In my opinion, the Lumix G9 Mark II is the ideal all-rounder for anyone who wants to take very high-quality photos and videos. Although the camera has a Micro Four Thirds sensor, thanks to software enhancements it can compete with full-frame cameras.

Why Micro Four Thirds and not full frame?

The Sensor

Yes, the sensor is 1/4 the size of a full-frame camera, but in good lighting conditions this makes no difference; these days, even the tiny sensors in modern smartphones can easily compete. Of course, you can use significantly lower ISO values ​​with the smaller sensors before the image becomes unusable, but in my experience, with moving subjects, only a flash delivers optimal results anyway, and with stationary subjects, you can take very good and sharp handheld photos thanks to the significantly better image stabilization.

The newly implemented Dynamic Range Booster in the G9 II increases the ISO value in the shadow areas (the boost is adjustable in 4 steps), which significantly increases the sensor's dynamic range. This allows you to capture the main part of the image at lower ISO values, with only the dark areas losing some detail, but still retaining usable image information.
With software denoising, such as the one I use from DxO, you can virtually eliminate image noise caused by high ISO values ​​and achieve the same quality as directly from a full-frame camera with minimal additional effort.

The Lens Selection

The main reason for Micro Four Thirds is However, the lens selection is a key advantage, as this is the oldest mirrorless system, and you can get very good lenses at very affordable prices, often in ideal configurations. These lenses are of very high quality and, compared to full-frame cameras, significantly lighter, especially in the telephoto range. If you want to take your camera on a hike, you can manage with 3 kg of luggage; with full-frame, you would have to limit yourself to your wide-angle lens.

The Lumix G9 II Camera

The Sensor

Panasonic has finally managed to integrate phase-detection autofocus into the sensor, which offers a significant advantage, especially when filming. The autofocus in photography has always been very good, but it has now finally been improved with modern object recognition features such as eye autofocus for humans and animals (only adjustable separately), as well as autofocus for motorcycles, airplanes, etc. The sensor itself has a resolution of 25 megapixels, which is 5 megapixels more than its predecessor, and saves the images in 16-bit RAW format.