Offering a versatile feature-set to please photographers and
videographers alike, the silver Lumix GX9 from Panasonic is
a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera that is also characterized by its
rangefinder-inspired body design and sleek form factor. Featuring a 20.3 MP
Digital Live MOS sensor, along with a Venus Engine image processor, the GX9 is
able to record UHD 4K movies at 30 or 24 fps, record full-resolution stills at
up to 9 fps with AF-S or 8MP stills at 30 fps, and work in difficult lighting
situations with a top sensitivity of ISO 25600. Additionally, complementing the
imaging capabilities, is a Dual I.S.2 system that offers the use of both
in-camera and in-lens image stabilization systems to effectively minimize the
appearance of camera shake by up to four stops.
In regard to the physical design, the GX9
incorporates a tilting 2.76m-dot electronic viewfinder and a tilting 3.0"
1.24m-dot rear LCD touchscreen to suit working from a variety of angles. A top
dual dial affords direct adjustment of both exposure compensation and shooting
mode settings, and the top plate also avails access to a hot shoe as well as a
built-in pop-up flash. For remote use of the camera, integrated Bluetooth LE
allows wireless control over the shutter and select shooting functions with a
linked mobile device, and built-in Wi-Fi can also be used for transferring
imagery to a smartphone or tablet.
20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor and Venus Engine
The 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor pairs with the
Venus Engine image processor to deliver fast overall performance, a wide
dynamic range, with notable image quality to suit working in a wide variety of
conditions. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 200 to 25600, with the ability to
extend down to ISO 100 for working in bright conditions or with longer shutter
speeds. Versatile burst shooting modes up to 9 fps also allow you to pair high
continuous shooting rates with single-shot or continuous autofocus. For even
faster performance, up to 30 fps at 8 MP using the 4K PHOTO Modes.
UHD 4K Video Recording
In addition to the versatile still shooting modes, the GX9 also supports
recording UHD 4K video with either 30p or 24p frames rates at 100 Mb/s in the
MP4 format. Full HD 1080p60 is also supported, in both MP4 and AVCHD formats.
4K PHOTO Modes
Utilizing the GX9's video recording capabilities, a trio of still
shooting modes are available for recording continuous 8MP stills at a 30 fps
shooting rate:
Dual I.S.2
Helping to achieve the utmost sharpness when photographing handheld,
Dual I.S.2 combines the GX9's 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization
technology with lens-based image stabilization to compensate for a broader
range of movement types to render sharper, clearer imagery. Dual I.S.2 requires
the use of compatible Lumix lenses featuring O.I.S. This stabilization system
is able to compensate for approximately four stops of camera shake.
Body Design and Built-In Bluetooth
Depth-From-Defocus Autofocus
For accelerated autofocus performance, DFD (Depth-From-Defocus)
technology is employed to quickly calculate the distance to subjects and adjust
the focusing position in as little as 0.07 seconds, which enables continuous
shooting up to 6 fps with continuous AF. This contrast-detection type focus
method benefits both still and video recording modes, as well as subject
tracking applications where subject color, size, and motion vectors are used to
intelligently lock-onto the moving subjects and ensure precise focus.
Additionally, supporting working in low-light conditions, a Starlight AF
feature enables accurate AF performance down to -4 EV.
Benefitting manual focus operation, focus peaking is available that highlights
bright edges of contrast with a colored outline for quickly recognizing your
focus point, as well as Touch MF Assist for touch-to-focus operation. MF Assist
can also be used to increase magnification by up to 20x for more critical
focusing on specific subjects.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6
ASPH. Lens
Characterized by
its slim, retractable form factor, the Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6
ASPH. from Panasonic is a 24-64mm equivalent standard zoom for
Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Despite its sleek stature, the lens's
sophisticated optical design uses three aspherical elements and one extra-low
dispersion element to correct spherical and chromatic aberrations for notable
sharpness and clarity throughout the zoom range. A stepping AF motor and
internal focus design are also employed for quick, quiet focusing performance
that suits movie and photo applications, and MEGA O.I.S. helps to ensure sharp
handheld photos by compensating for the effects of camera shake.
Other Camera Features