Imagemaster wrote:
Maybe the E-M1 Mk III after you have tried it for a week and decided it is not up to snuff. With an Island discount of course.
Sorry, I won't be buying any Olympus cameras until they start using a menu system that doesn't require advanced degrees in cryptology and hieroglyphics.
Wilbus wrote:
The G9 is without a doubt the most enjoyable digital camera I've used together with the Nikon D700. Other than that the only thing that beats them is the Olympus OM1 and the Nikon FM2 for pure enjoyment.
The G9 is just superb in all it's menus, dials, settings, responsiveness and usability.
/Rasmus
I've been reacquainting myself with the G9 while waiting for the monsoon rains to let up, and the great EVF and overall usability are a real breath of fresh air compared to the Sony A7R III and A9.
The only gripe I have so far is the idiotic rear LCD selfie-screen, which can't be used for low or high angle shots if you use an L-bracket. Panasonic claims to have targeted this camera more for stills photography, so I wish they had used a more sensible, stills-oriented two-axis tilting screen, like they did on the S1 and S1R. The inability to tilt the screen isn't a deal breaker, but they might as well have saved the extra cost and weight and just used a fixed LCD panel.
molson wrote:
Sorry, I won't be buying any Olympus cameras until they start using a menu system that doesn't require advanced degrees in cryptology and hieroglyphics.
Yeah, I guess having many more menu options than Boston Pizza makes it really hard.
Imagemaster wrote:
Yeah, I guess having many more menu options than Boston Pizza makes it really hard.
It's not so much the number of options, it's just the strange hieroglyphic symbols they choose, and their refusal to label buttons for even the most basic functions like ISO or WB. I guess it's like a secret nerd club you can't join unless you know the password and bizarre handshake...
molson wrote:
I've been reacquainting myself with the G9 while waiting for the monsoon rains to let up, and the great EVF and overall usability are a real breath of fresh air compared to the Sony A7R III and A9.
The only gripe I have so far is the idiotic rear LCD selfie-screen, which can't be used for low or high angle shots if you use an L-bracket. Panasonic claims to have targeted this camera more for stills photography, so I wish they had used a more sensible, stills-oriented two-axis tilting screen, like they did on the S1 and S1R. The inability to tilt the screen isn't a deal breaker, but they might as well have saved the extra cost and weight and just used a fixed LCD panel....Show more →
Yeah the usability and menus and everything around it is superb. Something as simple, and yet not very common, as to push and hold a button in order to be brought in to the menu to change what that button will do from there on is so satisfying.
As for the display, while I don't think I dislike it like you do I do hope they add the S1/S1R display in a future replacement for the G9, I also really hope there is a future replacement for it and Panasonic don't go full GH series for their m43 line.The biggest benefit of this display for me is to have it turned all the way around thus protecting it which I love and for me that's where it is 95% if the time. I suspect I would use it more if where not fully articulating though. I don't use an L-bracket so no issue there but I don't much like shooting with it fully articulated.
Still considering selling some Olympus lenses and replace with Panasonic ones but no real use, too much money lost so should just save up for some Pana glass instead.
Molson, I agree on the ergonomics, the feel of the G9, and pretty much everything else. I don't care about the LCD configuration, similarly to Wilbus, as most of the time I have it turned around to protect it. When I do use it, it's mostly for reading menus. But I understand your point.
I also love that the Panasonic lenses are so much smaller and lighter overall, particularly for travel, which is when I do most of my shooting. I have a trip coming up, and I'm conflicted about which kit to take (not a photography-centric trip). I enjoy shooting (not to mention the carrying experience) with the G9 kit more, but on the other side of the coin, the files from the A7RIII are notably better for "deep dive" editing and the potential for large prints.
For those reasons it's hard to leave the Sony gear on the shelf. But those are the only reasons, in my case.
Blueshound wrote:
Molson, I agree on the ergonomics, the feel of the G9, and pretty much everything else. I don't care about the LCD configuration, similarly to Wilbus, as most of the time I have it turned around to protect it. When I do use it, it's mostly for reading menus. But I understand your point.
I also love that the Panasonic lenses are so much smaller and lighter overall, particularly for travel, which is when I do most of my shooting. I have a trip coming up, and I'm conflicted about which kit to take (not a photography-centric trip). I enjoy shooting (not to mention the carrying experience) with the G9 kit more, but on the other side of the coin, the files from the A7RIII are notably better for "deep dive" editing and the potential for large prints.
For those reasons it's hard to leave the Sony gear on the shelf. But those are the only reasons, in my case.
