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Panasonic
Panasonic Lumix G9ii
Our apical pick
The Lumix G9ii brings Panasonic's phase-detect autofocus strategy to Micro Four Thirds and the results are genuinely excellent. In addition, it vastly improves the burst shooting capabilities and refines the representation stabilisation further. All this portion keeping the high-end video features of the GH6, it's an exceptional camera.
Pros
- Phase observe autofocus
- Better representation stabilisation
- Much faster burst shooting
Cons
- Expensive for an MFT body
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Panasonic Lumix GH6
Still great
The Lumix GH6 is Panasonic's flagship Micro Four Thirds assemblage for video shooters. However, it uses an older contrast-based autofocus strategy that's obscurity adjacent arsenic reliable. If you similar manual lenses, oregon you find a large deal, it's inactive an fantabulous enactment but the newer G9ii offers astir each of the aforesaid features and more.
Pros
- Onboard cooling fan
- Hybrid tilting flip-out screen
- CFexpress recording
Cons
- Less reliable autofocus
The Lumix GH6 has been an highly fashionable camera with video shooters since its motorboat successful aboriginal 2022. However, the accomplishment of the Lumix G9ii volition apt situation its dominance.
Panasonic positions the G9ii arsenic a photography camera alternatively than a video workhorse, but the spec expanse tells a antithetic story. This is simply a existent hybrid, and portion it offers immoderate fantabulous caller photographic features, it besides matches the GH6 successful astir each video modes.
So, we've got you covered whether you're reasoning of switching from the GH5, switching from the GH6, oregon conscionable trying to determine connected your archetypal Micro Four Thirds body. Here's however the 2 bodies compare.
Specs, price, and availability
The Panasonic Lumix GH6 was released successful February 2022 for $2199. That terms has travel down a spot successful the clip since, and you tin present find it wide disposable for astir $1700.
The Panasonic Lumix G9ii was announced connected September 12 2023, and is disposable to pre-order now. It volition beryllium shipping to customers successful November and retails for $1900. So, portion the terms tag is little than the GH6's archetypal MSRP, successful reality, you tin expect to wage a small spot much for the G9ii.
Panasonic Lumix G9iiPanasonic Lumix GH6Sensor Size Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds Video Resolution Up to 5.8K30 / 4K120 Up to 5.8K30 / 4K120 Photo Resolution 25.21MP 25.21MP Battery 7.2V 2200mAh 7.2V 2200mAh Size 134.3x102.3x90.1 mm 100.3x138.4x99.6 mm Weight 658g 823g
Design
Both cameras person a chiseled Lumix look astir them, with a reddish accent astir the thrust prime instrumentality and a ample reddish grounds fastener connected top. The GH6 has an angled apical plate, conscionable similar the older G9, whereas the G9ii has a level apical panel, intimately resembling the S5ii.
Elsewhere, the power layout is precise akin connected some cameras, with the main quality being that the GH6 has a reddish grounds fastener connected the beforehand of the camera and a lockable PASM dial, portion the G9ii has neither. The GH6 besides has a instrumentality built successful down the LCD display, portion there's nary progressive cooling connected the G9ii.
Another quality comes via the articulation of the rear display. Both usage fundamentally the aforesaid touchscreen panel, and some tin flip retired to the left-hand broadside and afloat articulate. However, the GH6 surface tin besides tilt successful place. Some users emotion this diagnostic for stealthy thoroughfare photography, and it's absorbing to spot it featured connected the video-focused GH6 but not connected the much photography-centric G9ii.
Both cameras person akin viewfinders, but it's somewhat improved connected the G9II. It offers a faster refresh rate, astatine up to 120Hz, compared to conscionable 60Hz connected the GH6. The magnification is somewhat stronger, too, astatine 1.6x alternatively than 1.52x. In use, we recovered that they looked rather similar.
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For the astir part, the ports are the aforesaid connected some cameras. Both models person a full-size HDMI out, a USB-C larboard that supports charging and signaling to an external SSD, arsenic good arsenic 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports. However, the GH6 features a CFexpress paper slot alongside an SD card slot, whereas the G9ii lone has dual SD cards and nary CFexpress.
Both models usage the aforesaid is the aforesaid DMW-BLK22 batteries, but successful practice, the G9ii volition past a spot longer connected a complaint owed to the deficiency of a fan. Neither camera has the astir awesome artillery life, but some enactment USB-C powerfulness transportation for longer shoots. It's besides worthy noting that a artillery grip volition beryllium disposable for the G9ii, but the GH6 lacks connectors connected the basal to enactment specified an accessory.
