Discover the Lumix G9II: Insights from a GH6 Owner

Is the ‪@LumixUSA‬ G9II a better video camera than the GH6? Is the G9 Mk 2 best Hyrbid Micro 4/3rds camera on the market today? Or is the G9 mk II a stop gap camera and is Micro-43 dead in 2023? In this, I will present my experience with the G9II as a GH6 owner and a professional Micro 4/3 shooter. Thanks to ‪@BandH‬ for the loaner camera used to test & make this video! (Not Sponsored)
Affiliate Links for Products Featured:
*** G9 II: bhpho.to/3GWj6C7
*** GH6: bhpho.to/3RStTnz
*** 10-25mm F1.7 Lens: bhpho.to/4avDFmt
*** 9mm F1.7 Lens: bhpho.to/3ttIBHU
*** 128GB CF-Express Card: bhpho.to/41yaqeI
*** 128GB UHS-II SD Card: bhpho.to/3RW3DrO
*** Samsung T7 SSD: bhpho.to/3RwDCOF
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please consider supporting by checking out my various links:
www.mandicreally.com/links
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filmed with (Affiliate Links):
*** Main Camera: amzn.to/3c6ULgV
*** Main Lens: amzn.to/3c616cp
*** Video Recorder Used: amzn.to/46kQKN1
*** Action Camera: amzn.to/46liiBG
*** Wide Angle Lens: amzn.to/45llUSX
*** Slider: amzn.to/3nGZ1Uh
*** Studio Microphone: amzn.to/3ZJbMlY
*** Voiceover Microphone: amzn.to/3ZJccc2
*** Monopod - amzn.to/3PK4IAW
*** Tripod: amzn.to/3rMgvXh
*** Primary Lighting: amzn.to/3LN6zDO
*** Additional Lighting: amzn.to/3rIVcGk
*** RGB Lights: amzn.to/3LPGmoj
*** Drone: amzn.to/46l13Ax
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:29 - My Perspective
1:15 - Cons
1:50 - Tally Lamps
2:43 - Controls
3:24 - SD Cards?
4:35 - Shutter Angle
4:50 - CON Auto Focus...
5:50 - PROS: Auto Focus!
8:37 - Image Stabilization
9:45 - Improved Image Quality
11:10 - Battery Life
12:10 - Photo Quality
13:20 - Final Thoughts
13:49 - Conclusion
The opinions expressed in this video are my own, from my personal experience. This is not a paid product advertisement. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this tool, or suggest alternatives I should check out. Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement. This video is solely my opinions from the use of these products and based on the specifications of them. Some of the links provided are AFFILIATE LINKS. Affiliate links give the MandicReally a small advertising fee for every purchase made via those links. This does not cost you anything more than if you purchased them normally, but helps support further video production.
#mandicreally

[@MandicReally]

The G9II does have the Red Frame Indicator I wanted & Shutter Angle. I was unable to find them in the menu system despite looking (even while filming this video to double check). But it DOES have them. That eliminates two of my cons and makes me sadder it’s fine. 😢😢

[@TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

haha was just about to comment on this, so glad to see it pinned here!

[@chhil]

G9II manual pg 407 for shutter angle help.na.panasonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DCG9M2_DVQP3010ZA_ENG.pdf

[@FrankMaurits69]

First thing I wanted to say, indeed, it's there. Shutter angle in the video menu, first page, bottom item SS/gain :)

[@JimAtHome]

Ha ha, was just about to comment too LoL even my GH5 has shutter angle 🤣

[@Stalled-wm3qd]

Got me worried there for a minute and had to delete my comment! Phew! They added that red frame to the G9 which I had for over 5 years. You can find it here on the menu screen of the G9 2 - 3 items down on the LH side is "Custom". 5 items down is Monitor/Display (Video). Go to page 2. 4 items down, which is the last item, is "Red REC Frame Indicator." ON or OFF.

[@JJShankles]

So many beautiful b-roll shots! So impressed with the slider usage

[@MandicReally]

My appreciated sir. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Wildridefilms]

Very insightful review. However the G9II does indeed have Red recording frame indicator as well as shutter angle. And is the AF issue only in "Face and Eye detect"? Because "Human detection" is significantly better in terms of reliability, especially if the eyes are small in the frame.