When I had my first G9 two years ago, I also had a medium-format system for "serious" photos, so I never bothered getting an L-bracket for that G9. With the recent firmware upgrades, including Mode 2 for the High Resolution mode, I thought the G9 would be more adept at some of the landscape and high-res macro shooting I'd like to do - stuff where the LCD screen is often preferable to the EVF. I was a bit annoyed to find I could no longer use the flip-out LCD for low level shooting, unless I was shooting in portrait orientation - or lay on the ground behind the camera just like in the "good old days"...
My S1R is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so if I decide I can live with the extra weight, I will be back to two systems again - and I can ditch the L-bracket for the G9.
p.9 #10 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
I will be very interested in hearing more on your thoughts & observations on the two Panasonic systems. It might help to inform as to whether I might upgrade to an A7RIV or not. Not interested in the size / weight of the S1R and lenses, but your thoughts on the real world advantages or over / under between the two sensor resolutions and other characteristics is relevant.
p.9 #11 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
Blueshound wrote:
I will be very interested in hearing more on your thoughts & observations on the two Panasonic systems. It might help to inform as to whether I might upgrade to an A7RIV or not. Not interested in the size / weight of the S1R and lenses, but your thoughts on the real world advantages or over / under between the two sensor resolutions and other characteristics is relevant.
Brian
I don't plan on doing any side-by-side comparisons with the Sony cameras; any camera in that market segment is already beyond good enough as far as image quality goes. I just want to see if the ergonomics and usability of the S1R are as significantly better than the Sony as they appear to be on paper...
p.9 #12 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
The Panasonic menus have at least as many choices as Olympus, if not more. Difference is they are laid out far better, not to mention the great thing that one can customize almost any button to almost any function rather than Olympus' stupid take on it where they limit the available functions. I never get why Olympus always get glorious comments about customization and "nothing" it mentioned about Panasonic's ability to do it.
The S1 system looks amazing, been thinking about it but will hold on so far. If nothing else due to the L-mount lenses being so darn expensive compared to many others.
p.9 #13 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
To be fair whilst I generally agree with you Wilbus over Panasonic vs Olympus menus, I have to say, the new "My Menu" feature on the Olympus EM1-X is superb.
Rather than just have a load of frequently used commands listed in the my menu, Olympus splits it up further and gives you 4 "my menu" sub tabs meaning you can organise for instance AF items into tab 1, shooting details into tab 2 etc.
Just wish they would put this feature in the EM1 MK II.
p.9 #15 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
One thing I love about the Panasonic customization is the ability to set the AF-On button to "AF-Near" and leave the shutter button set to normal AF.
When photographing small perching birds, all mirrorless cameras seem to struggle picking up small subjects that are close to the camera; if the sensor can see anything in the background, the AF picks that instead. With my Sony or Fuji cameras I have to switch to MF, focus closer, and then switch back to AF and hope I don't lose the subject again before locking focus. With the G9 I just press the AF-On button and it picks the closest subject instead of defaulting to the background; if my subject is bigger or farther away, I just focus using the shutter button like normal.
p.9 #17 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
molson wrote:
One thing I love about the Panasonic customization is the ability to set the AF-On button to "AF-Near" and leave the shutter button set to normal AF.
When photographing small perching birds, all mirrorless cameras seem to struggle picking up small subjects that are close to the camera; if the sensor can see anything in the background, the AF picks that instead. With my Sony or Fuji cameras I have to switch to MF, focus closer, and then switch back to AF and hope I don't lose the subject again before locking focus. With the G9 I just press the AF-On button and it picks the closest subject instead of defaulting to the background; if my subject is bigger or farther away, I just focusing using the shutter button like normal....Show more →
Awesome Molson, I had no idea you could set up the AF ON button for that, have to try it!
p.9 #18 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
Wilbus wrote:
Awesome Molson, I had no idea you could set up the AF ON button for that, have to try it!
I think that feature came with the last firmware update. You can also assign it to AF-Far, as well as the usual AF-on and AF-hold options, but AF-Far seems to be the de facto default anyway.
I did know I could set near or far since the last update but I didn't know I could assign the Af On button go for near and the shutter to go normal. Really cool. Have to test it today!
p.9 #20 · Panasonic G9 image thread and discussion
Was out trying the animal detect yesterday, second time only since it came so got lots to learn.
Olympus 300mm F4 and for once I remembered to set the focus limiter to 4 meters - infinity which made a huge difference in getting focus on the birds in flight. All shots with C-AF. Nothing interesting as far as shots go, just before sunset, terrible lightning as the sun had already "set" behind a thick cloud cover near the horizon which didn't help either the AF or image quality but fun to test either how.
I came away with far more in focus shots than I have before of birds in flight, both when flying towards and away from me as well as passing me from side to side. And most shots were far enough away for the bird to only fill 1/4 of the frame or less so there's clearly more to work with here.
