The pre-post date is 10/26, so tomorrow (10/27) is the release day of the Panasonic LUMIX G9II.
I don’t take a lot of pictures, but before I know it, I have a full frame (LUMIX S5), APSC (PENTAX K-3III), and micro four thirds (LUMIX G99, GF10) DSLs. My skills are at a beginner’s level, as you can see, and I am not as proficient as I could be with 3 mounts and 4 cameras, but let’s not dwell on that for now (duh!).
The point is whether or not to upgrade the G99 by replacing it with the G9II.
There are two main reasons why I am attracted to replace the G99 with the G9II: (1) improved AF performance and (2) improved operability.
The first is my expectation based on the catalog specs and pre-release preview articles: the AF of the G99 is reliable to a certain extent, but sometimes misses easily on low contrast subjects. This is true in static situations and even more so in dynamic situations such as trains. I would appreciate it if this could be dramatically improved.
The second, I am impressed with the ease of use of the S5, and it is good news for me as I am getting a little bit stressed every time I touch the G99. This is good news for me.
On the other hand, as a multi-mount user, I have a specific role that I want a Micro Four Thirds camera to fulfill, and I need to think about this aspect calmly.
What role does the G99 play in my photo life?
In fact, when I go out to take pictures in a serious mode in my own humble way, my first priority is the Pentax K-3III, and the G99 replaces it only when one of the following two conditions is met.
-When I know in advance that an important shooting situation requires a telephoto lens more than 200mm(FF equivalent), or
-When I want to limit the weight and size of your luggage
If the camera is changed to the G9II, will it still meet these requirements?
The former is due to the fact that I have a great lens, the Leica DG50-200mm in micro four thirds mount, while in K-mount I don’t have a reliable high telephoto lens, which is a combination of the lens assets I have. Since these conditions do not change no matter what the camera is, there should be no problem even if the G99 is replaced by the G9II.
The latter applies, for example, when I want to take pictures while traveling, or when I want a light and small camera that is easy to handle because of my recent health problems. For these conditions, the G9II, which shares the housing with the full-size S5II, is obviously a harder fit when replacing the smaller G99. ^
Incidentally, the weight and size of the three cameras are as follows (rounded to the nearest 1 mm).
G99: approx. 484g, W130 x H94 x D77mm
G9II: approx. 575g, W132 x H102 x D90mm
K-3III: approx. 820g, W135 x H104 X D74mm
The G9II is about the same size as the K-3III (more than the K-3III in depth), and more than one size larger and 20% heavier than the G99. Hmmm.
Considering that the G99 is currently positioned as a convenient sub equipment rather than a main equipment, and that I am satisfied with the image quality and have no other definite complaints, my conclusion is to “wait and see”.
I’m sure that if I wait a little, the price of the new product will be more reasonable, and from the way Panasonic has been selling their products recently, I’m thinking that there might be a cash-back campaign at the end of this year or even before next summer…
In the end, it turned out to be the same hesitant and rambling article as usual. Hmmm.
