Panasonic S9 Review: The Return of a Rangefinder-Style Body

Last Updated on 10/20/2025 by Chris Gampat

I like to describe love as a caterpillar that stumbles over itself past the cocoon stage to become the butterfly in your stomach. It isn’t perfect, and the Panasonic S9 isn’t perfect either. But it’s so gorgeous I had to use it just to know what its shutter sounded like. And for the first time, I’ve experienced an electronic shutter that whispers Persian poetry in my ear. Shooting with it is kind of like working like Daido Moriyama — and shooting blind. You might need an EVF but if you’ve done enough work on yourself as a photographer to be so in tune with the focal length that you’re using, then you realize that you won’t need it. The Panasonic S9 is a camera that’s targeted at being more entry-level, but it caters to a cadre of photographers who see but don’t look. These photographers can see something in front of them, connect their emotional side to their technical side, and take photographs. At the same time, it doesn’t want to come off as something just for the more regal shooters amongst us. It wants to be held by you too.

The Big Picture

The Panasonic S9 is the first camera I’ve wanted to bring with me everywhere, all the time, that isn’t a Leica, the Nikon Zf, the Canon G1X Mk III, or the Fujifilm X Pro 3. It starts with the stylish camera body and then extends into the solid performance. When autofocusing, street photography will be much better when you’re using focal lengths wider than 50mm just because of how things happen. In the hand, the camera will be much more comfortable than you think once you hold it correctly and use it with foresight. And most importantly, for some, it’s going to give you great photos when you combine it with the right LUTs.

While I couldn’t get behind the idea of an electronic shutter, this camera surely made me do it. The sound of it is very nice — perhaps it’s the nicest I’ve heard of any camera’s. It’s still sometimes hard to know if the camera actualyl shot a photo or not if I’m not using the LCD screen. And when that occurs, I just turn off sleep mode. Sometimes I’ll get the photo, and sometimes I won’t. But the truth is that I don’t need to get all of them — there are a million more waiting for me.

For $1,499 the Panasonic Lumix S9 is at a pretty great price point when you consider the stylish looks and the fact that it can more or less replace your Fujifilm cameras when using the Real Time LUT features. My only big qualms have to do with the lack of weather resistance, my request for a viewfinder (for my bad eyesight) and a joystick (for quicker AF point selection), and the lack of a functional hot shoe. Truly, I wish Panasonic had just removed the evidence of any ports up top, to begin with, and just weather-sealed the camera.

The Panasonic S9 receives four out of five stars. It’s really nearly perfect. Want one? Check them out on Amazon.

Pros

• Same great performance as the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, which has massively improved with firmware updates.
• The new LUT button needs some tweaking and work
• Feels so good in the hand
• Street photography with this camera at wider than 50mm is god-tier because of the autofocus performance.
• The menu is just as simple as ever to go through. In fact, because of the removal of the flash functions, it’s much easier than before.
• The addition of colors makes this camera so very cool
• High ISO output is still great, but at this point, that doesn’t matter all that much anymore.

Cons

• No weather resistance, though it surely survived a few goes in the rain when we were careful with it
• I wanted a viewfinder and a joystick, but I can deal without them
• I have to get used to the fact that I won’t use a flash. But also, I wonder why Panasonic even bothered to include a shoe on top of the camera to begin with.

Innovations

The Panasonic S9 innovates in that it now has a dedicated LUT button and allows you to connect via the new Panasonic app to swap out community-curated LUTs. If you don’t think that that’s an innovation, then consider all the extra time that you’ll need to spend in post-production instead of shooting. This adds to my tongue-in-cheek phrase: there’s nothing natural about natural light photography if you have to brush in two stops of exposure all the time.

Additionally, this is a rangefinder-style camera body that comes in lots of colors while still mostly catering to the photography world.

Just remember: not all innovations need to be tech-based.

Gear Used

We borrowed the Panasonic Lumix S9 from Panasonic. It was tested with the new Panasonic 26mm f8 and 24-200mm lenses — which were also loaned to us. We also used the Sigma 45mm f2.8, Leica 28mm f2 SL, Panasonic 50mm f1.8, and Panasonic 85mm f1.8 along with Tiffen Glimmerglass filters. Additionally, we adapted the Funleader 28mm f2.8 and Contax 35mm f2 in M-mount. All of those units are our own.

