Panasonic is tapping into the small camera trend with its thinnest full-frame mirrorless model yet, the Lumix S9. But while other recent cameras with similar frames, such as the Fuji Mount Alliance optics.
Designed with the input and influence of Generation Z
To achieve its slim build (2.9 by 5.0 by 1.8 inches HWD, 1.1 pounds), the S9 omits a number of features considered standard for full-frame cameras: it doesn’t include a viewfinder on eye level or mechanical shutter. The lack of a good viewfinder can throw experienced photographers off track, but Panasonic tells us it made this decision after surveying younger creators about the must-have features for a camera. In this case, the verdict was in favor of a smaller chassis and in-body image stabilization, both of which the S9 supports.
The lack of a mechanical shutter is less of a concern for many use cases. Some cameras with fully electronic shutters suffer from rolling shutter distortion when taking action shots, but the S9 uses the same sensor and processing engine as the S5 II, a camera proven to be good enough for wildlife and sports shots in the electronic shutter mode. We expect the S9’s e-shutter to meet the needs of most makers, although we’ll note that it’s not good for flash photography. The S9 does not support flash photography at all, it omits a built-in flash. Although it has a cold shoe for mounting accessories, there are no electrical contacts to support an external flash. If flash photography is one of your interests, the Lumix S5 II comes with a hot shoe and a mechanical shutter for 1/250 second sync.
(Credit: Panasonic)
Other imaging features of the S5 II remain without compromise. The S9 uses the same hardware to support the built-in image stabilization function and offers up to 6.5 CIPA-rated compensation stops, along with a 24 MP full-frame sensor and supports focus drive up to 30 fps with a pre-capture option, detect phase autofocus with subject recognition and a 96MP handheld multi-shot mode. The S9 even shares its battery with the S5 II; it is suitable for up to 470 shots per charge. The camera also supports on-the-go charging via USB-C from a power bank.
For images, both JPG and Raw formats are available, while video is recorded in 10-bit color in your choice of widescreen 16:9 or open gate 3:2 aspect ratio. The latter is useful for creators who want to extract widescreen, vertical and square crops from the same video clip; there’s a 6K mode for serious projects, while social experts can instead use a 3.8K Lite option for smaller file sizes. The 3.8K resolution is intended for display on smartphone screens.
The S9 also adds a few new digital zoom features. Crop Zoom works with prime lenses and achieves a tighter angle by simply applying an in-camera crop to JPGs and saving them at a smaller pixel size. Hybrid Zoom extends functionality to zoom lenses and is smart enough to instantly reverse the crop based on the lens’ focal setting. In either case, the uncropped full-resolution photo will be saved as a Raw format image, assuming Raw+JPG capture is enabled in the camera.
When it comes to framing shots, a vari-angle LCD screen is the solution. The fold-out display is matched to most other mirrorless cameras, has a screen size of 3 inches, touch support and a sharp resolution of 1.84 million pixels. I haven’t had a chance to try it personally yet, but expect it to be a great option for taking photos; After all, it is no different than what Panasonic includes in the larger S5 II. The only real problem is the brightness. You’ll definitely need to increase the backlight to avoid glare on sunny days, which will compromise battery life.
Choose your style, inside and out
The appearance of the S9 is just as important as its size. The camera body is only available in black, but comes with four different faux leather color options so you can get one that suits your fashion sense. We haven’t seen any in person, but the Crimson Red, Dark Olive, and Night Blue colorways all look good in photos. The dark tones give the camera body a sense of timeless style. If you prefer a more subtle look, the Jet Black option is as stealth as it gets.
If you want some flair, you’ll have to buy the camera in a kit. The blue, green and red versions are only available in a hard bundle with the Lumix 20-60mm zoom lens, while the black edition is only sold in a kit or as a body.
(Credit: Panasonic)
While many cameras are available with different leatherette casings, the S9’s image engine is also customizable. It has the expected JPG modes (Standard, Vivid, Black and White and the like) built in, but goes one step further with support for customizable picture profiles. Panasonic calls these LUTs because the concept is similar to the Look Up Tables used in video production to apply creative color quality in the editing room.
The S9 leans into the LUT concept. It supports up to 40 customizable LUTs and includes a button to switch between them. Each LUT supports configurable color reproduction and film grain. Via the Lumix Lab smartphone app you can create your own looks or load those from influencers and Panasonic yourself. The appeal here is both convenience and individuality: using a LUT to give an image a filtered look takes less time than editing a Raw image with Adobe Lightroom or other desktop software, and since you can create your own profiles , allows you to give images and video a look that suits your personal aesthetic preferences.
Panasonic introduces a new companion app, Lumix Lab, to support the LUT function. An apparent replacement for the long-standing Panasonic Image Sync mobile app, Lumix Lab promises to offer some quality of life features (faster pairing and file transfers) and works as a full-featured photo and video editing app. Panasonic tells us that upcoming Lumix cams will also work with the Lab app, while the cams on the market are already limited to the older Image Sync app for now. It expects this to change over the course of next year as more features are added to the Lab app. For example, remote control is missing at launch. Lumix Lab is a free download for Android and iOS.
(Credit: Panasonic)
Small lenses are coming
The body style omits a handgrip, making it better suited for use with small zooms and primes. Smallrig releases an extra grip for makers who want a little more grip. We don’t have a price for it yet, but it’s made to fit the camera and also adds a base plate with Arca-Swiss dovetail cutouts so it can mount directly to compatible tripods.
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If you’d rather go grip-free, the S9 works with a number of suitably small primes already on the market, including Sigma’s sleek I-series prime line. I see the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary as an ideal match for photographers who want a light carrying option.
Panasonic is also working on a number of new, small lenses. It releases the Lumix S 26mm F8 pancake prime to match the camera. This particular lens is limited to manual focus and the fixed aperture only shoots at f/8, which can surprise those looking at a full-frame camera to get the blurred background and bokeh look.
(Credit: Panasonic)
Instead, the 26mm F8’s appeal is aimed at documentary and street photographers who place a greater value on getting most of the world in focus and taking pictures at that moment, without any inkling of lag caused by an autofocus system . The 26mm F8 is quite small; it extends only 0.71 inches from the camera body and weighs just 2.1 ounces.
There is one major drawback to consider, aside from the manual focus aspect. The lens has no filter thread, so there’s no way to add neutral density to support long-exposure photos or the right video shutter angles for shooting in bright light. Still, Panasonic says the optical quality is much better than what comparable small, manual lenses deliver. We’ll have to see if that’s true during testing, but the S 26mm F8 is certainly attractively priced at $199.99.
And while the S9 launches with the commercially available S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 zoom lens as a starter lens, a new, smaller zoom lens is on the way. The Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 covers a slightly wider angle and the optics retract into the cylinder for storage so the lens won’t take up too much space in your camera bag, but we don’t know much beyond this point . Panasonic is withholding full details, specifications and pricing for a future date.
Prices and availability
The S9 is expected to hit stores in late June and will cost $1,499.99 as a body only in Jet Black, or $1,799.99 in a kit with the Lumix S 20-60mm in all four color options: Crimson Red, Dark Olive, Jet Black or Night Blue. Additionally, customers who pre-order the camera as a body or kit will receive a free Lumix S 26mm F8 lens for a limited time.
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