Lumix S9

[Ninpo33]

2 hours ago, MrSMW said:

The X model has no appeal to me. Not a single feature I need although I like it’s all black look, I am not paying a €500 premium for something I can do with a black sharpie.

Considered scratching the Sigma FP itch but then came to my senses 😂

Shooting straight to NVME M.2 SSD's is pretty slick on the S5iix and very economical. I just picked up a 2tb Samsung drive for $150 US. Allows for really fast file transfers and turn around time being able to pull the drive and go straight to the laptop. Shooting straight to Prores can be nice and versatile too depending on your post production process. It's also nice because that storage media is versatile and can be used on lots of cameras or as external storage.

Speaking of the Sigma FP, I like the way the community have come up with tidy solutions when shooting raw out to the SSD. There's a few used FP camera's on sale for $950 US right now and I'm also thinking of grabbing one soon after I sort out my main workhouse solutions. Just a fun system to play with and a tiny little cinema beast. 

 

[Andrew - EOSHD]

Get it, really is a fun little beast with an image that is truly unprocessed sensor RAW in the cinema sense, not the faux-RAW that's taken over.

If you can find an Fp-L that's even better... same 60mp sensor as a Leica SL3 or A7R V for quarter of the price.

It's capable of some nice oversampling whereas the original Fp pixel bins.

And has phase-detect AF.

[MrSMW]

6 hours ago, Ninpo33 said:

Shooting straight to NVME M.2 SSD's is pretty slick on the S5iix

I do like the idea of being able to shoot direct to SSD, but 3 cameras so I always need to end up with time matched footage on a single drive.

1 hour ago, Andrew Reid said:

If you can find an Fp-L that's even better

Stop it!

[Andrew - EOSHD]

Add it to the bag with the EVF... You know you want it!

[MrSMW]

9 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Add it to the bag with the EVF... You know you want it!

For the IQ, I do I do I do!

But, being pragmatic, I’d be causing myself a ton of issues.

Similar scenarios with cine zooms and primes on something like the S5ii, - something else that would hamper me at times.

I was very interested in the NiSi Athena Primes with drop in filters but kept circling back to the same conclusion and that is I would be limiting myself and therefore my clients, at certain times.

So no, a ‘sensible’ camera body and system it has to be and that means at least decent if not great AF, and AF zooms, even if I mostly use them in MF mode.

It’s a good thing actually because it allows the tools to get out of the way and the ‘art’ then has to come from the operator, though possibly at the ultimate expense of outright image quality because as the saying goes, something is better than nothing and without the right tools, the risk is nothing in certain scenarios in Wedding Land.

[MrSMW]

20 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Add it to the bag with the EVF... You know you want it!

Actually, I did have one on loan from Sigma France but only tested it for stills where it failed pretty badly.

In that regard, I do have the Sigma FP-L in an ergonomic body with twin card slots, decent IBIS, fantastic rear screen and better battery life. It’s called a Sony A7RV 😂

[eatstoomuchjam]

For people in the US, at least (I'm not sure abroad), Panasonic are running some trade-in deals.  The one for the S9, in particular, is fantastic if I understand the terms right:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/a/trade-in/61933

The S9 is $1,197 normally, but there's a $300 instant rebate and if you do a trade-in, you seem to get an extra $350 + trade-in value of what they describe as "any working digital/film camera."  I wonder just how much of a potato would still quality - $547 for a brand new S9 is genuinely tempting.
It's pretty much the most pocketable full frame camera on the market now - would be nice if it had internal ProRes, but I think Panasonic's HEVC implementation is decent.  Also, kind of crazy to get sensor shift stabilization on a FF camera for that size/price.

[MrSMW]

17 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

It's pretty much the most pocketable full frame camera on the market now

Definitely the best value of it’s kind…

For not much more than 500€£$, what it’s capable of is nuts!

It’s only real Achilles heel for me is the build.

Mine is in the XLCS cage so it’s like Robocop visually, but that does’t change the rear LCD, buttons or dials.

I’m not one for chasing the next gen camera for the sake of it, but for real world upgrades that would make a genuine difference.

Bring in the S9ii…

[ac6000cw]

20 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

It's pretty much the most pocketable full frame camera on the market now - would be nice if it had internal ProRes, but I think Panasonic's HEVC implementation is decent.  Also, kind of crazy to get sensor shift stabilization on a FF camera for that size/price.

