I appreciate this is a long one! Feel free to skip around using the chapters and timestamps in the description 😊 as always, i welcome your thoughts!

I’m a semi-retired fashion/beauty photographer and have been using full frame and medium format for years. Today, I still have a medium format system, but I mostly use M cameras and lenses for personal fun. Nevertheless, every now and then you want something more versatile and with AF. In 1974, my father bought me an OM-1. I guess he was fed up with lending his precious M4 to a 12-year old. Two years ago, I bought a new OM-1 with the 12-40 Pro lens for my daughter’s 21st birthday. She loves that camera and the images are gorgeous. The result for me was that I’ve fallen in love again with M43. I just bought the OM-1 MkI. Simply because it’s the last OM-1 with the name Olympus on the front. Now I have the first OM-1 (still works great) and the last one, side-by-side on my desk. I admit, it’s a bit of a strange reason, but every time I pick up my new OM-1, I experience the joy of a life-time of photography.

This is probably the most balanced Lumix vs. OM flagship comparison I have ever seen from you. Great job!

Recap : G9II _better resolution _better colors _better DR _betrer stab (the best today I guess !?!) _far better video _better muscle memory for buttons _faster burst (longer buffer) OM1 II _far better buffer _longer burst _better focus stacking _better pre shoot _better computational features _lighter file size _less rolling shutter

To me OM System does what made M43 so fun and unique, they lean into the technology and computational aspect! The system has been the leader in such things for a long while and Panasonic has kind of stopped doing that, with their M43 cameras just being their ff cameras, but with a different sensor. I hope we get more of that with new OM models!

A great video with superb explanation that is clear and precise covering the important points and differences of each camera. Many thanks for making this video Emily along with all your others.

Wow, what a detailed and practical comparison. Not seen any other comparison and analysis that is so balanced. You really know these cameras. OM Ambassador and LUMIX Ambassador badges in the post!

Great video, as usual! I rented the G9 II hoping to have that be my "tele" setup alongside my S5 II which I use for wide-to-normal work. Your observations about the buffer, to me, speak to how the OM-1 is just a better architected, higher spec'd and ultimately more "professional" camera. I don't see the G9 II (or S5 II) to be "flagship" cameras - and I think that's reflected in their (very fair) price points. They're great cameras, but once I got the OM-1 Mark II I thought "this is it" all the basics work very well, it wakes up faster, moving between modes is faster, rating/selecting is faster, etc. It just "feels" like more of a professional tool to me. Add the computational modes and it's a no brainer for me. Crossing my fingers for an L-Mount version!

I really get so much from your videos. When you do express your opinion, you explain why you've come to it, which reminds me of my agency to come along with you. Or not. Thankyouthankyou! I'm mostly shooting birds and have a barn full of Zuiko lenses, so yes -- I'm delighted with my OM-1. When I shoot non-birdy things, the OM-1 does just fine. And a few months ago I bought an Olympus PEN-F, for those times when I really need a nice piece of jewelry on the street. (I don't mean to remind you of a painful bit in your past (selling a PEN!) I'm reiterating your point that photography can be fun even without the latest greatest most up to date wizardry. Thank you sincerely!

As always, great comparison. A brand ambassador we can trust. Much appreciated!

I have been checking your videos for a bit longer than a week when I started to get into micro four thirds (not leaving Full Frame, just want something more portable and still at a higher level), and I really want to thank you for being so authentic and engaging. You really know how to make sense of the system for your audience. 🙏 Thank you

This is the best comparison video between theese two cameras I´ve seen so far. Well done!

Great one Emily, good to see another comparison. Both are great in different areas and both are capable.

Dont need new gear but i watch all of these for your photography and to see where m43 is going tech wise. Beautiful work

Excellent video.Thank you! Have a wonderful time in beautiful surroundings!

One of my favorite videos…and I don’t own either camera! Nicely done! Plus I add my vote for more ‘small’ m43 cameras (I see other comments in that regard)!

Cracking video. Really enjoy all of your videos. Thanks for sharing.

as always, great and thorough review!

