The Micro Four Thirds FLAGSHIP Showdown! OM1 vs G9ii

[@MicroFourNerds]

Lumix G9ii vs OM1ii video is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIe1c2mpjb55d8Usi=S58_NR4iQmsab_k-

[@gregfeeler6910]

This is a very good review of the G9II and comparison with the OM-1 - the best I've seen, so thank you! Still, there are some things you might address in a future expanded video. You left out the features exclusive to the OM-1 like Live ND and Starry Sky AF, and the additional Live Compensation modes. Also, just to be specific, the OM-1 EVF has 5.76 million dots whereas the G9II has 3.68, so the OM-1 has 56% more, and the OM-1 is rated at IP53 weatherproofing (and has same rated lenses) whereas Lumix does not claim any recognized testing rating for the G9II or it's lenses. Perhaps in another video you can discuss the relative merits of the OM-1 stacked sensor vs. the slightly larger non-stacked G9II sensor. Having said all that, as an Olympus/OM System person and OM-1 owner, I'm thrilled about the advancements in the G9II, not just relative to the G9/GH6 but also for the MFT system overall. Now, there are two amazing MFT flagship bodies for a fraction of the price of the high-end FF bodies, most of which still don't have all the features of the G9II or OM-1. Taken all together, the case for MFT vs. larger formats continues to get stronger. Again, thank you for an excellent review.

You are a sage.

[@corycanon]

The OM1 allows you to create a long, thin rectangular autofocus area. Either horizontal or vertical. Just like what you did with the Panasonic.

[@MicroFourNerds]

It does! I'm sorry for that mistake- olympus menus thwarted me again haha because it wasn't in the main place and not an option when cycling through I assumed it didn't have it. I am so happy it does!!! It'll be super handy for safari this coming week 😁

[@21upbowls]

Once again misleading

[@richardg3335]

Great review. A few things though that needed attention. The OM1 uses a new stacked 20MP sensor. It has a 80MP tripod mode. It's IP53 rated. It will shoot at 120fps with auto focus locked. It's EVF is 5.76k vs 3.68k. It has live time, starry sky AF and built in live ND filters. You should be able to set the focus area as you want, like you did with the G9 MK2 as my em1 MK3 does. And in all your tests the G9 was using dual IS, where none of your lenses would do that with the OM1. This will also apply to the focus speeds, as certain lenses focus faster than others. Try the 12-100mm IS F4, it's brilliant. The prices here in Australia are exactly the same at $3299 body only. But OM systems have sales all the time, making it cheaper. Saying all that I now think that the G9 MK2 is the better camera, which means that the OM1 will be discounted even more soon, hopefully.

[@rjohnbernales]

G9 mark 2 all the way. I’m currently shooting Olympus,but I think I’ll be giving Lumix alot of consideration next time I get a new camera 🤩

[@TheHudsonValleyWanderer]

As a landscape photographer who hates tripods that handheld 100 megapixel mode of the G9ii sounds quite delicious.

[@normstangl3499]

A great balanced review! It’ll be very interesting to see what the future for m43 holds. Clearly worth the long wait for the Mark II. Until I absolutely can’t do without, I’ll be happily shooting on my EM1 Mk III. M43 is a shockingly underrated system.

[@crimlarksSteve]

I will also be shooting on my EM1 Mk III for a while. For the type of shooting I do with it (mainly travel) it's a great camera. I also have a Pen F that I love and will never sell. So much to like about M43.

[@Centauri27]

I fully agree! But as long as we have all these Canikon and Sony FF fanboys and KZbinrs beating on the "small" sensor, it'll continue to be a tough slog.

[@michaelpopel7186]

Thank you. You very well described the current issues with the OM-1 Autofocus. Although it identifies and focusses birds very well, it sometimes still focusses on other things in the picture. Looks like panasonic cought up here very well. Now it is up to OM-Systems to take the next step. I'm looking forward to the next bigger firmware-update for the OM-1

[@Sheeno101]

Although I agree that the G9 ii is the better choice for most people, I've just purchased a used OM-1 even after the G9 ii being announced. There are some reasons to choose it over the G9 ii, although some are quite niche: - I think it's the better choice for macro photography, particularly of moving subjects and/or extreme macro. It can use a flash with electronic shutter, up to 1/100th shutter speed, which none of the Panasonic cameras so far have been able to do and so I assume the G9 ii can't either (although it would be great to have it confirmed). It can even do this with focus bracketing. The focus bracketing is typically much faster on Olympus/OM devices than Panasonic too (again I would love to know if this has changed). Not only that, but the Olympus 90mm 3.5 macro is one of the best macro lenses ever, and the OM has Sync IS with it. - The OM-1 also has a better complement of computational photography modes. Live Bulb/Time, Starry Sky AF, Live ND - all have their uses and could sway people who do long exposure or astrophotography - There are other advantages of the OM-1's stacked sensor - the main one for me being the reduced rolling shutter - Finally, you can pick up an OM-1 used for a good price if you're patient - it'll be a good 18 months before G9 iis are being resold at these prices Overall I'd say that from a photography perspective, the G9 ii seems to do most things a little better than the OM-1 (although the OM-1 is also very good at them), but there are a few features the OM-1 has that the G9 ii doesn't have at all. It's a different story if you include video where the G9 ii can do many things the OM-1 can't though!

[@MicroFourNerds]

Very good write up! That oly 90mm macro is insane!

[@kevinharding9361]

It's those computational modes : Live Bulb/Time, Starry Sky AF, Live ND & Composites (which of course the G9ii can also take) which has me selling off half my Sony gear (I'm keeping my A7r5!!) to fund a M43 kit (OM1 and 5-6 lenses). I'm looking to see if the G9ii can also handle them - if not I'm afraid that rules it out for me (though I'd love that video capability) ! I should add that I especially wanted the OM1 (and to hire the 150-400/4.5) for safaris (having used Sony A9 + A7r5 + 200-600 on the last).

