Panasonic Lumix G9ii: The ULTIMATE Wildlife Photography Camera?

[@JoeMaranophotography]

What do you think of the G9ii? I think it's the best value camera for wildlife photography on the market today! Yes it costs some money - I get that but it's not £5-6k!!! Drop your thoughts and suggestions below! :)

[@zaxtheman4917]

I own the G9 ii it is an epic camera and fits all of my needs Joe :)

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@zaxtheman4917 Awesome! Do you have any negatives?

[@zaxtheman4917]

@@JoeMaranophotography I don't sadly and my clients only ever want their landscapes in Jpeg, sorry bro :( But Duade Patton tested it out for wildlife around 9 months ago, so you can go check him out here on KZbin :)

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@zaxtheman4917 Yeah I've seen his review. Was just wondering if you had any criticisms because I'm nit finding many!

[@zaxtheman4917]

@@JoeMaranophotography I'd call it a hybrid camera due to having the poxy video function (which I will never use) Although I shoot primarily in manual but the auto focus is beyond words for landscapes, however I did try it on some of our small British birds and at first it had a hard time focusing but that is probably more to do with my experience (or lack of for wildlife) Oh yeh I used your affiliates link again today, beast, thanks bro :)

[@sken1000]

Look forward to your experience using the G9ii, Joe. Very similar to my experiences with my 5 year old G9. Superb camera, but as someone who enjoys wildlife….. the focus could be a right pain, despite much experimenting with settings. Got some good shots of BIF, but many out of focus ones, too. I’m waiting a little longer for the price to drop and be very interested in the focusing of the new one!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

The autofocus is incredible but depending on the situation you can't just whack in animal eye AF and just crack on. In areas with lots of scrappy vegetation going back to a single point and placing it on the eye is key! I've also noticed that in low light and low contrast situations the autofocus is actually worse than the G9! But most of the time it absolutely blows the G9 autofocus out of the water!!!

[@Democratiser]

I also have the OG G9, and am lusting after the G9II. MFT is a brilliant core system for hybrid shooters As you indicate, there is little the G9II doesn’t do. I also have a 5Diii for full frame purposes (mainly portraits and because I love the 70-200mm IS F2.8L). I also have a Fujifilm XE3 for ‘street’. But if I started all over I’d just get a G9II. Enjoy the new camera!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@Democratiser Yep! I missed a few things out but like I say I am covering it from a wildlife point of view. Sadly it's not mine and I'll likely have to wait for some sales :(

[@cynical1952]

Glad that you like the G9 ii and I'm sure that you will get some fab shots / videos. Looking forward to them 👍

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@cynical1952 I've just turned up to the Bempton area. I won't have long but fingers crossed it won't be this flat cloudy light we have had since I received the camera!!

[@SteveHedgesPhotography]

Fantastic mate, You must be very excited. Have a great time with the new camera. All the best Steve.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@SteveHedgesPhotography Yes! I'm off to Bempton tomorrow just because there's a gap in the weather and I want to make the most of the camera before it has to go back :( Pretty upset about that haha

[@Ryanswildlifephotography]

Great video mate and really positive feedback, looks like a belter !!!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@Ryanswildlifephotography It's been through the ringer and it's done nothing but impress me! At Bempton it exceeded my expectations! I think anyone coming from full frame might be unimpressed with the low light performance even if it does perform more like APSC and even beats out many of those cameras in that regard. That said I'm open to other suggestions :)

[@mr_k4tz]

I recently picked one up as a second body for an upcoming Safari trip. Have been extremely impressed after shooting an Oly em1mkiii for many years. I can finally get the type of video results I’ve been after and the animal detect autofocus has been amazingly useful so far

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Was that a second body to the OM1? Video seems great but ive been so focused on photo that I haven't tested video much, plus there's so many options isn't there 😂

[@mr_k4tz]

@@JoeMaranophotography not Om-1 but an em1mkiii. I realise it’s a much older camera but it’s still fantastic for stills and will be a great 2nd body. The OM-1 had only incremental upgrades compared to the EM1mkiii and the OM-1 mkii is hellishly expensive for what it offers IMO. I’m also planning on getting a 100-400. The Panasonic Leica version is more appealing than the bigger and heavier Oly version and I wanted to be able to use the dual ‘stabe’. Looking forward to gleaning some knowledge from your forthcoming G9ii videos.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@mr_k4tz If you can I hear that the 100-400 MK2 zoom action is a lot smoother (my mk1 is pretty stiff so can't really be used on the eye if that makes sense) also the Mk2 can take the teleconvertors :)

[@CheikoSairin]

You choose the best MFT camera. Can wait for the footage from that camera. Thanks for sharing. 1 LIKE for the video. I'm a new friend here. A birder from Singapore. 👍🔔

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@CheikoSairin I've filmed a bit of footage from up here in the Lake District but I will really get to grips with it when I own the camera sometime soon hopefully!

