Following on from the successes of a long line of extremely well positioned consumer cameras, Panasonic LUMIX have struck again with the new LUMIX G90 hybrid mirrorless camera, which not only steps up a gear from its predecessors, but also borrows some of the ‘best bits’ of tech from other areas of the LUMIX family. We got hands-on for an early first-look.

LUMIX G90 Key Features

• Brand new 20.3-megapixel sensor
• Unlimited video in any format
• V-Log L
• 4K & Full HD video
• Various 4K Photo modes
• 3.0-inch OLED rear monitor
• Integrated OLED LVF [Live Viewfinder]
• Dedicated mic and headphone sockets
• Durable & lightweight
• Dust & splash resistant
• New Sequence Composition and Auto Marking
• Designed for single hand use with button layout and grip
• USB charging and power
• Bluetooth & Wi-Fi connectivity

Promising amateur and aspiring photographers and videographers ‘the best of both worlds’, the new LUMIX G90 has been designed with mobility and simplicity of use in mind. Boasting a variety of features for both photo and video the new camera features a 20.3-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor, the latest Venus Engine and 5-axis Dual I.S. 2.

The new LUMIX G90 seems to be a very well thought through camera. Not only does it follow on from, [not supercede] the excellent G80 camera as a hard-to-beat all-round mirrorless camera for vloggers and those looking for a solid and versatile camera, it also jumps ahead of the game, in that it borrows elements of tech from its siblings in the G and GH series of cameras from Lumix.

The G90’s 20.3-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor has been built without any sign of a low-pass filter and the native 5-axis Dual IS 2 works both in photo and video, including 4K video.

See our hands-on gallery below 

Improved design for single hand use

The G90’s design has been overhauled from what we’ve seen before and now promises the user a much simpler, single-handed use, with new, dedicated white balance [WB], ISO and Exposure compensation buttons, [which were absent on the G9].
This and the buttons on the rear have been located around the wheel dial for speedy access to multiple settings for both shooting & playback modes.

This, and the fact that the new front & rear dials allow for straightforward configuration and can be easily set to personal preferences.  

Video

This is where things get really interesting and begin to deomonstrate Panasonic’s heritage in clever video functions.
The G90 can capture unlimited 4K video [3840×2140] at 30p/25p [50Hz Area]/30p [60Hz] or 24p in addition to Full HD [1920×1080] at 60p/50p [50Hz Area], 60p [60Hz Area] with full-time AF.

High Speed Video can also be used to shoot slow-mo video in Full HD at 120fps [1/4x], 90fps [1/3x] and 60fps [1/2x].

Real-time image output to an external monitor in 4:2:2 / 8-bit via an optional micro HDMI cable is an option, while V-Log L is pre-installed for wider dynamic range for colour rendering in post-production. in addition, a 3.5mm microphone jack for high-quality audio recording is included, as well as a headphone socket.

4K Photo

The new G90 from LUMIX also boasts the brand’s popular 4K Photo functions, which offers users the opportunity to full moments at 30fps from a 4K video. That’s something that LUMIX now promises is simpler due to its new ‘Auto Marking’ function, which automatically detects frames with changes to the image. Sequence Composition has also been added for creating ‘stromotion’ images by combining multiple images into a single shot.

Pricing and availability

The new Panasonic LUMIX G90 mirrorless camera will be available from June 2019, with an RRP of £899.99 [body only], £1,079.99 [with a 12-60mm lens], and£1,259.99 [with a 14-140mm lens].