Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 Panasonic - Review 🏆

Panasonic's Lumix series of cameras have long been a popular choice for enthusiasts and pros looking for a versatile and feature-packed option. The Lumix DC-G90 sits towards the higher end of their range, offering a great balance of photo and video capabilities in a rugged, weather-sealed body.

As a Micro Four Thirds camera, the G90 provides a lighter and more compact form factor than most DSLRs while still delivering excellent image quality. It's the successor to the G80/G85, building upon an already well-regarded camera with improvements to image stabilization, autofocus, and video specs.

Panasonic has aimed this model at both stills and video shooters who want advanced controls and performance without the bulk of higher-end cameras. It faces stiff competition from other mirrorless cameras in this price range, but brings some unique features and functions to the table.

Overview

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 is a mid-range mirrorless camera announced in April 2019. It is also sold as the G95 in some markets and succeeds the Lumix G85 which was released in 2016.

The G90 features a 20.3 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor and Venus Engine image processor. It offers 4K video recording, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, a fully articulating rear LCD touchscreen, and an OLED electronic viewfinder. The camera has a weather-sealed body and is targeted at enthusiast photographers looking for a versatile all-rounder.

Another impressive model by Panasonic is the Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95D. This compact camera features a 20.3-megapixel sensor and a powerful Leica 30x zoom lens, making it ideal for travel and everyday photography. The DC-TZ95D also offers 4K video recording capabilities, along with advanced autofocus systems for capturing fast-moving subjects. It includes a convenient tilting touchscreen and built-in Wi-Fi for easy sharing and remote control.

Design and Build

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 has a sturdy and compact design that feels great in the hand. It measures approximately 130.4 x 93.5 x 77.4mm and weighs around 536g with the battery and memory card inserted. The body is constructed from a combination of plastic and metal, with a textured rubber grip that provides a secure hold.

Despite its small size, the camera includes a good selection of physical controls. There are plenty of buttons and dials that provide quick access to important settings like ISO, white balance, drive mode and more. The mode dial sits on top of the camera with the main command dial at the rear. Overall the controls are sensibly laid out in an intuitive way. Those familiar with other Lumix cameras will feel right at home.

The handgrip helps balance larger lenses, and the camera is weather-sealed to protect against splashes and dust. While not fully weatherproof, the G90 provides decent protection when shooting outdoors. It feels like a sturdy and reliable camera that can handle some exposure to the elements.

In addition to the camera features, the Panasonic Lumix Premium + Rock Solid Beta Carbon offers enhanced durability and impressive performance. Its robust construction ensures it withstands tough conditions, making it a perfect companion for adventurous photographers. The carbon design not only adds strength but also reduces weight, allowing for easier handling during extended shoots. This combination makes the Lumix G90 and the Premium accessory an ideal choice for both amateur and professional users alike.

Image Quality

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 features a 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and Venus Engine image processor, delivering excellent image quality and low noise performance.

The Four Thirds sensor is physically smaller than APS-C and full-frame sensors, but the 20MP resolution provides plenty of detail and allows for large prints. The sensor's design omits an optical low-pass filter for maximum sharpness.

The Venus Engine processor enables a native ISO range of 200-25,600, expandable to 100-25,600. This allows for great flexibility when shooting in low light conditions. Noise is well controlled through most of the ISO range, with some visible noise and loss of fine details at the highest sensitivities but still very usable.

Overall the G90 delivers outstanding image quality for its class. The combination of the 20MP sensor and Venus processing produces images with excellent sharpness, low noise, and dynamic range. The smaller Four Thirds sensor can't quite compete with larger APS-C and full-frame cameras in extreme low light situations, but offers impressive quality given its physical size. For most shooting scenarios, the image quality will satisfy both enthusiasts and professionals.

Video Capabilities

The Lumix DC-G90 offers very good video capabilities for an entry-level mirrorless camera. It can shoot 4K video up to 30 fps, with no crop applied. This allows you to take full advantage of the wide angle of lenses. It also offers 1080p Full HD video up to 60fps for smooth slow motion capture.

The G90 provides both MP4 and AVCHD format options, as well as full manual exposure controls for videos. Some useful tools include zebra patterning to help expose for highlights, and V-Log L recording to capture a wide dynamic range. There is also a port for an external microphone if higher quality audio is needed.

Overall, the G90 provides strong video features and performance for vlogging, travel videos, or casual video projects. The 5-axis hybrid image stabilization is also a nice plus for getting smoother handheld footage. While not a dedicated video camera, the G90 is very capable for multimedia creators.

Autofocus and Performance

The Lumix G90 offers fast and accurate autofocus performance thanks to its Depth from Defocus technology. It utilizes two images with different sharpness levels to calculate the distance to the subject for quicker focusing.

