Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99 Comparison

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Panasonic G9

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

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Sony A99

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

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Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic G9, which was introduced in November 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Sony A99, which was introduced in December 2012 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, A99 is 5 years older than G9. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 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

Micro Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" 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 A99 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-12-12

24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Fully Articulated Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in GPS

812g. 147 x 111 x 78 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Compare

Sony A99 was replaced by Sony Alpha a99 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha a99 II vs Sony SLT-A99
Sony Alpha a99 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 A99 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

**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 SLT-A99

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
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 19	206 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 10.0fps	10 fps faster
Weight	658 g vs 812 g	154 g lighter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	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
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
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs none	Read/Write in High Speeds
Webcam Function	Yes vs No	Use your camera as a Webcam

Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A99 over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
Max Sensor Resolution	24 MP vs 20 MP	19% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution	1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots	18% higher resolution screen
Battery Life	500 shots vs 400 shots	100 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area	35.50µm² vs 11.16µm²	218% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony SLT-A99

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fully Articulated	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 1.229k dots	High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 10.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
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
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs Yes	Connect off-camera flash
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Storage Slot	2 vs 2	Extra Storage Slot

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Sony SLT-A99

Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99: 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 A99 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 A99 has external dimensions of 147 x 111 x 78 mm (5.79 x 4.37 x 3.07″) and weighs 812 g (1.79 lb / 28.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99. Panasonic G9 is 10mm narrower and 14mm shorter than Sony A99 but it is also 14mm thicker.

Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic G9 is significantly lighter (154g ) than the Sony A99 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 A99 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 A99 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A99

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A99

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both G9 and A99 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic G9 and Sony A99's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Both cameras feature Fully Articulating screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. Fully articulating screens are also useful for taking Selfie shots and video.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic G9 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony A99 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz 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 A99 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 Cameras

As seen above, Sony A99 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 A99 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 A99 has an advantage over Panasonic G9 There are 143 lenses for Sony A99's Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, on the other hand there are only 108 lenses for Panasonic G9's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. G9's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type	# of Panasonic G9 Lenses	# of Sony A99 Lenses
Standard Zoom	15	20 (9 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	13	9 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	6	11 (4 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	29	18 (16 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	18	26 (22 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	9	12 (12 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	8	19 (4 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	5	4 (2 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	4	12 (9 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	10 (10 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	2 (1 Full Frame)
TOTAL	108	143 (96 Full Frame)

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 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	24 - 70mm	305gr	963gr	74mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II	24 - 70mm	974gr	1786gr	111mm	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	70 - 200mm	357gr	1015gr	100mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony 70-200mm F2.8 G SSM II	70 - 200mm	1500gr	2312gr	197mm	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	50mm	205gr	863gr	55mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony CZ T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM	50mm	518gr	1330gr	72mm	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	16 - 36mm	315gr	973gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II	16 - 35mm	872gr	1684gr	114mm	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	24 - 120mm	320gr	978gr	86mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM	24 - 105mm	885gr	1697gr	109mm	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	200 - 800mm	985gr	1643gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2	150 - 600mm	2010gr	2822gr	258mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic G9 and Sony A99 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 A99 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 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A99 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A99 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
11 Cross Type Focus sensors
19 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A99 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
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
812g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A99 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 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99: 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 A99, 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 A99 scores compare:

Panasonic G9

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #41 out of 93 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #67 out of 1233 in all Cameras

Sony A99

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #18 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #75 out of 1233 in all Cameras

Panasonic G9 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A99. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that G9 trails behind the A99: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Sony A99. If not, we recommend the Panasonic G9.

Sony A99 vs Panasonic G9 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DC-G9	Sony SLT-A99
Brand	Panasonic	Sony
Announced	2017-11-08	2012-12-12
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Mid-size SLR
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	19
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds	Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of Available Lenses	108	143
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fully Articulated
Size	3"	3
Resolution	1,040k dots	1,229k 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	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	20.0 fps	10.0 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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	658g	812g
Dimensions	137 x 97 x 92mm	147 x 111 x 78mm
Battery Life	400 shots	500 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	89
DxO Color Depth	not tested	25.0
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	14.0
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	1555
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