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Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Comparison

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Panasonic G9

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic G9
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Sony A7

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7
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Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing G9 and A7, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Sony. Panasonic G9 was introduced to market in November 2017 and Sony A7 was launched in January 2014. As you can see, A7 is 3 years older than G9. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic G9 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-11-08
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 3680k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 658g. 137 x 97 x 92 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-01-22
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 50 - 25600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 474g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7 was replaced by Sony Alpha A7 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7 II vs Sony Alpha A7
Sony Alpha A7 II vs Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 over Sony Alpha 7
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.83x vs 0.71x Larger Viewfinder
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 117 108 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 5.0fps 15 fps faster
Battery Life
400 shots vs 340 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution
3680k dot vs 2359k dot 55% higher resolution
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (80.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
CHECK G9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha 7 over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Weight
474 g vs 658 g 184 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
35.65µm2 vs 11.16µm2 219% larger pixel area
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
CHECK A7 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony Alpha 7
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.230k dots High resolution screens
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Dual-axis Electronic Level
Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony Alpha 7
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic G9 has external dimensions of 137 x 97 x 92 mm (5.39 x 3.82 x 3.62″) and weighs 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz) (including batteries). Sony A7 has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 474 g (1.04 lb / 16.72 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7. Sony A7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 44mm thinner than Panasonic G9.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7.
Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7 is significantly lighter (184g ) than the Panasonic G9 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A7 has a Full frame sensor and Panasonic G9 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic G9's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

G9
A7
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

G9
A7
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both G9 and A7 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic G9 and Sony A7's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Sony A7 features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic G9 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.
Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic G9 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A7 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic G9's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the G9 and A7 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7 has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G9. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7 has an advantage over Panasonic G9 There are 182 lenses for Sony A7's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 119 lenses for Panasonic G9's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic G9 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. G9's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Sony A7 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 36 lenses for Sony E mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic G9 Lenses # of Sony A7 Lenses
Standard Zoom 17 18 (13 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 15 32 (18 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 12 (10 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 32 55 (37 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 19 15 (13 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 11 26 (20 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 10 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 4 9 (8 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 119 182 (123 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS Lens Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS
24 - 70mm 305gr 963gr 74mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM
24 - 70mm 886gr 1360gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS Lens Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS
70 - 200mm 357gr 1015gr 100mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM
70 - 200mm 1480gr 1954gr 200mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH Lens Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH
50mm 205gr 863gr 55mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA Lens Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
50mm 778gr 1252gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Lens Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
16 - 36mm 315gr 973gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
16 - 35mm 680gr 1154gr 122mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
24 - 120mm 320gr 978gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
24 - 105mm 663gr 1137gr 113mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 Lens Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3
200 - 800mm 985gr 1643gr 172mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
100 - 400mm 1395gr 1869gr 205mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic G9 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
117 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
658g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
474g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A7: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic G9 and Sony A7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic G9 and Sony A7 scores compare:

Panasonic G9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 101 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #70 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Sony A7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #60 out of 101 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #95 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Panasonic G9 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A7 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic G9
Panasonic G9
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Sony A7
Sony A7
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Sony A7 vs Panasonic G9 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Sony Alpha 7
Brand Panasonic Sony
Announced 2017-11-08 2014-01-22
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 35.8 x 23.9 mm
Area 224.90mm2 855.62mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 50 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 225 117
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 119 182
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,680k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.83x 0.71x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/32000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 658g 474g
Dimensions 137 x 97 x 92mm 127 x 94 x 48mm
Battery Life 400 shots 340 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 90
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.2
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2248
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