I'm in Japan for a few weeks working aboard the Heritage Adventurer, and looking forward to spending more time with this camera. You can find out more about that voyage and my photographic style here: ewenbell.com/heritage Thankyou also to everyone who left respectful comments.
I’m a full frame Blackmagic shooter who wants a small open gate alternative for light carry personal projects. Plus I think experimenting with LUT combinations on the fly on my phone during scouts and test shoots will come in handy. I even think it will work well on a monopod for quick standup interviews if I add a small wireless mic receiver to the rig. It’s not for commercial work except under very rare circumstances. But overall I’m looking forward to trying the camera out. 🤞🏻
Good call. It's a great platform and great options for codecs + vlog. I'm shooting mostly stills on this journey but have quick access to nice footage when the moment arises.
What a cute unit! Perfect for popping in my handbag and for travel. That's cool about downloading to phone. So good about the dial and the custom modes!
It is nice Panasonic are looking for new horizons on the camera market. A new pool of users of L mount is a good thing gor us, the conservative camera users. Well done, Panasonic!
Outstanding review! Might be a great fit for me..Primarily an M11M shooter but my Q3 is a bit of overkill and while I tried a Leica CL, that didn't work for me..never a fan of Lumix menu's but at least better than Sony! I will only use the S9 for photography, perhaps a 24mm Sigma 24 and 28mm Leica Elmarit or any of my M collection..So much negativity about this camera, but that's nothing new..the peanut gallery is in full effect! thank you for the review, if the S9 works for me, I just won't need my amazing but rarely used Q3..lastly, I've been predicting Leica to come out with CL2 type camera..sort of like..the S9!
Glad you enjoyed it :) Leica have done a great job with their menu system, so the S9 camera will feel a little different. Do you think Leica will end up releasing a full function flippy-screen camera one day?
So I was convinced the S9 would be my next camera. The market segment it has stepped into was wide open. My assumption was that lumix would pull its usual magic and make this the jacket pocketable version of the S5II. I was expecting a slam dunk. I was wrong. I immediately accepted a number of the compromises: the omission of a mechanical shutter and a built-in EVF, and the micro HDMI in place of full sized. I was also surprised on the upside by the full sized battery and top shelf IBIS. Then there were the unexpected compromises: no headphone Jack, average audio/ microphone, no hot shoe and no weather-sealing; and the video record limits. I just couldn’t compute why these compromises were necessary. Then things started to make sense when I accepted this camera was not targeted at ME 😮! It is not the one-step-shop full frame camera in a small form factor I had wished for. Rather it is a powerful EDC camera for creative FUN. I have adopted the ‘fun lens’ point of view for evaluating the S9 and it has helped. Now there are only two key problems I have: the lack of weather sealing and lack of complementary lenses. I am surrounded by beaches. Thus sand, dripping bodies and moisture in bags from wet towels is the norm. After the beach there are bars and restaurants. That means the risk of spillage from drinks. I need a weather sealed camera. Many people are talking about the size of FF lenses and the need for the announced 18-40mm to accompany the S9. I agree. The sigma I-series is however a probably good fall back. Even through the ‘fun’ use case POV I can’t see the S9 being a camera for ME. I now think I’ll probably be better suited to a Mft version: a GX9 Mark II or whatever it is designated, provided it is weather sealed! I really hope this is on the cards! I already have the small MFT lenses. Fingers crossed! I hope the S9 sells out to encourage more options in the small form factor segment. I also really hope everyone who buys the S9 has a great time with it. It is a very powerful tool. PS - I love your work on this channel. You are a stand out professional.
Thanks so much for the kind words :) I'm sure the S9 isn't for everyone, and always good to recognise when you're not the target audience! The original S5 was so good, and for most photographers that form factor will be better. I've been using the S9 everyday for the last three weeks on a commercial job, and it's been marvellous. No issues with EVF or shutter. It's a camera that I could never have even dreamed of a decade ago. Amazing results in such a small body. Not sure how many cameras on the market will ever cope well going from the beach to the bar! Agree that a new GX model would be very welcome.
@@EwenBell Tjst is the thing about the S9, it is an amazing bit of kit in a small body. I’d just like it weather sealed for it to be used as a ‘fun’ camera.
I really want to like this camera but the mechanical shutter to me is a concern because I do more than half my photography at night, and I fear banding, particularly at the shutter speeds I need to freeze movement. Then as you say there's the lenses. Those F1.8 Panny primes look nice but they are also pretty big. I would have liked a true successor of the GM5 more. Using the new 25MP MFT sensor.
