Panasonic is riding the small camera trend with its slimmest full-frame mirrorless model yet, the Lumix S9. While other recent cameras with a similar frame, such as the Fuji X100VI and Ricoh GR III HDF, use APS-C-format sensors and fixed lenses, the S9 is a full-frame mirrorless camera that works with the full range of L-Mount Alliance optics.
Designed with input and influence from Generation Z
To achieve its slim build (2.9 x 5.0 x 1.8 inches HWD, 1.1 pounds), the S9 foregoes some features that are considered standard on full-frame cameras—it has no eye-level viewfinder, nor a mechanical shutter. The lack of a proper viewfinder may annoy experienced photographers, but Panasonic told us that the decision was made after a survey of younger creatives on must-have features in a camera. In this case, the verdict was in favor of a smaller body and built-in image stabilization, both of which are supported by the S9.
The lack of a mechanical shutter is less of an issue for many use cases. Some cameras with fully electronic shutters suffer from rolling shutter distortion when shooting action, but the S9 uses the same sensor and processing engine as the S5 II, a camera that proved good enough for wildlife and sports shots in electronic shutter mode. We expect the S9’s electronic shutter to meet the needs of most creatives, but note that it’s not suitable for flash photography. The S9 doesn’t support flash photography at all, as it doesn’t have a built-in flash. While it does have a hot shoe for attaching accessories, it doesn’t have electrical contacts to support an external flash. If you’re interested in flash photography, the Lumix S5 II has a hot shoe and a mechanical shutter for 1/250 second sync.
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Other imaging features from the S5 II carry over without compromise. The S9 uses the same hardware to support the built-in image stabilization feature and offers up to 6.5 CIPA-certified stops of compensation, as well as a 24MP full-frame sensor and supports focus drive at up to 30fps with a pre-shoot option, phase detection autofocus with subject recognition, and a 96MP handheld multishot mode. The S9 even has the same battery as the S5 II; it’s rated for up to 470 shots per charge. The camera also supports charging on the go via USB-C from a power bank.
Both JPG and Raw formats are available for images, while video is recorded at 10-bit color in either widescreen 16:9 or open-gate 3:2. The latter is useful for creatives who want to pull widescreen, portrait and square crops from the same video clip; there’s a 6K mode for serious projects, while social professionals can use a 3.8K Lite option for smaller file sizes instead. The 3.8K resolution is intended for output to smartphone screens.
The S9 also offers two new digital zoom features. Crop Zoom works with prime lenses and achieves a tighter angle by simply cropping JPGs in-camera and saving them at a smaller pixel size. Hybrid Zoom extends the functionality to zoom lenses and is smart enough to dial back the crop on the fly based on the lens’ focal length setting. In both cases, the photo is saved as a raw format image at full resolution and without cropping, assuming you have Raw+JPG recording enabled in-camera.
For framing shots, a vari-angle LCD is the answer. The swing-out display matches the specs of most other mirrorless cameras, has a 3-inch screen size, touch support, and a sharp 1.84 million-dot resolution. I haven’t had a chance to try it out in person, but I expect it to be a good option for shooting; it’s no different to what Panasonic puts in the larger S5 II, after all. The only real concern is brightness. You’ll certainly need to crank up the backlight to avoid glare on sunny days, at the expense of battery life.
Choose your style, inside and out
The S9’s looks are as much a feature as its size. The camera body is only available in black, but there are four different faux leather color options so you can choose one that suits your fashion taste. We haven’t seen any in the flesh yet, but the Crimson Red, Dark Olive and Night Blue color options all look good in photos. The darker shades give the camera body a timeless style. If you prefer a more understated look, the Jet Black option is as understated as it gets.
If you want some flair, you’ll have to buy the camera in a kit. The blue, green and red versions are only available bundled with the Lumix 20-60mm zoom lens, while the black edition is sold either in a kit or body only.
(Image credit: Panasonic)
While many cameras come with different leatherette covers, the S9’s image processing engine is also customizable. It has the usual JPG modes built in – Standard, Vivid, Black & White and the like – but goes a step further and supports customizable picture profiles. Panasonic calls these LUTs because the concept is similar to the look-up tables used in video production to do creative color correction in the editing room.
The S9 relies on the LUT concept. It supports up to 40 customizable LUTs and has a button to switch between them. Each LUT supports configurable color rendition and film grain. You can create your own looks or upload looks from influencers and Panasonic itself via the Lumix Lab smartphone app. The appeal here is both convenience and customization – using a LUT to give an image a filtered look takes less time than editing a RAW image with Adobe Lightroom or other desktop software. Since you can create your own profiles, you can give images and videos a look that suits your personal aesthetic preferences.
Panasonic is releasing a new companion app called Lumix Lab that supports the LUT function. A supposed replacement for the long-running Panasonic Image Sync mobile app, Lumix Lab promises some usability-enhancing features – faster pairing and file transfers – and works as a fully-featured editing app for photos and videos. Panasonic tells us that upcoming Lumix cameras will also work with the Lab app, while cameras on the market are limited to the older Image Sync app for now. This is expected to change over the next year as more features are added to the Lab app – at launch, for example, the remote control is missing. Lumix Lab is a free download for Android and iOS.
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Small lenses are coming
The body doesn’t have a handgrip, making it better suited for use with small zoom lenses and prime lenses. Smallrig is releasing an additional handle for creatives who want a little more grip. We don’t have pricing for it yet, but it’s made to fit the camera and also features a baseplate with Arca-Swiss dovetail cuts so it can mount directly onto compatible tripods.
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If you prefer to work gripless, the S9 will work with a number of suitably small prime lenses already on the market, including Sigma’s slim I Series primes. I can imagine the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary being an ideal choice for photographers looking for a lightweight carry option.
Panasonic is also working on some new, small lenses. To go with the camera, the company is launching the Lumix S 26mm F8 Pancake Prime. This particular lens is limited to manual focus and its fixed aperture only takes photos at f/8, which might confuse photographers who want to achieve the blurred background and bokeh look with a full-frame camera.
(Image credit: Panasonic)
The 26mm F8 is more of an interest to documentary and street photographers who are more concerned with getting as much of the world in focus as possible and taking photos at the right moment without the slightest idea of delays caused by an autofocus system. The 26mm F8 is quite small; it protrudes just 1.8 cm from the camera body and weighs just 550 g.
Manual focus aside, there’s one major drawback to consider. The lens doesn’t have a filter thread, so there’s no way to add neutral density to aid long exposure photos or the right video shutter angles for shooting in bright light. Despite this, Panasonic says the optical quality is far better than similar small, manual lenses. We’ll have to see if that’s true in testing, but at least the S 26mm F8 is attractively priced at $199.99.
And while the S9 launches with the standard S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 zoom as its entry-level lens, a new, smaller zoom lens is on the way. The Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 covers a slightly wider angle and its optics retract into the barrel for storage so the lens doesn’t take up too much space in your camera bag, but that’s all we know at this point. Panasonic is holding back all details, specs and pricing for a later date.
Prices and availability
The S9 is expected to be available in stores in late June and will cost $1,499.99 in a Jet Black body or $1,799.99 in a kit with the Lumix S 20-60mm in all four color options: Crimson Red, Dark Olive, Jet Black, or Night Blue. In addition, customers who pre-order the camera in a body or kit for a limited time will receive a free Lumix S 26mm F8 lens.
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