Key Takeaways
- The Panasonic Lumix S9 is an entry-level full-frame compact camera with a 24.2MP sensor and faster camera-to-smartphone transfer capabilities.
- The design focuses on slimness with a flat front and new color options like Crimson Red, Dark Olive, and Classical Blue.
- The S9 features Phase Detection Autofocus, 6.5-stop stabilization, and 6K video at 30 fps.
Panasonic’s newest mirrorless camera is a compact entry-level full frame designed to help users go from shoot to share faster. Announced on May 22, the Lumix S9 puts the same 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor found in the S5 II into a camera that’s both smaller and $500 less. Alongside the new camera, Panasonic is releasing a redesigned Lumix Lab app that allows creators to transfer images from to phone faster.
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Unlike Panasonic’s other full-frame bodies, the S9 features a slim design that axes the bulky grip to get down to a .89 pound (403g) weight. That flat-front design also shows off a new set of color options, with Crimson Red, Dark Olive and Classical Blue options available in addition to traditional black.
The exterior also uses a new dedicated button for swapping between different LUTs or color profiles without digging into the menu. Despite size being an obvious focus for the design, the S9 still includes a tilting rear screen.
New design, with familiar tech
While the style of the S9 is uncharacteristic of its siblings, the hardware inside is familiar. The body houses a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor, the same that’s found on the Panasonic Lumix S5 Mark II. The S9 also offers Phase Detection Autofocus, another feature originally introduced to the S5 II. That autofocus is capable of keeping up with 8 fps bursts, or 30 fps bursts with the electronic shutter. The built-in stabilization system is rated for up to 6.5 stops with compatible lenses, or 5 stops on its own.
Video maxes out at 6K and 30 fps. In addition to MOV and MP4 files, Panasonic also introduced a new format, MP4 Lite, designed to enable quick wireless video transfers from the camera to a smartphone. Lite files max out at a 3.8k, 30p quality and use Open Gate in 4:2:0 10-bit format. The feature is geared towards shooting and then quickly sharing videos on social media.
Lumix Labs brings faster camera-to-smartphone transfers
The improved camera-to-smartphone capability isn’t all for video. Panasonic claims that the S9 can go from shoot to share in as little as 30 seconds with the Lumix Lab app. The app also allows creatives to create custom LUTs, or color profiles, on their phone and then send them to the camera to use. The feature is compatible with Panasonic’s Live LUT, which allows creatives to view the color profile as they shoot.
Panasonic also announced a new pancake lens. The Lumix S 26mm f8 is an oddity: it’s a manual focus-only lens with a fixed f8 aperture. The biggest selling point for that lens is largely the $199 list price and a weight that comes in at just over two ounces, but the f8 aperture will limit the bokeh-making power of the S series’ full frame sensors.
Panasonic will release the S9 in June 2024, with a list price of $1,499. That slots the S9 into the entry-level spot for the brand’s full-frame options behind the Lumix S5 and S1 series.
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