For focus modes, you get AFS (Single), AFF (Flexible), AFC (Continuous), MF (Manual Focus), as well as Face/Eye Detection AF. Face/Eye Detection works well for detecting and tracking human faces and eyes. The AFC mode also does a good job tracking moving subjects.

When it comes to burst shooting, the G90 can shoot at up to 9 fps with continuous autofocus, or up to 10 fps with focus locked on the first frame. This is a good shooting speed that works well for action photography. The buffer allows for up to 39 RAW images or 600 JPEGs when capturing at high speed.

Overall, the autofocus system is responsive and accurate in most situations. The tracking capabilities and burst speed make the G90 well-suited for shooting fast-moving subjects.

Features

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 offers a robust feature set for both stills and video. Some of the notable features include:

• In-body 5-axis image stabilization - The G90 has 5-axis dual image stabilization which combines 2-axis lens stabilization with 5-axis in-body stabilization for up to 5 stops of shake correction. This allows for sharper images when shooting handheld, especially in low light conditions.

• 4K video and 4K Photo modes - The G90 can shoot cinema 4K videos (4096 x 2160) up to 30fps. The 4K Photo mode allows extracting high resolution stills from 4K video footage. There are 3 4K Photo modes - 4K Burst, 4K Burst S/S, and 4K Pre-burst.

• Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity - Built-in Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi allows for wireless image transfer and remote camera control via a smartphone.

• OLED Live View Finder - A 2360k dot OLED live view finder provides a sharp, high resolution view when composing shots. It has 0.74x magnification with 120 fps refresh rate.

• Large 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen - The rear LCD screen can be tilted and swiveled for easier viewing from difficult angles. It is a touch screen allowing touch focus and menu navigation.

• High resolution electronic shutter - The electronic shutter provides a maximum shutter speed of 1/16,000 sec, allowing the capture of fast moving subjects even in bright light.

• Focus bracketing and focus stacking - For macro work, focus bracketing automatically captures a sequence of shots at different focus distances which can be combined later for focus stacking.

Pros and Cons

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 offers a lot of positives as well as a few negatives that are worth considering.

Pros

• Excellent image quality with 20MP sensor
• 5-axis Dual I.S. 2 image stabilization
• 4K video capture up to 30fps
• Fully articulating touchscreen LCD
• Great autofocus with face/eye detection
• Fast shooting speeds up to 9 fps
• Extensive features like 4K Photo modes
• Rugged, weather-sealed body
• Good value for the price point

Cons

• No in-body image stabilization
• Mediocre battery life
• Only contrast detect AF in video
• No headphone jack
• Single SD card slot
• Menu system can be confusing

The G90 hits a sweet spot for enthusiasts looking for an affordable, lightweight mirrorless camera with strong stills and video performance. While not perfect, the pros generally outweigh the cons for most users.

Competition

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 competes directly with other mid-range mirrorless cameras like the Sony a6400, Fujifilm X-T30, and Canon EOS M50. Here's how it stacks up:

• The Sony a6400 has excellent autofocus and image quality, but lacks in-body image stabilization. The G90 has 5-axis dual image stabilization for smoother videos and low light shots.

• The Fujifilm X-T30 produces beautiful JPEG colors and has a wide range of film simulation modes. However, the G90 has a fully articulating rear LCD which is better for vlogging.

• The Canon EOS M50 is a strong overall performer with Dual Pixel AF, but has a cropped 4K video mode. The G90 has no crop in 4K and offers higher bitrates for better video quality.

• The G90 matches or exceeds these models in core areas like image quality, autofocus, and 4K video. Its unique advantages are class-leading stabilization, a fully articulating screen, weather sealing, and unlimited recording times.

So while the competition is extremely capable, the G90 holds its own with a versatile feature set for both stills and video. For the price, it's a compelling option that can stack up well against pricier models.

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 is an excellent mid-range mirrorless camera that offers great value for money. It strikes a nice balance between features, performance and price.

The G90 produces high-quality stills and video, thanks to its 20MP sensor and advanced image processing. It can shoot crisp 4K video at 30fps, with good autofocus and stabilization. For stills, image quality is sharp and detailed across the ISO range.

Autofocus is fast and accurate using the contrast detection system. The camera can track moving subjects well when using continuous AF. Low light autofocus is also very capable.

The G90 handles nicely with its weather-sealed body, detailed EVF, fully articulating touchscreen and extensive controls. It has an impressive set of features including 6.5 stops of image stabilization, 30fps burst shooting, and unlimited video recording. Connectivity options are also good with Bluetooth, WiFi and USB charging.

Overall, the Panasonic G90 is an excellent choice for enthusiasts and pros looking for an affordable, lightweight mirrorless camera. It's well-suited for travel, video, and daily photography. Image quality, performance and features are impressive for the price. For those looking to step up from a basic mirrorless or DSLR, the G90 is easy to recommend.