[@MandicReally]

I tried human detection and eye detection to see if either worked better for my use case, it didn’t make any difference for me. It really felt like a possible bug, as even when I set focus limiter to not go as far back as my backdrop, it still went that far. I’d need to have measured out a test chart to test it further. At that point it felt like a step too far to make it work. As for the other things, I don’t know how I missed those. Fail on my part I guess. I swore I tried finding those settings for a while (even while filming this I revisited the menus to double check), but I guess I just missed them thoroughly. Bad on my part.

[@chcomes]

this. in only face, it drifts sometimes. if body, almost never

[@KriittinenUusinta]

Thank god. I've just ordered g9ii and I was like how did I miss that it doesn't have those options

[@sebastienblanchetiere1323]

Good review! Thanks for the video.

[@fansofER]

I’m also a GH6 video shooter and have been wanting a G9II for stills and shots where I need pdaf. This video was full of great impressions I wanted to know from a fellow GH6 shooter. I feel like the G9II is a couple firmware updates away from being great so that gives me some time to save up cash. Thanks for this review

[@CanoeTheNorth]

Nice video. Well put together and great information. Appreciate all the effort that went into it.

[@MandicReally]

Thank you for the kind words, watching, and commenting.

[@GemstoneAutos]

Great video my friend! Thank you for touching on real issues. Well done.

[@iSpike]

GREAT 👍🏻 love your setup, this review was tight. New subscriber here, Cheers from Western Australia 🇦🇺

[@CanuckCreator]

put klipper on it

[@MandicReally]

"How to Klipperize your Lumix G9II - 5 minute Benchys!"

[@kiloqubit]

no no no, klipper goes on the camera slider

[@therick0996]

Don't forget input shaper for those 10k accelerations on the timelapse slides

[@Democratiser]

Great review. Like your style.

[@onnie1968]

I think the thing is G9II only the second camera with the new af system, It's a huge upgrade. Maybe not Sony good but it's almost there bro. I had the G9 I loved that camera, just something special about using a Lumix camera. I only went to Sony because Lumix took it's sweet time changing it's AF system. It's great to see they are almost there 🤟🏼

[@dmyoungblut]

the G9 II dose have Red REC Frame Indicator. I am looking at it now. It is not on by default

[@gcprost]

I shoot live theatre, concerts, and dance shows. I have found the GH6 auto focus very reliable. It would sometimes lose focus in low light or when the stage lights would dip between scenes. Since I started using the focus limiter, it has been flawless. I have only owned my GH6 for a month and I have done 6 paid gigs. I use the GH6 as my close up camera and I use it with the Panasonic 35-100 mm at f4.

[@MandicReally]

F4 is likely helping significantly as it is easier to focus at F4 than F1.8. However that length of lens is creating some decent separation to fight against. Are you generally focusing 10+ feet away? I’d imagine the range you have to set the focus limiter isn’t very large for reaching further distances like that. I’m much closer up on the GH6 almost always (1-5 feet at the maximum). It does an ok job, but the pulsing movement it creates when trying to correct is what really ruins it for me. As I demonstrated in this video that can be noticeable even to folks who don’t know what they are looking at.

[@gcprost]

@@MandicReally Yes, I shoot from the back of the theatre which is more than 10 feet. I wanted to give the particulars because I don’t want people to think that I’m claiming that the GH6 auto focus is flawless. It has worked flawlessly for me and the work I do, at least so far.

[@martinmakella]

Yes it does have the red box around the display when recording as it has the shutter angle. You can find it in the manuals and in numerous youtube blogs.

[@kiloqubit]

Hopefully the "focusing on the wrong thing" could be fixed with a firmware update. It definitely seems like a bug, since it was showing a box around your face, but then focusing on something else.

[@MandicReally]

It did feel like a bug of some sort. You can set a “focus limiter” so the camera is only allowed to focus within a set range. I tried that and it still focused beyond that range onto my background. If I had the camera longer I’d have contacted Lumix about it to see if there was an issue to be corrected.

[@StephenKendall]

Random question about your GH6, how’s the shutter button feel? Mine seems really spongy, far more than my G95s and G100. Wondering if I just got one that’s a bit off in that department.

[@MandicReally]

Same thing, but honestly I'd never noticed it until you just asked, ha. My GH5 is tactile & clicky. The GH6 is spongey. Weird I never noticed that before.

[@StephenKendall]

@@MandicReally curious, guess they're experimenting with a different button supplier or something... Hope the GH7 or GH6 II is more tactile like the rest of the lineup 😅

[@EcoBossWater]

Super!

[@LostInTech3D]

A lumix with phase detect was such a no brainer I just kinda bought it when it came out lol. If I'm spending all day behind a camera, it's not worth the trouble of dealing with one that can't focus.