[@MicroFourNerds]

UPDATED vs video from Kenya safari with both cameras. with new thoughts and your questions answered!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/baK6aq2pfNKNe68si=ddx5ZfyzkKXSiXKc

[@apocalypso1564]

As a dedicated lumix macro photographer, i hate to say that the OM-1 blows Lumix and this camera out of the water in regards to focus stacking. OM and the previous Olympus OMD models all offer focus bracketing with third party flash such as Godox. Amazingly (and I'd say seemingly brainlessly) Lumix do not. Considering how macro is often about detail, and shooting invertebrates can be very haphazard, flash bracketing is becoming more of an essential tool in the community, and practically the whole community uses OM/OLY camera's as a result. Seeing how Lumix have the best IQ sensor, they are missing a serious trick by not introducing something that surely only needs firmware to implement. Incredibly disappointing, and a lost opportunity for sales.

[@JayFrandsen]

The jury is still out on sensor quality comparison between these two cameras. Wait for full reviews for that, since raw files were not compared in this preview. It appears the G9ii uses a modified GH6 sensor since they are both dual gain 25 MP sensors. Also, in comparisons in image quality between the GH6 and OM-1 for stills, the OM-1 appeared to be sharper regardless of the resolution difference. This is likely due to the GH6 having an anti aliasing filter to reduce moiré, which is great for video and portraiture but a hinderance to pretty much every other genre of photography as a result of its perceptual loss of resolution. I am very curious if Panasonic removed the AA filter for the G9ii since it is a little more stills focused. As for dynamic range, especially around base ISO's the OM-1 blew the GH6 out of the water, but apparently the G9ii's dual gain has been tweaked to improve dynamic range near its base ISO, so it will be interesting to see how it compares. As for performance at high ISO's the OM1 performed slightly better than the GH6, probably due to it being a Sony fabricated sensor and it being back side illuminated. Furthermore, the OM-1 will likely have less rolling shutter in stills and video due to its stacked sensor design. I believe the OM1 has an 8ms readout speed while the GH6 has a 17.8ms readout speed.

[@GoonieGooGoo910]

8-25/4 Pro does not have lens IS. So test was IBIS only for OM-1 vs Dual IS for the PL12-60.

[@J-Young_photography]

One think Lumix has done right was with its 25MP sensor, the extra 5MP helps with cropping for birding.

[@lsh-zi2lc]

less noise also.

[@jamesloop]

I like that they’re using the same body as the s5ii for swapping cages and accessories. I’d like to see that happen to the gh/s1 lines too. I know the gh6 is big for mft (and I love it’s size) but I doubt they’d be able to use the gh6 body for the s1hii just based off how big the current s1h body is…but my dream is to see identical bodies for the gh7/s1hii based on the gh6 body (with independently lockable dials)

[@gordon3988]

Both cameras are currently $2600 in Canada. Suspect we will see a firmware update soon from OM perhaps to minimize some of the differences. Just guessing of course.

[@tizio54]

Great comparison Emily and it's good to see strong competition in the MFT market. It will be interesting to see what the final firmware version can do, and of course future firmware updates. I wonder though, in general, why video performance gets such strong emphasis. I understand that it's very important to (professional) filmmakers and KZbinrs, but what percentage of people who buy these cameras use their cameras mostly for serious video work vs. serious photography. I'd be interested in some statistics about this.

[@christill]

You can set a custom autofocus horizontal box on the OM-1 to be clear.

[@AndrewMuspratt-u5i]

Just for information I believe your " Kestrel " scaring the woodpecker was in fact a Sparrowhawk and the woodpecker had every reason to be scared of it !!! As an Olympus Pen F user well done on an excellent comparison ... but I still want the OM1 when my inheritance arrives !!!

[@wturri78]

A great review! It will be interesting to see how Panasonic markets the G9ii, as OM's marketing has been almost entirely focused toward wildlife, birding and macro photographers. They've given a strong impression that they're only usable for that. The fact that the OM-1's bird and animal tracking got a big update from the older bodies, but their human eye/face tracking is still mediocre, just reinforces the impression that OM is all-in with birders and hikers. My old G9 was more reliable in tracking faces 3 years ago than OM-1 is now, although until Panasonic finally included PDAF, the actual AF system wasn't good enough to stick with the faces it was tracking. I sold my G9 in late 2022 and got an OM-1 and I'm overall quite happy with it. I've never needed a burst rate higher than 20 fps, so the fact that these cameras can do 25, 50 and 60 doesn't really matter much to me :) If I hadn't already sold the G9 for the OM-1, I'd be selling it now and going for the G9ii, especially for its improved human subject tracking. I use an MFT camera as a second body alongside Canon full frame when I shoot weddings and events, and Canon has really spoiled me when it comes to keeping faces in focus! I'm about to take my OM-1 on a 6 day hiking adventure in Grand Teton nat'l park in Wyoming, with my 8-25 f/4 wide angle and the Panasonic 50-200 f/2.8-4 telephoto and I expect it will perform brilliantly all around! I don't think the G9ii's advantages are significant enough for me to consider switching brands again, but I do hope it spurs OM to release some firmware updates that make their human subject tracking competitive!

[@G8GTJav]

Looked like the G9 II had far less noise at higher ISOs. Image samples I've seen from the 100 MB high-res mode are incredibly detailed too. What a beast. Just a bit big for my liking. Wish Panasonic would come out with a GX9 sized camera with most of the G9 II features...

[@diogoferreira9039]

The om1 has customizeable focus areas..