Hardware

In the hand, the Panasonic S9 feels incredible. It’s lightweight and overall feels like the older compact Leica cameras like the Leica XE — this camera was part of a golden age of Leica compact cameras, and in hindsight, I don’t think that the press treated them with the respect that they deserved. These cameras don’t have EVFs, and that’s just fine. There are tons of real photographers who do this for a living that pretty much never use the EVF. Ergonomically speaking, it feels like something not made by Panasonic. That’s not a bad thing, especially for what they’re going for here.

I took it into the rain and shot with it. The camera survived, but Panasonic says that there is no weather resistance built into it. That’s a sad thing. However, because of the lack of both a dedicated hot shoe and weather resistance, I wouldn’t use the S9 for work. And that’s just fine — I need a camera on the side for hobby shooting anyway.

No, there is no viewfinder — just like the Ricoh GR series of cameras that people love. But that hasn’t stopped tons of photographers from shooting great photos using the Leica MDas. While those cameras were used primarily for documenting, the Panasonic S9 can too. Where the Leicas sometimes used a Visioflex viewfinder, the Panasonic S9 has an LCD screen that can be tucked away. And honestly, that’s how I used it most of the time.

Ease of Use

The Panasonic S9 is fascinating. Although it’s targeted at “content creators,” most of the new features are for photographers. For example, they’re limiting the video features and pumping in lots of stuff for photographers. There’s a dedicated LUT menu for Real Time LUT. That means that you’re shooting more stills than video.

In my research, many content creators are actually just people who identify as photographers but who’ve never printed their images and mostly create for social media. I really think that segment needs to evolve and start to get into the gallery world.

Typically when I use the Panasonic S9, I use it in two different ways. If I’m using the screen with autofocus lenses, then I’m often either selecting a specific autofocus point or tapping the screen to shoot. However, that’s not how I’m using it most of the time. Typically, I zone focus with this camera and shut the LCD screen. Then I just walk up to a scene and shoot. It’s very similar to the way that Daido Moriyama shoots. The reason why I shoot like this is partially because of legal blindness, but also because I can understand what the lens focal length will deliver at a specific distance. That’s called foresight and seeing while not looking. Most of the time, it works for me. Combined with the LUTS in-camera, I get a ton of images that I really like.

To shoot even more like Daido, just use something like Leica Monochrome in-camera.

Odd to me is the complete removal of the flash menu. That’s because there is no working hot shoe. Instead, there’s sort of a cold shoe. To be frank, I wish Panasonic had just removed the shoe altogether and at least added weather resistance on the top plate. However, in a meeting, Panasonic told us that the flat plate makes it much more difficult to get weather resistance.

This camera doesn’t have a physical shutter. So, instead, you might be worried about rolling shutter issues. Luckily, I found them to rarely be a problem. And in the situations where they are, I embraced the artistically.

Remember, if all we care about is the tech, then we let the tech define our image-making.

That said, the S9’s image stabilization is on par with the S5 II, which is to say that it’s some of the best on the market. More specifically, I was able to handhold the camera for over a second and get an image free of camera shake. That’s awesome.

Something that I really like that Panasonic kept is the AF-On button still marking images as 3 stars when playing them back. It cuts down so much on post-production.

Ease of Use Updated January 2025

With firmware updates and time, the Panasonic Lumix S9 became even better. Here’s what you need to know:

Firmware from Oct. 18, 2024: Ver.1.2

1. Improved the stability of firmware updates via Wi-Fi (LUMIX Lab/LUMIX Sync).
   • Updating to Version 1.2 will improve future firmware update stability for updates performed via Wi-Fi.
   • Firmware Version 1.2 also includes the items, functions and features that were included in Version 1.1.

Firmware Oct. 9, 2024: Ver.1.1

1. The recording time limit menu has been added
   • The recording mode without the time limitation has been added.
   • The recording time varies depending on the environment and the operating conditions.
   • The recording stops automatically once the internal temperature gets too high, even if it is set to this mode.
2. Added Multiple frame markers display feature
   • Up to 3 frame markers can be displayed simultaneously.
3. Enhanced subject detection
   • [AIRPLANE] and [TRAIN] have been added to subject detection modes.
   • [Target Parts] option has been added for [CAR][MOTORCYCLE] detection modes.
4. Compatible to the new features on LUMIX smartphone app “LUMIX Lab (Ver.1.2 or higher) ”
   • Remote shooting is now available.
   • Shutter remote control is now available.
   • Transferring images selected on camera is now available.
5. Other improvements
   • The operability of the control dial while in the menu has been changed.
   • Improved operational stability.

