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| Helicopter ? Drone ? Sony A9 and huge expensive lens ? No, just a Panasonic FZ300 held by me standing on a hill. |
This question has already been debated at length on user forums, with many experienced photographers saying…”but I don’t need 20fps, I don’t want the size of it and I don’t want the cost of it”. Or words to that effect.
Fair enough but these people’s needs are readily met with one of the mid range models like the G80.
I think the reasoning behind the G9 probably goes like this:
1. History shows us that the makers which survive and prosper are those which manage to capture a substantial slice of the professional camera market. Those which don’t fall by the wayside or linger on with a few niche products.
2. Why ?
After all, professionals make up only a small percentage of those who buy cameras. Most of the money comes from amateurs buying lower priced models.
The key issue is that many amateur photographers simplify their camera selection process by electing to buy the same brand and type of camera that professionals use.
In recent years this has been mainly Canon and Nikon and mainly DSLRs.
3. Canon and Nikon are top dogs in the Pro arena just now. Sony is pressing hard with high tech products to achieve dominance in that market.
4. If Panasonic wants its camera division to survive and prosper it must also gain a significant share of that pro market.
5. The future for the high end of the ILC market is mirrorless.
Why ? Because only mirrorless cameras (and SLT but Sony is not pushing ahead with development of that camera type) can offer continuous, real time view in the viewfinder while capturing still photos at high frame rates with continuous autofocus.
6. There is an opportunity here for Sony and Panasonic because Canon is yet weak in the mirrorless arena and Nikon currently has no mirrorless ILC at all (apparently having abandoned the 1 Series), making it very vulnerable to competition.
7. Panasonic has apparently been doing very well with the GH5 which has proven popular for keen videographers.
This group appears not to have been been put off by the size and price of the GH5 which are greater than that of previous Panasonic M43 models.
8. So I am guessing that Panasonic figures it’s time to introduce a high end, high speed high capability model aimed at professional sports, wildlife, reportage and wedding photographers.
9. If Panasonic can get a substantial cohort of professionals using their top tier Lumix models amateurs will follow suit with less expensive models.
I think that’s the plan anyway.
And the LCD panel ?
There is no functional or ergonomic reason for the top plate LCD panel. All the information which can be seen on that panel, and much more, can be displayed in the EVF or on the monitor. Or not displayed if the user chooses.
So what the heck is it doing there ?
It takes up a great deal of high priority camera real estate. The opportunity cost of this is that the main mode dial has to be shifted over to the left shoulder and stacked on the drive mode dial, a suboptimal arrangement.
And the on/off button ended up on a collar around the shutter button which is convenient but this pushes the front dial back (compared to the GH5) which requires extra lateral movement of the right index finger which some users might find a stretch.
I think the reason for the LCD panel is all about perception and marketing and goes like this:
1. Current model pro level cameras are DSLRs which have an LCD panel.
2. Panasonic wants to make the G9 look as much as possible like a high end model so it gets an LCD panel.
That’s it.
Not very sensible from an ergonomic perspective but who knows, maybe it will help with the marketing.