Panasonic Lumix S9 + Sigma 45mm f2.8 + DJI Mic 2 Combination

[@sameer_dhingra]

Such a handsome camera ❤

[@mellowbluesky]

Yup, it sure is. A minimalist beauty :)

[@miklosnemeth8566]

You bought this camera without first having in your hands? I spent two days in a local store in my city and compared it to Fujifilm X-T50 and Nikon Zf and I can say I was absolutely happy with the build quality, the heft and materials and the buttons. Immediately when I had it in my hands, I cried, gosh, this is a dense camera, without any cheap feel.

[@TopshelfJunior]

I too, purchased this camera without ever holding it. Has been amazing so far and very fun to shoot.

[@mellowbluesky]

I’ve bought plenty of cameras without ever trying them first hand. And I’ve immediately regretted doing that plenty of times as well haha. Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely happy with the overall build quality of the body. I’m not sure if it’s just the silver version, but the top is definitely not of the quality as the rest of the body.

[@benjaminhur3701]

Panasonic should quickly benchmark Nikon's 26mm f/2.8 AF pancake lens and release a similar lens for the Lumix S9. Nikon's 26mm f/2.8 lens is highly popular among photographers due to its compact size, lightweight design, and high performance. Releasing a similar lens would be highly appealing to users who value both portability and performance. When combined with a high-performance mirrorless camera like Panasonic's S9, such a lens would be extremely useful for everyday and travel photography.

[@mellowbluesky]

Yeah, Nikon 26mm or the Canon 40mm pancakes. It's amazing that the only thing Panasonic could come up with in that size range was 26mm f8 manual focus lens 😆

[@gavinho3255]

Exactly! Pancake lens is perfect match for this camera.

[@opiapr]

As a Fuji, Sony and Ricoh shooter that has never used a Lumix camera this is the first one I am strongly considering. Only thing I wish it had is more pancake lenses. But seems like a great camera overall.

[@mellowbluesky]

Yup, I’ve been a Fuji user myself, and my hesitation in fully switching over to other camera brands have always been the size. It’s a real shame that there is not a single AF pancake lens available for the L-Mount. It’s weird that you’d have multiple pancake lenses available but not a single compact body in sight for Canon and Nikon, yet it’s the completely opposite situation for Panasonic. Tiny body with massive lenses, and ZERO AF pancake lenses. Haha.

[@tristandu1776]

@@mellowbluesky I wish they could make a 28 2.8 and 40 2.8, that would be a perfect kit. Or even just a 35 2.0! I just bought one but I decided to keep my XE4 as well since the S9 don't have mechanical shutter, compact lenses and hot shoe. Maybe a M43 version with everything that's lacking on the S9 in the future?

[@mellowbluesky]

Wow, what a timing. I saw your comment just as I was uploading a new vid talking about a dirt cheap vintage 28mm 2.8 lens that I just picked up. It was a disappointing buy, but still an interesting experiment. I just hope that Panasonic releases any AF pancake. Even if it's f8.

[@residenttouristprod]

Ima Lumix FanBoi from Gx8 to S1R to S5II and wanted to use the S9 with some manual lenses. I like the form factor, and of course IBIS, as well as the new LAB and LUTS feature. It Reminds me of Leica Fotos concept. The camera really needs a small 28 or 35mm fast AF lens on release here. None of my AF lens quivers is an excellent fit except the Sigma 10-18mm f2.8, but that is AFC and really too wide for practical images. That 45mm Sigma is my conclusion too. The SR grip is not enough, honestly, and yet well made. As an LCD screen user, most of the time, I found other reviewers' complaints invalid due to the fact that this screen is adjustable and bright as any S5. So, I don't get the rant, and it is underserved. I use LED panels on my Hot Shoe, but I also use a flash, so I am torn here. I also need an EVF for manual focusing lenses that aren't AF in challenging low-contrast compositions. I do wish to have a Pro Rangerfinder IBIS body from Lumix. Perhaps they will release a Mark ll.

[@mellowbluesky]

I really do hope that Panasonic releases a Mark II version of this camera with more photo-centric features in mind. In its current form, the S9 is a video-centric camera trapped in a photo-centric body.

[@NetvoTV]

Is Zf more fun but do people ever use the dedicate dials or just use the spinning wheels? Do you use iPhone or Android and which model, do you recommend me iPhone 16 Pro or Sony Xperia 1 VI, if I use Mac and prefer iOS but prefer Xperia natural image quality and plan to get Zf with 28-400mm f4-8 in future when possible, the Xperia 1 VI has 2X tele macro but I not sure I will use it much because there isn't much variation in macro art and for education purposes I can just google with better result i thinm

[@mellowbluesky]

I was actually considered getting a ZF myself. Being mainly a Fujifilm user, I’m really used to the dedicated dial controls, but I can see it being more of a gimmick in this day and age though. As for IPhone vs Xperia, can’t say much about it since I’ve never used an iPhone. I got an iPad, iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, etc, but as for phones, I’ve never had an iPhone haha. Android all the way for phones mainly because I wanna have expandable storage with Micro SD cards.

[@lfcruzsierra]

SIRUI grip seems more comfortable, Small Rig one feels too small IMO I don't know if possible, but you might need to turn the DJI mic towards you for better functionality.