In our tests, none of these majorly affect the performance for photography. The S9 has always been just fine with the LUMIX Lab app. And personally speaking, I’d never use it to photograph trains or cars. In NYC, the subway is so massive that a DSLR can autofocus on it with ease. It’s not really needed here. The same goes for cars with the tracking autofocus abilities – even in very low light under a bridge. The camera has never had a problem focusing on those with Panasonic and Leica lenses that we’ve tested. However, it lagged behind a bit with Sigma’s lenses that are currently in our stable.

Ease of Use Update October 2025

The latest firmware update is here. And below are the details

LUMIX S9 Version 1.6 Updates

• Enhanced customization of the Focus Ring – The focus ring can be used as a control ring, enabling for assigning key functions and the focus rotation direction can be selected either clockwise or counterclockwise. (*4)

I understand how this is a really nice feature to add. Photographers would probably really want to use this for aperture control more than anything else. However, photographers would obviously want something like a clicked aperture. In fact, I don’t know anyone personally that customizes their lenses to be used in such a way. Perhaps this may mean in the future that Panasonic LUMIX might deliver lenses with a customizable dedicated ring with a click that can be turned on and off.

At the moment, the only Panasonic lens with an aperture ring is the 50mm f1.4. They haven’t released anything else in the pro lineup since.

If you’re a photographer using this camera, you can probably skip this firmware update.

Focusing

The bad news is that focus peaking isn’t really all that accurate. But you can still zone focus with a lens—you’re just not going to get the best results with a lens that’s primarily designed for autofocus usage. However, when it came to street photography, the Leica 28mm f2 SL absolutely nailed the focus pretty much every single time. And when shooting situatons were calmer, the Panasonic 50mm f1.8 helped me create stunning images.

Truly, a photographer who’s experienced and knows what they’re doing will adore the Panasonic S9. And in reality, the autofocus is good enough for work.

Honestly, I like to think of the Panasonic S9 as a far more capable Fujifilm X100Vi.

Metering

Depending on what LUT you’re using, the metering from the Panasonic S9 can be a bit odd. In manual mode, sometimes you’ll be off by a full stop. But in Panasonic’s more standard modes, the metering will be pretty much in line with Sunny 16. That’s more important than you think for street photography.

Image Quality

Do we really need to talk about image quality in 2024? The raw files are versatile. The high ISO output at 12,800 is phenomenal, but we’ll update this section when we can test the RAW files with Capture One. And the colors are great, especially when you use LUTS. Pixel peeping is for an antiquated part of the world that cares about the technical side of image-making more than making good photos that are aesthetic.

With that said, this is a modern camera. It’s capable of doing so much — but are you? A skilled photographer will find it nearly impossible to not get good photographs with this camera.

So instead, I’m going to discuss the art of it all. I loaded the Panasonic S9 up with various LUTs that I’ve used on the S5 II. Those help the camera output look like the various types of Kodak Portra and Print film. Typically, I’d shoot with Portra 800 because that’s the most classic looking of the bunch. This also means that I’d shoot with an extra stop of light given to the subject. And to really make the JPEGs sing, I’d shoot with either the shade white balance ot an automatic white balance set to give a warm priority to the images.

Often, I’d shoot in aperture priority, and I’m pretty sure everyone will too even though manual mode is available. Rarely did I shoot in it though.

With all of the lenses that I used, I was able to make images that really spoke to me aesthetically.

When shooting at a super high ISO like above 12,800 it would often be with a lens stopped down to f8 or so. Then I’d switch to the Leica Monochrome setting. From there, I’d get images that were sometimes a bit soft, but I didn’t mind them. Sharpness is a bourgeois concept, they say. And, well, I’m legally blind. Not everything needs to be crystal clear all the time as long as I like it.

I respect the fact that you won’t like it. But ultimately, comparison is the theft of joy. And I don’t compare my images to anyone else’s because no one sees the world like I do.

For example, I truly only expect people of Asian descent to understand this photograph above. Do you get it? There’s a profound meaning in this photo to me. The father (or male figure) walks ahead of the women. We can assume that the woman in the graduation garb is their child. The father is holding a part of his daughter’s gown. The mother is with her daughter in the back, very happy. The young woman just wants to go ahead with life now that she’s graduated. This is a strong contrast to the Western family dynamic, where they all walk together.

