15 Days, 15 Thoughts with a Panasonic G9 - from a 15-Year Pentax User

**clickclick** · 02-24-2022, 07:01 PM - **1 Like**

It's an interesting format. If I didn't want to save my pennies for a K3-III upgrade, it would be tempting to grab an m4/3 camera from Olympus or Panasonic. I can see the appeal of a system based around a sensor somewhere between my Q-S1 and APS-C for size.

selfnoise · 02-24-2022, 07:57 PM - **3 Likes**

I went from Pentax to a G85 and now shoot the G9. It's a very well designed camera with excellent ergonomics and customization options. It might be the most DSLR-like mirrorless camera I've used, with the deep grip and top screen. The G85 is in some ways cooler, because of its size and the fact that it still has an excellent EVF, but the G9 is an amazing machine for always getting the shot you want.

As a bonus, it's also an incredible camcorder.

m96 · 03-01-2022, 09:57 AM - **1 Like**

This has been a really interesting thread so far. I am currently approaching Pentax from M4/3+Nikon DSLR perspective. I'm familiar with Panasonic cameras and lenses. I think I really love an optical viewfinder so that's the main attraction for me.

IsaacReaves · 03-01-2022, 01:08 PM - **1 Like**

I'm a former m43 shooter, mostly with a pen e-pl7 for street photography and briefly with an e-m10. The e-m1 and em5 are the best m43 cameras IMO but the PEN series is just brilliant IQ for the size.
With a small prime the KP is pretty close and probably my next Pentax purchase.

Olympus has the best ergonomics, is rugged, and has good WR over the Panasonic. The Panasonics remind me of Sony cameras. I just can't take the handling seriously as a stills focused camera.

All that said, I see more dynamic range and flexibility in my old K5 Mki raw files than I ever did in my Olympus 16mp bodies. I'd much rather have a K3-III than a new E-M1 and the body really isn't that much bigger. E-M1 Ergonomics are much better than the G9 and are maybe a wash compared to Pentax. Oly's dual dial setup is extremely effective, especially for manual shooting. I'm warming very quickly to the green button and TAv mode, however.

m43 IBIS is impressive but the better ISO wins for me. As a system it gotten too expensive for being a small sensor format. The pro series lenses are spectacular but they aren't compatible with any other system. If you drop some bigger bucks on FF Zeiss lenses they can be adapted to the other formats. With m43 they're junk for anything else.

Fwiw

**MiguelATF** · 03-01-2022, 01:21 PM - **1 Like**

An intelligent, thought-provoking and intriguing post, luftfluss - thank you for all of your observations!

I'm curious about one of your thoughts - #15 to be precise: "The JPEG engine in the G9 is quite nice, but far less customizable than Pentax."

As someone with my feet in both camps - I've used many Pentax cameras for decades, though I'm currently down to a Q7 and an original Q (having perhaps foolishly parted ways with my KP a few years back) - and am also shooting with the G9's smaller sibling, the (rangefinder-body-styled) GX9 - I'm wondering which aspects of Pentax's internal JPEG engines (and I know they vary from camera to camera) you find the most useful and customizable?

Confession: I'm fascinated with (and sometimes obsessed by) the internal JPEG engines of different cameras. One of the reasons I bought a GX9 was because of its internal l.monochrome.d jpeg picture setting (available on the newer Panasonic bodies, including your G9). Supposedly the Panasonic image engineer who created "l.monochrome.d" - Takayuki Tochio - spent months shooting Tri-X 400 on some older Pentax film SLR's, and in interviews he has said that only after studying the qualities of printed Tri-X images (both his own, and those published by many generations of earlier film photographers) allowed him to realize the tonal qualities he was trying to emulate in this JPEG setting. Additionally, Panasonic menus allow one to vary multiple elements within a given setting - including digital simulations of various filters (yellow, red, green) which alter the monochrome image in intriguing ways. Long story short: I am a fan of Panasonic's newer JPEG's.

So - coming back to your #15 - what is or are your favorite Pentax JPEG customizations?

**luftfluss** · 03-01-2022, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by DeepSchwartz

I'm a former m43 shooter, mostly with a pen e-pl7 for street photography and briefly with an e-m10. The e-m1 and em5 are the best m43 cameras IMO but the PEN series is just brilliant IQ for the size.
With a small prime the KP is pretty close and probably my next Pentax purchase.