[@olivertrees]

@@mcsnapples Would the same not apply to any feature on earth? Why get a nicer house when people have lived in dirt huts for centuries? Why get a camera at all when humans have lived fulfilling lives without them for centuries? dumb argument

[@FalloutUrMum]

A lot of people complain about that scroll wheel around the shutter button. I actually love it, the Canon M50 had that and it's my first camera, so that feels more natural to me than other cameras I've used.

[@fakecubed]

I don't really mind either way. I'm used to the other way, but I haven't had trouble adapting to the G9II controls. What matters to me is the quantity of Fn buttons, robust options in the Q menu, and enough wheels and dials that I can get at everything I need pretty quickly. Most Panasonic cameras have what I need, and I think probably all of the latest ones have got it right. I do primarily wildlife photography and wildlife tends to move if you don't take your photos quickly enough.

[@nightdonutstudio]

My main issues isn't about noise or dynamic range or any other image quality related. I buy m43 camera I know what I can get from it. My main issue with this camera, which should not exist, is 1st the slow starting time. Top of the line hybrid camera should not let you wait 2-3 more seconds than the competition to begin shooting. 2nd, slower playback time. The time you hit playback to it appear takes 1-2 seconds more than the competition And the time you hit enlarge to the image transit from blur to sharp (Yes this is ridiculous) take another 1-2 seconds. I do not know what is going on with the engineer. The whole image and photo taking process is just so sluggish compare to my Sony cameras that not even the latest model.

[@MandicReally]

I find I just left it in sleep mode most of the time as the batteries lasted so well. But your other complaints, I cannot argue with. I did note that it felt like it took a bit long to move to the playback screen. Honestly something I didn't complain about but this AND my GH6 have a "problem" with is how long they take to START Recording. When you hit the Record button there is a solid 1-3 second delay before recording begins. Coming from the GH5 this felt like a downgrade. When I first got the GH6 I actually found I started speaking to the camera before it was actually recording, often. I was just so used to how instantaneous it was with the GH5.

[@nightdonutstudio]

@@MandicReally Operation from Sony camera is just snappy in every way. And v90 and v60 card seems play no difference in G9II. Burst writing speed is same, writing video file is about same speed. I see no advantage of v90 card. Whereas in sony camera, with v90 card, writing video file is like half to one second faster than v60 card. Burst wiritng is faster noticablly.

[@brianwhiteside]

you can also get a battery grip for the g9mii

[@DLpriv1]

Because I'm unhappy with the AFC or my GH5 II, and I'll go for a one month journey to Japan, I will certainly buy a G9 II within two weeks. So I was very surprised (and desapointed) to discover that it was impossible to have red rectangle when recording and no angle for shutter... Hopefully reading the comments, I discovered that you simply didn't check enough in the menus. So I hope the slight image superiority of the G9 II over GH6 you announce is a fact ...

[@andrewlaslone]

red corner is in the menu of G9II just enable it, og G9 has it also with the latest firmware.

[@richardgorski23]

It has Shutter Angle and Red Border.what did you do for 32 days

[@CLIFFLIX]

Sadly, they dropped the native ISO in Vlog WAY down on the G9-II. The GH6 has a 0db native ISO of 2000 ISO which does very well with fast glass in low light. I have a feeling that the GH7 will have this higher VLog base ISO to give it an advantage over the G9-II in video. On the photo side, I believe 800 ISO is required for all photos to benefit from the dual gain conversion circuit. If you shoot under 800 ISO in daylight, you wont get that dynamic range jump. I think Panasonic needs to tell people more about this quirk in GH6 photography. I was in the Canadian Rockies last summer and I shot well under 800 ISO and I never got that dynamic range advantage because I didn't know that until after I came home. Damn. Anyway,..that GH6 VLog native ISO at 2000 is a big deal over the G9-II

[@activeprotagonist9258]

So what iso should the GH6 be at for photography? 800?

[@CLIFFLIX]

@@activeprotagonist9258 The Gh6 needs 800 or higher to get it's dual pixel gain HDR function activated in phoyography.

[@LonStar3000]

Yes that is what I have been trying with photo work is 800 ISO. The photos on the GH6 are excellent in my opinion. They look much better than all other M43 cameras that I own. The G/9ll they say are better, I will find out when I get my G9ll. I highly doubt it right now though! Also the skin tones on the GH6 are the best that I have ever seen!@protagonist9258

[@Wildridefilms]

In low light, the G9II is atleast identical to the GH6 if not better. The DRboost range is extended all the way to ISO 500 now. So if anything, you'll get noticeably more DR in good light while being very similar to the GH6 in low light.

