Mister Sloane
Member
Had some hands-on time (about 60 minutes) with the S9 last week at an event at a local camera store - I liked it a lot. Thought I would post my thoughts but think it would be useful to quickly a bit about where I was coming from and why I was interested.
Because of the recent Gerald Undone video, I feel for the sake of transparency I should state that I didn’t receive anything from Panasonic for going to this. The staff at the shop did make me a cup of tea but they do this for most customers and this hasn’t influenced what I’m posting. Biscuits might have been another story; I’m not made of stone.
I’ve been using Lumix kit for a little over nine years and currently have a GX9, G9 and S5II - I also own a Ricoh GR 3 and GR 3X. Mainly shoot stills but am doing more video. Main reasons I’d be interested in a compact camera are:
As to the camera…
Looks - really like this. It’s one of those cases where I think the actual thing looks better than product shots. I had been leaning towards green as a colour; this was the only one I saw that’s confirmed my opinion. Having looked up close, I felt the design is classy and elegant in a discreet, understated kind of way.
Feel - Had heard a couple of opinions about it feeling liked a cheaper build compared to others cameras, such as the buttons feeling ‘plasticky’. Maybe that affected my perception as I went in half-anticipating that, but for me, it felt like a very light, well-made piece of kit. Richard Wong made a point that because he uses so many mid and high end cameras, the buttons felt more hollow compared to the S5II, so I guess what you’re used to is going to be a factor. The leatherette was smooth but not slippy.
Ergonomics - felt very nice to use and liked the control layout. Although I don’t think I would say no to a couple of more buttons on the back, I appreciate the clean, uncluttered design and suspect this fits the intended market best.
As I say, I wasn’t able to use the grip but liked the feel of using the camera without it - the thumb rest works very well. The largest lens that I tried was the 70-300mm and was pleasantly surprised how good that pairing was; I believe Panasonic put the heavier components towards the rear of the, which I think help make it feel so balanced and lighter than it is.
The Lumix tripod grip doesn’t work, which I had suspected but think that sort of accessory would be a natural fit.
I saw on a Facebook post is an upcoming grip was a result of a collaboration between Lumix and SmallRig; from the pictures this looked like the L-shaped one but wonder if this applies to them all. Personally, I think they have been smart partnering this way with a well-known brand.
Paired lenses - I tried the Sigma 45mm 2.8 (which I had brought with me) and that was a fantastic pairing, in size it’s very similar to the GX9 and PL 25mm, which is great for me as I can slip it into a coat pocket. The Panasonic ones there that I tried were the 18mm, 35mm, 100mm Macro and the 70-300mm - all worked very well. Obviously, three of those Panasonic ones are roughly the same size and although I really appreciate the smaller size of the Contemporary lenses, felt these are a decent pairing. Suspect there will be smaller lenses in the future, but as of now, feel there are some very good options. I do use some large lenses on small bodies, so am used to working with that.
Crop Zoom - only had a quick play, but looked very good.
Lumix Lab - had a quick look and as Android users can access this now, the most useful thing I can mention is that the speed of the connection between the camera and app looked really good.
Only brief impressions, but as I say, I liked it a lot and with various things I’ve read about who the key audience is, feel good decisions have been made.
Because of the recent Gerald Undone video, I feel for the sake of transparency I should state that I didn’t receive anything from Panasonic for going to this. The staff at the shop did make me a cup of tea but they do this for most customers and this hasn’t influenced what I’m posting. Biscuits might have been another story; I’m not made of stone.
I’ve been using Lumix kit for a little over nine years and currently have a GX9, G9 and S5II - I also own a Ricoh GR 3 and GR 3X. Mainly shoot stills but am doing more video. Main reasons I’d be interested in a compact camera are:
- I quite often carry two cameras as find it more convenient to swap bodies that’s lenses.
- I do a lot of street/urban photography, which I prefer compact options.
- Travel - it does vary what kind of kit I travel with but on a lot of trips I’m finding I travel light; earlier this year, I spent a few nights in Vienna and took the GX9 and a Ricoh, which is a set-up that works for me and the idea of a full-frame compact is getting more appealing for travel.
As to the camera…
Looks - really like this. It’s one of those cases where I think the actual thing looks better than product shots. I had been leaning towards green as a colour; this was the only one I saw that’s confirmed my opinion. Having looked up close, I felt the design is classy and elegant in a discreet, understated kind of way.
Feel - Had heard a couple of opinions about it feeling liked a cheaper build compared to others cameras, such as the buttons feeling ‘plasticky’. Maybe that affected my perception as I went in half-anticipating that, but for me, it felt like a very light, well-made piece of kit. Richard Wong made a point that because he uses so many mid and high end cameras, the buttons felt more hollow compared to the S5II, so I guess what you’re used to is going to be a factor. The leatherette was smooth but not slippy.
Ergonomics - felt very nice to use and liked the control layout. Although I don’t think I would say no to a couple of more buttons on the back, I appreciate the clean, uncluttered design and suspect this fits the intended market best.
As I say, I wasn’t able to use the grip but liked the feel of using the camera without it - the thumb rest works very well. The largest lens that I tried was the 70-300mm and was pleasantly surprised how good that pairing was; I believe Panasonic put the heavier components towards the rear of the, which I think help make it feel so balanced and lighter than it is.
The Lumix tripod grip doesn’t work, which I had suspected but think that sort of accessory would be a natural fit.
I saw on a Facebook post is an upcoming grip was a result of a collaboration between Lumix and SmallRig; from the pictures this looked like the L-shaped one but wonder if this applies to them all. Personally, I think they have been smart partnering this way with a well-known brand.
Paired lenses - I tried the Sigma 45mm 2.8 (which I had brought with me) and that was a fantastic pairing, in size it’s very similar to the GX9 and PL 25mm, which is great for me as I can slip it into a coat pocket. The Panasonic ones there that I tried were the 18mm, 35mm, 100mm Macro and the 70-300mm - all worked very well. Obviously, three of those Panasonic ones are roughly the same size and although I really appreciate the smaller size of the Contemporary lenses, felt these are a decent pairing. Suspect there will be smaller lenses in the future, but as of now, feel there are some very good options. I do use some large lenses on small bodies, so am used to working with that.
Crop Zoom - only had a quick play, but looked very good.
Lumix Lab - had a quick look and as Android users can access this now, the most useful thing I can mention is that the speed of the connection between the camera and app looked really good.
Only brief impressions, but as I say, I liked it a lot and with various things I’ve read about who the key audience is, feel good decisions have been made.
