LUMIX S9 - Compact Full Frame camera
These are my first impressions of the LUMIX S9 Full Frame Mirrorless camera and the 20-60mm kit lens. I cover RealTime LUTs and show you photos from this set up.
Gateway to Full Frame
This is one of the most criticized camera releases that LUMIX has done.
But I really love this camera. It was my gateway back into full frame. I have a feeling that the S9 will get cult status, and in 10 years people will be wanting it, like they want the GM1, GM5, GX8 and GX9. It’s a small camera compared to other full-frame LUMIX cameras. And people want more small cameras. Too bad it wasn’t Micro 4/3, but we can always hope.
Here my first bunch of photos taken with the LUMIX S9 and the 20-60mm kit lens.
The S9 has all the main features I use on my G9ii and many Lumix cameras.
Flippy screen
Burst and pre-burst
Time lapse, stop motion
AF ON button (which I do miss on the G100)
The photo styles, and the S9 has the Real Time Luts
More focus settings than the G100
And subject detection
I was impressed with the focus of the S9 and 20-60mm combo — Even with fast action skate videos.
Focus with the 26mm was more challenging for a couple of reasons. First it’s MF but that’s not usually a problem for me. But I found the focus ring was very touchy and easy to lose focus if you move a little bit. I thought with a fixed f/8 I’d have better depth of field and less issues with focus.
And don’t even attempt to use the 26mm unless you enable focus peaking. Because without a viewfinder it would be near impossible to focus.
I had high hopes for the 26mm. With The size and weight of it, would have been a nice lens on this camera body. But it’s too limiting for me. Although with it being f8 you might get away with not needing ND filters much of the time, and that’s good for beginners.
My thoughts
Fun
It’s a way to get into a full frame system without blowing the bank
Similar layout to the G100 and smaller M43 cameras
LUTS are fun. Not crazy about the sample 3 (compressed shadows)
MP4 LITE video mode is what I’m using for my everyday videos. But there are many options for cinematographers too.
Open gate - which means that your video uses the full sensor, so you can crop vertical or horizontal - or any way you like it.
Nice bokeh even with the 20-60mm
Super stabilization
Comes in many colours, but I’m happy I got the green one.
I got over not having a viewfinder after 10 minutes. A lot of cameras don’t have viewfinders, especially the small and fun consumer oriented ones.
Yes, it can shoot action photos too, and I’ve used it a lot for skateboarding photos.
LUMIX LAB
You can use the Lumix LAB App on your phone or tablet and start experimenting with LUTs. It works best with jpg photos and most video formats - even those taken with other cameras.
Download the free LUMIX LAB app from the Apple App store or Google Play Store.
I think this camera is a unique addition to the LUMIX range. I’m very happy with it and I can take it anywhere due to it’s small size.
Make sure you check out my next post, which is about the new 18-40mm lens which really makes this a pocketable kit for everyday carry.