[@mellowbluesky]

I didn't know there were other alternate grips. I'd be interested in checking that out :) I'm sure there's going to be vendors on AliExpress that will come up with leather casing for this camera soon.

[@DangAlvinFilms]

Wish they sold this color in the US!

[@mellowbluesky]

I agree! 👍 I think the Red, Green, Blue bottoms would've looked better with the Silver top rather than the Black top to be honest.

[@molybdnum]

They definitely botched the release by not having the upcoming 18-40 f4-5.6 available at launch. That should be around the same size as the Sigma 45.

[@mellowbluesky]

Yup, they made a real mess of things. If the sales of S9 doesn't pan out too well, a lot of people are gonna point their fingers at the free Japan trip fiasco, but I think the real problem with S9 isn't the marketing. It's the absence of any AF pancake lens at launch like you said. Both Canon & Nikon have tiny f2.8 AF pancake lenses that are almost exactly the same size as the new Panasonic 26mm f8 MF lens. f8 Manual Focus.... What were they thinking?!

[@DavidMorenoH]

Great vid!

[@mellowbluesky]

Thank you! I really appreciate it 😊

[@Thehackerguy2000]

Wtf the US version are really tacky compared to this. What is Panasonic doing ;_;

[@mellowbluesky]

Yup. I actually like the all black version, but other colors do look tacky to me too, especially when combined with the black top.. Red/Blue/Green might have looked better with silver top though.

[@FPGVlog]

😍

[@salarycat]

The Sigma 45 seems like it should be the default lens for this camera. But I'm a bit held back by the fact it doesn't have a compact zoom in the L-mount lineup. I'm trying to decide between this and the a7c which is similarly priced, and the a7c seems to be a little smaller, have more compact lenses to go with it, and Sony to be more committed in the compact full-frame ecosystem. Do you have any thoughts between the two choices? How did you end up picking the S9?

[@mellowbluesky]

I didn't end up picking S9 because I already had an A7C II, and I ended up with both cameras 😆 Are you referring to the original A7C or the newer A7C II? Because that distinction is important. The original A7C is quite dated, so I'd definitely go with the S9, but if you were talking about the newer A7C II, then the choice is quite obvious to me. I'll pick the A7C II over the S9. S9 just doesn't have the right lenses in my opinion. I just got a Nikon Zf /w a pancake lens and I like it better than the either two. I'm going to make a video about it soon, so stay tuned 😃

[@salarycat]

@@mellowbluesky Hi, thanks for responding. I was thinking the original a7c as it can be found pretty cheap in good used condition, basically cheaper than the S9. The mk2 is in high demand, so the price ends up about $1000 higher than the mk1. But what I'm concerned is which system to invest in the long run. The Zf definitely looks like a great camera but I'm not sure it fits in the same compact category as the aforementioned cameras.

[@dklatravel]

Great video and thanks for the info. When using the DJI Mic 2 on the S9, does the Mic 2 turn off and on when you power off the camera or do you have to manually on/off the mic each time? Also, are you able to remote trigger start/stop camera recording with the mic by pressing the link button?

[@mellowbluesky]

Thank you, I really appreciate your comment :) To answer your first question, DJI Mic 2 Receiver RX Unit does turn on/off along with the camera if you have the auto on/off option activated within the receiver setting. However, the transmitter TX Unit does not do that. You have to turn off the transmitter mic manually. It does turn off after 15 minutes of non-use eventually though. As for your second question about triggering the camera video recording with the "link" button on the mic, I can say with certainty that it DOES NOT work with the S9. I've tested it out, and it doesn't work. In fact, I've read on DJI online forums that the camera recording trigger works only with DJI cameras such as the Osmo Action 4 or the Pocket 3.

[@dklatravel]

@@mellowbluesky You’re awesome! I appreciate the time and response. It really helped me decide whether it’s worth it or not. When I’m doing travel vlogging, the last thing I want to do is to worry about remembering to turn on and off the receiver before and after recording. I currently use the Sennheiser MKE 400 and I love how it automatically turns on/off with the camera each time. I have the S5II now and still debating on the S9. I simply love the hybrid zoom feature. I hope they bring it into the S5II via firmware. Thanks again!

[@mike1506tube]

Thank you. ❤

[@mellowbluesky]

Thanks! I really appreciate it 😊

[@johnchavez8386]

45mm for vlogging seems a bit tight...

[@mellowbluesky]

It is indeed very tight. I'd have to use the 20-60mm kit lens for vlogging, which is a problem since it's bulky and makes the S9 very front heavy.

[@JulioBarrancoGalaviz]

Super nice camera! Where did you buy the S9 Japanese version?

[@mellowbluesky]

I’m in Korea, so it was readily available here for me luckily :) The blue version is getting a delayed release in Korea for some reason, so there might be a supply issue. Maybe that’s why the rest of the world isn’t getting the silver version just yet.

[@JulioBarrancoGalaviz]

@@mellowbluesky awesome! I really really like it. Congrats!

[@tomCGNpics]

You really use a 45mm for vlogging?

[@mellowbluesky]

I actually use the other lens 20-60mm for vlogging. Not that I do a lot of that, but 45mm is obviously too close. 20mm is perfect for it though. The stabilization is so much better than Sony A7C at 20mm, but it does have a bit of wobbly jello effect

[@TopshelfJunior]

@@mellowbluesky Make sure you have "BOOST" stabilization turned off.. That often times creates the wobble /jello.