For stills, continuous autofocus works well, though it still lags behind the Canon and Sony. The AI connects well to human faces, bodies and eyes, and also works with animals, cars and motorbikes. It’s not a sports or wildlife camera by any means, but most of my photos were focused.
Like the S5 II, the S9 shoots 14-bit RAW images in single-shot mode, but drops to 12-bit RAW for burst shooting. As this is a pre-production camera without the latest firmware, I was unable to test the RAW quality, but I would expect it to be on par with the Panasonic S5 II.
Image quality is better than anything I’ve ever seen, with realistic colors and skin tones. In low light, I wouldn’t go past ISO 6400, as noise can degrade compared to cameras with similar sensors, such as Nikon’s Z6 II.
I liked the S9 as a street photography camera because it is discreet, quiet and light. However, the new $200 pancake lens that helps lighten it up is manual focus only and only has one f/8 aperture setting, which may turn off buyers. Also, since there are no electronics in the lens, the zoom window doesn’t pop up to help focus. So you have to rely on focus peaking assistance.
Video
As a camcorder, the S9 is generally excellent, but it has some pros and cons compared to the ZV-E1. On the plus side, the higher resolution sensor allows for 6.2K 30p or supersampled 4K 30p video using the entire sensor width. It also supports full-scale 3:2 shooting, which makes it easy to shoot vertical video.
4K 60p requires an APS-C crop, and you’ll need to drop down to 1080p to get 120fps video. Like the S5 II, it supports a number of anamorphic formats with supported lenses.
The ZV-E1 has half the resolution, so video isn’t quite as sharp, but the Sony’s camera can shoot 4K at up to 120fps, and the panning camera isn’t too bad.
One potential issue with this camera for creators is the limited continuous recording time, limited to just 10 minutes at 6.2K and 15 minutes at 4K. This is due to the small size and the lack of a fan, but you can start recording again immediately after stopping – so this will mainly affect event shooters who need long shots. We’ll see if these recording times remain in the final firmware.
The S9 has excellent in-body stabilization with up to 6.5 stops using supported lenses. Like the S5 II, it offers the best push mode for handheld shooting with limited movement and a 1.4x efficient electronic mode in “high” mode.
The latter can smooth out footsteps and other jolts well enough to replace a gimbal in a pinch. It does better than the ZV-E1 with sharp movements, but the latter yields slightly less at 1.3x.
Autofocus mostly keeps subjects sharp, but can sometimes lag. AI-powered face tracking stays locked on the subject’s eyes and face, though sometimes the autofocus itself doesn’t keep up. However, these may be pre-production issues.
The quality is very similar with the same sensor as the S5 II. Video is sharp and colors are realistic, with pleasing skin tones. It’s not as good in low light as other 24MP cameras like the Canon R6 II, with noise starting to become noticeable at ISO 6400. By comparison, the ZV-E1 can shoot clean video at ISO 12800 and even beyond.
I enjoy shooting Panasonic V-log video because it’s easy to adjust in post and offers great dynamic range. This is one of the big reasons why Panasonic cameras are so popular with professional videographers, so it’s nice to see this in a less expensive model.
But what about the new LUT feature? To get the most out of it, you need access to the new Lumix Lab app. Panasonic has several presets to get you started, or you can download custom LUTs from various creators. You can also do it yourself in an editing program like DaVinci Resolve.
Applying a LUT improves the appearance of the video, which makes it difficult to adjust it later. However, you can shoot standard or V-Log footage and use the LUT as a preview, then apply the same look in post without lock-in.
The LUT button is a smart idea because it allows creators to create beautiful shots without messing around in post. However, many may not be familiar with the term “LUT”, so Panasonic has an uphill battle to sell the benefits. In comparison, many influencers understand the advantages of Fujifilm’s simulations.
Collection
With the S9, Panasonic is trying to attract influencers with a small, stylish camera that makes it easy to create interesting video looks. At the same time, it has almost all the capabilities of high-end models like the S5 II.
It has some drawbacks that make it difficult for photographers. I’m concerned about the $1,500 price tag because it adds an EVF, a mechanical shutter, an extra card slot, better ergonomics, and more. which is slightly less than the S5 II.
So far it’s doing well against the ZV-E1. I like the extra resolution and sharpness, and it has superior stabilization. It’s also cheaper, but it’s only $300 right now. It looks like a good first attempt and I have a few rumours, but I’ll know more once I can test the production version.