[@Forthejoyofphotography]

Thanks for the early comparison. I bought the OM1 a few months ago. Not yet used it in earnest. Had I had the option of a G9II back then, it would now be a hard decision. I don't shoot much video, so I suppose it would come down to photo shooting. Currently, for wildlife with the 60fps, electronic, better buffer and better long focus length IBIS, together with (currently). superior focus tracking, Then, the G9II would perhaps sway me. Hopefully, this is something OM Systems can work on to improve the focus tracking in a firmware update. At least Panasonic has given OM Systems a 'wake up' call here. Had the G9II had 'Live' ND then it would make it the (almost) perfect M43 camera and a 'no brainer'. I really do like the 'Live' ND feature of the OM 1 - shooting mainly land, sea and cityscapes as I do.

[@stuartriley]

Emily, Brilliant demonstration and content! I have the older cameras of Panasonic and Olympus systems (but not OMS), and I will probably upgrade to the newer Lumix G9MkII based on your work. I am curious of what you think of the FF Lumix S5II in comparison of the G9MkII. Thank you once again for all your hard work and honest comments.

[@alamin-fr8rc]

Thank you, you’re fast becoming my favorite camera reviewer with your entertaining style and in depth real life comparisons. I started with the em 10 Mk ii as my first foray into learning photography. Such a good camera and a great instructor Robb Trek on how to get the most out of it. Now I’m excited to take the next step and want to buy a camera I don’t have to even think about upgrading for years to come. My main concern is size as the em 10 ii was the perfect travel camera. Looks like upgrading is going to mean a larger, heavier camera. I was leaning toward the OM 1 or OM 5 but The Lumix G9 ii looks like it’s going to be IT. I am an amateur into 90% photography ( birds, wildlife, landscape and hopefully astro soon and only 10% video. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[@miki_marker]

Weird question but why not try someday something crazy stuff like M1 mark2 in city rentals

[@waynealejo]

Please do AF tests with adapted EF lenses on a Speedbooster 🙏🏽

[@bricoschmoo1897]

I've been disappointed by my OM-1 in the video department, but extremely thrilled by its macro capabilities. I think I'll replace my G9 by a G9-ii and use that for wildlife (since I already have a PL 100-400 bought in 2020) , and stick with the OM-1 for macro stuff. These two camera have their own strengths and weaknesses, and complement each other very well.

[@DennisDinges]

IMO m43 needs another gx80/85 next gen upgrade with audio input. M43 needs a small form factor to compete with Sony’s A6700 and the latest mobile phones

[@GlenBarnett]

What a superb review! I’m not even a MFT shooter but your thorough testing is excellent Brilliant 👍

[@ankera7460]

i was hoping someone makes 2 cameras comparison.. nice review 👍

[@nk-oi3oo]

Do you think Panasonic will bring smaller body? I feel G9ii is almost full frame body.

[@RonaldBrown59]

The new G92 looks great. Thanks for this first look and comparison.

[@przybylskipawel]

Hi-res modes on GH6 produces fantastic results even handheld and I expect something similar from G9 II. ON OM-1 handheld hi-res not only is not as impressive in terms of resolution gains, but sadly in my experience is unusable in real life - lots of artifacts unless you use some kind of support. At that tine however it is better to use a tripod and 80Mpix which get you good results, not matching GH6 though.

[@kowascoping]

so far OM1 less capable video spec's stopped me from upgrading my em 1 mark III. I am hoping that OM systems will soon release the successor (remember OM1 was still made under Olympus flag) in terms of a OM2 but so far no rumours on that. The G9ii looks awesome. The only thing that makes me hesitate is to loose sync stabilisation with my Olympus 300m f4. I would love to see a test how the G9ii preforms in video with that 300m olympus,(especially in maybe using the extra electronic stabilisation on the G9ii) versus the native sync stabilisation with the om1. That result would be decisive weather a wait longer for an OM1 successor or go for the new Pani boy ( i already own a gh5 and that is my main camera for all my shoots except video with 300m f4 olympus).

[@dr.alihanoosh5763]

Do you think there's a GX9 m2 coming out soon? 😅

[@maculatus67]

I don't understand why the lens used would have any effect on the frame rate.

[@Superbus753]

I have replaced my dying em1 mkii some month ago with the om-1 so far pretty happy with it. Hope om digital solutions can improve on some aspects with firmware update to close the gap to the newer g9ii a bit as many differences like af should be adjustable by software. The g9ii looks great but as i have the om1 i wont get the g9ii

[@LTPottenger]

I really like the time traveling feature.

[@paulcrisp8423]

Emily, one question I have is did you measure the time for buffer clearing on the G9II with V90 SD cards? I am able to clear my 90 frame buffer on the OM-1 in around 7-8 seconds, so I am interested how long the 180-200 shots G9II is taking to clear.

[@StarrysLostandFound]

Thanks for this comparison.

[@sebastiaanvanwater]

I want to see what 60fps with AF looks like with the Lumix 20mm f1.7. Probably pretty awful...

[@johnrenton3463]

An insightful and professional review Emily. The G9ii richly rewards those who kept the faith 🙂

[@NKRDBL]

.mov and .mp4 is a container. ProRes is a codec (which stored in .mov container) 🥴

[@Kukimuncher]

g9ii over the om 1 any day. cant wait to see what else lumix and OM system will come up with in the future.

[@johnvillalovos]

I saw another video where the person had received the 1.0 firmware from Panasonic. Hopefully you can get it too.

[@diogoferreira9039]

I hope oms updates firmware to improve ai af

[@PixelGuy22]

Nice comparison. I just took delivery of the OM-1 but am within the return period. Very timely announcement from Panasonic. I think I heard that the G9ii has the same LUT for stills capability that the S5ii has. Can you confirm this? Also, did you get to try the new Leica monochrome simulation? Thank you!!!

