I bought a Lumix S9 For One Awesome Feature And Here Are My First Impressions

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

The Camera and Lenses that I use in 65:24 aspect ratio Lumix S9: geni.us/eVTH Sigma 24mm f/3.5: geni.us/BxrL2Ut Lumix S 50mm f/1.8: geni.us/c4tReOa Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-f/5.6: geni.us/lirtX APS-C L Mount Lenses Sigma 56mm f/1.4: geni.us/16906b Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 geni.us/rMBK

[@Beejtube78]

Your review made me realize that I do not use use as many features as there are available on my camera. It literally made me tear up that I forgot about the aspect ratio past 3:2 and 4:3. Thank you 🙏.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I never used to look at it, 3:2 all the way. Nowadays 1:1 and recently 65:24 and also 2:1 (next on the list)

[@d.idowuolutosin4250]

I shot with the LUMIX S5 II, and this X-Pan ratio feature is fantastic for landscape and environmental shots. I need to use this feature more.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I might actually buy a used s5II at a later stage. Coming months I'll start experimenting with the 50mm and 85mm so stay tuned. Will share my experiences

[@KNURKonesur]

I just wish people used the same angle of view the XPan had, not just the aspect ratio.

[@TheLDunn1]

I got a used GFX 50R from my local photography shop around 2020 ish. One of the reasons was because I was interested in xpan, but the risk of something going wrong and the difficulty of getting them repaired, and the inconvenience of film (vs digital) put me off. So I sought out a digital equivalent and landed at the 50R. I have a selection of cameras, and I find the 50R to be the one I enjoy the most. I don’t really under stand why this is though.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Sometimes a camera just agrees with you and sometimes they really don't (x100v doesn't agree with me for instance)

[@TheLDunn1]

@@PaulTakesPhotos I’ve never even held anything from the x100 range, or XF in general. I’d just wish I could understand what it is about the 50R that I find so appealing. I’ve got other cameras here, like Sony A7Riii, A7Siii, A9iii, Leica M10-D, and yet, if I’m going out to shoot something relatively static, like Landscapes, it’s the 50R I go to each time. Of course, if I’m shooting sport, wildlife or action, then I’m grabbing the Sony’s, but over 70% of the time, I’m using the 50R, you are right, something just clicks with me using that camera.

[@vermontmike9800]

I’ll never understand why Panasonic and Fujifilm refuse to place the 65:24 aspect ratio on other M43 and X Series cameras.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Yeah I would agree. On the Lumix MFT cameras though there is a little feature: panorama mode which I use a lot of you shoot very narrow, you can use the mode to widen your field of view, and you can chose when to stop (unlike on some other brands) the panorama mode... Really helpful but not the 65:24 ratio

[@jebeq2007]

2 yrs ago I bought my Xpan, the experience and photos I have gotten out of it have been nothing short of amazing. I will keep it forever and if it breaks I will get it repaired or buy another one. I love the panoramic aspect ratio and and enjoy the challage it gives me to get a photo right. I do also have the Panasonic S9 and think it is fantastic camera. I have yet to try the wide Xpan ratio on it though but will be trying it soon. For digital Xpan I have been using my Sony A7RV 60mp with a Zeiss Batis 18mm and the results have been perfect. I just setup the grid lines on it to conform with the 65:24 format and have been very satisfied with my results.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Seems you are very experienced. I actually didn't know that you could framelines on the Sony A7RV. Don't mind me asking, do you print by any chance?

[@Yayadays111]

@@PaulTakesPhotosyou can set frame line both for viewing and jpeg output. But it's not a custom one, so the widest you can do is 2.35:1 which is what cinema uses

[@mazzfotovideo]

Hi, one question sony a7c II i think have 2:1 its the same yo talk about? Thanks Great video

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

It is similar but the width to hight aspect ratio is different. The 65:24 is a little wider and has more negative space

[@mazzfotovideo]

@ ok Great!!! Thanks

[@nicholassmith7723]

Love the I-series lenses. I have the 20, 24, 35, and 65mm f2 variants for my Sony A7Cii. Sold the 90mm to try out their 105mm macro.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

They are great lenses, I also use them on my Leica CL

[@Yayadays111]

I had a xpan but sold it off years ago. Been chasing a digital version ever since. It's just too difficult, even with full frame pov and then crop it post, it just don't quite replicate it. The other option is to use anamorphic lens but that's quite a lot bulkier and just not the same anymore.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Than the only option is to re-buy an Xpan-

[@MrWiseinheart]

Sigma Fp and Fp L has this mode aswell and is even a smaller camera body.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Youre the second person bringing it my attention :) I have added the cams to my "to try camera," list

[@thomas.schubert]

I don't understand why a 22mm is "read" as a 27? Does this happen only in the 65:24 crop mode?