[@CLIFFLIX]

@@Wildridefilms - I have a GH6 but never used a G9-II. The GH6 in VLog has a 0db at 2000 ISO. The G9-II's 0db is 500 ISO. In order to reach 2000 ISO, the G9-II needs to add +12db of gain to meet the GH6's 0db. That +12db is a ton of amplification gain. I have a hard time believing that +12db can happen for free with no noise addition and dynamic range loss. Again...I have not compared them side by side. I feel like renting a G9-II and doing a side by side lab shootout. GH6, 2000 ISO, 0db...versus...G9-II, 2000 ISO +12db.

[@ideasphotosvideos3481]

I reviewed G9 II very briefly and noted it has shutter angle. You mentioned that G9II does not have shutter angle which I disagree. Please review the menu again.

[@MandicReally]

I pinned a comment with that correction. Despite looking for it more than once I missed it. No matter how used to Lumix menus I get I still think all camera menus fall short of user friendliness. My mistake all the same.

[@robertluxamafreethinker]

Maybe, I say maybe, If the price of the Lumix G9 II is getting down, it could be because there is a new Lumix M43 camera, better than the G9II, in the horizon.

[@builtprefect]

I was interested to get your answers to the questions posed in your intro? For the record, my answers are 'maybe', 'yes', and 'definitely'.

[@MandicReally]

I already miss the camera. Shooting photos or video, doesn’t matter. A commenter clued me in that I missed the red recording frame indicator AND shutter angle in the menu system. That eliminates two of my complaints. The only issue then is the controls, which I still prefer the GH6’s but I got used to the G9, and the SD Cards. Which there is not fixing that. My best bet would be a better SSD that’s proven compatible. So realistically? The G9II is a camera for me and I miss it. Ha.

[@thenextlayer]

dude you read my mind, i've been considering swapping my B-Cam (GH5) for something new...

[@MandicReally]

I’m more than a little tempted to trade off the Gh5 with the G9. The color matches so much better to the GH6 and the auto focus may not be perfect but it’s a game changer compared to the GH6.

[@przybylskipawel]

I found that G9II sometimes refuses to focus properly in low light and it is more visible with Olympus lenses. This seems to be exagerated when it faces light of strange colour (changing RGB light or sodium street lamps) I assume you have newest firmware on your cameras? I found AF on GH6 not to be the biggest problem. It let me down two times badly in situations where I should never ever use AF and where locked MF would be the best. Once because I didn't know, and once because I engage AF by accident. Other times it worked quite OK. The problem with GH6 is that IT SUCKS as stills camera.

[@vesku2676]

Can someone see that g92 1 stop better noise and dynamic range vs gh6 in practice? In paper this is significant difference.

[@Wildridefilms]

1 stop better DR at base ISO, since DR boost now works from 500 ISO instead of 2000 in the GH6. In low light, it is pretty similar, maybe slightly better than the GH6, but not a noticeable difference.

[@joelcorral2475]

thats really funny, seems like you really want to hate the AF in the GH6 but you cant its not that bad I have 3 GH6 and use them in AF on gimbals all the time and I get decent results sometime excellent!

[@MandicReally]

I've been using the GH6 auto-focus more since this video and it is better than I was giving it credit for. However when it misses, it is very jittery and distracting. The G9II is far more "natural" in the way it misses and not as distracting when it recovers. I've warmed up to the Autofocus on the GH6 but I absolutely MISS the G9II right now.

[@NathanBuildsRobots]

4:20 look at that histogram. Nice exposure levels on your set 😊

[@motebike]

You should have really got more familiar with the camera before posting a video. Aside from having shutter angle, red frame indicator, it can also record ProRes internally, be it at only 1080p, but it has it. As for external SSD recording, I found that erasing all sectors when formatting a new SSD, you won't have any more problems with the 'slow recording' issue. Also, with the latest firmware which gives you RAW ProRes, it's a mean filmic machine.

[@edumaker-alexgibson]

All hail the algorithm.

[@MandicReally]

All hail our robot overlords!