Fair call. It's not a camera for everyone. I've been using it for street photography this week, but I'm no expert on that style. I'll see you it goes after a few weeks and post a longer video.
Those C3 settings are just the ones I've created since road testing the camera! I'll make them available to download in a few weeks. Still changing my mind which settings I really want. I could do with 10 more to be honest!
That sounds about right to me. Lovely little design for landscapes and that marvellous sensor. I hope we'll see many more cameras from Sigma, they are quirky but lovely!
I was at a festival this past weekend and notices a press photographer carrying two big Canon bodies with huge 2.8 lenses plus a big bag. A lot of photographers would surely be envious of the gear he had. I was thinking how on earth can he get pictures with those big tank cameras and also feeling a little sorry for him having to carry around all that weight. Use the right tool for the job, that's what I say.
As an owner of a G9 - it's a strange one. Fact is, yes it is small, but there have been compromises to achieve that small size that a similarly sized G body wouldn't have to make. Same goes for the lenses - the new 26mm f/8 is essentially a bodycap lens, the 18-40 is pretty dark for such a short range, and the rest of the S lineup are quite large. The G lineup has a range of pretty fast, relatively small lenses that complement smaller cameras more effectively. This is pitched at a different demographic, IMO, than a similarly sized m43 body would be.
Thanks for dropping a note Eric. Very keen to hear what MFT users are thinking. Just a few weeks ago I was lamenting how much I miss my old GX8. Took a lot of great shots on that thing, and enjoyed not looking like a photographer when travelling :) The lenses are the hard bit for the S9. I like the Sigma Contemporary range, and their 20mm and 35mm F2 lenses are just a little smaller. Not lighter, but smaller!
My sentiments are similar to yours. I have posted my thoughts in a separate comment but the other biggie for me is weather sealing. The S9 I now accept is for FUN. But fun means exposure to sand and water etc. So as someone who also has a G9 I’d take that into condition that risk environmental harm before the S9. As I have a bunch of MFT lenses and an adapter for another bunch of EF lenses, MFT makes more sense. I just wish I had Ewen’s photographic skills!
It's so sexy. How do you adjust exposure compensation while in aperture mode if the wheel around shutter button is for aperture? Once you press the exposure compensation button what do you use to change exposure. Thanks for replying 😎
It really is sexy! I hit the exposure comp bottom and then either the rear or top dial will adjust the comp. Tap the exposure comp button again to return dial to normal function.
Great review and nice shots of the camera! It’s good to see some close-ups. Not sure how to change exif data. Can you do that for all images or does this need to be done one at a time. Is it done in camera? Thanks for the info - Capture One is going to be a problem.
Terrible camera. No mechanical shutter but slow electronic speeds so rolling shutter will be a real issue. No hot shoe. No headphone jack. Terribly short max recording time and no tally light to give a vlogger any chance of knowing when the time has run out. Overheats really quickly. No EVF so the rear screen will be a real pain in bright, direct sunlight. Single SD card. Pointless LUTs. And who buys an autofocus camera with an F8 fixed aperture MF lens? I assume this presenter was one of those who had a free trip to Japan to review it.
You presume wrong. No free trip here, I'm in Japan working and I'll be using this very camera to do that work over the next few weeks. You're free to have your opinions about what camera you prefer, but not free to slander my work with your assumptions.
Why question the reviewers? They tell you about the camera and what it can do, and you decide if you like it or not. Obviously based on your comments this is not the camera for you. And that's OK. Spend your hard earned money somewhere else. Life goes on :)
I'm in Japan for a few weeks working aboard the Heritage Adventurer, and looking forward to spending more time with this camera. You can find out more about that voyage and my photographic style here:
ewenbell.com/heritage
Thankyou also to everyone who left respectful comments.
Planning to get the S5 myself, but I'm so glad for this release. It means small and light full-frame lens are gonna be on the roadmap as well now.
I’m a full frame Blackmagic shooter who wants a small open gate alternative for light carry personal projects. Plus I think experimenting with LUT combinations on the fly on my phone during scouts and test shoots will come in handy. I even think it will work well on a monopod for quick standup interviews if I add a small wireless mic receiver to the rig. It’s not for commercial work except under very rare circumstances. But overall I’m looking forward to trying the camera out. 🤞🏻
Good call. It's a great platform and great options for codecs + vlog. I'm shooting mostly stills on this journey but have quick access to nice footage when the moment arises.
