L-MOUNT Forum
Register a free account now!
If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.
News Lumix S9 - new camera rumor roundup
- Thread starter Pete_W
- Start date
pdk42
Moderator
I'm so tempted to try Sony again! I like the A7C packaging and the A7CR paired with the Tamron 28-200 would make a very compact but high quality combo for landscapes. OTOH, I found a used Lumix 70-200 f4 for a good price so I just might spin that wheel again and see if I get a good one. I really hate the idea of two systems and I really can't face switching systems again.
Well, the A7CR is not reduced in price afaik.
I would always prioritize lens purchases. Cameras decrease in value very fast and in 12 months next "big thing" is coming. With the S1R you have already an excellent high resolution camera. There is nothing that an A7CR can give you, what you do not already have. You also know that Panasonic will sooner or later bring a kind of Leica SL3 out, if you believe you need 60MP.
Why do you want to burn money now? Why should you spend now again time and effort to learn a new system and new lenses, if you have already everything you need?
pdk42
Moderator
Yes, that all makes sense. My "problem" is that the longest lens I have now is 105mm (24-105) and it's not really long enough. As anyone who's read my previous rants and ramblings knows, I've been through the mill with virtually every Panasonic lens in the xx-200/300 range, plus the Sigma 100-400. I think the 70-200 f4 is the closest match to my expectations of IQ and size/weight. I agree that it makes most sense to find a good copy of that and stick with the rest of my Panasonic L-mount gear (which overall I'm extremely happy with). But that Tamron 28-200 sure looks close to my ideal landscape lens. Paired with the 14-28, it would make a great two-lens kit.Well, the A7CR is not reduced in price afaik.
I would always prioritize lens purchases. Cameras decrease in value very fast and in 12 months next "big thing" is coming. With the S1R you have already an excellent high resolution camera. There is nothing that an A7CR can give you, what you do not already have. You also know that Panasonic will sooner or later bring a kind of Leica SL3 out, if you believe you need 60MP.
Why do you want to burn money now? Why should you spend now again time and effort to learn a new system and new lenses, if you have already everything you need?
Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
Same thing is happening in the midwestern US. The major places to buy camera equipment at a brick-and-mortar level are chains like Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart. There are a few dedicated camera shops left, like Overland Photo; but the ones I’ve seen feel very old-fashioned and cater mostly to the old photographer market.
I doubt that a 28-200 zoom is able to fullfill your needs in image quality for your work. I know that it is intriguing with that range. But at the end of the day the final image counts. You do not want to look at your images and think "with a smaller zoom range lens, the IQ would have been better".
Test a new Lumix 70-200 item or wait until Sigma brings out something appealing to you.
But we should continue this discussion in a seperate thread.
pdk42
Moderator
The UK photo retail scene has been literally decimated by the advent of digitial photography and on-line shopping. But thankfully there are a couple of specialist companies left (LCE, Wex) who still operate multiple bricks-and-mortar stores, usually alongside a strong on-line presence. But you'll only find the stores in the more affluent areas of the country. Then there are a few smaller players who have a handful of stores like Camera World, Park Cameras, Camera World etc. I think compared to the US, we've managed somehow to keep more of a physical presence, but I really don't know how since in general the UK retail scene is in a pretty sick state. In the case of LCE, they are now an employee-owned business setup via a special trust that the original owners instigated in 2021.
The big box electrical stores like Curry's, John Lewis, and Argos sell camera gear, but they have zero idea what they're selling and I personally wouldn't touch them with a bargepole if I wanted advice!
pdk42
Moderator
If you get one Adam, let me know! I'd be curious to see one in the flesh.
Very much doubt I will, certainly not at launch price. But if you look at the layout of the S9 it's very very similar. I don't use my EVF unless I'm doing macro stuff. Most of the time I use the screen lol.
What I love about my GX880 it's the fact it's genuinely pocketable. I have the 12-32 attached and it fits in a coat pocket. The S9 isn't really that pocketable, especially with a decent lens on it.
Last edited:
Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
I honestly wasn’t paying much attention during the main collapse, as I couldn’t really afford to play around in that market at the time. I do get kind of an odd sideways view of things now, looking at the equipment I see popping up at estate sales that would have been bought in the 70s and 80s.
Yeah. There’s one big box store that actually has a pretty good selection - the Kansas City location of Nebraska Furniture Mart, of all places - but even they aren’t all that knowledgeable.
(BTW, I did get a chance to play with an A7C at Overland Photo. The size was right, but I was unimpressed with the ergonomics. I find my fp, with the add-on EVF and either the wooden Smallrig grip or the smaller Sigma grip, to be more pleasant to shoot with. Definitely try before you buy.)
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
I've had the 70-200 f/4 S since my early days with S1. It is a very good lens. All S Pro lenses should be good copies. It also works well with the 1.4x teleconverter. However it is too heavy for me to carry around so I don't use it very much. Here is a shot with that lens and the S1. Note the detail across the ridge line.
- Panasonic - DC-S1
- LUMIX S 70-200/F4
- 200.0 mm
- ƒ/7.1
- 1/320 sec
- Pattern
- Manual exposure
- ISO 100
pdk42
Moderator
That does look a very nice shot Charles - as you say, lots of detail on the ridge line.
I'm dithering over ordering another since the copy I got on loan from Panasonic for a long weekend (using their free loan programme) showed very severe softening on the right edge - a clear case of de-centring. Where it was sharp it was good, so I think a good copy will suit me. So long as the return policy is OK, I'll go for it (I've sent a mail asking them to clarify since the terms on their web-site are very unclear). It's a little on the big and heavy side of what I'd like, but I really can't see any other option open for me at this focal length that's likely to deliver the IQ I want in a smaller package.
pdk42
Moderator
I liked that! I can see for video use, it generates some really nice output. Definitely the most convincing piece I've seen on the S9 so far.
So pre-orders for the S9 open at 3 am GMT +1 tomorrow. I am just going to hope and pray that Panasonic has allocated enough units to their home country so that I don't have to get up in the middle night from across the globe to be able to pre-order one. It's probably bad enough that shipping in Japan only starts on June 20th (+ getting it to my friends over there and them shipping it to me via whatever express service there is on offer) and I'll have to wait two or three weeks longer than everyone else. At least according to some German stores the camera is supposed to ship next week in Europe...
What is the price for the S9 in Japan?
I've seen stores list it for a lick over 200.000 JPY, which amounts to less than 1200 EUR. Shipping will probably be another 100 EUR on top (I want DHL Express because I am not the most patient...) and since I have a flat in Switzlerand VAT will be another 8,1 % on top, so I guess all in all we are looking at 1400 EUR. And the free 28/F8, of course. So savings of about 300 EUR for me.
pdk42
Moderator
So what colour?