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Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1 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 RX1

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX1
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Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic G9, which was introduced in November 2017 is a Advanced Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Sony RX1, which was introduced in February 2013 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, RX1 is 4 years older than G9. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 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
  • 180fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 658g. 137 x 97 x 92 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body

Sony RX1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-02-19
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 35 mm f2.00 Prime Lens
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 482g. 113 x 65 x 70 mm

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 compare 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 Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 25 200 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 5.0fps 15 fps faster
Battery Life
400 shots vs 270 shots 130 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
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
Full-size HDMI Port
Yes vs No Use standard HDMI cables without adapters
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
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
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
CHECK G9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
LCD Resolution
1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Weight
482 g vs 658 g 176 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
35.50µm2 vs 11.16µm2 218% larger pixel area
CHECK RX1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
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 1.229k dots High resolution screens
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 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 RX1 has external dimensions of 113 x 65 x 70 mm (4.45 x 2.56 x 2.76″) and weighs 482 g (1.06 lb / 17.00 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic G9 and the Sony RX1. Sony RX1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 32mm shorter and 22mm thinner than Panasonic G9. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX1 has a built-in lens but Panasonic G9 doesn't. Once you put a lens on G9, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Panasonic G9 and the Sony RX1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1.
Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Panasonic G9 and the Sony RX1 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX1 is significantly lighter (176g ) than the Panasonic G9 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on G9, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the G9 has a big advantage over the RX1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Panasonic G9 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Sony RX1's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G9.


Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic G9 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony RX1 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

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 moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the G9 and RX1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony RX1 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.

What types of Photography are Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic G9 and Sony RX1 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 RX1 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

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
External Flash Shoe
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony RX1 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

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Street Photography
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony RX1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
External Flash Shoe
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
35 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony RX1 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 23.8 mm) sensor
Compact Body
482g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX1 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

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Panasonic G9 vs Sony RX1: 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 RX1, 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 RX1 scores compare:

Panasonic G9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #58 out of 117 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #89 out of 1275 in all Cameras
Sony RX1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #16 out of 64 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #233 out of 1275 in all Cameras

Panasonic G9 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony RX1 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic G9
Panasonic G9
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Sony RX1
Sony RX1
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Sony RX1 vs Panasonic G9 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Brand Panasonic Sony
Announced 2017-11-08 2013-02-19
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 35.8 x 23.8 mm
Area 224.90mm2 852.04mm2
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 100 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 35 mm (1x)
Max Aperture no lens F2.0-22.0
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic and Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Resolution 3,680k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.83x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
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
Flash Range no built-in flash 6.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/4000s
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 Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 658g 482g
Dimensions 137 x 97 x 92mm 113 x 65 x 70mm
Battery Life 400 shots 270 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 93
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.1
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2534
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