For those of you who have been keeping up with the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera market, the Panasonic G9 II is a familiar beast. It was announced earlier this year as a follow up to the original G9, and is one of the most modern MFT bodies on the market with a host of interesting features.
While the Panasonic G9 II is a big step up in image quality over the original, it also offers an impressive array of features that will appeal to photographers and filmmakers alike. The biggest upgrade here is the inclusion of phase detection autofocus in a G-series camera for the first time, which should make it easier to track moving subjects and people.
The G9 II also boasts a new Venus Engine processor that offers improvements in both color and contrast, as well as a high-resolution LUMIX 2.4 million dot OLED EVF with 120fps refresh rate. The AF system has been improved as well, using a hybrid contrast and phase detection system that should offer better performance when tracking moving subjects. Lastly, the camera is capable of recording ProRes 4K video at up to 5.7K externally via HDMI, and it comes with 19 pre-made LUTs that can be applied to both photos and videos in real-time.
Despite all of the improvements, the Panasonic G9 II is still a relatively compact body. It weighs just under a pound and has dimensions that are slightly narrower, taller, and deeper than its predecessor. The camera also uses the same battery as the previous model, with CIPA testing revealing that the G9 II can shoot about 390 shots on a single charge.
Like the G9, the G9 II is a dust and splash resistant camera that can operate in temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius. It has a built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection for faster wireless image transfers, and it has dual SD slots that support UHS-II speeds of up to 400MB/s. The camera also has a slanted top-panel LCD that shows shooting settings, and it has front and rear control dials, as well as a power switch that surrounds the shutter button.
Videographers will love that the camera can capture 5.7K 60p, 4K 30p, or FullHD 240p video, and it includes V-Log/V-Gamut recording for up to 13 stops of dynamic range. The AF system has been upgraded as well, utilizing a combined 779 AF points to provide more coverage of the frame.
The Panasonic G9 II is an exciting update to the G-series lineup, and it will likely appeal most to sports and wildlife shooters who can benefit from its fast burst speed and improved AF system. It should be available in early November with a price tag of $1899 body-only, which makes it competitive with similar APS-C models like the Sony A6700 and Fujifilm X-T5. The camera will be sold as a kit with the Leica Vario Elmarit 12-60mm lens for $2,199 / PS1,699 / AU$3,299, or as a standalone camera with the standard G9 kit zoom lenses for $1,599 / PS1,699 /