What a cute unit! Perfect for popping in my handbag and for travel. That's cool about downloading to phone. So good about the dial and the custom modes!
Will be perfect for your little hands :) They just have to find a way to shrink all the lenses too now.
It is nice Panasonic are looking for new horizons on the camera market. A new pool of users of L mount is a good thing gor us, the conservative camera users. Well done, Panasonic!
:)
Outstanding review! Might be a great fit for me..Primarily an M11M shooter but my Q3 is a bit of overkill and while I tried a Leica CL, that didn't work for me..never a fan of Lumix menu's but at least better than Sony! I will only use the S9 for photography, perhaps a 24mm Sigma 24 and 28mm Leica Elmarit or any of my M collection..So much negativity about this camera, but that's nothing new..the peanut gallery is in full effect! thank you for the review, if the S9 works for me, I just won't need my amazing but rarely used Q3..lastly, I've been predicting Leica to come out with CL2 type camera..sort of like..the S9!
Glad you enjoyed it :) Leica have done a great job with their menu system, so the S9 camera will feel a little different. Do you think Leica will end up releasing a full function flippy-screen camera one day?
So I was convinced the S9 would be my next camera. The market segment it has stepped into was wide open. My assumption was that lumix would pull its usual magic and make this the jacket pocketable version of the S5II. I was expecting a slam dunk. I was wrong.
I immediately accepted a number of the compromises: the omission of a mechanical shutter and a built-in EVF, and the micro HDMI in place of full sized.
I was also surprised on the upside by the full sized battery and top shelf IBIS.
Then there were the unexpected compromises: no headphone Jack, average audio/ microphone, no hot shoe and no weather-sealing; and the video record limits. I just couldn’t compute why these compromises were necessary.
Then things started to make sense when I accepted this camera was not targeted at ME 😮!
It is not the one-step-shop full frame camera in a small form factor I had wished for. Rather it is a powerful EDC camera for creative FUN.
I have adopted the ‘fun lens’ point of view for evaluating the S9 and it has helped. Now there are only two key problems I have: the lack of weather sealing and lack of complementary lenses.
I am surrounded by beaches. Thus sand, dripping bodies and moisture in bags from wet towels is the norm. After the beach there are bars and restaurants. That means the risk of spillage from drinks. I need a weather sealed camera.
Many people are talking about the size of FF lenses and the need for the announced 18-40mm to accompany the S9. I agree. The sigma I-series is however a probably good fall back.
Even through the ‘fun’ use case POV I can’t see the S9 being a camera for ME.
I now think I’ll probably be better suited to a Mft version: a GX9 Mark II or whatever it is designated, provided it is weather sealed! I really hope this is on the cards! I already have the small MFT lenses. Fingers crossed!
I hope the S9 sells out to encourage more options in the small form factor segment. I also really hope everyone who buys the S9 has a great time with it. It is a very powerful tool.
PS - I love your work on this channel. You are a stand out professional.
Thanks so much for the kind words :)
I'm sure the S9 isn't for everyone, and always good to recognise when you're not the target audience! The original S5 was so good, and for most photographers that form factor will be better. I've been using the S9 everyday for the last three weeks on a commercial job, and it's been marvellous. No issues with EVF or shutter. It's a camera that I could never have even dreamed of a decade ago. Amazing results in such a small body.
Not sure how many cameras on the market will ever cope well going from the beach to the bar! Agree that a new GX model would be very welcome.
@@EwenBell Tjst is the thing about the S9, it is an amazing bit of kit in a small body. I’d just like it weather sealed for it to be used as a ‘fun’ camera.
I really want to like this camera but the mechanical shutter to me is a concern because I do more than half my photography at night, and I fear banding, particularly at the shutter speeds I need to freeze movement. Then as you say there's the lenses. Those F1.8 Panny primes look nice but they are also pretty big.
I would have liked a true successor of the GM5 more. Using the new 25MP MFT sensor.
Fair call. It's not a camera for everyone. I've been using it for street photography this week, but I'm no expert on that style. I'll see you it goes after a few weeks and post a longer video.
I was very impressed with the C3 choices - wow
Those C3 settings are just the ones I've created since road testing the camera! I'll make them available to download in a few weeks. Still changing my mind which settings I really want. I could do with 10 more to be honest!
Nice review Ewen.
For landscape photography the Sigma FPL is perfect. The image quality from this wonderful camera is the best I have ever seen.