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Yeah if you shoot in the 65:24 ratio and have the sigma 24mm on, you'll see on the screen 27mm (not in your exif data). It is frameline crop on the sensor.

[@RegrinderAlert]

If you calculate the diagonal for both aspect ratios you will see the diagonal of full 3:2 crop is 1.127 times larger than when using 65:24. Multiply 24mm by that ratio and you’ll end up with 27mm.

[@KelsJune]

Subscribed!! Ty going to do that now with my lumix s9

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@KelsJune thanks Kells, so much fun. Which lens are you using?

[@KelsJune]

@@PaulTakesPhotos sigma 45mm f2.8 and l mount 20-60mm. I have noticed I have to frequently reset the settings to get the 65:24 format with the sigma lens

[@americosequeira8670]

Your video really caught my attention and interest. I’ve seen pictures like you took but I didn’t knew about this format and I find them quite beautiful. I was intrigued about the lenses you used, I believe it was the 24mm, right? You can take them with any focal length? Equally primes and zoom’s? Thanks and have a great Christmas.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Thanks that you find my experiences of interest. Yes in this case I have used the Sigma 24mm (f/3.5), also used the Lumix 20-60mm which worked fine and now will be shooting on Lumix 50mm and Lumix 85mm in the coming months and will create the episodes once I have enough meat on the bones, so to speak

[@sohrubjoshi5189]

And I see Sigma 18-50 F2.8 on your list of lenses, how that works with S9 ? I’ve same lens in Fuji XH2 and love the size

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

It is the L mount version (also for my Leica CL). It works perfectly, gives me a light weight option :)

[@pepeye]

Sigma Quattro series cameras can shoot using the Hasselblad-style 21:9 widescreen ratio. My SD Quattro coupled with the 18-35 Art is perfect for shooting those super wide shots. Just stellar.

[@benhall8069]

Same for the Sigma FP and FP L can shots in 21:9 widescreen ratio

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Oh great I didn't even know it, thank you for sharing and damnit another camera just added to my list 😀

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Awesome, learned something new... Stay tuned

[@showmoon]

Thank you for sharing. I am a big fan of this ratio.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I became a fan too, very quickly. Now shooting with the 50mm and 85mm stay tuned.

[@andresgonzalezcerda7635]

Just don’t understand why you need an s9, just to avoid post processing? ( post crop) Great pictures!

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@andresgonzalezcerda7635 you're not the first one bringing up the point. For me the feature mattered and having it straight out of camera, combined with the LUTs available and seems workflow of the Lumix Labs app make it a great experience to be out there. That said, you could do it in post, but that would be a challenge, as in my experience the frame and composition at the time of shooting play are important part of getting it right (or wrong)

[@KNURKonesur]

Very cool experiment with the aspect ratio restriction. I can imagine how using an ultra wide angle with that aspect ratio (like the 30mm and 40mm lenses on the original film XPan, giving ultra wide angles of view dude to the frame size) would be an art of constant "hit or miss" in and of itself :D

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

It is indeed, with the 24mm I found relatively easy. I experimented last night with the 85mm, that might just be a bit ambitious, for the moment. On the 50mm, just started, I'll start shooting the coming weeks. Follow me on threats and would appreciate your feedback and input

[@KNURKonesur]

@PaulTakesPhotos with a 24mm lens you had a similar angle as the Xpan would with the 40mm lens, would love to see how you'd approach using something similar to the Xapan 30mm lens, so about 17mm on FF. That could be some wild stuff! I'm not on Threads yet, but might give it a go just to follow your process :D

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@KNURKonesur your preaching to the parish here, I am considering the sigma 17mm f/4 at a later stage. Maybe I should contact Sigma if they can sent one over :) I will starting posting on the lenses I use in the coming months 😉

[@KNURKonesur]

@@PaulTakesPhotos good thinking, cant hurt to try! :)

[@alertbri]

Hi Paul, thank you for this episode - quite inspiring, I'm shooting with a Google Pixel 8 Pro and using snapseed in camera for post processing with intention to share on social media. If I shoot ultra wide (11mm equivalent focal range) and crop to just a smidge under half 4:3rds aspect ratio I get that beautiful xpan aspect ratio.

