Mirrorless Camera News

Panasonic just introduced the new Lumix GX9, a compact mirrorless camera that uses a 20.3-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor without a low-pass filter. The Panasonic Lumix GX9 is powered by Panasonic’s Venus Engine image processor and adds the new L.Monochrome D “Photo Style” mode, which is designed to make it easier to shoot detailed dynamic monochrome photos with emphasized highlights and shadows. Grain Effect can also be adjusted in all monochrome modes with Photo Style.

The Panasonic Lumix GX9 is the follow-up to the GX8 mirrorless camera from 2015, which we reviewed here.

A 5-axis Dual I.S. (Image Stabilizer) in the Panasonic GX9 is designed to suppress blur. The new Lumix mirrorless camera also has an O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer, 2-axis) and a B.I.S. (Body Image Stabilizer, 5-axis), and the the Dual I.S. system is designed to compensate for a wider range of movement to reduce blur in photo/video shooting from wide to tele, even in low-light conditions.

A new wide screen LVF (Live View Finder) in the Panasonic Lumix GX9 tilts up approximately 90 degrees. With its high, approx. 2760k-dot equivalent, resolution and 100% color reproduction, this 16:9 LVF provides approx. 1.39x / 0.7x (35mm camera equivalent) magnification and 100% field of view. Plus, the camera's large 3-inch, 1240k-dot high resolution static-type touch monitor provides nearly 100% of field of view tilts up approx. 80 degrees and down 45-degrees to enable shooting in high or low angle even easier.

The Contrast AF System in the Lumix GX9 features DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology and is designed to excel in both speed and accuracy by exchanging digital signals between the camera and the lens at max. 240 fps, for ultra-fast auto focusing in approximately 0.07 seconds. A range of AF functions include Face/Eye Detection AF, Pinpoint AF, One-shot AF and advanced Low Light AF are designed for various shooting situations. Live View Boost makes it possible to check composition even in total darkness by boosting sensitivity just for live view, Panasonic said.

The Panasonic Lumix GX9 records smooth, high-resolution 4K video in 3840x2160 at 30p or 24p in MP4. 4K PHOTO is easier to use in more creative ways with Auto Marking and Sequence Composition, two new additions to Post Focus, Focus Stacking, Light Composition and 4K Live Cropping.

With a high-speed sensor signal readout and engine processor, the Lumix GX9 records smooth, high-resolution 4K videos in 3840x2160 resolution at 30p or 24p in addition to the Full-HD 1,920x1,080 60p videos with practical full-time AF. With this technology, LUMIX 4K PHOTO lets users capture perfect moments by extracting single frames from 4K burst files shot at 30 fps to save as 8-megapixel equivalent photos.

Choosing the best shots out of hundreds of 4K video frames is now easier with a newly added Auto Marking function, Panasonic said. Auto Marking identifies the frame most different from others in the file to help minimize the time it takes to choose the best individual shot. A Sequence Composition function creates a stromotion image in-camera by synthesizing multiple images shot at fixed frame to produce a unique image of a subject’s motion without special retouching.

The Panasonic Lumix GX9 also includes Post Focus, a function selects an in-focus area even after shooting. Post Focus is helpful in situations such as macro shooting where strict focusing is required or for changing expressions by changing the focused subject. This capability combines high-speed, high-precision DFD (Depth From Defocus) auto focus technology and 4K technology. A Focus Stacking function adjusts depth of field after shooting by combining multiple images shot with Post Focus in the camera.

The Panasonic Lumix GX9 also incorporates a Light Composition function, a new 4K PHOTO option. According to Panasonic, the new camera synthesizes images by choosing and saving a brighter pixel to produce more dramatic images of fireworks or night scenery in-camera. The LUMIX GX9 also enables 4K Live Cropping in video recording to help achieve more stable panning or zooming. In panning shots, users just set the viewing angle to begin and end with for smooth panning imagery without using special equipment like a slider. And in zooming, users can set the after-zoomed viewing angle firs to ensure the subject is perfectly in the frame. The imagery of zooming is smooth because it does not move the zoom lens physically.

The Panasonic GX9 includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for a more flexible shooting experience and instant image sharing with easy operation. Compatibility with Bluetooth 4.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy) enables consistent connection with a smartphone or tablet with minimum power consumption.

The new Panasonic Lumix GX9 mirrorless camera will sell for $999.