I've owned an Oly E-PL5 and E-M10, good for quick snapshots but too small and fiddly for me.

Quote:

Olympus has the best ergonomics, is rugged, and has good WR over the Panasonic. The Panasonics remind me of Sony cameras. I just can't take the handling seriously as a stills focused camera.

All that said, I see more dynamic range and flexibility in my old K5 Mki raw files than I ever did in my Olympus 16mp bodies. I'd much rather have a K3-III than a new E-M1 and the body really isn't that much bigger. E-M1 Ergonomics are much better than the G9 and are maybe a wash compared to Pentax. Oly's dual dial setup is extremely effective, especially for manual shooting. I'm warming very quickly to the green button and TAv mode, however.

Couldn't take Olympus "seriously" due to the 2012-era EVF and smallish grip. And no Oly handles as well as the G9, for me.

Quote:

m43 IBIS is impressive but the better ISO wins for me. As a system it gotten too expensive for being a small sensor format. The pro series lenses are spectacular but they aren't compatible with any other system. If you drop some bigger bucks on FF Zeiss lenses they can be adapted to the other formats. With m43 they're junk for anything else.

Fwiw

I would exchange better IBIS for better high-ISO performance without hesitation.

**luftfluss** · 03-01-2022, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by m96

This has been a really interesting thread so far. I am currently approaching Pentax from M4/3+Nikon DSLR perspective. I'm familiar with Panasonic cameras and lenses. I think I really love an optical viewfinder so that's the main attraction for me.

I agree, most of the time I prefer looking through an OVF... and for years Pentax has put a good OVF even in their entry-level DSLRs.

**luftfluss** · 03-01-2022, 02:19 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by MiguelATF

An intelligent, thought-provoking and intriguing post, luftfluss - thank you for all of your observations!

I'm curious about one of your thoughts - #15 to be precise: "The JPEG engine in the G9 is quite nice, but far less customizable than Pentax."

As someone with my feet in both camps - I've used many Pentax cameras for decades, though I'm currently down to a Q7 and an original Q (having perhaps foolishly parted ways with my KP a few years back) - and am also shooting with the G9's smaller sibling, the (rangefinder-body-styled) GX9 - I'm wondering which aspects of Pentax's internal JPEG engines (and I know they vary from camera to camera) you find the most useful and customizable?

Confession: I'm fascinated with (and sometimes obsessed by) the internal JPEG engines of different cameras. One of the reasons I bought a GX9 was because of its internal l.monochrome.d jpeg picture setting (available on the newer Panasonic bodies, including your G9). Supposedly the Panasonic image engineer who created "l.monochrome.d" - Takayuki Tochio - spent months shooting Tri-X 400 on some older Pentax film SLR's, and in interviews he has said that only after studying the qualities of printed Tri-X images (both his own, and those published by many generations of earlier film photographers) allowed him to realize the tonal qualities he was trying to emulate in this JPEG setting. Additionally, Panasonic menus allow one to vary multiple elements within a given setting - including digital simulations of various filters (yellow, red, green) which alter the monochrome image in intriguing ways. Long story short: I am a fan of Panasonic's newer JPEG's.

So - coming back to your #15 - what is or are your favorite Pentax JPEG customizations?

Hey Miguel! I'm not much of a JPEG shooter, I fear. I simply noticed while exploring the seemingly sprawling menu system of the G9, the JPEG adjustments appear to be less granular than with my Pentaxes. I had a similar observation about customizing the LCD display - Pentax offers far more options than the G9.

These types of things strike me, I guess, because some Internet pundits reference DSLRs in general, and Pentax in particular, as being dinosaurs and obsolete, and yet here are examples of where even a low-tier Pentax K-70 has some more customizable features than a "flagship" mirrorless body.

I know that Panasonic's monochrome mode(s) have long been well-regarded, even back the the LX7 (I had one) days. You've now inspired me to try it out on my G9!

IsaacReaves · 03-03-2022, 04:18 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by luftfluss

I've owned an Oly E-PL5 and E-M10, good for quick snapshots but too small and fiddly for me.