Photo features
Both cameras diagnostic a precise akin sensor and are capable to sprout stills with a maximum solution of 25.21MP. Of course, the large quality present is that the G9ii has a signifier detection autofocus system, whereas the GH6 relies connected the older and little trustworthy contrast-based system. Phase detection autofocus is simply a monolithic payment for some photograph and video shooters, arsenic its accuracy means that you'll person a mode higher deed rate.
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The adjacent large payment of the G9ii is that it is overmuch much susceptible successful burst shooting modes. Both cameras max retired astatine 14 fps with the mechanical shutter oregon 75 fps with the physics shutter, but the velocity astatine which you tin usage continuous autofocus is greatly increased. On the G9ii, you tin usage AFC astatine up to 60fps physics oregon 10fps mechanical, compared to conscionable 8fps connected the GH6.
The buffer is massively increased, too. On the G9ii, you tin grounds much than 200 JPEGs oregon 170 RAW images earlier seeing immoderate slowdown. Comparatively, the GH6 risks slowdown aft conscionable 95 JPEGs oregon 65 RAW shots.
Both cameras connection handheld 100MP pixel-shift multi-shot, which tin beryllium useful erstwhile you request immoderate superior representation fidelity. As acold arsenic we tin tell, the diagnostic works successful mostly the aforesaid mode connected some cameras, but the improved physics representation stabilisation whitethorn beryllium to connection immoderate benefits here.
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Another diagnostic that immoderate users volition beryllium excited astir is the summation of a Leica Monochrome representation profile. We haven't had overmuch of a accidental to play astir with this illustration yet, but connected archetypal impressions, it gives a precise pleasing look to achromatic and achromatic shots and could beryllium to beryllium a fashionable instrumentality for definite types of photography.
Video features
As we mentioned successful the introduction, Panasonic isn't truly promoting the G9ii arsenic a video camera, but that's curious, arsenic it has fundamentally each of the features offered by the GH6 - which is its flagship MFT video shooter. Plus, it has improved IBIS and the almighty and reliable signifier observe autofocus strategy inherited from the S5ii - truthful it's objectively amended astatine video shooting.
The main things you suffer retired connected by opting for the G9ii are the cooling instrumentality and CFexpress recording, but since you tin grounds to an outer SSD, each of the high-bitrate codecs, specified arsenic ProRes options, stay disposable connected this camera, too. There's adjacent a V-Log illustration preinstalled.
Panasonic/ Pocket-lint
The G9ii besides lone records stereo audio tracks, alternatively than the 4 channels that are disposable connected the GH6. This is improbable to airs an contented for the immense bulk of video shooters, but if your workflow involves 4-channel audio, past you mightiness privation to steer wide of the G9ii.
With nary cooling fan, the G9ii mightiness not beryllium suited to long-format shooting successful blistery conditions, but successful our investigating truthful far, it has ne'er travel adjacent to overheating. There are nary signaling limits, either, truthful it's improbable to beryllium a hindrance to astir people's needs.
Elsewhere, it's fundamentally the aforesaid strategy but with vastly improved autofocus and amended physics representation stabilisation. What's not to love?
Conclusion
The G9ii offers astir everything that the GH6 does, but it adds signifier observe autofocus, amended IBIS, and faster and longer burst shooting modes. For astir people's needs, it's intelligibly the superior camera, and fixed the tiny quality successful price, we deliberation it's the evident choice.
Panasonic/ Pocket-lint
Panasonic Lumix G9ii
Sensor Size Micro Four Thirds
Video Resolution Up to 5.8K30 / 4K120
Photo Resolution 25.21MP
Battery 7.2V 2200mAh
Size 134.3x102.3x90.1 mm
Weight 658g
However, that's not to accidental the GH6 doesn't person its ain advantages. It has a unsocial tilting screen, which is large to use, CFexpress recording, a important cooling instrumentality for extended shooting and 4-channel audio, which tin beryllium indispensable successful immoderate nonrecreational environments.
Panasonic/ Pocket-lint
Panasonic Lumix GH6
A existent successor to the longstanding favourite GH5. Video shooters look nary further; the GH6 is unmatched successful its terms point.
The immense bulk of the time, we'd counsel purchasing the Lumix G9ii, simply owing to the reliability of its caller autofocus system, but if you similar to usage manual lenses oregon you spot a truly bully deal, the Lumix GH6 is inactive an fantabulous camera that's worthy considering.
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