This is the wrong thread to bang on about this tired topic, so this is my last comment. Forgive me for waffling on a bit.
You can believe marketing and YouTube promoters. Of course they will say whatever they need to in order to sell a product. It's their job. Taking them at face value is naive.
I will instead look at the engineering. A mechanical shutter and extra control do NOT add to the size of the camera. And they are essential for hybrid shooters. EVF is a different matter as it adds some bulk. (Already said as much above.) But it depends where you choose to draw the line. I have no doubt that all of these necessary features could have been included in a camera that was nonetheless smaller than the S5, if that was the compelling design goal. (If Panasonic couldn't do it, I have design students who could.)
The strange thing is, AFAICR I was the only person calling for a smaller Lumix S before this camera was released. Now, suddenly, Panasonic fans are online defending it!
Of all the promo videos hyping the S9 that I watched, not one had any photos taken inside. Well, I wonder why? Artificial lights will play havoc with stills taken using electronic shutter. Especially in low light when shutter speeds must be slow. Try it for yourself.
As for the price, the S9 is already so expensive that it makes the S5 Mk II look like an excellent deal. Which it is.
The S9 was designed for the TikTok generation and photography was an afterthought. That is obvious from its engineering and marketing. Pretending otherwise is counterfactual.
But Panasonic Lumix S cameras are (ahem, were) great exactly because they are hybrids. It's easy to buy a superior video camera from another manufacturer. It's easy to buy a superior stills camera from another manufacturer. Facts. But Panasonic Lumix bodies offered great value in combining both. With the S9 they have forsaken their strength in the search for low-hanging fruit in a market I know well... it coincides with my own students. Not one of them is going to spend that much money to make the same videos they make on their phones. Some might use a film camera, because it's cool. Some even use a TLR, or a box camera. Or old digital videocams... they are suddenly trendy. I even know one young person (exactly one) in my city who shoots Lumix S. But he knows about video and would never be happy with the S9.
Meanwhile there are a lot of pissed off S1 owners being very vocal online.
Personally I am not happy that the S5 has been abandoned while still in the product line-up. That's not the treatment I expect. After saying we couldn't get any new firmware we actually did get the following, which is either hilarious or a slap in the face, depending on your mood.
"Added a pop-up message when using a Panasonic collapsible lens."
A wonderful improvement after twelve months, yes?
