Pana S9 is definition of an underrated camera

[Andrew Reid]

9 hours ago, Ninpo33 said:

LUMIX obviously blew the marketing and the release and maybe misunderstood the desire for so many of us waiting for a new GX85 or new powerful rangefinder. However if you look at the S9 advertising you can see it wasn’t made for us filmmakers or pro photographers. In true Panasonic fashion, they gave us almost everything anyway and that confuses us.  We see the things it’s missing as opposed to the generous offering it is. I just found one for $930 on eBay so the market is adjusting and at sub $1k it’s a steal. 

You are correct, they blew it with the marketing... And sort of with the product design, because had it looked a bit more serious with an EVF as well, it would have done very well.

Only Panasonic can take something as powerful as an S1H, with an image that good, give it to us for $1500 and make a big fuck up of it.

That you can soon get it for under $1k used is indeed a steal.

The advertising is trying to capture a market that is perfectly happy with a high-end smartphone or a Sony ZV

[newfoundmass]

On 12/15/2024 at 11:49 PM, IronFilm said:

Even an f4 pancake lens with AF would have been more than ok.

But a fully manual f8 lens felt like they were taking the mickey? Unless it's being thrown in as some kind of bonus freebie. 

Even as a freebie I don't want that lens. It's a waste of materials. At best it'll end up collecting dust in a drawer or worse, end up as waste in a landfill.

[MrSMW]

If I understood this correctly, with the S9 you can shoot both video and stills with TWO crop markers at the same time?

Can anyone with an S9 confirm or deny.

Ideally, I’d like to shoot raw + Jpeg but with X Pan mode on for stills, ie, the Jpegs would be 65:24 but the raw files 3:2.

At the same time, I’d like to stick 4:5 crop guide on so I can keep my social media stills in mind (in post).

With video, shoot 6k 30p open gate with 2x crop guides; one 65:24 and the other 9:16.

Thanks in advance.

[Roger]

You can use three frame markers at the same time. Richard Wong says att 2.25 that it works in both photo and video modes. And he shows how you can customize the frame markers.

 

[MrSMW]

Cool thanks, I will watch shortly.

I think for video, this is such a great bit of kit...but the S5II is and would be even better if it received the firmware from the S9.

For stills though, I'd still have to hand it to the S5II just for the mech shutter but then I don't much care for the mech shutter on the S5II so please LUMIX, make me an S2R!!

Feature-wise, this little bastard has quite a few things I'd like to see in a more pro body.

[Ninpo33]

I wish the S9 and the X-M5 would have a little love child. X-S9? The Panasonic IBIS, full frame sensor and autofocus. Anamorphic support and LUTS but 6.2k open gate Raw to the Ninja V+/Ultra like the Fuji. Color presets for JPEGs and the $800 price. If Panasonic had given us raw out of the HDMI it would have been too much though I agree. For Fuji to have left in the same specs as the XS20 and XH2s is nuts. 

[ntblowz]

Start using the S9 yesterday, I really dig the LUT implantation on Panasonic, quite intuitive actually.

The 3.8k opengate 50mbps to keep file size small is a huge plus over 200mbps 6.2k opengate for quick social edits on ur phone

 

 

[MrSMW]

Well having mulled it around in my noggin for a few months, plus based on actually owning one and shooting a wedding with it...and then selling it for another S5II for a couple of reasons, I have decided I will get an S9 again.

Why?

I'm pretty sure I am welded to LUMIX/L Mount (for video at least) for what remains of my career and I have gone backwards and forwards over whether I am best served by having 2 units or 3 and come to the conclusion, 3 is the magic number.

If I had not recently sold my third S5II, I'd have been running with 3 of the things in 2025, but as I did sell it last month, I'm going to take the opportunity to pick up an S9 again.

Why an S9 over another S5II?

I have an S5II with battery grip on a heavyweight tripod with 70-200 pulling static duty.

I have an S5II in a cage on a lightweight tripod with 28-70 pulling static and quick to move about duty.

I need/want a roaming in hand/lightweight monopod unit I can keep on me that is super lightweight.

Lack of a second card slot and no built in fan were and still are slight negatives, but the rest of the what are for me, features over the S5II make sense.

Ideally I'd like those multiple frame markers and the video zoom function will make shooting prime lenses more practical and along with some other very minor stuff, makes up a compelling package for me.

I've gone around the houses also regarding what lens to pair it with and initially it was going to be a used S Pro 50mm f1.4 but then for the same money, I could get a smaller and lighter Sigma 50mm f1.2, but then for less than one third of the cost, an even smaller and lighter Lumix 50mm f1.8. So that's what I am going to pair it with.

