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Rumored Panasonic Lumix G9 ii with Phase Detect AF (2 Viewers)

MelospizaMelodiaFan

MelospizaMelodiaFan

I photograph birds
United States
I've read several rumors now about at G9 mark ii with phase detect AF coming at the end of this 2023. Up till now, that was an Olympus exclusive for micro 4/3. For bird photography, that would be a significant upgrade and make the G9 a strong contender. Hopefully the price will be appealing to enthusiasts.
 
I am certainly also curious about this development. However, before getting too optimistic, I want to hear about how the AF stacks up regarding bird photography.
Niels
 
njlarsen said:
Some more rumors about G9-ii

First LEAKED image of the new Panasonic G9II. Has 25MP sensor and two new Leica lenses coming too! – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com www.43rumors.com

Regarding lenses, this one is relevant: 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3II (compatible with teleconverter)

Regarding the camera, a couple highlights from the rumor page:
  • New 25.2 million pixel image sensor
  • new engine
  • Image plane phase detection AF
  • 60fps AFC continuous shooting
  • 8.0 stops of image stabilization
Niels
Click to expand...
That sounds awesome! And expensive.
Finally, Panasonic tries to hit a home run. I know this was not possible without first releasing their full frame cameras.
The 100-400 II might make the old line more affordable, which is good.
 
The G9-ii looks interesting with the 25 megapixel sensor. Will be interesting to see if it comes with bird/creature AI; and also curious about the weight – weights of high end micro 4/3 bodies keep on creeping up.

Wish the OM-1 had come with a 25 megapixel sensor. But maybe they were holding off on that to give people a reason to upgrade to the next model. Differences between models are becoming pretty small these days.
 
Jim M. said:
The G9-ii looks interesting with the 25 megapixel sensor. Will be interesting to see if it comes with bird/creature AI; and also curious about the weight – weights of high end micro 4/3 bodies keep on creeping up.
Click to expand...
The G9 has had something like that since the firmware update 2.0
2.Improved AF performance
• [Animal Detect.] has been added to AF mode. Utilizing Advanced AI Technology, animals, including canidae, felidae and birds, can be detected in addition to humans. The focus frame is automatically set on the target subject by analyzing the size and position of the target subject in the viewing image. The camera keeps tracking these subjects even when they turn their back to the camera.
Click to expand...
Link: DC-G9 Firmware Update - Panasonic

I have no idea how good it is relative to the OM1 system

Niels
 
Jim M. said:
The G9-ii looks interesting with the 25 megapixel sensor. Will be interesting to see if it comes with bird/creature AI; and also curious about the weight – weights of high end micro 4/3 bodies keep on creeping up.

Wish the OM-1 had come with a 25 megapixel sensor. But maybe they were holding off on that to give people a reason to upgrade to the next model. Differences between models are becoming pretty small these days.
Click to expand...
I bet it will be as heavy, if not heavier than the original G9. I think with this camera, Panasonic will have caught up to Olympus in many ways. But let's wait and see.
 
MelospizaMelodiaFan said:
I bet it will be as heavy, if not heavier than the original G9. I think with this camera, Panasonic will have caught up to Olympus in many ways. But let's wait and see.
Click to expand...
Rumors site says 658g, which is the same as the original G9, but still 10% heavier than OM-1 (599g w/ battery)--assuming that is weight with battery. Also says has same sensor as GH-6, and DP review likes the OM-1 sensor better than the GH-6 for stills. So OM-1 still looks better, at least from a stills perspective, for me.
 
Jim M. said:
Rumors site says 658g, which is the same as the original G9, but still 10% heavier than OM-1 (599g w/ battery)--assuming that is weight with battery. Also says has same sensor as GH-6, and DP review likes the OM-1 sensor better than the GH-6 for stills. So OM-1 still looks better, at least from a stills perspective, for me.
Click to expand...
I do not remember which aspect of the OM1 is preferred: noise or whatever? this will have to be balanced against extra pixels in the G9-ii, and may not be the same conclusion for everyone.

One thing I like about my G85 is this: when I half press with autofocus, if I do not like the resulting focus, I can use the manual focus ring to override for this one shot. Next time I press I am back to autofocus. Does Olympus/OM cameras have that easy focus override?

Niels
 
njlarsen said:
I do not remember which aspect of the OM1 is preferred: noise or whatever? this will have to be balanced against extra pixels in the G9-ii, and may not be the same conclusion for everyone.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is why I said it is still the best choice "for me." I really don't like extra weight.

Here is a link to the GH6 review discussion of image quality:
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 review
Two excerpts: "Looking at the GH6's detail levels, they're essentially impossible to distinguish from its 20MP peers (which is to be expected: 25MP only represents an 11% increase in linear resolution). ... In terms of noise, the new sensor performs comparably with the one in the G9. This means it falls a little behind the chip in the OM-1 at very high ISOs ... Compare the GH6 with the OM-1 shot at the same exposure, and you'll see a lot more noise in the shadows."

njlarsen said:
One thing I like about my G85 is this: when I half press with autofocus, if I do not like the resulting focus, I can use the manual focus ring to override for this one shot. Next time I press I am back to autofocus. Does Olympus/OM cameras have that easy focus override?

Niels
Click to expand...
Never really tried that for birds since the one thing I don't like about my PL 100-400 is the focusing ring is very stiff. But just tried it with the new 90 mm Olympus macro lens on the OM-1, and it works as you describe.
 
Jim M. said:
Never really tried that for birds since the one thing I don't like about my PL 100-400 is the focusing ring is very stiff. But just tried it with the new 90 mm Olympus macro lens on the OM-1, and it works as you describe.
Click to expand...
Great to know, thanks.
Niels
 

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