Technically, you might not appreciate the image quality. But the Panasonic S9 applied a LUT to it that makes it feel like it’s from a more classic time. Are they in focus? No. Do they need to be? No — we can still see and understand a lot about them in this image. We can also see that we’re in a city — most likely at a Duane Reade because they’re most prevalent in NYC.

Image Quality Update January 2025

In January 2025, the Panasonic LUMIX S9 got RAW file compatibility with Capture One. It performs just as well as the LUMIX S5 II – and we couldn’t expect anything less. The raw files are color rich, versatile, clean at higher ISOs, provide lots of beauty, etc. It’s everything that we wished their Micro Four Thirds cameras would be – except this is a million times better.

Extra Image Samples

The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience since day one. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, many folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So, we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can decide for yourself.

Edited

Unedited

Overall Quality of Life Update: August 2025

This year, Panasonic LUMIX has given the S9 several updates. Here they are listed out

Apr. 14, 2025
Ver.1.4

1. Fixed an issue where some settings reverted to their default values after updating to firmware version 1.3.
2. Fixed an issue with the recording gain setting.
3. Fixed an issue where the password authentication might not be displayed when connecting to Wi-Fi.
4. Improved operational stability.

Mar. 25, 2025
Ver.1.3

When updating to firmware version 1.3, please be aware that the following settings, which were configured prior to the update, will be reset to their default settings.

■ Settings that will be reset to default:

• Video Record Limit [Default setting: ON]
• Detecting Subject [Default setting: CAR – Main Part Priority / MOTORCYCLE – Helmet Priority / TRAIN – Main Part Priority / AIRPLANE – Nose Priority]
• Remote recording operation priority settings in LUMIX Lab [Default setting: Camera prioritized]
• The following setting within “Frame Marker”:
  – Live View Frame Adjustment [Default setting: OFF]
  – Settings for Frame 2 / Frame 3
  – Frame Aspect [Default setting: OFF]
  – Frame Color [Default setting: Gray]
  – Change Size/Position (when the “Frame Aspect” is set to “Custom”)

1. Feature changes due to security enhancements
   • When directly connecting the camera and smartphone via Wi-Fi, the connection has been changed to always require password authentication. (The [Wi-Fi Password] menu has been removed.)
   • The [TKIP] encryption method is no longer supported when connecting to Wi-Fi via an access point.
   • The [No Encryption] option in network authentication is no longer supported when connecting to Wi-Fi via an access point.
   • The image transfer feature to PC via Wi-Fi has been removed. (Only European/Ukrainian models)
2. Other improvements
   • The startup speed when powering on has been improved.
   • The operational stability has been improved.

I’ve continued to use the camera and so have other staffers. And overall, I can’t really complain too much about it. I initially hated the lack of a flash, but I grew to understand that this isn’t a camera that I’d use with a flash — and I’ve got tons of those. I also hated the lack of weather resistance, but it has made me embrace this and use more adapted Leica M mount lenses. Plus, the images from this camera always look so good and it ends up always being a thing that I’m happy to carry around with me. I say this specifically because of lots of point and shoots flooding the market right now.

I was originally even suspicious of the electronic shutter, but it hasn’t proven to give me any problems in the long run.

Honestly, I still think that this should’ve been a point and shoot camera with a fixed lens of some sort. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Panasonic to make. Most of all though, I wish that LUMIX had smaller autofocus lenses for this camera. A 40mm f2 of some sort would be so ideal.

Because of my using Leica M mount lenses on this camera, I pretty much never rely on or care about the autofocus. So instead, I’m using focus peaking and zone focusing. And let me tell you: it’s a joy to use on this camera.

The LUMIX S9 is, in so many ways, a super affordable Leica camera. And if you’ve got a collection of Leica M lenses, you should adapt them onto this camera and just zone focus shoot. Heck, you can even flip the LCD so you don’t see it, zone focus away, and just shoot like you would with a Leica MDa that doesn’t have a viewfinder. Just point, shoot, and hope that you get something that you like.

Ultimately, this remains one of the most fun cameras on the market, and I still strongly recommend it.

Tech Specs

• 24.2MP Full frame sensor
• PDAF Real Time Tracking
• Up to 6.5 stops of image stabilization
• Real Time LUT
• $1,499.99

The rest of the specs are taken from Lensrentals