[@wnose]

Xpan is 28mm equivalent

[@alertbri]

@wnose is xpan a fixed lens camera system? Strange.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Never even realised it, thank you :)

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

45mm f/4 This is the standard lens for the XPan. Equivalent to ~24mm on a 35mm panoramic format. Ideal for general photography and landscapes. 90mm f/4: A telephoto lens for the XPan. Equivalent to ~50mm on a 35mm panoramic format So your not wrong and as I found out yesterday shooting 65:24 with an 85mm is quite the challenge

[@janfrosty3392]

I had a X-Pan II when it come out so many years ago, enjoyed using it, but sold it, should have kept it. Planning to scan and print some of the film from it.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

You mentioned the one thing that I am really interested in: printing. I tried on my canon my it doesn't really support the ratio it seems. Can you give me so tips or pointers to the right direction?

[@RikMaxSpeed]

This was new to me, I’ve heard of X-Pan cameras before with swivelling lenses, but never fully appreciated the 2.7x aspect ratio. Pity my Sony camera doesn’t provide it as a shooting mode.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

The aspect ratio is only available on a few digital cameras. Maybe my episode will convince Sony to include it in future cameras and phones

[@OutRAjious]

I think our School end of year photos were this format

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Oh that is cool :)

[@eklatist]

The SL2 has the 65:24 ratio?

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I stand corrected.. I mixed it up and missed it in post edit... You are right it doesnt feature the aspect ratio

[@eklatist]

@@PaulTakesPhotos I didn´t know, it was an honest question. I wish it was true, because my GFX50R is so big.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@eklatist I didn't take it the wrong way. Happy you spotted it :) the gfx 50r is big and you need a lens or two, no pancakes there 😜

[@eklatist]

@@PaulTakesPhotos It could have easily been true, since it´s basically a Panasonic. I thought maybe they had a software update and this would have been the best argument for an SL2 for me. If the S9 had a viewfinder, I´d be very tempted.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@eklatist shooting on the S9 with the sigma 24mm is good without an EVF, 85mm I tried last night and even an 85mm optical viewfinder would have been nice. Sadly non of it available on the market

[@AlanGurling]

I have a mini-obsession with the XPan format, mainly that aspect ratio. This is the first time I've heard of the term "XPanning" - I will steal this and start using it too! 😅 I'll follow you on Threads as well, thanks for the video. Greetings from London :)

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Yeah I often invent new English words, benefit of being a non-native speaker or simply coming up with gibberish 😂 which camera do you use? Thanks for following on Threads, easier to communicate.

[@AlanGurling]

@PaulTakesPhotos thanks for the follow as well ☺️ I'm mainly a hobbyist and shoot with a Z6, Z fc, and an Olympus Pen E-P7. On mobile I dabble with the XP4N app.

[@sohrubjoshi5189]

How will this be different from Anamorphic lens ?

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@sohrubjoshi5189The 65:24 aspect ratio refers to the shape of the final image and can be achieved by cropping or using specific camera sensors, whereas an anamorphic lens optically compresses the image horizontally, requiring de-squeezing to achieve wide aspect ratios like 2.39:1 or similar. Anamorphic lenses create unique characteristics, such as oval bokeh, horizontal lens flares, and a wider field of view compared to spherical lenses of the same focal length. Shooting in 65:24 with a spherical lens doesn’t produce these effects; instead, it offers a straightforward wide frame without anamorphic artifacts. Anamorphic maintains full vertical resolution, while cropping to 65:24 can result in a loss of resolution. The choice depends on whether the goal is a purely wide format or the distinctive cinematic look of anamorphic. So you are not wrong

[@djtoman6875]

@@PaulTakesPhotos Great explanation, Paul. I'm not very into super wide aspect ratios or anamorphic lenses, but I do have a Moment anamorphic lens for iPhone that can be fun to use. Maybe in the new year I'll keep it around to play with a little more often.

[@kiwipics]

Not quite the same as an Xpan and the Xpan lenses, but pretty damned close. Great video Paul

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I would agree with you not the same, but close and in addition I invited a new English verb "To Xpan-: We Are Xpanning" so much fun shooting in the aspect ratio

[@BruunMedia]

I like pan. Works well with landscape.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@BruunMedia Rene! My man. Didn't know you shoot Xpan-. Which camera/lens combo do you use?

