Great camera, but only if you’re OK without an EVF
on June 11, 2026
Posted by: Eric
Verified Purchase:Yes
Overall the camera is very good and the 18-40mm lens is excellent. That however assumes you are comfortable using only the screen for composition. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to adapt to that limitation, and I really miss the lack of an EVF for traditional shooting. Image quality and autofocus is excellent, and both RAW and JPEG images are beautiful. Support for manual lenses is not great — the focus peaking is OK, and zoom to focus OK, but overall its a huge gap from the support for manual lenses from Nikon (I own and use several Z bodies). Setting up details of legacy lenses is a chore, and could use some updates. I had hoped the camera with a L-M adapter would be a good platform for my M-mount lenses. It works, but it’s not a good experience. The control menus are far more complex than Canon and Nikon (not just a matter of difference), and take a while to use.
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - F, Team Panasonic, June 12, 2026
Hello there! Thank you for the thoughtful review. We’re glad you’re enjoying the image quality, autofocus, and the 18–40mm lens. We also appreciate your candid feedback on the EVF absence, manual lens support, and menu complexity, insights like yours are invaluable as we continue refining the experience.
This camera is FUN to use, the photos are beautiful straight out of camera, with and without LUTs, and of course, the video is fantastic! I love that's it's a small, elegant camera that gives me gorgeous full-frame images and rich videos. The camera is very customizable so you have plenty of options to put all the things you use most, right at your fingertips. I am primarily a photographer but dabble in video now and then, and lately I've been wanting to capture more video moments especially of family. So far this beautiful, fun camera has more than delivered what I was looking for! Super happy with this!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - S, Team Panasonic, May 28, 2026
Hi! Thank you for the 5-star review and for sharing such thoughtful feedback. We’re thrilled to hear how much you’re enjoying the S9, from the image quality and video performance to its elegant design and customizable controls. It’s great to know the camera fits so well into both your photography and growing interest in capturing video moments, especially with family. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Got myself the titanium gold colorway and instantly fell in love after it arrived! I needed a camera that didn’t feel like I was working and this camera was it! Only downside was the lack of hotshoe but it’s great in lowlight and open gate is pretty cool👀
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - F, Team Panasonic, May 18, 2026
Hi there! We love hearing that the titanium gold made such a strong first impression and that the camera feels inspiring rather than like work, that’s exactly what we aim for. Great to know you’re enjoying the low-light performance and open gate features as well. Thanks for the thoughtful note about the hotshoe, and for the 5 stars.
The S9 is a highly portable, full-frame camera — but don't let its compact size fool you. It is remarkably capable, with a slim profile, straightforward button controls, and simple operation. Most importantly, it takes great pictures.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - S, Team Panasonic, May 11, 2026
Hi Moe! Thank you for your thoughtful review. We’re pleased to hear that the camera’s compact design, intuitive controls, and overall capability stood out, and that image quality met your expectations. It’s great to know the balance of portability and performance made a positive impression. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
It's hard not to like this camera. Photo and video quality is excellent, especially when paired with any of the Lumix prime lenses. Even the kit lens does a good job, but I'm not a fan that you have to partially telescope the lens to "activate" the lens, which basically means it's not really as small as it looks when at it widest aperture. The lack of an EVF is honestly not a big deal and I never once missed it. Throw a grip on it and call it a day. It's a fun camera to use that just so happens to deliver quality that rivals some cameras that cost quite a bit more. Also, the titanium colorway looks amazing. It's the ultimate 'dad cam' for anyone looking for better photos/videos than your smartphone without going to a full on workhorse type camera.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - F, Team Panasonic, March 12, 2026
Hi there! Thank you for the thoughtful review! We're thrilled you're enjoying the camera and its excellent photo and video quality, especially with Lumix prime lenses. The titanium colorway is definitely a standout! Your feedback on the kit lens design is appreciated, and we’re glad it’s delivering quality that rivals higher-end cameras. Here’s to capturing more amazing moments!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Beautiful camera, great size. Image quality immaculate. LUMIX Lab App really makes this camera shine. Would like to see a mechanical shutter in the version 2. Hot shoe would not be bad. Good EVF would be nice. If the EVF is low quality then leave it off.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - F, Team Panasonic, November 17, 2025
Hi there! Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that the camera’s size, design, and image quality are hitting the mark for you, and it’s great to know the LUMIX Lab App is helping bring out its full potential in your workflow. Your suggestions for future versions are truly appreciated. Ideas like a mechanical shutter, hot shoe options, and either a high-quality EVF or none at all are exactly the kind of thoughtful feedback that helps guide our next steps. Thank you again for the 5-star rating and for sharing such insightful notes. We’re glad the camera is inspiring your creativity!
the First camera i bought on pre-order, and my 3rd
on November 7, 2025
Posted by: Neil
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
the First camera i bought on pre-order, and my 3rd Lumix S9, thats how much i love this camera, enough said
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - S, Team Panasonic, November 10, 2025
Hi Neil! Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm! We’re thrilled to hear how much you enjoy your LUMIX S9, and even more so that it’s your third one. Your passion for our cameras truly inspires us to keep creating tools that fuel creativity and capture every moment beautifully.
Missing the EVF big time , overall it's a great camera but I'm missing the EVF big time . I have the S5ii so this makes such a good everyday camera for the lumix family .
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from PanasonicBy Team Panasonic - S, Team Panasonic, October 30, 2025
Hi there! Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying your Lumix camera and that it fits well alongside your S5II. We appreciate your feedback about the EVF, it’s valuable insight that helps us continue improving our cameras.