Panasonic has unveiled the LUMIX S9, the latest addition to the LUMIX S-series cameras. It’s accompanied by an unusual, 26mm fixed-aperture, f/8 pancake lens. Panasonic are aiming both camera, and camera-lens combination, at a new generation of ‘content creators’.
LUMIX S9 – now the smallest member of the S-family
The new LUMIX S9 stands out as the smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera in the S series. Panasonic says they have specifically designed it for on-the-go content creators. The camera is available in Jet Black, Crimson Red, Dark Olive, and Classical Blue. The company says it is enabling content creators to make a bold style statement while shooting high-quality footage.
The S9 draws heavily on the highly successful LUMIX S5II. According to Panasonic, key features include:
- Approx. 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor – for outstanding imaging performance, allowing users to capture content in rich detail with natural tones
- PDAF (Phase Detection Auto-Focus) and Active I.S – excellent for subject tracking and reducing blurring from camera shake
- Real-Time ‘LUT’ function – enabling creators to easily enjoy a range of popular, classic or bespoke colour styles in-camera
- New MP4 Lite recording format – optimised for quick social media sharing and easy editing on the LUMIX Lab app
The LUMIX S9 will be available in June 2024, with RRP of £1499.99.
A new fixed-aperture L-Mount pancake lens
In addition, Panasonic announced the introduction of a new LUMIX S 26mm F8 lens. This manual, fixed-aperture pancake lens is both compact and lightweight. Panasonic says the lens has been designed for casual and creative shooting.
It straddles two popular focal lengths used by street photographers: 28mm and 24mm. Its fixed f/8 aperture also suggests the company is aiming its use at this target group.
The LUMIX S 26mm F8 lens will also be available in June 2024, with RRP of £219.99.
Look out for a Macfilos perspective on this new camera, coming soon.
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Well, I’m not a YouTuber or content creator or whatever, and I’m old (at 44), but I’ve preordered this. Honestly, it seems like it’s exactly what I want: a small, casual, easy to use camera that I can throw in the bag and use to make home movies of my family. I’ll probably sell my Ricoh GR III and IIIx and Sony ZV-1 to fund it.
I’m an M shooter who’s been getting more into video. Most of the better-than-your-phone options are too much camera for me. I’m not fundamentally interested in replacing my Ms with an SL series camera, for instance, or in carrying an S5ii or ZV-E1 along with me, or in acquiring a Fuji X-S20 and zoom. At the same time, a lot of the compact options, like the Sony ZV-1, have terrible user interfaces and sub-par sensors and lenses. I own a couple different action cams and have lots of fun with them, but they’re not the right thing for filming my kids’ games and events.
From what I can tell, the S9 has everything I’ve been wanting and almost nothing I don’t. A full-frame sensor, a decent mic, good stabilization, very very small lenses that keep the camera bag-pocketable (I’ll get both the pancake and the zoom), and simple buttons. I hate the whole shoot-in-Log-and-color-grade-in-post thing, and the new app, which will let me find and install LUTs right on the camera and then transfer the footage wirelessly to my phone or iPad for editing, seems like exactly the kind of solution I’ve been looking for. I don’t use an EVF for video (or for photos on my GRs) and won’t miss one here. And the cheap 26mm pancake lens with MF seems ideal to me, except for the lack of distance markings (although depth of field for 24mm at f/8 will be very wide anyway). Finally, some of the photo features (like the X-Pan crop) seem fun, and also, this is a camera I could imagine my wife and kids actually using for fun, unlike my M cameras.
I definitely get why so many people don’t connect with this camera, but I really like it. I hope it turns out to be what I’m hoping it will be.
I’m with you on this Joshua.
I picked mine up yesterday and have only spent a few hours with it, but am very impressed.
It’s a very well thought through and fully realized product, with great ergonomics and is highly usable for wide range (but specific types) of shooting – it feels like a thoroughly contemporary camera.
I’ve paired it with the Sigma 45mm f/2.8 which is a perfect companion as the physical aperture dial means that it frees up the top dial on the S9 for whatever else one may want to use it for.
Ah! The Sigma 45mm. I haven’t used mine for years and keep forgetting about it. Let us have your thoughts!
It’s a great little lens!
I do not want any camera without a viewfinder however the Ricoh series of cameras and iphone people have shown there is a market segment for this powerful camera. Hey, m mount glass would be perfect on this camera complete with zone focusing. I guess the market will speak and I appreciate Panasonic creating something different.
Enabling content creators to make a bold style statement. Good grief!
No EVF is a bit of an oddity these days, but it could be fun to flip the flippy screen around so that it’s hidden, slap on an M mount lens and bright line OVF for some zone focusing action.
Will the hot shoe support an ovf? dpreview mentioned something about mountable devices requiring their own power source.
Oh, wait! I already have a FF camera with a shoe mounted OVF … it’s a Leica M.
The accessory shoe is a cold shoe not a hot shoe. This means optional EVFs are a no-go but a traditional OVF should be fine.
What a disappointment! I fully realize that I am not part of the target audience for this camera but as rumor sites kept comparing this to the Fuji X110vi and asking to keep an open mind I did… only to be disappointed… I am also afraid that if Leica ever releases a smaller and lighter L-mount camera it will be similarly crippled… Who would ever choose the S9 over the S5ii with the price difference only being $300?
I’m right up there with you. For a small moment a few weeks back I had hoped it would have a mechanical shutter and an EVF, and perhaps the dimensions of the CL. And with LUTs take on the Fuji x100.
Sadly not, I don’t see this selling, the content creator segment are pushing sales of the x100 series, not this.
Perhaps Panasonic have another one in the works that is perhaps closer to the needs of photographers, or we can only hope the S9ii in a few years time fixes this, and the cold shoe. I used to get cold shoes back in the old cold winters, the modern world had hot shoes.
Already got an Fp, so apart from ibis can’t see any reason to buy this.
Since the 26mm is MF, why not put a distance scale on it?
I’ve got the 14-24 and 20-60 pannies, so the 18-40 doesn’t interest me either.
All in all, meh…
I’m with you on the lack of manual focus markings. I’m guessing they will be leaning hard on the in camera display, which is nowhere near as fun.