I still miss my old Minolta SLRs so using those small Olympus bodies still felt natural, even 10 years after giving up on my film bodies. And there's the big high tech bonus not having to lug around a Gossen Luna Pro around my neck. Talk about fiddly. ;^)

The one feature that the G9 introduced I found compelling was the large rotary dial on the back. I loved my old Canon Elan 7 SLR that featured a large thumb wheel on the back plate for adjusting aperture. That was such a simple and effective controls setup that I felt like they never got back to on their DSLRs. I was shooting a lot of slide film during the day and portra with external flash with that camera so I was always in full manual mode and very picky about controlling EV (still am). When Canon began pumping out DSLRs the dial was still there on higher end bodies but the size shrank considerably and the button clutter just ruined the shooting experience IMO. The G9's layout is indeed a lot cleaner.

Fuji X-Pro, Olympus, and of course, Leica all have radically simplified controls systems compared to the usual DSLR layout. I think you're either in a camp that likes that kind of thing or or you just don't, it's not a worse/better argument IMO.

cheers

**luftfluss** · 03-06-2022, 09:46 PM - **4 Likes**

Five final thoughts...

- Can't add copyright info into EXIF, unlike Pentax. Grrrr...

- At very high ISO, the G9 actually holds onto color and detail a bit better than K-3 II.

- When shooting action (my cat playing) with "animal detect", the accuracy is impressive - around 90% hit rate - but you can't tell real-time from the EVF or LCD. The action is just too fast for the screens to update in timely fashion.

- When shooting wildlife with my manual telephoto lenses in decent light, I don't find the EVF, despite all its tricks like focus peaking and zoom, to be better than an OVF.

- Seeing the image in the EVF become steady when the IBIS kicks in is very cool and confidence inspiring.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Hello folks, old GR user and 645 user - new GRV user and 645Z user, coming fr Leica.	bilbrown	Welcomes and Introductions	3	02-28-2016 03:59 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pansonic GF1 body, LX5 camera, VF-1 viewfinder - final reductions	dshombert	Sold Items	8	12-12-2012 01:22 PM
Pentax K20D vs Olympus E-P1 vs Canon G9	rfortson	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	15	09-28-2009 07:27 PM
For Sale - Sold: Canon G9	Alefone	Sold Items	12	02-08-2009 11:10 AM
For Sale - Sold: Canon G9	TaiChiTom	Sold Items	4	09-25-2008 07:56 AM

02-24-2022, 07:01 PM - 1 Like	#16
clickclick Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Location: East Coast Posts: 2,903	It's an interesting format. If I didn't want to save my pennies for a K3-III upgrade, it would be tempting to grab an m4/3 camera from Olympus or Panasonic. I can see the appeal of a system based around a sensor somewhere between my Q-S1 and APS-C for size.

02-24-2022, 07:57 PM - 3 Likes	#17
selfnoise Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Westbrook, ME, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 288	I went from Pentax to a G85 and now shoot the G9. It's a very well designed camera with excellent ergonomics and customization options. It might be the most DSLR-like mirrorless camera I've used, with the deep grip and top screen. The G85 is in some ways cooler, because of its size and the fact that it still has an excellent EVF, but the G9 is an amazing machine for always getting the shot you want. As a bonus, it's also an incredible camcorder.

03-01-2022, 09:57 AM - 1 Like	#18
m96 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 40	This has been a really interesting thread so far. I am currently approaching Pentax from M4/3+Nikon DSLR perspective. I'm familiar with Panasonic cameras and lenses. I think I really love an optical viewfinder so that's the main attraction for me.

03-01-2022, 01:08 PM - 1 Like	#19
IsaacReaves Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Cotes d'Armor, Bretagne Photos: Albums Posts: 324	I'm a former m43 shooter, mostly with a pen e-pl7 for street photography and briefly with an e-m10. The e-m1 and em5 are the best m43 cameras IMO but the PEN series is just brilliant IQ for the size. With a small prime the KP is pretty close and probably my next Pentax purchase. Olympus has the best ergonomics, is rugged, and has good WR over the Panasonic. The Panasonics remind me of Sony cameras. I just can't take the handling seriously as a stills focused camera. All that said, I see more dynamic range and flexibility in my old K5 Mki raw files than I ever did in my Olympus 16mp bodies. I'd much rather have a K3-III than a new E-M1 and the body really isn't that much bigger. E-M1 Ergonomics are much better than the G9 and are maybe a wash compared to Pentax. Oly's dual dial setup is extremely effective, especially for manual shooting. I'm warming very quickly to the green button and TAv mode, however. m43 IBIS is impressive but the better ISO wins for me. As a system it gotten too expensive for being a small sensor format. The pro series lenses are spectacular but they aren't compatible with any other system. If you drop some bigger bucks on FF Zeiss lenses they can be adapted to the other formats. With m43 they're junk for anything else. Fwiw