[@MicroFourNerds]

It does indeed! I cover it a bit in my full g9ii review (previous video 😊)

[@przybylskipawel]

I would say that G9II EVF is decent while OM-1 is very good. But the difference (based on my experience with GH6) is big, and influencing user's experience. Still 3,69Mdots is much better than on Canon's or Sony's APS-C cameras.

[@maverickrmedia]

Does the g9m2 have the nd filter built in like the om1

[@KiinaSu]

Can I set shutter angle in the G9 II for video? The GH series can do it and I'm always a bit annoyed to use shutter speed when I have to change framerates on the G9.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Yes you can 😊

[@orange42]

Needs to be a big improvement in picture quality over G9.

[@frankinblackpool]

You were incredibly diplomatic at the end of your episode saying that both Flagship cameras were excellent, when its obvious that there was one winner.🤣 And on the strength of your first episode, I've pre-ordered a G9ii. I can't wait till November. Aggggggg!!!!

[@FierceSleepingDog]

Not interested in an OMDS vs Lumix fight. They both raise the bar for MFT. WE AINT DEAD YET, YOU FULL FRAMERS!

[@StrangelyIronic]

Anyone who buys a camera new is crazy, you can pickup great condition OM-1’s for around 1300 usd vs 1900 new of a G9.II. It’ll be a while before G9.II’s are selling used so they may be cheaper then. If you have to have new, the OM-1 also goes on sale at 10% or more off all the time making it cheaper then. Not hating, honestly the G9.II will probably see reductions or similar sales within 6-8 months due to so much hate for anything but full frame being spread by camera manufacturers wanting more money from the pricier lenses and by shill influencers who either get paid to love a brand, are ignorant and irresponsibly bandwagon in, or are flat out fine lying. I’ll probably be picking up a G9.II if the mythical vapor ware possible pen-f II isn’t talked about. Even if it is real, it’d be a om-1 jr with the pen-f premium cost, so probably not worth.

[@DavZell]

If we all waited, you wouldn't have any used cameras to buy! You should thank us, not call us crazy!

[@jimcoon]

I’m 70 yrs old and just ordered the G9II - actually for shooting video for my real estate business. I am a farm and ranch broker. Listening to you is like listening to my daughter teach me all about the camera. I can’t thank you enough for your time and talent. I will have subscribed and I learned a great deal. Jim in Oregon

[@MicroFourNerds]

Thanks so much Jim! I think the g9ii would be perfect for that!

[@DarkTrapStudio]

Hey Jim :) How as it been ? Just ordered a GX80 myself today as my first camera, but Id like to get a G9II if Im making serious work/money later

[@jimcoon]

@@DarkTrapStudio Heym, Dark Trap! I have used Lumix cameras since the GH3 for video. Still use my GH5 all the time. I love the G9II for the open gate and the great codecs and frame rates that I can record to SSD. But, since we aren’t using these cameras to make movies for the big screen, I bet you will love the GX80! The biggest issue is just getting out and creating. The editing is 1/2 the battle. Let me know how you like your new camera!

[@DarkTrapStudio]

​@@jimcoon I love colorimetry, Ive learn with BlackMagic Design free courses and my dad was a graphic designer, also Ive learn all the basics with Studio Binger (Best KZbin Cinema Channel, outstanding leesons there) and I have very good results shooting manual wich I prefer for photos, Ive already learn that great edit come from great photo so I really have no problem with it. Im craving a Mitakon Speedmaster lens right now as the next step for hybrid video/photo shooting. (my GX80 come with 12-32 and 45-100 F3.5 decent kit lens) I will let you know thanks a lot I really appreciate your wholesomeness.

[@jimblues21]

As a Olympus/OM shooter I think this is great and well done Panasonic with this new camera, feels like family to me as both systems can use the same lenses and I love that, Micro Four Thirds is the winner here and long live this format

[@nndoorgaans]

Thanks for the comparision. The launch of the G9II is a significant boost for the m43 community. Recently, I've made a full transition back from Sony FF to m43. Virtually everything you can do with Fullframe can also be achieved with m43, but with less weight (which becomes increasingly important as you get older) and less intimidating to the surroundings. The video quality of the GH6 is impressive and fantastic to work with. However, compact and yet excellent cameras like the GX9 are pleasant companions for a day out. Naturally, the G9II (with its much-improved AF) is on my wishlist, along with the highly underrated OM5 from OM systems (420 grams). The latter camera is a hybrid marvel when it comes to both photo and video (4K and 120 FPS HD) in a small and lightweight body. Try capturing a handheld video with panning using a Sony (e.g., the zv1 or the a7c); it's quite challenging. The OM5 can do it, and, of course, the G9II can as well. Hopefully, Panasonic will continue to innovate and soon release a GX9 mkII and/or a G90 mkII.

[@toke7560]

I find the biggest draw are the superb small lenses.

[@cameralabs]

Excellent comparisons and demos Emily, you nailed it! Did you notice if the stacked sensor on the Om1 made much difference for skewing in video or electronic bursts over the G9II?

[@MicroFourNerds]

Thanks so much Gordon! 😁🙌

[@ar43r]

Master has spoken :) btw. I chose my feed camera based on review from Gordon. It was 14 years ago where did the time went…

[@cameralabs]

interesting...@mipmipmipmipmip

[@cameralabs]

@@ar43r it's quite alarming where the time went! I'm still here, plugging away though!

[@JayFrandsen]

The OM-1 sensor readout speed is approximately 7.4 milliseconds and the G9ii is likely 17.8 milliseconds since the G9ii uses a tweaked GH6 image sensor. You are correct that the OM-1's stacked back-side illuminated sensor could potentially read out faster than 8 milliseconds, but they chose to have a quad pixel auto focus system that essentially has 4 auto focus pixels for each actual photo pixel, thus the sensor has to scan 80 megapixels worth of data instead of 20 megapixels @mipmipmipmipmip

[@ShinyTechThings]

The algorithm knew I *REALLY* wanted to see this so it showed up as the first video recommended to me. Since your last video I've been anticipating this release. Thanks for making this.

