Panasonic has pulled one out of its hat with the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9, an almost unexpected DSLR-style high-end flagship camera aimed directly at stills photographers but also with video capability, as well as the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom with included 1.4x teleconvertor and optional Panasonic DMW-TC20 2x Teleconverter.

Commentary
Although I am not fond of DLSR-style cameras for stills photography, preferring the DSLR form factor for video cameras so long as they are equipped with fully articulating monitors, I find the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 intriguing for its feature set and its promise as a smallish, fast-to-use camera for news, events and magazine feature photography.
For the urban documentary stills photography which I also practise, I still vastly prefer rangefinder and rangefinder-style cameras with tilting electronic viewfinders and hope that we can expect a Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 tilting EVF camera in the near future.
It is early days insofar as hands-on professional user reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 go, and I am looking forward to learning about how its many new features work out in practice.
I can visualize how the G9’s wildlife and sports photography-oriented features will make the job of those photographers lighter, faster and easier.
As a former magazine and daily newspaper photographer I can extrapolate how photographers in those fields will benefit especially given the tight deadlines of the newspaper business.
The G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode has piqued my interest, even more so now that I have been asked if I want to take up architectural photography again.
Food for thought.
Digital medium format photography costs far more to get into than large format analog photography ever did, in my experience.
Unless shot strictly for magazine, print or web publication, architectural photographs need to be usable at high reproduction sizes for displays and posters.
I love Micro Four Thirds and APS-C mirrorless, and medium format digital hardware suitable for architectural photography is well beyond my current means.
Medium format image quality, micro four thirds sensor size?


Is the G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode the way to go when needing to go large?
Combine the G9 with a super wide-angle Olympus or Panasonic zoom lens, or a Laowa M43 or adapted prime lens, choose the ones offering the best optical correction, and select an easily portable tripod that extends high enough to shoot above eye level as needed.
Above all buy lenses with the very least optical distortions to avoid nasty curved parallels when shooting video.

Shoot HDR brackets when the light and subject dynamic range demand it, then process in Skylum (formerly Macphun) Aurora HDR 2018.
Apply optical and perspective corrections there or in other applications like Capture One Pro, DxO ViewPoint, Luminar 2018, PTLens or Photoshop and there you have it.
Another possibility comes to mind.
I made a living in magazine editorial portraiture as a result of my fine art portrait photography, relying on large and medium format analog cameras for the most part, supplemented with Leica analog rangefinders when portability and speed were of the essence.

Photographic prints shown in galleries gain authority and power when printed large, traits often lost when reproduced small.
Should I consider getting back into creating larger format photographs for exhibition?
My question is, then, does the G9’s 80-megapixel high resolution mode permit applying it to the sort of portrait photography I love to this day?
One thing I know for sure is that Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds sensors have close to the perfect aspect ratio for environmental, full-face, head-and-shoulders and full-figure portrait photography, whether in landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) orientation – 4:3 or 3:4.
If the Panasonic Lumix G9’s 80 megapixel high res mode proves usable for my type of portrait photography, then that nudges it well into medium format territory for me, but at a far more affordable price than the other current contender, the Fujifilm GFX 50S.
Panasonic Lumix GH5, G9 and GX8 and then some, compared at Compact Camera Meter
Until the unexpected appearance of the G9, the GX9 was the Lumix stills-oriented camera most expected to be announced late this year or early the next.
Until now, the GX8 has been Panasonic’s flagship stills photography camera.


The rangefinder-style GX8 is very different in size and weight to the DSLR-style G9 so I compared it with the G9 and GH5 at the Camera Size website, with two lenses in which I am interested, the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 Aspheric zoom and the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200m f/2.8 Power OIS telephoto.