Emily, this is the best gear review video I think you've ever done. I say that because you have done a fantastic job of accurately and objectively describing the differences between these two amazing cameras in meaningful detail. When products and technology gets to this level the question changes from "best" to "best fit" and you not only made that clear, but the bit at the end about bonding with a given camera is spot on. I think the goal is to find camera that is such a good fit for you that it disappears in your hands such that you don't think about it but only the image capture. I am NOT a video shooter, so the OM-1 is the best fit for me. First, it fits me like I just described, I use many of the computational features, the smaller size vs. the G9II is significant to me, and I think the weather proofing is better as OMS is the only camera company to publish a industry standard rating. But, I wouldn't feel abused of "forced" to use the G9II. 🙂 Again - fantastic work! You are becoming not just one of the few KZfaq photography channels I find worth watching but you head my short list of "must watch" creators.

Loved hearing your opinion on these. It is so close I think regardless of which way you go you'd be happy with the result at this point.

Nicely done and thorough. Thank you. I rarely do video, so "simple" video is all I need. I love the OM System computational modes for all kinds of shooting. I recently upgraded from the E-M1 mkiii to the OM-1 mkii. Simply impressive! The G9 mkii was tempting, but I chose the OM-1 mkii. I also have an OM-5, which I love. As you say, both the G9II and the OM-1 II are stellar. Can't go wrong with either.

Hi Emily, another great video, I bought the G9II and use mostly Olympus lenses as I prefer the look more but I have lenses from both, I use it most for video but I'm taking photos too so I'm in love with my G9II 😊 Cheers!

A very thoughtful breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of both cameras. I'm a retired press photographer dabbling in wildlife photography using, mostly, the original G9 (the OG9:) and 100-400mm and shooting JPEGS, a bad habit from my press days. I recently had a chance to photograph an eagles raising a pair of chicks. We had to keep a very respectful distance and I found the 20-meg sensor and 800mm 35mm=reach of the 100-400mm not long enough to get close in on the chicks. Long story short I activated the 2x digital converter, kept the ISO at 200, and was pleasantly surprised by the effective 1,600mm results. Much better than cropping in my 800mm images. I'd welcome a video from you on this feature. Maybe contrasting it to cropping in with RAW images. When working I almost never had time to work with RAW images so I'd value your perspective.

Fantastic deep dive and balanced analysis! One of the best videos of this type I've ever seen. I, and I'm sure many others, greatly appreciate your hard work! I just got the G9II and I have so much to learn. While I do intend to shoot birds and would appreciate a less restrictive burst mode, I appreciate the stabilization and video features of the G9II so I have no regrets at all. Also, the video didn't feel long at all because of my interest in everything you covered.

Thanks for this! I'm in no shape to go flagship but I love your reviews and wish more than anything I had seen them when I was first shopping. I should have gone M43 from the beginning.

I still keeping M1x though. The flagship of its own category. The older 20mpix sensor has lower native ISO, but I was able to get incredibly good color reproduction with white balance calibration.

I bought an e-m1.3 during lock down and got hooked on m43 ever since! Now im keen to upgrade, mainly for wildlife and this video is what I've been waiting for! Excellent review, super thorough and as unbiased as you can get (we know you really really love Lumix;) just waiting for alignment of budget, OM promotions and my OH looking away and I'll click buy

You are so good at nature photography! I'm always so impressed by that.

Nice, informative video Emily 😊 Former Nikon and current Fuji (xt 5) user, I bought the G9ii last year and paired it with the Leica / Panasonic 200 F2.8 to try some sports photography : Highland League Football. I must say I'm very happy with the results, so far 😊

Emily: simply a brilliant comparo. review. Just excellent. As a fellow YTer, I know what it takes to get this quality. Three thumbs up.

I have the G9-II and since I do a lot of video, this is the better camera for me. As far as I know, the G9-II is always saving an 16bit image format in stills. Even if there are no 16bit and the additional bits are stored and most likely compressed to nothing. This is used in the HighRes-Modes so the G9-II should have this larger bit depth advantage just like the OM1_II. I use HHHR typically in cases like city-scapes and buildings and usually people or cars are moving in those images. My experience is, that the G9-II handles this very good and moving objects are not sliced into pieces. I think the OM1 isn't doing this that in the same quality but until now all comparison videos I saw only tested completely static test images. I would like to see such comparisons out in the wild. Especially the HHHR is made for images outside where you don't use a tripod and can't wait until actually nothing moves.

MY favorite youtuber. thanks so much.

