Lumix S9 meets Dirk in Tokyo...

[dirk]

I am in Japan now. Arrived 2 days ago in Tokyo.

I took today the first chance I could get to walk around for 90 minutes without my family. Privacy for men-only shopping... finally...

I hurried up to drive to Shinjuku station to look at some camera stores in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, the green one is only available for a higher price here in Tokyo. Only the silver and the black one are offered at attractive prices.

The problem for me with the Japan-only silver version is that the signs on the selecting drive are hard to read. It is not black on silver. For me too hard to read.

So I picked the black one and hope that there will be a possibility to change the colour later.

I bought at Map Camera in Tokyo. Tax free. The only language option for me is English. No German available in the settings. Firmware version 1.0 (is there a newer one available?

Does anybody know whether it is possible to overwrite the installed firmware with the european one?

I have no laptop with me. Therefore I have to try the new app possibilities to share images made with the S9 soon

 

[Oíche]

Tax free.

Good luck with "Nothing to declare" coming back

 

[Nevyn72]

Good luck with "Nothing to declare" coming back

If he doesn't take the box with him, it should not be a problem. If he wants the box -> send the empty box (flat) by post.

Does anybody know whether it is possible to overwrite the installed firmware with the european one?

I saw the question several times asked for the S5 and S5ii, and for these it was not possible unfortunately, so I expect the same for the S9.

But have a great time in Japan, and fun with your new camera

 

[Pete_W]

Firmware version 1.0 (is there a newer one available?

Congratulations Dirk!

At the moment there has been no firmware update for the S9.

 

[dirk]

This decision was a long process and at the end the price pushed me to say yes so early.

I have already a Ricoh GR3 and 3x, therefore I am used to use a camera without a viewfinder. But because of these two Ricohs I never saw a need for something else.

I do not need really fullframe for this use case and the two Ricohs can be operated very easy with one hand only. The Lumix S9 is substantially bigger than a Ricoh GR3.

But I wanted to try it out. This is why I took next to my MFT setup also my Sigma 24/3.5 DG DN and Sigma 50/2.0 DG DN with me to Japan. Just in case I get weak and dizzy...

Tomorrow we go to Osaka for a couple of days and after that back to Tokyo. I will try to use the S9 as often as possible to get a better feeling for it and will report back. Hopefully with some images transferred over my smartphone...

 

[dirk]

Good luck with "Nothing to declare" coming back

You need first to reduce taxes of Japan and then you add the taxes of Germany. Even after all these payments added the S9 is significantly cheaper here compared to the current price in Germany.

 

[Oíche]

U

You need first to reduce taxes of Japan and then you add the taxes of Germany. Even after all these payments added the S9 is significantly cheaper here compared to the current price in Germany.

You should be fine without the receipt and box. Roll it in the mud and bash it a few times to make it look used

Those TV custom shows can be scary

 

[TOPSHELFJR.]

I am in Japan now. Arrived 2 days ago in Tokyo.

I took today the first chance I could get to walk around for 90 minutes without my family. Privacy for men-only shopping... finally...

I hurried up to drive to Shinjuku station to look at some camera stores in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, the green one is only available for a higher price here in Tokyo. Only the silver and the black one are offered at attractive prices.

The problem for me with the Japan-only silver version is that the signs on the selecting drive are hard to read. It is not black on silver. For me too hard to read.

So I picked the black one and hope that there will be a possibility to change the colour later.

I bought at Map Camera in Tokyo. Tax free. The only language option for me is English. No German available in the settings. Firmware version 1.0 (is there a newer one available?

Does anybody know whether it is possible to overwrite the installed firmware with the european one?

I have no laptop with me. Therefore I have to try the new app possibilities to share images made with the S9 soon

Awesome !!! I hope you love it ! I wanted that black w/ the silver top plate too but...obvs not an option here in the states so, I went with the black one. Regarding changing the color, I'm sure there will be some products / options to change it soon. So far, I have been seeing people use this company ALPHAGVRD. They offer protective skins for Pana cams + lenses, looks pretty cool. I have already seen some GREAT S9 options, atleast it looked so in photos. Check it if you have time: https://alphagvrd.com/collections/p...MIs-fh3uK4hwMVQSrUAR1Cgw4lEAAYASAEEgK-P_D_BwE

 

[Richard Wong]

Awesome! Yeah see if you can use the leather replacement service in Japan. I don't know anything about it apart from I heard it's available in Japan (and japan only)

And if you want to use the phone app to transfer photo, remember to switch OFF the faster 5Ghz transmission as it's not legal to do that in Japan. You can disable it from the camera setting.


and only 90 minute in Shinjuku camera shopping? You need a few more men's only shopping day I reckon haha

 

[CharlesH]

and only 90 minute in Shinjuku camera shopping? You need a few more men's only shopping day I reckon haha

I made the mistake of suggesting to my wife that she not shop at Mikimoto's in Tokyo because it iwas too expensive. Of course it did smooth the way for my gadget shopping.

 

[dirk]

You can not imagine how many shoe and clothing shops I have to go through here for my 12 year old son to negotiate more time later for myself in the tech-world....

Sneaker shops are killing me....

We have been in Osaka and Kyoto for the last couple of days. We will return to Tokyo today to spend there some more days as a home base and do daytrips to different locations from there.

I catched a cold, which makes it less enjoyable. 36 Degrees outside with high humidity and then these freezing airconditioners of the sneaker shops are killing me. I am sure this would never have happened in camera stores.

