Panasonic S9 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in May 2024 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

Is the Panasonic S9 a good camera? The S9 has a Camera Elo of 3040. This very strong rating puts it among the elite group of camera grand masters. The S9 ranks among the top 10 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the S9 ranks among the top 20 percent.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Panasonic S9 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic S9 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic S9	126 mm	74 mm	47 mm	486 g	470	n	May 2024	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
2.		Canon R8	133 mm	86 mm	70 mm	461 g	220	n	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-S10	126 mm	85 mm	65 mm	465 g	325	n	Oct 2020	EUR 999	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-S20	128 mm	85 mm	65 mm	491 g	750	n	May 2023	EUR 1 399	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm X100VI	128 mm	75 mm	55 mm	521 g	450	Y	Feb 2024	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
6.		Panasonic G9 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	658 g	390	Y	Sep 2023	EUR 1 899	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic GH5 II	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	727 g	400	Y	May 2021	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic GX9	124 mm	72 mm	47 mm	407 g	260	n	Feb 2018	EUR 799	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic S5 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	740 g	370	Y	Jan 2023	EUR 2 199	amazon.com
10.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
11.		Sony A6700	122 mm	69 mm	64 mm	493 g	570	Y	Jul 2023	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Panasonic S9 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,499. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check S9 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Panasonic S9 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Panasonic S9 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic S9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.4	14.8	3297	96
2.		Canon R8	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.5	14.7	3295	93
3.		Fujifilm X-S10	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.2	13.7	2057	85
4.		Fujifilm X-S20	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/60p	24.3	14.0	2315	86
5.		Fujifilm X100VI	APS-C	39.8	7728	5152	6.2K/30p	24.3	14.1	2397	86
6.		Panasonic G9 II	Four Thirds	25.0	5776	4336	5.7K/60p	23.4	13.5	1710	78
7.		Panasonic GH5 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.7	13.1	1136	79
8.		Panasonic GX9	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1163	74
9.		Panasonic S5 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.4	14.6	3158	96
10.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
11.		Sony A6700	APS-C	25.6	6192	4128	4K/120p	24.3	14.0	2329	86
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The S9 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the S9 can use is 6K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Panasonic S9 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic S9	none	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	30.0/s	n	Y
2.		Canon R8	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	n	n
3.		Fujifilm X-S10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-S20	2360	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Fujifilm X100VI	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
6.		Panasonic G9 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
7.		Panasonic GH5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
8.		Panasonic GX9	2760	n	3.0 / 1240	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Panasonic S5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
10.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A6700	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One feature that differentiates the S9 from many older cameras is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The S9 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while cameras without IBIS have to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic S9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon R8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-S10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-S20	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		Fujifilm X100VI	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
6.		Panasonic G9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Panasonic GH5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Panasonic GX9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic S5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
11.		Sony A6700	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	3.2	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the S9 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the S9 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic S9	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2024	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
2.		Canon R8	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-S10	5/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2020	EUR 999	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-S20	5/5	+ +	5/5	86/100	..	4.5/5	May 2023	EUR 1 399	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm X100VI	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	87/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2024	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
6.		Panasonic G9 II	5/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	..	4.5/5	Sep 2023	EUR 1 899	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic GH5 II	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2021	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic GX9	4/5	+	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 799	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic S5 II	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2023	EUR 2 199	amazon.com
10.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
11.		Sony A6700	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2023	EUR 1 699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check S9 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Panasonic S9 Review