[@NetvoTV]

Is Zf more fun than S9? By the way, name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, would you love to have a logo for your photography business and your channel to have a brand image your audience can remember your contents from and also can be one of the merch print you can sell to your fans to buy and own and share the words about your channel too? Let me know if you interested and I would love to work with you to design these for you! :-)

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

I haven't shot with the ZF so I wouldn't be able to really tell you. I do know that it hasn't got the 65:24 aspect ratio. Appreciate your offer, but for now will have to take a rain check. YT is my hobby not my profession or brand :) again thanks for the offer

[@NetvoTV]

@@PaulTakesPhotos I see, still it will going to make your channel looks more thrilling, and audience especially the new one will feel more connected and know where you are going to with your artwork at a glance, I'm doing this as a hobby too and doing it to help me get back on track, hence if you are in quite good financial, maybe can take this unexpected opportunity to uplift your channel and also it can help me gear up too!

[@mgman6000]

Cant you just use gaffers tape on the screen to get the ratio and crop in post instead of spending a lot on a camera that doesn't even have a viewfinder

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@mgman6000 use gaffer tape on screen? If I change the aspect ratio to 16:9 or 4:3 I have to reapply the gaffer tape :) on. A serious note, the price is high, agree, the digital alternatives are way more expensive. The 65:24 aspect ratio is the shooting experience and framing. With the Lumix lab app it is on my phone in seconds, no editing in post ready to share, store and print. So it is the joy of shooting and adjusting your composition to match the frame and the automated workflow. A viewfinder is welcome if I shoot with the 85mm. The ergonomics is at times an issue. I do find it worth the money, but I understand the sceptics. I used to be one when they released it

[@mgman6000]

@PaulTakesPhotos I'm not skeptical, but I wonder why spend all that money for what basically is a crop .

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@mgman6000 shooting experience and joy of it. Simple like that :)

[@mgman6000]

@PaulTakesPhotos I agree with that I shoot film for the experience I had 50 years ago but can't you have the same experience by simply covering the screen? I'm sure someone could come up with an easily removable mask that would accomplish the same thing

[@ChristofferNelsonG]

I can appreciate the aspect ratio - it really brings back early, majestic Kodachrome shots. The S9, however? I need a mechanical shutter and an EVF, so if I was faced with the choice? GFX. I am a slow shooter anyhow, and have been shooting long enough that even some of my old film gear was bigger and heavier. Alas, no GFX in my future, but rest assured, one day, with old 35mm lenses and a 1:1 ratio? I would be over the moon.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I now own the S9 for 3 or 4 weeks but I'll come soon with a general first impression and obviously, like usual a year or so later video. Have to admit that the GFX 50R is growing on me, so who knows :)

[@2003merc1]

S5(II) has it too

[@ChristofferNelsonG]

@@2003merc1 I find Panasonics bricks like Nikons. Impossible and painful ergonomics. Definitely not drsigned for my hand.

[@jalakanen]

I bought s5 for same reason

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Excellent a like minded spirit! Which lens do you use? You landscape, documentary?

[@jalakanen]

@PaulTakesPhotos i have 20-60 and 50/1.8 on l mount. Mostly documentary.

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

@@jalakanen I own both of them too and the 85mm and I kinda document my life and spirit of time

[@DavideRizzo78]

My 2 cents: Jeff Bridges does NOT use "xpan cameras" but simply "panoramic cameras" (widelux to be precise). There is NOT such a thing as a "xpan camera" but there is a model of panoramic camera that was called XPan (which was the Hasselblad rebrand of Fuji TX-1 and TX-2). I would not agree on the reparability of film cameras as these are usually easier to repair than the modern ones (you can still repair a 40 years old fil mcamera but try to look for spare parts for a 10-15 years old digital camera!!!). As for panoramic cameras, you can use 6x17 back for large format cameras, load 135 film on Pentax 67 or if your name is Koudelka just enjoy a specially custom-made Leica S2 that shoot panoramic mode. As for the rest, what you are doing is simply cropping from a digital sensor...you could do the same video and replace "panoramic" with "square format" and your arguments would be the same

[@PaulTakesPhotos]

Thanks for the lesson and feedback. Always learn something. I was looking for a digital camera with the 65:24 aspect ratio so I can enjoy shooting more horizonal panoramic shot. And as I showed in the video. In jpeg and raw the camera utilized a part of the sensor. So not it is not like the xpans or other related analog film cameras. Yep you're right