03-01-2022, 01:21 PM - 1 Like	#20
MiguelATF Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Somewhere in Southern Oregon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 464	An intelligent, thought-provoking and intriguing post, luftfluss - thank you for all of your observations! I'm curious about one of your thoughts - #15 to be precise: "The JPEG engine in the G9 is quite nice, but far less customizable than Pentax." As someone with my feet in both camps - I've used many Pentax cameras for decades, though I'm currently down to a Q7 and an original Q (having perhaps foolishly parted ways with my KP a few years back) - and am also shooting with the G9's smaller sibling, the (rangefinder-body-styled) GX9 - I'm wondering which aspects of Pentax's internal JPEG engines (and I know they vary from camera to camera) you find the most useful and customizable? Confession: I'm fascinated with (and sometimes obsessed by) the internal JPEG engines of different cameras. One of the reasons I bought a GX9 was because of its internal l.monochrome.d jpeg picture setting (available on the newer Panasonic bodies, including your G9). Supposedly the Panasonic image engineer who created "l.monochrome.d" - Takayuki Tochio - spent months shooting Tri-X 400 on some older Pentax film SLR's, and in interviews he has said that only after studying the qualities of printed Tri-X images (both his own, and those published by many generations of earlier film photographers) allowed him to realize the tonal qualities he was trying to emulate in this JPEG setting. Additionally, Panasonic menus allow one to vary multiple elements within a given setting - including digital simulations of various filters (yellow, red, green) which alter the monochrome image in intriguing ways. Long story short: I am a fan of Panasonic's newer JPEG's. So - coming back to your #15 - what is or are your favorite Pentax JPEG customizations?

03-01-2022, 01:52 PM	#21
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619 Original Poster	Originally posted by DeepSchwartz I'm a former m43 shooter, mostly with a pen e-pl7 for street photography and briefly with an e-m10. The e-m1 and em5 are the best m43 cameras IMO but the PEN series is just brilliant IQ for the size. With a small prime the KP is pretty close and probably my next Pentax purchase. I've owned an Oly E-PL5 and E-M10, good for quick snapshots but too small and fiddly for me. Quote: Olympus has the best ergonomics, is rugged, and has good WR over the Panasonic. The Panasonics remind me of Sony cameras. I just can't take the handling seriously as a stills focused camera. All that said, I see more dynamic range and flexibility in my old K5 Mki raw files than I ever did in my Olympus 16mp bodies. I'd much rather have a K3-III than a new E-M1 and the body really isn't that much bigger. E-M1 Ergonomics are much better than the G9 and are maybe a wash compared to Pentax. Oly's dual dial setup is extremely effective, especially for manual shooting. I'm warming very quickly to the green button and TAv mode, however. Couldn't take Olympus "seriously" due to the 2012-era EVF and smallish grip. And no Oly handles as well as the G9, for me. Quote: m43 IBIS is impressive but the better ISO wins for me. As a system it gotten too expensive for being a small sensor format. The pro series lenses are spectacular but they aren't compatible with any other system. If you drop some bigger bucks on FF Zeiss lenses they can be adapted to the other formats. With m43 they're junk for anything else. Fwiw I would exchange better IBIS for better high-ISO performance without hesitation.

03-01-2022, 01:57 PM	#22
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619 Original Poster	Originally posted by m96 This has been a really interesting thread so far. I am currently approaching Pentax from M4/3+Nikon DSLR perspective. I'm familiar with Panasonic cameras and lenses. I think I really love an optical viewfinder so that's the main attraction for me. I agree, most of the time I prefer looking through an OVF... and for years Pentax has put a good OVF even in their entry-level DSLRs.