[@elilevi8223]

you have mistake the g9m2 have red sqare red line like gh6 i have the g9m2 and i have red sqare line

[@aiseurnae5976]

I have both, I disagree with some things you said but everyone has his own opinion. I prefer the color science of the GH6 a lot, the skin tones are much better. I also found the IBIS really better even without ES on the G9II, really noticeable at 25mm when walking, less jumps. About the photo quality of the GH6, the tonality is much better than the GH5, the dynamic range is slightly worse below ISO 800 when you have to bring shadows back, but the output of the GH6 is so much better in my eyes compared to the GH5. The G9II has of course better dynamic range and less noise in photo below ISO 800. However I agree about the G9II AF issue, even with Zone AF, sometimes the AF-C doesn't focus 100% accuratly, the subject looks slightly out of focus. The GH6 also has this issue when using slow frame rates and Panasonic never fixed it. My S5II and my A7IV never had this issue.

[@MandicReally]

I should have clarified, the GH6 photos compared to the GH5 are certainly improved in almost every way. I more so meant “the jump forward on everything except photo dynamic range surprised me.” I still use my GH6 for photo shooting. The GH5 is only really still around for live streams and when I NEED a 2nd camera angle. And the color difference is so stark that I’d really like to replace it with a G9II or another GH6 to make my life easier.

[@howardchud9097]

Sounds like it's not worth the money for the upgrade from the G9.

[@MandicReally]

I've never shot with the G9 but I'd expect the noise performance, color, and dynamic range to be equivalent to that of the GH5. I should have included a comparison between the GH5 & G9II in here and regret not doing so. The GH6 AND G9II are both a leap ahead over the GH5. I only use my GH5 when I have to these days. The color of the vLog-L vs the full fat vLog is a pretty big difference. And the dynamic range of the video is way better on both the GH6 & G9II (with the G9II being the better). The only comparison is the photos between the GH5 & GH6 aren't much different in my opinion, but the G9II, I sorely miss having it on hand. So no, I cannot speak to G9 vs G9II, but if it is anything like the GH5, I wouldn't second guess going to the G9II for a second. Now that I don't have the G9II here anymore, I'm growing more and more tempted to trade in my GH5 or even my GH6 for one, I miss it that much.

[@fakecubed]

G9II is pretty much an upgrade in nearly every way over the G9. It's arguably the best camera in this format currently. But only you can know if the G9 is currently meeting your needs well enough that an upgrade isn't desirable at this time and at this price. A lot of us obsess over gear when we should be working to get better at our photography/videography skills. I'm no exception. But I do have a project coming up that I don't think I can do with any other camera, so the time seemed right for an upgrade, for me. I need the better sensor, engine, and hybrid phase detection focus.

[@richardgorski23]

It has a red border. its in settings

[@KikujiroChan]

maybe if you wouldn't wave you hands like steven seagul the af would work better.

[@naizajn]

Subbed!

[@Samiam-mu5ln]

It's always funny when the Channel Host has to bring up "Key Board Warriors" and then there are never any to begin with. Always feel like an excuse at this point if someone disagrees 🤡

[@MandicReally]

Claiming folks don't have to deal with annoying pedantic comments, while leaving annoying pedantic comment is a new level of meta silliness... We see every single comment that comes in, you see a few that you happen to bother to look at. Pretty sure we have a better concept of what is happening in the comment sections of videos than most.

[@DandoPorsaco-ho1zs]

No shutter angle? Are you sure? kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHysf5qviM1khtU

[@MandicReally]

Check the pinned comment. Despite looking for it I somehow missed it.

[@TPVPRO]

On face detect tap on your face and it will lock on.

[@MandicReally]

Crosshairs on the display were on my face just fine, it just didn't nail critical focus. That said, I didn't try what you are saying. Problem is that 50-75% of the time the camera is not within arms reach of me. It is on a tripod 3-10ft away and out of reach. I could tap then walk away, but I almost always go out of frame in there so I'd expect it to lose that tracking and restart fresh as if I never tapped.

[@TPVPRO]

@@MandicReally The box will change when you tap on it to confirm a lock nobody does this and it's been around since the old G9. It's also available on your GH6 but it's will still pulse but the track will lock better. You can also use the remote app when it's on a tripod to do this also.

[@NeoDon1]

You guys worship satan? xmas tree has a Devil on top?

[@anotherintrospekt6596]

😂

He seems satanic, and behaves like a nice guy. That is because he is nice.

[@haploguy]

jesus, this "review" 🤕 It has record frame, it has shutter angle and you misused the focusing mode. Perhaps if you didnt set the AF to the center zone and moved your FACE out of the zone it would have focused on your face instead of what was actually in the center zone. Just get an iphone

[@MandicReally]

Did I call it a review? It’s just my perspective as a long time Lumix owner / user.