Photography News Issue 59

Camera test 34

Photography News | Issue 59 | photographynews.co.uk

The minor downside of its design is that using it needs a little force from your thumb and the action is on the taut side. Panasonic led the way when it came to 4K photo features and the GX9 is blessed with several options. In 4K photo function you can shoot at 30fps and get file sizes of around 8MB – that is 3328x2496pixels in 4:3 aspect ratio, so large enough for decent size prints. Other aspect ratios can be set, so 1:1 gives 2880x2880pixel images. You can then just view the footage using the control keys on the monitor and pick the image you want to save as a separate JPEG. As you are shooting video, you can in effect shoot hundreds of frames, but of course you have the headache of previewing and selecting images. Sequence composition is a fun feature – from 4k footage you can create multiple exposure images very easily in-camera, and it doesn’t take long. You also have the option of Post Focus, which results in JPEGs with plenty of depth-of-field. In this mode, the camera shoots video footage as the lens automatically adjusts focus, from near to far. The process takes a few seconds, so you need to keep the camera steady and of course the subject needs to be static. There are other limits, too, with respect to the mode’s effectiveness – great

differences between the near and far subjects might mean the merged image does not work, or if you’re using a wide aperture where the bokeh changes significantly through the focusing range, you can end up with strange effects. An image shot in Post Focus can then give you the option of whether youwant the camera to automatically merge your shots, or you can select the point of focus so you can have a good degree of control. I enjoyed using the Lumix GX9. It has a positive feel, has some nice features like the flip-up EVF, and it turns in consistently good results. I did have a few minor handling niggles, though. The low profile buttons and the rear input dial access have already been mentioned. I also found the touchscreen could be frustrating when using the EVF, although this is no reflection on the GX9’s touchscreen and just a generic whinge. I found, for example, the selected focus point was not where I had expected it to be, ie at the centre, because I had inadvertently touched the screen in the course of lifting the camera tomy eye. Or Imanaged to set or change something by touching the screen withmy nose. All told, with consistent autofocus, exposure and auto white-balance performance, good high ISO skills and feature set, the Lumix GX9 showed itself a capable camera.

Verdict

Features 23/25 Articulating EVF and monitor, plus 4k photo features, so rates highly Performance 23/25 AF, exposure and white-balance skills all sound Handling 22/25 Some aspects could be better, but nothing serious Value for money 23/25 The Lumix GX9 is a good value-for- money buy Overall 91/100 The Lumix GX9 shows why Panasonic is a leading player in the mirrorless market Pros EVF, good AF, solid build, image quality Cons Some minor handling niggles The Panasonic Lumix GX9 is a very capable mirrorless camera with much to like about it, including decent handling and picture quality, and at this price level it is a worthy contender for your cash. Also, with the many lens options available from Leica, Olympus and independent brands as well as from Panasonic itself, you buy yourself into a very versatile camera system with plenty of potential to grow into.

Images Good features and build make for a very capable camera.

Performance: ISO

This set of lowlight shotswere taken with the Lumix GX9 on a Manfrotto Beree AdvancedGT tripod. The lens was a Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 and the exposure at ISO 200 was 1sec at f/5.6. In-camera noise reduction was turned off and the Raws processed in Lightroom CC, again with no NR applied. Images were viewed on-screen at 100%. Go back a few years and Micro Four Thirds could be noisy at quite modest ISO speeds, impacting seriously on image detail, and that noise could be off-puttingly

colourful, too. Decent enlargement was not an option if you wanted high-quality results. How times have changed for the better – the Lumix GX9 did well in the ISO test and if you have to resort to speeds in the higher reaches of the camera’s ISO range, then you will find it a very good performer. At the sub ISO 800 speeds, images were very clean, detail- packed and nicely saturated. By the time you get to ISO 1600 and 2000 there is evidence of noise, especially in smooth areas of mid-

tones. Nevertheless, the files at such speeds are still very usable for serious enlargements, particularly after some noise reduction in processing. Venture further up the ISO scale to 3200 and noise is more apparent and heavier, although not too obtrusive even when viewed at 100%. Fine details begin to suffer from the beginnings of break-up from this speed and this continues at the higher settings, although even at ISO 6400, overall image quality is still pretty decent.

ISO 400

ISO 200

ISO 1600

ISO 800

Original image

ISO 6400

ISO 3200

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

Above The GX9 turns in a more than decent ISO performance.