That sounds about right to me. Lovely little design for landscapes and that marvellous sensor. I hope we'll see many more cameras from Sigma, they are quirky but lovely!
I was at a festival this past weekend and notices a press photographer carrying two big Canon bodies with huge 2.8 lenses plus a big bag. A lot of photographers would surely be envious of the gear he had. I was thinking how on earth can he get pictures with those big tank cameras and also feeling a little sorry for him having to carry around all that weight. Use the right tool for the job, that's what I say.
It takes all kinds. I used to love my Canon gear but there is no way I'll be going back!
As an owner of a G9 - it's a strange one. Fact is, yes it is small, but there have been compromises to achieve that small size that a similarly sized G body wouldn't have to make.
Same goes for the lenses - the new 26mm f/8 is essentially a bodycap lens, the 18-40 is pretty dark for such a short range, and the rest of the S lineup are quite large. The G lineup has a range of pretty fast, relatively small lenses that complement smaller cameras more effectively.
This is pitched at a different demographic, IMO, than a similarly sized m43 body would be.
Thanks for dropping a note Eric. Very keen to hear what MFT users are thinking. Just a few weeks ago I was lamenting how much I miss my old GX8. Took a lot of great shots on that thing, and enjoyed not looking like a photographer when travelling :) The lenses are the hard bit for the S9. I like the Sigma Contemporary range, and their 20mm and 35mm F2 lenses are just a little smaller. Not lighter, but smaller!
My sentiments are similar to yours. I have posted my thoughts in a separate comment but the other biggie for me is weather sealing. The S9 I now accept is for FUN. But fun means exposure to sand and water etc. So as someone who also has a G9 I’d take that into condition that risk environmental harm before the S9. As I have a bunch of MFT lenses and an adapter for another bunch of EF lenses, MFT makes more sense.
I just wish I had Ewen’s photographic skills!
It's so sexy.
How do you adjust exposure compensation while in aperture mode if the wheel around shutter button is for aperture?
Once you press the exposure compensation button what do you use to change exposure.
Thanks for replying 😎
It really is sexy!
I hit the exposure comp bottom and then either the rear or top dial will adjust the comp. Tap the exposure comp button again to return dial to normal function.
@@EwenBell
Great!
I was hoping it worked like that!
Thanks for replying ☺️
I look forward to all the "hack" videos on how to get it to avoid overheating. Thanks
I think this one is not for studio use! We still use the S1H for the all day video setups :)
Not possible.
Great review and nice shots of the camera! It’s good to see some close-ups. Not sure how to change exif data. Can you do that for all images or does this need to be done one at a time. Is it done in camera? Thanks for the info - Capture One is going to be a problem.
Unless there's some app I don't know about youll have to run exiftool from the command line.
Correct
Every file needs to be updated after download. There's an example of how-to on my blog version of the review here...
ewenbell.com/blog/LUMIX_S9_Review
Thanks!
@@stevehogeThanks!
Me gusta 😅
The Canon R8 is lighter
Yes they took out the stabilisation to drop the weight. Good little camera. Just have to carry spare batteries, they don't last long.
I shoot G9 and LX100M2 and I want the S9
Thanks for that. What are your favourite lenses on the G9?
@@EwenBell 45mm macro
@@haroldgraham4441 ohh lovely. You'll adore the full frame version they have. It's my favourite lens in a long time. I have a video on that too here.
Is like my gm1 but more that my s5🎉🎉🎉
sorry but to me simply not having an evf is a deal breaker also only electronic shutter
Overheats. Quickly. Pricey....pass
Terrible camera. No mechanical shutter but slow electronic speeds so rolling shutter will be a real issue. No hot shoe. No headphone jack. Terribly short max recording time and no tally light to give a vlogger any chance of knowing when the time has run out. Overheats really quickly. No EVF so the rear screen will be a real pain in bright, direct sunlight. Single SD card. Pointless LUTs. And who buys an autofocus camera with an F8 fixed aperture MF lens? I assume this presenter was one of those who had a free trip to Japan to review it.
You presume wrong. No free trip here, I'm in Japan working and I'll be using this very camera to do that work over the next few weeks. You're free to have your opinions about what camera you prefer, but not free to slander my work with your assumptions.
Why question the reviewers? They tell you about the camera and what it can do, and you decide if you like it or not. Obviously based on your comments this is not the camera for you. And that's OK. Spend your hard earned money somewhere else. Life goes on :)