Panasonic Lumix G90
This mid-range mirrorless camera packs a punch, with great controls and a snappy autofocus system
No niches here: expect powerful features for all kinds of shooting and film-making
The Panasonic G90 (branded the G95 in the US) aims to be the perfect camera for stills photographers and video bloggers alike. It’s not really a specialist in any one area, but has powerful features for all kinds of photography and film making.
The G90/G95 supersedes the Panasonic G80/G85 as a DSLR-style mirrorless camera for photographers looking to step up from a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera to something more advanced, and clearly wants to challenge the best 4K cameras for a share of the consumer video market.
New features include Panasonic’s latest 20-megapixel sensor, which is a step up from the 16-megapixel sensor in the G80 and Panasonic’s cheaper mirrorless cameras, but still not quite
up to the level of the 24-megapixel sensors in rival cameras like the Canon EOS M50, the Sony Alpha 6400 and the Fujifilm X-T30.
But what it lacks in outright sensor size (Micro Four Thirds sensors are roughly half the size in area of APS-C), the G90 makes up for with high-tech features; dual lens and body image stabilisation; 4K video, with the option of Panasonic’s pro-level V-Log L mode for 12-stop dynamic range when you colour-grade video footage on a computer; new Live View Composite and ‘stromotion’ modes, and more.
Build and handling
Unlike Panasonic’s rangefinder-style GX80 and GX9 models, the G90 is styled more like a compact DSLR, with the electronic viewfinder mounted centrally on the lens’s
optical axis on the top of the camera – just like the Lumix G80 before it, and like a smaller version of Panasonic’s range-topping Lumix G9 model.
The body feels about the same size as a compact DSLR, but the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor format means the lenses are correspondingly smaller too. The Panasonic 12-60mm kit lens fitted to the sample cameras is quite light and compact, despite its wide 24-120mm effective zoom range.
The body feels light but well-made, and has a magnesium alloy front frame and extensive weather sealing around every joint, dial and button. Panasonic says it’s been redesigned and improved for maximum comfort and easy one-handed operation. It already feels chunky and ‘grippable’, but it will also be possible to fit the same optional battery grip used by the existing Lumix G80.
The electronic viewfinder has a resolution of 2.36 million dots, less than half that of the new Lumix S fullframe cameras; but, thanks to its OLED technology, it still looks very sharp, and has a decent 0.74x magnification as well as 100% frame coverage.
Unusually, the vari-angle touchscreen display on the back of the camera uses OLED technology too. The screen flips out to the side but can also be folded flat against the back of the camera, either facing outwards for image and info display or facing inwards to protect it during viewfinder shooting – and the hinge mechanism feels nice and solid.
The menu system on this camera is clear and concise, and nicer to navigate through than some we’ve tried.
One noticeable design change compared to the previous model is the addition of three new buttons on the top of the camera for adjusting the white balance, ISO setting and exposure compensation – and
they have different top surfaces to make them easier to recognise by touch alone.
There are two separate front and rear control dials on the top of the camera; the rear dial has a central button that enables white balance and ISO settings via the two control dials. There’s a third spinning control dial on the back. External controls are clearly one of this camera’s strong points: they can be customised to practically any user preference, with no fewer than 11 different configurable Fn dial/button settings.
All of the dials and controls feel really firm, ‘tight’ and positive. The G90/G95 is far from being a cheap camera, but its quality build and handling do feel in line with its price.
Performance
Panasonic has stuck with its DFD (depth from defocus) contrast-based autofocus where other makers have swapped to hybrid phase-detection systems, but here it’s so fast and so positive it feels like Panasonic’s faith is justified. The image quality is excellent too, both in the lab and in real-world shooting. The Panasonic G90 will usually be sold with a 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, which delivers great edge-to-edge detail right across its focal range.
The G90 renders outdoor scenes with vibrant but natural colours; indoors its auto white balance does a good job of removing much of the yellow cast of artificial lighting.