[@Sarcastek]

I get it you're a Lumix fan, but parts of this review are a tad misleading re the OM-1, eg. re the AF targeting boxes (around 6:49 in), the OM-1 allows user created custom shaped boxes to be used, I have a narrow horizontal one on the OM-1 just as you showed being used on the G9II.

[@DavZell]

Regarding FPS, the OM-1 has two modes, and you only mentioned one. In SH1, it can do 120 fps, with any lens, but not continuous focus/exposure. In SH2, which you mentioned, it drops to 50 fps, has continuous AF and exposure, and limits the lenses.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Yeah the g9ii has the same, I'm not interested in the locked focus modes personally, but they're level pegged either way in that respect 😊

[@thetoyota86perspective54]

What's the point of having 120fps if it's not continuous? The whole point of burst modes is to capture moving subjects like in sports photography which is what I mainly do

[@POVwithRC]

She did your OM a favour not mentioning it

[@DavZell]

@@thetoyota86perspective54 Sports, like capturing a golf swing? How about group portraiture when trying to get everyone with the best eyes and expressions? Maybe catching the best shot of a wave or other water feature/fountain? Maybe playing around with other forms motion capture (not sure that's the right term, but capturing a series of shots as an event occurs, like something being hit, drops of something going into another pool/container of liquid, etc). Really anything that benefits from fast sequential image capture that doesn't have a lot of distance variation, especially if 120fps provides better results in comparison to 50/60 fps.

[@DavZell]

@@POVwithRC See my response to the Toyota guy. (Also, I'm way past measuring my self worth by length of my monopod. Maybe keep the snark to yourself. Most of us here have perfectly good cameras.)

[@joshc717]

The OM-1 Does have the ability to create a custom focus box any size you want. You can create 4 custom options

[@paulcrisp8423]

Emily, glad you pointed out the OM-1's limitations with high speed burst mode. As the owner of expensive Pana Leica glass, it is very frustrating that they are limited to 25 FPS. This seems to be purely an OM System software decision, as you point out, all lenses function at 60 FPS on the G9II. Come on OM System, release a firmware update to remove these limitations!

[@MJGOLDHEART]

I didn't even realiise this on the OM1 regarding the speed burst mode

[@veikop]

To me there is two different m43 systems and it suck😂 there is always a some sort of limitations and only few mention them.

[@stevemurnan1702]

How do you know this is a 'software decision by OMS'?

[@neildeakin4454]

@@stevemurnan1702 Because the electronic shutter is in the body not the lens?

[@robbyvillabona]

The remark on 6:58 is incorrect. You have the ability to create custom AF area shapes in OM-1, including a wide vertical or horizontal AF area.

[@GaryPallett]

Just about to post the same… thanks 👍

[@007silverwings]

Thanks for sharing this early comparison 👍🏻 The stabilisation on the G9II looks incredible. It's good on the OM-1, but it was significantly better on the G9II.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Yes! That was my conclusion with so much of these tests! The OM1 is amazing... the g9ii is just somehow taking it all even further!

[@007silverwings]

​​@@MicroFourNerdsDo you have any way of testing the RAW HDMI output from the G9II? Atomos recorder for example. Would love to know what it supports; 10/12 bit RAW and 120fps etc... Thanks

[@christopheschmit8671]

Your video footage of the om seems weird. I have an e m5 iii and the stabilisation is better.

[@ericaceous1652]

Oof, this is going to be quite a showdown! Panasonic has really come out swinging against the OM1. The G9 II meets and exceeds just about every aspect of performance Also, top tier IBIS joke

[@donalone]

Doesn’t look good for OM

[@jonathanscherer8567]

OM Systems has been really good about putting out firmware updates. Here's hoping this incentivizes even more improvements. AF could still use some work, and I'd love to see them broaden the lenses that support high burst rates. I do think Panasonic coming out with the G9 ii almost 2 years after the OM-1 was released does give it a bit of an advantage. Considering how many years it takes for R&D before bringing a product like this to the market, I doubt we'll see a true OM-1 replacement for another couple of years. The tech used is slightly dated already when compared to the G9 ii, where as it was pretty impressive at the time of release. Here's hoping they can do some tweaking with the firmware to make up for its shortcomings. I doubt everything can be addressed, but as an OM-1 owner, I have to keep optimistic. The company is just getting started with the camera department after all.

[@gregfeeler6910]

@@jonathanscherer8567 At this point, I'm not accepting that the G9II - or any camera for that matter - can shoot at 50 or 60fps continuous auto focus with *any* lens. That ability is more dependent on the lens than it is the camera. One of the qualities mentioned in every lens review is focus speed - not to mention stop-down speed - and there are lenses out there that surly can't perform at that speed. I'm open to see that ability truly demonstrated on the G9II, in which case I will stand in awe. 🙂

[@paulcrisp8423]

Panasonikc have released a number of lenese with motors that support 240 FPS, so 60 should be no issue.@@gregfeeler6910

[@CAPTOURS]

I think it really depends on your subjects. If you need the oly 300mm lens to nail birds in flight you pick the OM-1. Higher grade lens than the 100-400 pl. If you want the dual is and are happy with the variable aperture with the 100-400 pl and the lightweight lens you go that way. I have both lenses and it's hard to minimise the shake with the 100-400pl without the dual is for birds perched but in flight you don't need stabilisation in either. I will probably get a g9ii for a look as the video has always been better with Panasonic but for birds in flight if you want the 300mm glass I think it's only om-1. Both great choices either way. Great comparison video, you bring life to us m4/3 users. Panasonic did have the advantage of being a newer camera but for those that said the cameras were dead we say we're just getting started ❤

[@seanparlan]

Wow, the woodpecker footage and pre-burst, I never thought I'd be drooling over m43 again

[@zee196]

i hope they include this mode on Fullframe S1 or S1R mark 2 when it release

[@007silverwings]

Wish they could bring this to the S5II too.

