
• Real-Time LUT
• Hybrid Phase Detection AF/Contrast AF -4 to +18 EV
• Metering EV 0-18
• Shutter 60s to 1/8000s
• Mechanical shutter up to 14fps
• Electronic shutter up to 75fps
• Flash Synch 1/250s
• 1.84M dot Free-angle touch screen LCD
• 3.68M dot OLED LVF
• Dust and splash resistant/freezeproof to -10C
• 134.3mm x 102.3mm x 90.1mm
• 658g body, with card and battery
• WiFi 2.4GHZ and 5GHz
• Bluetooth v5.0 (BLE)

Panasonic Lumix G9 II Handling

It is difficult to find much, if anything, that would be an obvious improvement to the G9 II. Handling is effective, from the moment the camera is brought into play it feels just right in the hand. The controls all fall well. The quality of the operation of the various switches and dials is superb.

Handling the G9 II is very much like handling a DSLR, just without the flipping mirror and its associated pentaprism hump. There is still a pentaprism-like hump, but very much smaller than we would expect from a DSLR. The EVF is housed there. This is a real, solid, fit-in-the-hands design, not ultra-compact but very comfortable to hold and use. It is large enough to avoid the tendency for any buttons to be accidentally moved, but small enough compared to a DSLR for the difference to be appreciated. A good balance.

The bulk and weight are almost identical to the full frame S5 II, this of course raises the question of what are we gaining by using the smaller MFT format? Obviously, the level of quality has to be reduced slightly, even if only in terms of high ISO performance. However, the smaller format has a higher pixel count, just, so potentially slightly higher resolution. It tends to be a leapfrogging progression of features as technology constantly advances. MFT has advantages in reach, the 2x crop factor meaning that, say, a 100mm lens will have the same field of view as a 200mm lens on a full frame. This is great for wildlife and sports.

The position of the on/off switch might well be better surrounding the shutter release button, but this does become a relatively minor point when up alongside all the benefits the camera offers.

The position of the video start/stop button is convenient and it operates without the camera shaking too much. This is often an area that could be improved by many cameras. Camera shake is very effectively taken care of and handheld video is satisfyingly stable.

[SECTION]PERFORMANCE[/SECTION]

Panasonic Lumix G9 II Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
 

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Panasonic Lumix G9 II Sample Photos

Lens Performance – The lens provided for this review was the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Aspherical. This has recently been reviewed on EPZ and is capable of producing bright, contrasty and detailed images. The summary of its performance was this:

The sharpness figures are a bit of a mixed bag, but partly because diffraction will take the bite out of the smaller apertures, especially with the small MFT format. However, there is also good news, so in more detail:

At 12mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/2.8 to f/5.6, very good at f/8 and f/11 and as predicted soft at f/16 and f/22. The edges let things down a bit, starting off soft at f/2.8 and f/4, becoming very good at f/5.6 and f/8, good at f/11 and then back to being soft at f/16 and f/22.

At 18mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/3.2 to f/5.6, very good at f/8 and f/11 and soft at f/16 and f/22. The edges start off a little better, being good at f/3.2, very good at f/4, excellent at f/5.6, very good at f/8, good at f/11 and soft at f/16 and f/22.

At 40mm, the lens really starts to shine. Central sharpness is outstanding from f/3.9 to f/5.6, excellent at f/8, very good at f/11 but again soft at f/16 and f/22. The edges are excellent at f/3.9 and f/4, outstanding at f/5.6, excellent at f/8, very good at f/11 and then soft at f/16 and f/22.

At 60mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/4 to f/8, very good at f/11, good at f/16 and soft at f/22. The edges are excellent from f/4 to f/8, good at f/11 and soft at f/16 and f/22.

There is plenty of good sharpness to be had from the lens, apart from the edges at 12mm and at f/16 and f/22 throughout. Those apertures should be avoided if seeking the best results.

Distortion reveals some interesting figures as the lens is virtually rectilinear throughout its longer range. We start off with -1.90% barrel distortion at 12mm, which is clearly visible, but not at all bad for a zoom lens. Correction could be applied if needed. By 18mm that barrel distortion has almost disappeared and measures -0.02%. Straight lines will be straight lines. By 40mm we have +0.12% pincushion and by 60mm this falls slightly to +0.10% pincushion. Whether or not the camera and lens are working together to remove distortion, it amounts to the same thing, a basically rectilinear zoom lens, which is quite remarkable.

Bokeh is the quality, smoothness or gradation of the out-of-focus areas in an image, and here the lens offers a smooth and relaxed gradation.

Flare is also rather impressive, or at least the absence of it is. In extreme lighting, it is possible to create some faint artefacts, but that is the extent of it and we have to work hard to see anything at all.

Panasonic Lumix G9 II ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance – There have been giant strides in ISO performance and now cameras are delivering smooth, detailed, noise-free images at much higher values, even in the smaller formats. The G9 II is virtually noise-free up to and including ISO 400. ISO 800 to ISO 3200 sees some noise creeping in, but still at very acceptable levels. The sharpness and delineation of the boxes in the test target are compromised by ISO 6400, and even more so at ISO 12800. The structure of the target boxes falls apart at ISO 25600 and this is probably a step too far. Overall, an impressive performance for this MFT format sensor. 

Panasonic Lumix G9 II White-balance test images

White Balance – There is a good selection of white balance presets – Auto White Balance, AWB (Cool), AWB (Warm), Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1-4, Colour Temperature 1-4. Given that warm images are generally well received, the warm AWB setting delivers some very attractive results. Taking this a step further, Daylight and Cloudy settings offer a warmer colour balance that the camera does not try to correct, so, for example, sunsets will stay as red as they were in reality. Shade is especially useful to avoid purple colour casts in the darker areas of woodland, a boon for photographing fungi.

Panasonic Lumix G9 II Digital filters

Digital Filters – Photo Styles available are Standard, Vivid, Natural, L, Classic Neo, Flat, Landscape, Portrait, Monochrome, L.Monochrome, L.Monochrome D, L.Monochrome S, Leica Monochrome, Cinelike D2, Cinelike V2, Like 709, V-Log, Real-Time LUT, My Photo Style 1-4. The addition of Leica Monochrome is new and very interesting. Much more attention is now being given to black-and-white shooting and the advantage of having dedicated mono settings is that it concentrates the mind into thinking in terms of mono subject matter. This can be quite different to thinking in terms of colour.

Source: Photography News
Panasonic Lumix G9 II Review
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