Excellent video, thank you! I have to add that I think a lot of people underestimate the potential of what these burst rates, buffer clearing and the fact that it's RAW actually means. Birds and wildlife? Sure- but that's limiting the area of use. I have been using the mkii the recent months also for sports and children. Having all these things in a combination is a GODSEND for getting lots of keeper images, while being able to shoot blackout free and keep on bursting with the pre-burst for getting before/after. It is SUCH an underrated area of use. Getting all that with RAW is incredible.

Excellent video Emily. You really nailed it.

Excellent very helpful video - thank you

Your best comparison footage of the two brands Emily, well done! In fact, I think it is by far the best comparison video for the two cameras I should say... Only nitpicky thing I have if I heard that right, your experience with OM1.1 in SA for wildlife/birds would have been better if you only use subject detection and not messing with the tracking. It is known for a long while that Olympus CAF + Tracking is pretty useless until OM1.2. I know OMDS is not as focus in the video but I do hope they up their game a bit more with their next flagship camera. I don't shoot lots of video but it is one aspect I am envious of Lumix shooter for certain :-). I wish you would compare OM1.2 HHHR 12bits vs 14bits as well. If I am right you were comparing normal with 14bits HHHR (18-20mp vs 50mP).

Thanks for a great review. I lean toward the OM-1 because I do very little video and while birds are far from the only thing I shoot, I think they are the only thing I shoot where upgrading my camera is going to make a noticeable difference. Also I'm leaning towards getting a used copy of the original OM-1 because it looks like I can get one for about $1000 less than the mark Ii. Then I could put that money towards a better lens.

Thank you for the nice review, helps to know where M43 is going.i am still cranking with my om10 MII 16MP, with 2 Pany f2.8 lenses.

Great comparison Emily. Thank you. Saving for the OM 1 ii . Moving from my original G9. Just can't get enough bif keepers!

Wow, Eli! You know as nobody else to combine a cherry sweet informal approach with the technical knowledge ánd subtle detail _plus_ the insight/experience of a passionate pro, the quality often being skipped or dry presented by some men, let's not name examples now. I remember the first two videos of yours I've watched, I found the presentation a little contrived, but I've been long since sold. This approach is your personal niche and obviously thousands recognize and like it. Even on a small screen I perceive the differences in the noise and color that you present. Would be nice to see a high-res tripod comparison, shots set next to each other, to see if we're splitting hairs or is it a substantial difference. Yes, the Yt algorithm will diminish it, but still. This is the comparison I've been waiting for a long time, since your famed safari enterprise. Just like you, I am in all genres. Tried birding just to test my 100-400 lens, but it got me sucked in and helped me learn and love the birds. The technical specs are knowledgeably presented the way you do it, but the best of all is what you mention in the end - it's some inexplicable personal interaction in the end that matters the most. When I take the oldie E-M1 original with me, I know I will fiddle with the (too few too small) buttons and a slow AF, bit it will be accurate and predictable and the _sooc_ colors still better (or nicer) than what my much newer G9/G90 produce. Also the IBIS is still awesome regardless of the absence of a dual stabe. So for the photography, the feel, the shape and grip, I would lean against the OM, especially that 14-bit high-res is impressive, but I do video as well and that makes the dilemma really really tough. If Panasonic comes with the 14-bit high res in an update, the dilemma is solved.

Thank you for the very honest comparison between two stellar cameras Emily. I want to add a quick note. Both cameras only have 12 bit ADCs on their sensor (the G9ii has two 12 bit ADCs for DR boost). So the "14 bit" high resolution mode is just a wrapper to hold the extra DR captured by the OM1ii in that mode, similar to the 16 bit wrapper the G9ii uses for all modes, to hold on to the extra DR captured by the DR boost. In effect, this is what makes the G9ii hold on to colour in the deep shadows much better. So I assume the G9ii's 100MP handheld high resolution mode to still outperform the OM1ii's 50MP HHHR.

Really appreciate the super informative advice based on real world experience from a professional

Well done! Very interesting comparison. While I can see that using V30 rated cards would help demonstrate the differences in how the burst mode works, I hope you are using V90 cards in your normal shooting. Emptying the buffer at 260MB/s vs ~130MB/s should lessen the impact.

You can`t make a better comparison like that! I don`t mean the technical thing but the way. Chapeau!

