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Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Panasonic G9

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

Panasonic G9
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Sony A99

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

Sony A99
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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 ( 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 A99 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-12-12
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" 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.


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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 SLT-A99
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
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
CHECK G9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A99 over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
LCD 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
CHECK A99 PRICE

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.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
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.
Panasonic G9 vs Sony A99 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
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

G9
A99
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

G9
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 3.00".

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.

Panasonic G9 vs Sony 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 119 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 17 20 (9 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 15 9 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 11 (4 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 32 18 (16 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 19 26 (22 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 11 13 (13 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 9 (9 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 2 (1 Full Frame)
TOTAL 119 143 (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 Lens Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS
24 - 70mm 305gr 963gr 74mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH
50mm 205gr 863gr 55mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony CZ  T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 Lens 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 #50 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #70 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony A99
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #74 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Panasonic G9 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A99 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic G9
Panasonic G9
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Sony A99
Sony A99
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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 119 143
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.00"
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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