Panasonic announces new Lumix G95, blending features of photo-centric G9 with video-heavy GH5
posted Friday, April 5, 2019 at 3:00 AM EST
Click here to read all about the new Panasonic G95
• Panasonic G95 Preview • Firsts Shots (beta) •
While many camera manufacturers are focusing on full-frame mirrorless cameras nowadays, Panasonic included with their new Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R cameras, let's not forget that Panasonic is also a key partner in the Micro Four Thirds system. With the rise of full-frame mirrorless and the S Series, many people may have wondered if Panasonic was done with MFT cameras. Well wonder no more, as the company has announced a new compact, rugged Micro Four Thirds camera, the Panasonic G95.
As the model name suggests, one might assume this is a replacement for the Panasonic G85 from 2016, however, the G95 is instead a higher-end, upgrade model -- the G85 is, for now, remaining in Panasonic's lineup. Nevertheless, the new G95 offers a lot of updates, new features and improvements compared to the earlier G85 while still remaining characteristically compact and just as weather-sealed. Compared to the G85, the G95 sports a new sensor, a higher-res rear display, updated controls, more advanced video features, a headphone jack, USB charging and more. The camera blends features and components from both the photo-centric G9 as well as the video powerhouse GH5 to create a proper compact hybrid camera design for amateur creators looking to capture both stills and video.
Specs-wise, the G95 utilizes the G9's 20.3MP Four Thirds sensor with no low-pass filter, G9-inspired control layout that includes dedicated White Balance, ISO and Exposure Compensation buttons near the shutter button, as well as updated grip material and rear thumb grip for a more secure hold. Image capture specs for photos are fairly similar to the G85, however, with a DFD-powered AF system, continuous shooting up to 9fps with AF-S, 4K PHOTO features at 30fps, a native ISO range of 200-25,600, and a Dual I.S.2 in-body image stabilization system. For video, the G95 offers 4K up to 30fps just like the G85, but there's now high-speed Full HD video at up to 120fps. There are also no video recording limits, worldwide, unlike, for example, the Lumix G9. The G95 also offers built-in V-LogL video capture, the first Lumix camera apart from the high-end GH5S to offer that from the get-go.
We've already received our Panasonic G95 review unit, albeit with pre-production firmware at the moment. Nevertheless, we've been given the all-clear to publish our initial First Shots series of lab sample images, in order to provide you with an initial look at the G95's image quality performance. (Please note: as always, given the beta firmware, final image quality might change once we receive production firmware.)
Scheduled to arrive in stores in May, the Panasonic G95 will be sold in the US market kitted with the Lumix G 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens for a retail price of $1,199.99. In Europe and other markets, the G95 (called G90 and G91 in other markets) will be sold kitted with an updated Lumix G 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens for an as yet unreleased price. The updated Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II will, however, be sold individually in the US for a retail price of $599, a $100 price reduction compared to the original version's launch price. The new Mark II version of this lens is more or less identical when it comes to optical design and performance, however the construction has been updated with full weather sealing to match up nicely with the equally-sealed G95 camera.
For all the details about the new G95 head over to our in-depth Panasonic G95 Preview and be sure to check out our (beta) First Shots for a first peek at the G95's image quality!