[@zee196]

@@007silverwings sensor is not fast enough for that

[@michaelbaileyphotographycr9728]

Interesting comparison. The G9ii is clearly a great camera, but I'm not sure the OM-1 is being used to the best of its ability here. That video footage is awful, and not what I'm used to seeing with mine. That said, my main interest is in DR and noise, so until I see a decent comparison of that... the jury's still out for me., Regardless, I'm sure OMS will be having plenty of sleepless nights over this.

[@seanb480]

Your BIF breakdowns were so excellent. This really helped me understand how great the AF is on the G9ii and hopefully with OM-1 some firmware updates to help it catch up!

[@ImageMaven]

Excellent comparison Emily. And thanks for testing things that many people don’t. As for noise comparison in raw files, I hold the opinion that it is best to use jpgs for that as you’re also testing the camera processing of those high ISO situations - even without extra noise reduction. So I’m actually glad you used jpgs for that test. (And I rarely shoot raw files anymore.)

[@shardanette1]

I was hoping we'd see a g9II video from you as well.

[@ImageMaven]

@@shardanette1 I am not blessed with that kind of early access to Lumix gear. I completely trust Emily to give us the honest goods. I will have to wait until it arrives for sale in Canada. And then of course, decide if it’s for me. (Who am I kidding, of course I want one.) 😂

[@shardanette1]

@@ImageMaven Well, that's Panasonic's mistake.

[@shot87]

Alright, if Lumix made a rangefinder style GX8II based on G9II internals, I'd have to pull the trigger. But for now, my OM1 does everything I need. But I'd love a smaller daily carry that does everything and has LUT for custom look on the go.

[@c.augustin]

Don't forget the 25 MP resolution this camera would have … this is what makes me look very hard in the direction of Lumix (as an Olympus user) …

[@eelco6587]

Hi Emily, Great comparison! As a OM-1 user I can confirm that there is a possibility to add a wide horizontal or vertical AF target boxes. Go to the AF menu, 5 AF settings and operations Settings. Then AF target mode settings. Here you can create your custom target area. There are 4 custom slots available.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Aaah fantastic thank you! That'll come in very handy this week on safari!

[@visceraljourney]

G9II IBIS looks close to GoPro which is impressive to say the least, for a walking shot.

[@Mr_Weak_Photographer]

The problem, regardless of whether Camara has more specifications on paper, is that you have no idea how to configure the autofocus on the OM1, which is similar to my Nikon Z9. To make it correct you have to know how reactive you want the autofocus to be if you are photographing birds, mammals, very fast or reactive birds, or stationary ones. If you don't know that, any autofocus comparison is false and you are throwing garbage at the OM1.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Perhaps it's a good comparison "out of the box" without the need to tinker so in depth. As I'm sure a lot of casual users won't (or won't realise they need to!)

[@przybylskipawel]

@9:40 again, not exactly true. On OM-1 you set number of photos pre-shutter, not the time. You can get only about 0.5s of pre buffer when shooting 50fps. But with slower bursts it can easily exceed 1s. Which is actually too much unless you have serious deficits of reaction time.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Yes I should have been clearer - I was comparing max fps in 0.5 seconds! And both cameras will continue to capture until the buffer is full if you keep the shutter pressed 😊

[@geraldbraun6267]

Thanks for a good over view of the two cameras. If I had to pick one it would be the OM-1 just because it has features that I think that I would use. They are both fantastic cameras, but I will not be buying either for now( not in my budget ).

[@NoName-rg3np]

That G92 footage looks amazing!

[@fuzzywuzzy8874]

well done!!! I do hope OMDS is watching and listening to this video (OM-1 fw update time). - you can make custom AF Target groups with the OM-1. so, you could make an AF Target group similar to G9II's depticed in the video (one or two [or three or four] rows wide and covering the screen left to right).

[@alandimery3379]

Great comparison, thanks. I have the OM-1. I think the biggest omission with the lumix is that they do not have any serious tele lenses. The oly 300mm for instance, is awesome. But I shall be looking at thuscseriously as a second body. To go with my oly lenses. And even add the Leica 100 400 (which is a but contradictory of myself) great to have them both in the stable.

[@KevinLing]

Thanks for the comparison review! This is an excellent matchup. I'd be interested to see how the rolling shutters compare for still images of fast moving objects.

[@gregm6894]

Right now the OM System 'wild card' is related to the lenses for wildlife. Both the 300mm f/4 Pro and the 150-400mm f/4.5 pro offer Synch IS on the OM-1, but they will not have that when used with the G9ii. Maybe the G9ii IBIS will make that a non-issue, but that remains to be seen.

[@Stv_creates]

No mention of the stacked sensor and no chance of rolling shutter ?

[@kamurray82]

I think they're both excellent cameras, and if it was me (and I had the money!) I'd find it a really difficult task to choose between them.

[@samanafkhami2792]

Thank you for this review. That is the comparison I was looking for. Especially the face detection on the OM-1 feels underwhelming. And your video shows how much better the G9II is. I don't shoot animals. Available light scenes with a lot of portraits are most important to me. I like about the OM-1 that it's smaller (yes, the few mm are a lot to me). And the stacked sensor makes the electronic shutter so good that I don't need ND filters anymore for my f1.2 lenses during the day. But Panasonic just has the better AF software. OM System has failed in delivering appropriate software for their great camera. Even my Olympus E-PL10 feels more confident when detecting faces. And there have been no significant updates to the OM-1 since firmware 1.3. Lowering AF sensitivity does improve performance though. The 25MP are not so relevant for me but are a real upgrade. Let's see what to do when I can hold the G9II in my hands later this year. Actually, I don't feel like changing cameras...