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 gallery
Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200m f/2.8 Power OIS gallery
Articles
- 4/3 Rumors – Panasonic G9 and 200mm lens officially announced
- B&H Explora – Panasonic Announces DC-G9 MFT Camera and Leica 200mm f/2.8 Lens
- Camera Labs – Panasonic Lumix G9 preview
- Daniel J. Cox – Lumix G9: A Still Photo Centric Camera From Panasonic
- DPReview – Panasonic announces Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS telephoto prime
- DPReview – Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 first impressions
- DPReview – Panasonic G9 offers pro-level features, 20 fps bursts, huge EVF and class-leading image stabilization
- DPReview – Panasonic Lumix G9: What you need to know
- DPReview – Panasonic Lumix G9 sample gallery
- DPReview – Video: Meet the Panasonic Lumix G9
- Imaging Resource – Panasonic 200mm f/2.8 announced: Compact lens offers 6.5 stops of Dual IS and 400mm equiv. focal length
- Imaging Resource – Panasonic G9 Review
Other Product Links
- Aurora HDR 2018
- Laowa – low and zero distortion super wide-angle and long lenses for macrophotography and other applications including architecture, cityscapes and landscapes.
- Luminar 2018
Press Releases
- Panasonic Australia – Fast, skilful and sleek LUMIX G9: Delivering best-in class performance for the photo enthusiast – PDF
- Panasonic Australia – Panasonic announces compact, lightweight ultra-telephoto LEICA lens with Power OIS for handheld 400mm equivalent shooting: LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER OIS (H-ES200) – PDF
- Panasonic UK – New Compact & Lightweight Super-Telephoto Lens with POWER O.I.S. – For Handheld 400mm Equivalent Telephoto Shooting
- Panasonic UK – The Ultimate Outdoor & Wildlife Camera LUMIX G9 – featuring Amazing Picture Quality and an 80-megapixel High Resolution Mode
Product Pages
- Panasonic Australia – Lumix G DC-G9
- Panasonic Australia – Lumix G DC-G9LEICA
- Panasonic Australia – Lumix G DC-G9PRO
- Panasonic USA – NEW! LUMIX G LEICA DG ELMARIT PROFESSIONAL LENS, 200mm, F2.8 ASPH., Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds, POWER Optical O.I.S., Includes 1.4X Teleconverter DMW-TC14 – H-ES200
- Panasonic USA – NEW! LUMIX G9 Mirrorless Camera Body, 20.3 Megapixels plus 80 Megapixel High-Resolution Mode, Dual I.S. 2.0 – DC-G9KBODY
Reviews
- Jacob James – Panasonic Lumix G9 – The Ultimate M43 Stills Camera?
- Lumix G Experience – Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 Power O.I.S. sample images and brief review
- Lumix G Experience – Panasonic Lumix DC-G9: in-depth review of features and sample pictures
Videos
- Clifton Cameras – Panasonic Lumix G9 and 200mm F2.8 Leica | First Look
- Gordon Laing – Panasonic Lumix G9 review – first looks
- LetsGoDigital – Panasonic G9 preview
- LUMIX Cameras – LUMIX G9 By Bence Mate in Zimbabwe
- Panasonic Australia – LUMIX G9 first look: the ultimate photography camera
- PanasonicLumixVideo – Introducing Panasonic LUMIX G9 – The photographer’s choice
- Park Cameras – Panasonic Lumix G9 – First Look Hands-On Review
- Photo By Richard – Panasonic Lumix G9 Review
- Photogearnews – FIRST LOK: Panasonic Lumix G9 – Lok tries the new high-end mirrorless camera
- PhotoJoseph – Panasonic LUMIX G9 — The Still Photographer’s Dream Camera
- TheCameraStoreTV – TCSTV Live: Panasonic G9 & 200mm F2.8 Preview with Trisha Gillings
- Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions – Panasonic G9 and the Big Bet: Ergonomics vs. Electronics
- Wex Photo Video – Panasonic LUMIX G9 and 200mm F/2.8 LEICA DG ELMARIT Lens – First-Look
Image Credits
Header image concept and hack by Carmel D. Morris. Samurai image from Wallhaven.
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- Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Body Only) – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-BGG9 Battery Grip – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-EC4 Eyecup – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-BTC12 Battery Charger – B&H
- Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 POWER O.I.S. Lens – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-TC20 2x Teleconverter – B&H
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H