[@davehodgkiss]

You won’t go wrong with the Mk 2 Joe I am now useing mine with the 100-400 Mk2 lens plus the 2x converter sometime and I am getting great results. I look forward to seeing what you do with the G9 Mk2 regards Dave

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@davehodgkiss Wow. I would have imagined maybe some folks would use the 1.4x but not the 2x! That obviously gives some serious reach! I wouldn't mind trying out the 200 2.8 and maybe some of the Olympus pro lenses. I think Panasonic need to make a 300 2.8 that would be awesome haha

[@davehodgkiss]

@@JoeMaranophotography I used the 1.4 filming some deer in my latest film on Cannock Chase they were a good 1000 mtrs away and managed to some great video check it out regards Dave

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@davehodgkiss I'll do my best Dave! Problem with bloody KZbin is I get less time to watch videos nowadays haha!

[@IvoTichelaar]

I like it. It catches eyes from animals very well, and with that accurate and smart focus, photos end up nice and sharp. It doesn't feel that big compared to my G80. The extra megapixels are actually useful, there really is a lot of detail in the image and the lenses focus much more accurately. High iso performance is fantastic.

[@IvoTichelaar]

And I love the table!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@IvoTichelaar Yes that's exactly my feelings as well! Having used it now it's indeed a massive upgrade for G9 owners although I think it depends on what you are shooting as to whether you *need* it or not.

[@ליהלי-צ8נ]

I love my g9ii.Jad the g9 before.A huge upgrade!would like to understand more about the real time lut option.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@user-rj1hx5jz1n it's not something i used myself and I think it's more for video use - you can essentially apply your luts in camera which means you can see what effect they are having straight away. Could save a lot of time on grading if there's a particular lut you like or use often

[@laurentyarp514]

I am glad the Joystick can be set to work the same as the G9. This was a concern to me I am not a fan of diagonal moving joystick. btw A channel with G9 and wildlife. How come YT never showed me your channel before ? Suscribed

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@laurentyarp514 I had a 2 year break and I don't think KZbin likes that hahaha With increased use I found it a lot easier to work with when compared to the original but like I say the wheel can be used to move it around like the G9 anyway if that's your preference :) That said subject detection modes are so reliable it was very rare I needed to use it much!

[@laurentyarp514]

@@JoeMaranophotography On the OM-1 the AF point is sometimes jumping when I move the joystick that way. Maybe me, maybe not :)

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@laurentyarp514 I would have liked to try the OM1 but apparantly they don't do trials in the UK (but I've seen people who have had them in the UK lol)

[@laurentyarp514]

@@JoeMaranophotography I like it. Great pictures quality but a nightmare to setup compared to the G9. This is the reason why I will be getting the G9 II similar picture quality but Panasonic ease of use. I will be keeping the OM1 though because it is smaller it makes a great travel camera.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@laurentyarp514 Oh yes Lumix cameras are so easy to use! :)

[@mikesphotography7185]

Hi Joe I have always liked your relaxed style on video, also like you I loved my G9 a great performer and great economics. So why have I gone to the OM-1 well I found that most photographers in my area we're getting better results than me on birds in flight and a good 75% of them we're using the om-1 and as you say its down to the focusing, enjoy your new G9-2 all the best. 👍😎

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@mikesphotography7185 That's very nice of you to say and a bit reassuring for me because I certainly don't feel that relaxed when filming and think that all the best thoughts that I have occur off camera! I actually find im okay on camera when there's someone operating it, not sure why always feels more natural to me! Yeah can't complain about the OM1 - I haven't had a chance to test it out but I have emailed OM to see if I can have the chance! I feel like after thus many years of using Lumix though I might struggle with the menu's and stuff like that. It's why I often tell people to stick with what they know because it doesn't really matter what brand you use nowadays so much. Especially in 2024 anyway :)

[@mikesphotography7185]

@@JoeMaranophotography If you get a chance to use one you will find the menu's a lot better than the early ones, and of course there's a good reason why it was voted wildlife camera of the year, plus the great lens. I am sure the G9-2 is a very good camera and in the end you go for what feels right for you. 👍

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@mikesphotography7185 Yeah its not certain that I will go with the G9ii yet but it certainly seems to make the most sense. I have 3 Lumix lenses which will work better on Lumix, it's a bit cheaper than OM1ii and like I say I like video as well and this thing will keep me entertained for weeks playing with its video features haha

[@philipgowdy]

Good to know your feelings on the G92. I think a lot of people would be the most interested in the Rolling shutter results both video and Stills and of course the Af in Video. A lot of reviewers say the focus kinda stutters from time to time not being able to make its mind up instantly unlike the OM1 11. I also think the real question is what lens to match it too and results from say the mk2 version of the 100-400 lumix is probably the best you can hope for or lenses like the 200mm lumix or the 300mm Oly with a 1x4 teleconverter. Differences in the Image stabilisation of Oly 300mm against the 100-400mm lumix in practice would also be very useful to see here. Good luck with the testing, might see you in the hide at some point...regards Phil.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@philipgowdy So far I haven't seen any evidence of rolling shutter and I don't think you will unless it's going to be real harsh stuff like drone propellers and fast baseballs that sort of thing? I haven't used the video as much as I thought as there's legitimately too much choice! I think a lot of people forget that the animal detect doesn't work at 120fps it's just normal phase detect at that point. 4k 60fps has it though! The problem Lumix has (and I have this from them as well) is that they don't prioritise super blazing fast lock ons (like Sony) so you have to set up the autofocus how you like it which really confuses a lot of people (me included) That said I have been happy with out of the box settings. The initial focus acquisition is probably slower than when they used their DFD system but that's not been an issue for me as I'll just pre focus and go from there. Compared to the original G9 at least it's a night and day difference this camera for birds in flight!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