[@danny_r27]

How would the dynamic range be compared to the old G9? And is there actually a noticeable difference in resolution with lenses like the Leica 8-18mm that’s lacking in sharpness around the edges? I want to be interested in this camera but the detail compared to my old Leica SL from 2015. Do you think it’s worth it? I have a decent lens lineup: Olympus 12-40mm, Leica 8-18mm, Leica 25mm II, Leica 42.5 1.2, and Leica 15mm 1.7

[@paulthomas8986]

Fantastic specs and performance on the G9II. Would love to see an updated GX85 now. Still love using the Live ND in the Olympus. The shadows are so clean when you process the raw files.

[@whereismylife]

the GX85's unofficial successor is the Gx9, and I would love an update. My go to camera and I love it. With PDAF i could shoot a wedding using it with the 15mm f/1.7, the 25-50mm f/1.7 & oly 75mm f/1.8

[@flamezphotograpyhanif2199]

​@@whereismylife❤

[@johnjon1823]

That was probably the most useful and best review for my purposes that I have seen for the new G9 anywhere, and I do mean anywhere else. Well done, good efforts into this video are obvious and required work on your part. Excellent! My wish is that they had smaller versions of RAW file output. As someone who uses the G9 for real estate I blend the images via enfuse and they are great but unnecessarily large. The GH3 did only 16 megapixel RAW and that was closer to the mark for my needs. Even then, 12 would be more than enough. Now with 25 megapixel it would be nice to offer several RAW sizes to choose from. Fuji has the same problem. My Canon equipment lets me choose RAW size output and that is a big deal. I mean you can do nice work on 8 megapixels. It depends on if you need to crop. God bless!

[@DocBoA]

Lowlight arguments are mostly baseless for majority of shooters IMO. Most almost never shoot in darkness or even close. Sony is still my choice for video BUT my M43 lenses FINALLY are back in play. Great Content Upload.

[@hansn.433]

I think for bif with the 100-400 lenses or macro in dark forests lowlight becomes very relevant for many shooters a lot faster then you might thin

[@martin_the_artist_]

Camera looks great, but I REALLY need to see some raw files on how much shadow & highlight recovery is improved before I make a desicion. No reviewer has done that yet... is there a reason for this?

[@charlesmingo3459]

The big advantage of in-camera focus stacking (even to JPEG) over post-processing is that you can discover whether your focus-bracket will actually stack when you're still in the field, so you know when it's safe to stop shooting.

[@MicroFourNerds]

That's a great point I never thought about it like that

[@bjnslc]

I don't know how reliable the Olympus stack processing is, but in the G9 the in-camera can produce artifacts on a perfectly fine stack series. I don't bother using the feature...especially since in the G9 that's limited to 6K images.

[@A2Z1Two3]

@@bjnslcMaybe the G9II will be checked out for ‘artifacts’ by one of the reviewers .

[@bjnslc]

I don't think the G9 II processes stacks in-camera like the G9 can. The artifacts come from stack processing failings. @@A2Z1Two3

[@RyougiVector]

Is the OM-1 stabilization actually on in the wider shots? It looks like it's turned off. I've gotten smoother footage on my E-M1ii without as many jitters. The E-M1X and I think the E-M1iii had custom AF box sizes beyond the basic 3x3 and 5x5. I would assume the OM-1 has them too. Olympus C-AF has had C-AF sensitivity settings for awhile, and I imagine the OM-1 also has them. Going to +1 or +2 would probably make it snappier.

[@MicroFourNerds]

It is on in camera, but the only oly stock lens I own is the 8-25mm f4 Pro, which I thought had stabilisation but doesn't. So it's half a stop unfair without dual I.S. - as fair as I could make it with what I have

[@RyougiVector]

​@@MicroFourNerdsI've used the same lens on my E-M1ii and E-M1x and I don't get footage that jittery with the uncropped mode without e-stab at 8mm. Wobbly corners yeah, but not jitter.

[@RyougiVector]

also sorry I like to update my comments as I read them and I added a couple more questions after my stabilization one

[@Aviciiz]

Was the real world AF test shot in V-log? What profile was used on the OM1? Because I am surprised how much more I like the colours from that OM1! Looks much more organic and smooth.

[@alexfournier9956]

OM1 IS OUT OF DATE NOW... G9II IS WAY BETTER AT ALL LEVELS !!!

[@robertfrank9168]

Having an OM-1 for almost a year I am very satisfied with the OM-1 and I am sure I dont want to switch for the following reasons: 1. I do not make a lot filming. What I like though is slow motion and the G9II slow lotion capability is imoressive. 2. I don't need the superior burst mode capabilities. 10fps is for me enough. Selection of the best picture of a burst shot series on camera monitor is not effective, I need a computer monitor but I don't want to look at hundreds of pictures. 3. Pre burst of 0.5s is enough for me. I never missed a critical take off 4. I love the in camera focus stacking of the OM-1. 5. I love the stary sky auto focus of the OM-1. That was a game changer for my astro photography. 6. High res with pixel shift is limited to still photography. I use this not often. Could be better, though. 7. Native ISO up to 25600 is very helpful for me because my main field is bird photography and wild life in general. I found that up to ISO12800 I can use the pictures if I denoise with Topaz AI Denoise. So even if I would switch to a new mft system it would be a hard decision. As one comment pointed out I have the feeling that both cameras complement each other very well. And the G9II will strengthen the mft market! 👍

[@tristandu1776]

We need a lightweight camera like the OM-5 or em10 from panasonic!

