Panasonic has officially launched LUMIX GX9, a new mirrorless micro four-thirds camera. It packs a lot of great features in a compact body and as Panasonic itself writes, it’s aimed at “amateur photographers wanting a professional experience.”
It features a 20.3 MP sensor, shoots 4K video at 30fps, and allows you to save video frames as 4K photos. Many of the features are aimed at capturing the perfect shot, so it seems that this camera would be ideal for street photographers.
Unlike previous models, the GX9’s sensor comes without a low-pass filter, in order to capture more details. Panasonic promises that the sensor” achieves the truest color reproduction from dark to bright parts of the image,” which especially improves skies and skin tones. The ISO ranges between 200 and 25,600, or 100-25,600 in the Extended Mode.
In burst mode, Panasonic GX9 shoots at 9 fps (AFS) / 6 fps (AFC). The company promises fast and accurate focus even in extremely low-lit situations. The camera lets you choose more easily between multiple frames with a new Auto Marking function.
GX9 allows precision and stabilization when shooting both videos and stills. It combines 2-axis optical image stabilization and 5-axis body image stabilizer. It provides you with several AF functions, all aimed to help you nail focus even with fast-moving subjects and in low-light conditions.
As for the video, GX9 shoots 4K video in 3840×2160 at 30/p. It also allows users to “capture the fleeting photo opportunities at 30 fps in 8-megapixel equivalent resolution to save it as a 4K photo.”
There are some more features worth noting, such as tillable viewfinder and LCD screen, which allow you more flexibility when shooting. Here are the full specs, so you can get acquainted with the camera further:
| Imaging | |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Camera Format | Micro Four Thirds (2x Crop Factor) |
| Pixels | Actual: 21.77 Megapixel Effective: 20.3 Megapixel |
| Max Resolution | 5184 x 3888 |
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9 |
| Sensor Type / Size | MOS, 17.3 x 13 mm |
| File Formats | Still Images: JPEG, RAW Movies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MP4 Audio: AAC, Dolby Digital 2ch |
| Dust Reduction System | Yes |
| Memory Card Type | SD SDHC SDXC |
| Image Stabilization | Sensor-Shift, 5-Way |
| AV Recording | |
| Video Recording | Yes, NTSC |
| Video Format | 3840 x 2160p at 24, 30 fps (100 Mb/s MP4) 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps (28 Mb/s MP4) 1920 x 1080p at 30 fps (20 Mb/s MP4) 1280 x 720p at 30 fps (10 Mb/s MP4) 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps (28 Mb/s AVCHD) 1920 x 1080p at 24, 30 fps (24 Mb/s AVCHD) 1920 x 1080i at 60 fps (17 Mb/s AVCHD) |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3, 16:9 |
| Video Clip Length | Up to 29 Min 59 Sec |
| Audio Recording | Built-In Mic: With Video (Stereo) Optional External Mic: With Video (Stereo + Mono) |
| Focus Control | |
| Focus Type | Auto & Manual |
| Focus Mode | Continuous-Servo AF (C), Flexible (AFF), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S) |
| Autofocus Points | Contrast Detection: 49 |
| Viewfinder/Display | |
| Viewfinder Type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder Pixel Count | 2,760,000 |
| Viewfinder Eye Point | 17.5 mm |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | Approx. 0.7x |
| Diopter Adjustment | -4 to +3 m |
| Display Screen | 3″ Rear Touchscreen Swivel Touchscreen LCD (1,240,000) |
| Screen Coverage | 100% |
| Exposure Control | |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 200-25600 (Extended Mode: 100-25600) |
| Shutter | Type: Electronic & Mechanical Speed: 60 – 1/4000 Second Type: Electronic & Mechanical Speed: 30 – 0 Minute in Bulb Mode 1/25 – 1/16000 Second in Movie Mode Type: Electronic Speed: 1 – 1/16000 Second |
| Metering Method | Center-Weighted Average Metering, Multiple, Spot Metering |
| Exposure Modes | Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual, Programmed Auto, Shutter Priority Metering Range: EV 0.0 – EV 18.0 Compensation: -5 EV to +5 EV (in 1/3 EV Steps) |
| White Balance Modes | Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Daylight, Flash, Incandescent, Shade, White Set 1, White Set 2, White Set 3, White Set 4 |
| Buffer/Continuous Shooting | Up to 9 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 30 Frames in Raw Format Up to 9 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 100 Frames in JPEG Format Up to 6 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 30 Frames in Raw Format Up to 6 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 100 Frames in JPEG Format Up to 2 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 30 Frames in Raw Format Up to 2 fps at 20.3 MP for up to 100 Frames in JPEG Format Up to 30 fps at 8 MP with 4K PHOTO Mode |
| Flash | |
| Flash Modes | Auto Auto/Red-Eye Reduction Forced On Forced On/Red-Eye Reduction Off Slow Sync Slow Sync/Red-Eye Reduction |
| Built-in Flash | Yes |
| Guide No. | 13.78′ (4.2 m) ISO100 |
| Max Sync Speed | 1 / 200 Second |
| Flash Compensation | -3 EV to +3 EV (in 1/3 EV steps) |
| Dedicated Flash System | TTL |
| External Flash Connection | Hot Shoe |
| Performance | |
| Self Timer | 10 Seconds, 2 Seconds |
| Interval Recording | Yes |
| Connectivity | HDMI D (Micro), USB 2.0 Micro-B |
| Wi-Fi Capable | Yes |
| Power | |
| Battery | 1 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack, 7.2 VDC, 1025 mAh |
| Operating/Storage Temperature | Operating 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C) Humidity: 10 – 80% |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 4.9 x 2.8 x 1.8″ / 124.0 x 72.1 x 46.8 mm |
| Weight | 14.36 oz / 407 g with battery and memory card |
Panasonic LUMIX GX9 is ready for preorders and it comes with a 12-60mm kit lens. The price of the kit is $997.99 and you can get it in black and silver. As for the availability, the shipping is expected to begin on 12 March current year (23 March at B&H).
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