So far the S9 with the Sigma 24/3.5 is fun to use. I even did not try it yet with my Sigma 50/2.0. But it is nowhere near as small and light as my two Ricoh GR3. Plus 24mm is quite different to 28mm.

As soon as I have more time and feel better, I will post more.

By the way: The Smallrig handgrip is sold out in Japan. Everywhere. Same for the Sirui alternative. There are still some in Europe at Amazon. So buy as long as you can. It does not seem that this shortage will go away fast.

The other thing is the coloured models. Noone can deliver them. TBH I think they are not even produced. You only see mockups in the stores. Not a single real S9 camera. Only silver and full black is available and visible in the stores as a real camera.

This indicates to me that there were problems with the production chain or wrong timing for the event. Why announcing different colours, if you have not yet produced them?

Same for the announced zoom.

The Lumix Base in Tokyo is still on my to-do list. I am curious whether there will be a real S9 in other colours than black and silver.

 

[Pete_W]

By the way: The Smallrig handgrip is sold out in Japan. Everywhere. Same for the Sirui alternative. There are still some in Europe at Amazon. So buy as long as you can. It does not seem that this shortage will go away fast.

I got the SmallRig handgrip a few weeks ago by ordering online directly from them. Took about a week to arrive from China.

The Lumix Base in Tokyo is still on my to-do list. I am curious whether there will be a real S9 in other colours than black and silver.

I would love to go there. Hope you feel better and enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[AlanC]

The other thing is the coloured models. Noone can deliver them. TBH I think they are not even produced. You only see mockups in the stores. Not a single real S9 camera. Only silver and full black is available and visible in the stores as a real camera.

The colours are all in stock and available as body only or in multiple kit forms from WEX here in the UK (we're apparently not getting the silver version):
https://www.wexphotovideo.com/searc..."&rows=24&start=0&search_type=All&_t_dtq=true

 

[CharlesH]

By the way: The Smallrig handgrip is sold out in Japan. Everywhere. Same for the Sirui alternative.

Both the SmallRig and the Sirui handgrips are available here on Amazon USA. I got both of these very early on, before my S9 arrived. I prefer the Sirui, and have that on the camera.

 

[TOPSHELFJR.]

You can not imagine how many shoe and clothing shops I have to go through here for my 12 year old son to negotiate more time later for myself in the tech-world....

Sneaker shops are killing me....

We have been in Osaka and Kyoto for the last couple of days. We will return to Tokyo today to spend there some more days as a home base and do daytrips to different locations from there.

I catched a cold, which makes it less enjoyable. 36 Degrees outside with high humidity and then these freezing airconditioners of the sneaker shops are killing me. I am sure this would never have happened in camera stores.

So far the S9 with the Sigma 24/3.5 is fun to use. I even did not try it yet with my Sigma 50/2.0. But it is nowhere near as small and light as my two Ricoh GR3. Plus 24mm is quite different to 28mm.

As soon as I have more time and feel better, I will post more.

By the way: The Smallrig handgrip is sold out in Japan. Everywhere. Same for the Sirui alternative. There are still some in Europe at Amazon. So buy as long as you can. It does not seem that this shortage will go away fast.

The other thing is the coloured models. Noone can deliver them. TBH I think they are not even produced. You only see mockups in the stores. Not a single real S9 camera. Only silver and full black is available and visible in the stores as a real camera.

This indicates to me that there were problems with the production chain or wrong timing for the event. Why announcing different colours, if you have not yet produced them?

Same for the announced zoom.

The Lumix Base in Tokyo is still on my to-do list. I am curious whether there will be a real S9 in other colours than black and silver.

Interesting about the colors.. I've only seen a green, and a blue.. No red yet. Maybe one or two on YT but, yeah...see them once in a blue moon.

 

[PJD]

Hi Dirk: Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Richard Wong]

The other thing is the coloured models. Noone can deliver them. TBH I think they are not even produced. You only see mockups in the stores. Not a single real S9 camera. Only silver and full black is available and visible in the stores as a real camera.

This indicates to me that there were problems with the production chain or wrong timing for the event. Why announcing different colours, if you have not yet produced them?

Same for the announced zoom.

The Compact zoom is still under development. I still haven't hear any date at all so I imagine still far far away!

But I saw quite a few people on Japanese posting their coloured S9 on facebook. Actually I think all the one i saw from Japan so far are the coloured one! Maybe that explains why you can't find any.

The Lumix Base in Tokyo is still on my to-do list. I am curious whether there will be a real S9 in other colours than black and silver.

Lumix Base is cool but there isn't that many things in there and it is not really close to any other attractions so if you ran out of time, don't think it's too bad if you missed it.
They do have some Lumix merch that is only available there though.

Get well soon!

 

[dirk]

They do have some Lumix merch that is only available there though.

I should have printed 20.000 business cards with the L-Mount forum and MFtcommunity.com internet address on it in advance and put it in their merch shop

 

[dirk]

I got the SmallRig handgrip a few weeks ago by ordering online directly from them

But are thy still available there as of today?

I ordered mine now at Amazon Germany, just to be on the safe side

The colours are all in stock and available as body only or in multiple kit forms from WEX here in the UK

What do they write as delivery time?

I would be surprised if the coloured models are availabel right now in the UK, but not in the country of production. Or is the S9 produced in China? I have to check that on my camera body later on..

But I saw quite a few people on Japanese posting their coloured S9 on facebook.

Maybe these are marketing samples? 3 of the biggest camera chains have mockups only of the coloured versions. Both in Tokyo and Osaka.

 

[dirk]

Test. Transfering image from S9 to my Smartphone with Lumix Lab.