[@johanankarback6821]

That´s a great comparison. Well done! The G9II really gives the OM1 a match as "king of M4/3" :) You missed a couple of things on the OM1 but it´s got a huge amount of features so that´s ok. The IBIS-test isn´t really fair though. You´re using the 150mmF2.8 wich don´t have stabilisation and comparing that with the combined stabilisation of the lens and IBIS on the Panasonic. When filming with combined stabilisation on the OM1 and a lens with stabilisation it´s very "gimbal-like" just like you show with the Panasonic. With the 150-400F4.5 1.25x telezoom and the 2x converter wich gives you 1000mm you can use it handheld at 1/50s. That´s really amazing. It would be really fun to try the G9II with the 150-400 lens and see how that works. Panasonic has great colors and the videofeatures seems to be a lot better than the OM1.

[@narinthip3058]

G9II stabilization is fantastic and clearly better in this video than OM-1. Though the angel of view of the two footages looks wider on G9II. Also, you said you shoot at 12mm (24mm FF eq) did you use 12-60mm with OIS on G9II? That would make a big different depending on which lens you use really. The buffer is awesome for sure on G9II but once you hit the buffer, looks like you need to sit and wait for it to clear fully. Hope Lumix can fix this in the FW. On subject detection, to be honest you didn't give both a fair comparison. OM-1, you can custom AF to be similar like the one you used with G9II. Also, why you shot OM-1 further with more tree in the foreground. On G9II, you got closer allowing camera to see subject better at that feeder. Anyhow, a nice review still and G9II looks like a very nice kind of Swiss knife type of camera. Big kudos to Lumix to release it. It will only get better via FW update, very promising.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Regarding the focal lengths - I had to use the 45-150mm olympus lens to show the burst modes fairly, as it's the only lens that would shoot a compatible burst mode to the Lumix. I'd have loved to shoot 400mm on both but there isn't an olympus lens that allows it (except the £6799 one 😂) genuinely trying to be as fair as possible. I'm taking both on safari this week so there will be plenty of time for more testing 😁 for the ibis walking test they were definitely both at 12mm

[@narinthip3058]

Emily, thanks :-). I got it about testing AF speed. I feel there is no need to test, G9II clearly wins at 60FPS with the CAF. I am more keen to see how good or accurate the two compare. Anyhow, you did the best you can I am glad you did this review. On 12mm, to be clear, if you use 12-60mm on Olympus you will not have dual IS like with G9II. Only 12mm lens on OM-1 that will give dual IS would be Olympus 12-100mm F4 IS lenses. Would be nice if you make this clearer. Regardless, Lumix did a fantastic job with this amazing release. This only help us MFT shooters in the long run no doubt about it. Cheers...

[@KiinaSu]

According to Panasonic themselves the dual IS doesn't do anything on the G9 II for focal lengths below 60mm. It's pure IBIS for lenses below 60mm.

[@narinthip3058]

Well, that is good to know. I guess we have a new gold standards for IBIS! Big kudos to Lumix engineering team!!!

[@lp67O]

I cant believe it is the real level of stabilization in OM-1. My PL9 makes it smoother and M1 (from 2013) does better than PL9.

[@simplyawesomephoto]

I love what you have shown of the G9 II and will most likely be adding it to my kit. The one con of the huge buffer and 60fps vs the OM-1 is the time to clear the buffer. Duade Paton found that the G9II took 53 seconds with the fastest SD card to clear the 200 shots in the buffer. The OM-1 took 9 seconds to clear 152 images. For a wildlife photographer, that would be an eternity as the G9II locks up camera functions when clearing the buffer so the photographer has to wait for a minute or use a secondary camera. I am not sure how fast the buffer will clear for photos if writing to a fast external SSD. I do wish Panasonic would have included two of the OM-1 features in this camera - the simulated ND filter and the composited stacked photo image. Everything else seems to be in the G9II's favor when it comes to photography and video. This is not a knock on your video as I think it is well made a you have included an in-depth review of all the functions. As you did not have time to review every possible questions your viewers would ask, I am just adding a comment here and there as I find out some limitations of the camera before would be buyers hand over their cash. This may be a deal breaker for some wildlife photographers if Panasonic is unable to come up with a solution in firmware like slowing down the frame rate while the images are being written to the card.

[@MicroFourNerds]

Thats a really good point! I watched that video last night actually and thought the video was fantastic and really helpful! I think the slower write speed is annoying for sure. But I will also say having just got back from safari (which is hammering 10fps mostly, rather than the faster burst modes) I had no problems at all. I don't think I hit the buffer once on either camera. During a bird hide session, if you had a lot of action to capture at once, then it would definitely be more of a problem 100%.

[@simplyawesomephoto]

@@MicroFourNerds I'm looking forward to any video you make about your trip. I hope all went well and you had a great time.

[@MicroFourNerds]

@@simplyawesomephoto the current edit is 27 minutes long 😅🤣

[@simplyawesomephoto]

@@MicroFourNerds I know 27 minutes doesn't help the algorithms but I watch your videos while I'm on the treadmill and enjoy the lengthier videos.

[@markschneider3915]

A feature the OM-1 has that I didn't catch is built in ND filters, which works very well. Does the G9II have them?

[@Wildridefilms]

It doesn't have built in real ND filters. It is a computational feature that stacks multiple slow shutter speed images. But if the light is too much to get slow shutter speeds, the results are pretty bad

[@MicroFourNerds]

Yeah as others have said, it's just computational. I wasn't overly impressed with the festure when I tested it in my om5 video, so I didn't mentioned it again here. In most lighting you can use Live Composite mode and get basically the same effect, except with Live Composite you have more control and can see it develop on screen better (and both cameras in this review have that feature) However if it did have actual ND filters I'd be shouting from the rooftops I'd love a camera with that!

[@Wildridefilms]

Although, Olympus has the live bulb feature, that actually shows the results of long exposures in real time, rather than computationally stacking images.