I wish more people would be as clear about this. Of all the S9 "reviews" I saw on release, not one person used the camera indoors. And not one person commented on that fact. It's like me reviewing a lens only at F8, then claiming how wonderful it is!
I think for stills that the S9 is really a poor option. No EVF, no mechanical shutter, 12-bit raws, single dial. It's about as far from what I'd be looking for in an FF stills camera as I can imagine.
In the meantime I still wish for a compact full-frame camera optimised for photography. But increasingly I expect some other company to leap-frog Panasonic. It's only the lack of IBIS in competitor's models that has held me back. In the meantime MFT suits me well enough when travel is a priority.
The Sony A7Cii and A7CR fit that bill fairly well - at least in principle. I had an afternoon out yesterday with a friend who has an A7CR. He let me play with it for an hour or two, along with the Sony 20mm f1.8 lens. So, I took a bunch of shots with it, many of which I also replicated with my S1R and also an EM1.3.
In a nutshell, it's a nice camera, if not perfect. It's about the same size as an EM1/OM1 and very light. It has three dials on the top-plate, plus the dial on the back panel next to the screen. It has a mechanical shutter and an EVF.
The EVF though is nothing to write home about. In fact, it was worse than I was expecting. I've played with an A7CR before at a trade show and although my immediate impression then was "it's small", I thought in other ways it was OK and that I could probably live with it. But using it in contrasty November sunshine, the experience was not so appealing. The contrast seemed way too high meaning that shadow areas were very nearly totally black. I tried playing about with display contrast and setting a colour mode that was lower in contrast but it didn't really make much difference.
Putting the S1R to my eye was just another level of EVF experience and I felt much more "in tune" with the world and the photographic experience in general compared to the A7CR. In fact, I felt somewhat disconnected from the shooting experience using the A7CR. So, yes, it's got an EVF, but it's pretty mediocre. Could I get used to it? Probably. Is it an acceptable compromise for the benefit of such a small body? I'm not so sure. I've got used to the S1R now so whenever I pick up the S5 it seems small. I'd be very happy with more S5-sized cameras. I think it's the sweet spot of size, handling, and usability.
But in other ways the A7CR is quite an amazing bit of kit. IQ is superb (although in real terms, no better than the S1R). The IBIS seems pretty good too - probably getting up to the same level as the S5 and S1. And the body is stuffed with features. And I like the handling too. I've got relatively small hands and its size was fine. If you've got bigger hands, you'll probably appreciate the little grip extension that comes with it.
Do I wish there was a Lumix version of the A7CR? You bet - especially if the EVF was just a little better.
PS I also took a number of shots with the EM1.3 (with the PL 12-60 fitted). I love the EM1.3 for its handling and features. And the IQ, whilst not up to the S1R or A7CR, is perfectly acceptable for most things. The EVF on the EM1.3 is showing its age, but it's still a lot better than the one on the A7CR.
maybe for Christmas...