I would like to get my hands on the 200 2.8 to test that's for sure! The stabilisation with the mk1 100-400 is even better than it was on the G9! I wasn't expecting that and I forgot to mention that in the video! You could practically shoot video handheld nearly all the time now which is bloody impressive. I would still use a tripod though for "proper" stuff. I would wager there's a few things to be updated in firmware. The original G9 had a massive update about 2 years in I think it was.

[@philipgowdy]

@@JoeMaranophotography I had the lumix 100-400mm on an Olympus em1mk2 a few years back and I never had problems with the speed it worked at on normal subjects but flying birds was its only "iffy subject" to shoot.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@philipgowdy It seems fine on this. I did hear a few hit or miss things about the EM1 MK2. I think it was regarded to have better (phase detect) focus than the G9 but not as good as some of its competitors.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

As an update I should be getting a loan of the 200mm and 1.4tc at some point soon :)

[@rayjohn3587]

With Quick AF and Eye sensor AF enabled on the original G9, birds in flight are nearly impossible. I found when disabling both these options the results get a lot better. If you have these enabled I can really suggest changing that.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Thanks for that advice - I am fairly certain I have quick AF turned on!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Actually no I didnt! Damn I was hoping for some extra goodness lol

[@rayjohn3587]

@@JoeMaranophotography Ah damn, that's a shame. Another thing to try is using mechanical shutter instead of electronic. Using the mechanical shutter autofocus does also improve, in some situations more then others. For birds on water for example it is night and day. I can recommend checking the G9 articles on the website of Mirrorlesscomparison. They have tested a lot of settings and state which are the best for birds in flight.

[@rayjohn3587]

I am mostly curious about the full area autofocus mode. I hate having to use the smallest box with my G9 and having to change the position with the joystick. Is it possible to just always shoot in full area mode with the G9ii? Does it pick up birds in trees and bushes quite well?

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Yes absolutely - you can use this mode probably at least 85% of the time! I was showing my Father in law this very scenario earlier today! We could pick a Pigeon out of a tree at 50 metres away even in the full area mode. I mainly used this mode at Bempton as the "middle rectangular box shape" can often cause you to miss shots - especially at 400mm as the subjects can easily move out of it. It was handy to track fast moving Puffins going out to sea and back again though!

[@rayjohn3587]

@@JoeMaranophotography Sounds great. Thanks for the reply!

[@keithnisbet]

I was fortunate to obtain my G9ii from B&H in January with $500 off Trade In Bonus. My current dilemma is which super tele to buy for the same purpose as yourself. (Great wife, by the way...get what you want) WOW!!! Buy her flowers right away. I have the inexpensive 100-300 but not happy with sharpness or manual focusing Ring. It's flimsy feeling, sticky. The zooming also not the smoothest. So, the search continues. Are you happy with the 100-400 Panasonic/Leica? That of course, is a logical choice for a better quality native Tele. I'd just heard conflicting reports on its zoom ring. THANKS

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@keithnisbet Have you got the Mk1 or Mk2? My Mk1 is really stiff and means I pretty much have to set the focal length I want as there's no way you can adjust it on the fly! Apparantly the mk2 is a LOT better - plus you can add the teleconvertors! I find wide open it's very sharp as long as the subject is reasonably close. The next lens I would like is the 200mm F2.8 with the 1.4TC. I have a lot of expenses coming up so I'm back to the G9 100-400 combo for the foreseeable! :(

[@keithnisbet]

@@JoeMaranophotography I don't have any Pana/Leica 100-400 yet. It's a big investment. I have the Panasonic 100-300 and that's mainly what I was complaining about. Regarding the more expensive lens, I also heard the Mk ii is improved but I'd certainly want to buy used or try it out first before selling my first born. The 200 mm f2.8 I have heard is incredible, but I think is close to 2X the price of the 100-400. It may not be enough reach for small creatures (birds). I guess it depends on one's needs. Anyway, we must make the best of what we have. Take care.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@keithnisbet I would absolutely recommend the 100-400 as most of the best shots I've seen from Lumix tend to feature this lens or the 200 2.8 sadly money is a thing and I can absolutely relate (people tend to think because I'm on KZbin I have money but nothing could be further from the truth 😆)

[@keithnisbet]

@@JoeMaranophotography hahaha, you know what they say...never show your hand and "Fake it 'til you make it." Sort of kidding. Just enjoy the process.

[@michaelhayward6097]

I have been using the G9 and recenly switched to the G9II I di like it a lot. re: the Apeture and Speed dials I think you can switch them around see the youtube vid on G9ii Wildlife setup kzbin.info/www/bejne/nILXY4KCq86maMk

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@michaelhayward6097 Ironically now I'm back with the G9 I prefer the G9ii dials lol