03-01-2022, 02:19 PM - 1 Like	#23
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619 Original Poster	Originally posted by MiguelATF An intelligent, thought-provoking and intriguing post, luftfluss - thank you for all of your observations! I'm curious about one of your thoughts - #15 to be precise: "The JPEG engine in the G9 is quite nice, but far less customizable than Pentax." As someone with my feet in both camps - I've used many Pentax cameras for decades, though I'm currently down to a Q7 and an original Q (having perhaps foolishly parted ways with my KP a few years back) - and am also shooting with the G9's smaller sibling, the (rangefinder-body-styled) GX9 - I'm wondering which aspects of Pentax's internal JPEG engines (and I know they vary from camera to camera) you find the most useful and customizable? Confession: I'm fascinated with (and sometimes obsessed by) the internal JPEG engines of different cameras. One of the reasons I bought a GX9 was because of its internal l.monochrome.d jpeg picture setting (available on the newer Panasonic bodies, including your G9). Supposedly the Panasonic image engineer who created "l.monochrome.d" - Takayuki Tochio - spent months shooting Tri-X 400 on some older Pentax film SLR's, and in interviews he has said that only after studying the qualities of printed Tri-X images (both his own, and those published by many generations of earlier film photographers) allowed him to realize the tonal qualities he was trying to emulate in this JPEG setting. Additionally, Panasonic menus allow one to vary multiple elements within a given setting - including digital simulations of various filters (yellow, red, green) which alter the monochrome image in intriguing ways. Long story short: I am a fan of Panasonic's newer JPEG's. So - coming back to your #15 - what is or are your favorite Pentax JPEG customizations? Hey Miguel! I'm not much of a JPEG shooter, I fear. I simply noticed while exploring the seemingly sprawling menu system of the G9, the JPEG adjustments appear to be less granular than with my Pentaxes. I had a similar observation about customizing the LCD display - Pentax offers far more options than the G9. These types of things strike me, I guess, because some Internet pundits reference DSLRs in general, and Pentax in particular, as being dinosaurs and obsolete, and yet here are examples of where even a low-tier Pentax K-70 has some more customizable features than a "flagship" mirrorless body. I know that Panasonic's monochrome mode(s) have long been well-regarded, even back the the LX7 (I had one) days. You've now inspired me to try it out on my G9!

03-03-2022, 04:18 AM - 1 Like	#24
IsaacReaves Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Cotes d'Armor, Bretagne Photos: Albums Posts: 324	Originally posted by luftfluss I've owned an Oly E-PL5 and E-M10, good for quick snapshots but too small and fiddly for me. I still miss my old Minolta SLRs so using those small Olympus bodies still felt natural, even 10 years after giving up on my film bodies. And there's the big high tech bonus not having to lug around a Gossen Luna Pro around my neck. Talk about fiddly. ;^) The one feature that the G9 introduced I found compelling was the large rotary dial on the back. I loved my old Canon Elan 7 SLR that featured a large thumb wheel on the back plate for adjusting aperture. That was such a simple and effective controls setup that I felt like they never got back to on their DSLRs. I was shooting a lot of slide film during the day and portra with external flash with that camera so I was always in full manual mode and very picky about controlling EV (still am). When Canon began pumping out DSLRs the dial was still there on higher end bodies but the size shrank considerably and the button clutter just ruined the shooting experience IMO. The G9's layout is indeed a lot cleaner. Fuji X-Pro, Olympus, and of course, Leica all have radically simplified controls systems compared to the usual DSLR layout. I think you're either in a camp that likes that kind of thing or or you just don't, it's not a worse/better argument IMO. cheers

03-06-2022, 09:46 PM - 4 Likes	#25
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619 Original Poster	Five final thoughts... - Can't add copyright info into EXIF, unlike Pentax. Grrrr... - At very high ISO, the G9 actually holds onto color and detail a bit better than K-3 II. - When shooting action (my cat playing) with "animal detect", the accuracy is impressive - around 90% hit rate - but you can't tell real-time from the EVF or LCD. The action is just too fast for the screens to update in timely fashion. - When shooting wildlife with my manual telephoto lenses in decent light, I don't find the EVF, despite all its tricks like focus peaking and zoom, to be better than an OVF. - Seeing the image in the EVF become steady when the IBIS kicks in is very cool and confidence inspiring.