Panasonic G97 is here

I bought a Panasonic G97 and received it yesterday.  Previously, I've had the GH3, GH4, GX8, and GM5 micro Four-Thirds models from Panasonic, plus the Olympus E-M1.  Of all those, I've only kept the GM5.

The GM5 is a tiny marvel of a camera body, but it doesn't have much to offer but its size.  While it is quick and easy, it's sometimes frustrating.  The G97 is a bit like a GH4.5--a hybrid hybrid camera body.

The GH4 was known as the best camera for 4K video under US$10,000 when it was new.  However, it was a bit under-powered and lost focus occasionally when shooting video at 1080p. Add to that the original Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8 that had a myriad of problems from OIS stutter to severe lens flare and the combination seemed a good reason to throw it far away.

The G97 is more powerful, but has to shoot 4K30p video at a crop.  It can also shoot 1080p video at 120 fps, but it isn't the greatest.  That's a shame.

The 5 stop IBIS is good, especially at the US$849 price point.  When you combine it with a lens that has Mega OIS or Power OIS, things become better, as the Dual I.S. combines the stabilization.  The viewfinder is another surprise at this level.  You can get an OLED display at 0.74x magnification, which is the same as the GH4 has. 

First impressions

After charging some batteries (without the USB cable and AC adapter that they don't include), I took the G97 and some lenses for a walk.   The body is very small, even though the controls are the same size as the GH7 and G9 Mk II.  Then again, I found the GH4 small, and it wasn't quite large enough for a good balance with some of my Four-Thirds Olympus lenses.

Controls on the top are in the same place as the GH4 but controls on the back are not.  Labeling is very different but it seems as Panasonic wanted to push flexibility and allow buttons to be re-mapped.  I tend to use controls as they come from the factory.

The internal structure of the G97 may not be as strong and light as the GH4, but it feels just as sturdy.  Using aluminium and steel instead of magnesium alloy works just as well and costs less.  I was surprised to learn that the G80/G85 and G90/G95 were weather-sealed.  Having photographed in hurricanes and sports events where rain was sudden, I want to feel comfortable that my equipment can handle it.

 There are a couple of settings I change right away.  I turn off the Beep.  I set the photo style to natural and the file to Raw.  I usually set the focus point to pin-point but I set it to Face Detection, although I wonder if it's a combination of two settings to make face detection work.  On the GH4, it was a disaster compared to the Olympus E-M1.  I want to learn if this version of Face Detection works.

Walking at night makes for difficult photography.  Film cameras didn't work well, especially when film was rated at ASA(ISO) 100 or even 400.  Sensors in 2004 weren't that good.  In 2012, I was photographing regularly at  ISO 1600 or even 3200.  In 2025, it's less of a problem.  Sensors have become better and image processing has become much better. Having strong IBIS can save a situation that a tripod can't.  I can hear how hard the IBIS is working to keep things steady.  The EVF can show me things that my eyes (or an optical viewfinder) can't see in the dark.

The camera body didn't let me down.  I'm sure I still have settings to find to fine tune my experience.  However, the G97 is quite capable, and coming from the GH4, etc., it's an easy transition.  Contrast that to my occasional frustration with the S5 Mk II and S-series lenses.  Auto Focus locks quickly and the shutter engages quickly.  In the dark, AF goes down to EV -4, just like the GH4.  There are only 49 AF areas, just like the GH4, but it works well so far in stills mode.  I doubt that DFD on video is any better than it was.

The 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Power OIS lens that came as part of the kit seems good. At 5x reach, it's the longest zoom kit lens for micro Four-Thirds.  The FoV is like a 24-120mm lens on a 135 Format camera.  On the S5 Mk II, the kit lens was 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 without OIS, which seems strange for a lens of around US$600.  The Dual I.S. was activated and I'm sure that I got shots that wouldn't have been usable otherwise.

IBIS on Four-Thirds was not very good.  I had the Olympus E-5 and couldn't tell that the IBIS was working.  My best lenses were heavy.  On micro Four-Thirds, Olympus had IBIS and Panasonic had OIS.  Of course, they would not work together.  If they had, micro Four-Thirds would have been more compelling.  IBIS in the G97 is not Panasonic's finest, being about the same as the GH5 but the Dual I.S. functionality extends that stabilization, much like Sync IS works on Olympus equipment and makes it possible to get shots handheld that were never possible.  I remember standing against a tree or a wall to get certain shots when light was scarce.

Firmware updates

Naturally, it's a good idea to have your equipment up-to-date and when I was photographing sports most every day, I'd be ready.  Both the body and the 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens needed updates.  As well, I checked my other lenses and my Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7 got an update back in 2022.  It's the lens I use the most on the GM5.