3 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Definitely the best value of it’s kind…

For not much more than 500€£$, what it’s capable of is nuts!

I agree - back in early 2025, I'd been looking for a camera that could do good 4k50 in a compact, lighter, body (smaller and lighter than the Pana G9 and OM-1 that I already owned). Never really thought it would be a full-frame camera, but when Pana seriously dropped the S9 prices in the UK in Feb 2025 I grabbed a 'like new' red S9+18-40 lens bundle from Amazon, basically to try it out properly.

The outcome was I now own two S9 bodies and five L-mount lenses... 🙂 (and rarely use my OM-1) 

I didn't think I'd make much use of the real-time LUT capability, but I now use it all the time in conjunction with V-Log.

My handheld 'general video' S9 is in a SmallRig Half Leather Case, which is nice to hold, adds a small grip and looks good.

I use the Pana 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 lens sometimes (which supports Dual-IS), and the S9 stabilisation is good enough to shoot hand-held video at 300mm (with EIS enabled).

The Hybrid Zoom feature is great too (although for video that only works up to 30fps).

[MrSMW]

4 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

2025 I grabbed a 'like new' red

Same year, same colour.

4 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

The outcome was I now own two S9 bodies and five L-mount lenses

Also 2x S9 (though my red one, the audio no longer works after I dropped it) + 3 other LUMIX bodies and 11x L Mount lenses...except I am giving away one of them, another is broken (dropped that also!) and 4 are being sold.

 

4 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

I didn't think I'd make much use of the real-time LUT capability, but I now use it all the time in conjunction with V-Log

Ditto and my workflow is much better for that and actually, I genuinely like the SOOC look I am getting from my specific set up so all good.

4 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

The Hybrid Zoom feature is great too

Even better with the S1Rii as it works in full-frame 50p 🙂

These really are awesome tools to have and my only gripe is there still isn't a lens to match the Tamron 35-100 f2.8 or Sony 50-150 f2.

Yes I know there is that tub of lard Sausage 35-150mm f2/2.8 but nah.

It would almost be worth it for me to flip systems next year just for that 50-150...

I'd like to see a 'Nikon ZR' version of the S1Rii with the rear LCD mech also off the S1Rii, but possibly wishful thinking territory now...

[tomastancredi]

On 9/8/2026 at 8:00 AM, eatstoomuchjam said:

It's pretty much the most pocketable full frame camera on the market now

I was pretty excited about this idea, but with the limited lens selection, even with the new 40mm f/2, it’s still bigger than my Sony A7R II with the Rokinon 35mm f/2.8. An A7C would be even smaller. It still doesn’t really feel like there’s a proper upgraded/full-frame version of the GX85 + 20mm f/1.7 combo, which I absolutely loved
 

[MrSMW]

8 hours ago, tomastancredi said:

I was pretty excited about this idea, but with the limited lens selection, even with the new 40mm f/2, it’s still bigger than my Sony A7R II with the Rokinon 35mm f/2.8

You are not wrong

https://camerasize.com/compact/#624.667,922.1253,ha,t

Take something like the A7RV and add a non-extending zoom such as the Thypoch 24-50mm f2.8 and though still not pocketable, an insanely good little beast. 

E Mount just has the best options when it comes to glass and as an L Mount user, it’s damn frustrating looking over that wall!

[BTM_Pix]

Another new size appropriate lens for the S9 in the form of a 20mm f2.5 launched today.

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-lumix-s-20mm-f2-5-lens-3358704

[MrSMW]

I was on the verge of selling my 18mm f1.8 in order to pick up the Sigma 20mm f1.4, just to keep things in alignment with the rest of my new all Sigma lineup, but…

Despite this new boy looking quite interesting and Viltrox also supposedly dropping their own 20mm f2.5 next week, I’ve decided to just keep the 18mm f1.8 for financial reasons whilst keeping my OCD in order.

Not really a fan of anything wider than 28mm but do have a use case for something 18/20, but not worth splashing any real cash on as in the Sigma 20 f1.4 and the trade in on the LUMIX 18 is less than retail on this new f2 20. 

So nah.

But very interested for an S9ii as at the conclusion of this season for me, I have decided to drop the L10 and pick up another S9 next Spring, but if an S9ii comes along in the mean time, I might go for that depending on the cost as S9’s are now stoopidly cheap.