Already have the Smallrig cage I saved from last time.

And it's available in my corporate logo red colour so it would be rude not to also have a camera with a red body 😋

[Ninpo33]

3 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Well having mulled it around in my noggin for a few months, plus based on actually owning one and shooting a wedding with it...and then selling it for another S5II for a couple of reasons, I have decided I will get an S9 again.

😋

Welcome to the small camera club...!!!

Not sure if it works out where you are geographically but I love the Japanese services I use for buying a ton of open box/Gently used stuff. Frequent 10% off coupons and DHL or FedEx shipping for around $20 US. On the used stuff I have yet to pay any import/customs fees but I'm not sure how that goes in France. I have been gate keeping this for a couple of years but am almost maxed out on gear so happy to share. Also, Japan as a culture tends to be quite honest and forthcoming so buying used items/s has been mostly trouble free compared to Ebay in my experience.

https://buyee.jp/item/search/query/Lumix S9?sort=cbids&order=a&translationType=98&page=2&conversionType=top_page_search&vic=YahooAuction_DirectSearch

There are several services at this website. Yahoo Auctions are cheapest but there's also a "Flea Market" which has less items but great deals. Then several other shops where things are new. My favorite feature is how they will hold stuff at their warehouse for 30 days free while you shop and then you can combine packages into one bigger box and just pay the one shipping fee. 

Average price on the S9 has been around $1,100 US but I've seen some deals go for $900 at times. I went with the Fuji X-M5 for now but may end up swapping it for an S9 if I end up with a SL2 instead of a GFX100s.

[MrSMW]

40 minutes ago, Ninpo33 said:

On the used stuff I have yet to pay any import/customs fees but I'm not sure how that goes in France

It gets jumped on if you import anything, at least in my experience…

Anything from outside the EU, unless it’s one of those companies that ship to somewhere in the EU (and have already covered or somehow bypassed duties) and then they ship to you from an EU address.

I paid €1250 for a red leather, brand new which is €200 less than someone like MPB is asking for a ‘Like New’ with only 6 months instead of the full warranty.

I’ve used them a few times before and suspect they are one of these ‘we are a legit French business’…except they are more one of these ‘middle man’ outfits.

Anyway, as long as it’s legit and it is, I’m good with it.

I try and get most major purchases used these days and mostly manage it, but as this was cheaper than used, it made sense.

I just need my ‘S2R’ now and I am done.

You listening LUMIX?!

[MrSMW]

Not a dealbreaker, but further research shows the hybrid/crop mode is not what I thought, ie, it does not work for photo or video in any 6k mode and neither does it in 4k 50/60p.

Bum.

Oh well, not a biggie as I think I have settled on a trio of lenses anyway instead of the Lumix 50.

I think if I went with that, as much as I like the purity of one focal length, the reality is for certain scenarios on every job, I need something wider, between 20-28mm and for ceremonies & speeches at weddings, as my roaming unit, I'm always going to want longer than 50mm, so, probably these 3:

20 or 24mm f2 Sigma. Most likely the 20. You can't crop for more width.

65mm f2 Sigma. Had that lens before. Loved it. Just that slightly longer reach works for me over a 50.

105mm f2.8 Macro Sigma. About half the price of Lumix's more recent 100mm f2.8 Macro and will be very useful for roaming sniping duty during ceremonies and speeches whilst the 2x statics do their thing.

The closest Lumix equivalents add up to more cost and I find them a bit boring even if they have slightly better AF for video...but I may still go with them 🤪 (18mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8)

I've looked at some of the zooms and nah, there just isn't anything that doesn't kind of defeat the purpose of this unit.

The only zoom I like for roaming about video use is the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8, though I find it's not always long enough.

Considered replacing it with the new 28-105mm f2.8 and had it been internal non-extending zoom, it would have been a no-brainer, but it isn't, so it's not happening. For video anyway... Might be perfect pairing for stills with any future S2R...

I might trade the 70-200mm f4 against a Samyang 35-150mm f2/2.8 though as that might be a more useful lens, but €€€'s...

Decisions decisions decisions...

[MrSMW]

On 1/20/2025 at 6:28 PM, MrSMW said:

The closest Lumix equivalents add up to more cost and I find them a bit boring even if they have slightly better AF for video...but I may still go with them 🤪 (18mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8)

To quote myself 🤗 this is exactly what I decided upon.

I love the i series lenses from Sigma and if I was looking at a set for stills, I would go with those instead, but being 'sensible', the LUMIX primes just make more sense, so 18/50/100 it is!