I did a lot of research before buying the G9 II. I've watched a ton of videos. Yours is the most complete and detailed I've seen by far. I wish I had seen it before buying my camera. I still believe I made the right choice though. I may buy an OM camera some day, if only for the better way of dealing with the buffer situation, the much smaller file size and the computational ND filters. I love Live view composite as well. Great for fireworks or any kind of longish exposure. As you mentioned in your video, so for I've not run into trouble with maxing out the buffer but it is very annoying having to wait for the files to write and not being able to shot for a bit. Thank you. :)

Thanks for this comparison! I struggled over the last several months on which way to go with upgrading my M43 primary camera. I ended up on the G9ii, partially because it's essentially the same body as my S5iiX. That makes it incredibly easy to learn and use. The OM1ii is a great camera, though. I think anyone who does birding (and wildlife in general) would be better off with the OM. It seems like a birder's dream camera.

Thanks for that Emily, really useful to see. I’m a G9ii user, it’s a huge improvement over the G9, BUT since the release of the OM-1 ii I’ve wondered if I would benefit more from its better evf, instant start up, (3 second lag really frustrates me on G9ii). I also do minimal post processing, so in body focus stacking would be useful too. One observation I’d make on your puffin shots at 28 mins, with the G9ii the birds face was obscured mostly with its wing, on your OM-1 its head was clearly visible, so I think it was easier to recognise as a bird.

Great video!

While I haven’t checked hi res mode, my G9ii raw files are 16 bit. Coupled with the extra megapixels and a fairly big embedded jpeg would explain the difference in raw file sizes.

Thank you for your very thorough and unbiased review. Well done. My wife and I both own the OM-1 & G9II cameras and use them for travel/landscape and bird photography. She loves the G9II for its superior video and the OM-1 with her Oly 12-100 for stills. I still have my G9 and probably too many PL lenses and purchased the G9II because the price offered was just too tempting. I use the OM-1 for bird photography with the Oly 300mm f4 lens with and without teleconverters. To me the OM-1 is hands down better for birds but I’m staying with Panasonic for general photography as I love the lenses, colors and the menu system. We were just in Newfoundland photographing puffins & gannets and frankly and we came away pleased with all of our gear. The Panasonic 100-400 v 1 performed very good on the G9II but not as good as the OM-1, of course the 300mm prime had something to do with that. You have convinced me that the OM-1. MKII is worth investigating as it has some advantages over the OM-1, so thank you for describing in depth those features. Envy your Faroe Islands trip, we have very fond memories of our visit two years ago, alas no puffins in September when we were there.

Great video, it will be interesting to see how much AF improvement we get from the promised firmware update in the Autumn

You've almost reached the Hollywood level with this video. Very explicit and helpful. We've to be all grateful to you for this titanic work of art. Keep up the good work, you're such an inspiration!

Wow what a video. Thank you Emily. This seems silly. I just do photography with maybe a few video clips. One might think the OM1 Mii is the body for me. I have the EMD1 Mii and G9. I prefer the G9. Most of my M43 cameras are LUMIX. Absolutely love the GX8/85/9. So it is a system preference. The major feature I love about the lumix, high isn’t present in the GX8/85 is L monochrome D. This is my favorite B&W jpeg. Sorry Acros + red filter. Yes, I can achieve with mucking around in Lightroom. I don’t edit my images. Getting the look I like SOOC is very valuable to me. Yes, both bodies are super. They are super in some different ways. You select the super powers you will use the most. With all these super powers to select from, it seems strange to me I’m voting for the G9ii because of this jpeg feature. As my mother use to say, that’s hat makes horse races. What does that even mean? It is so strange to see you dressed in your winter kit in July. Go Hawks even though my long time team is the Giants. A team only a mother or hometown kid can love. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

I have both cameras, and I would agree with everything you bring up EXCEPT the Hand Held High Res mode. The noise reduction on the HHHR mode is NOT due to the 14 vs. 12 bit images. It is due to the multiple file merging that occurs in the HHHR process. I have found the G9ii HHHR files to be cleaner with more detail than the OM-1 files due to the significantly higher resolution.

Absolutely love your videos, this was by far the best comparison I've watched, fan for life!

Very balanced review! One advantage for OM Systems is that my local camera store carries it. Panasonic doesn't seem to play well with local "brick and mortar" camera stores. I shoot Panasonic and Nikon. It's great having local access to all things Nikon, but I have to do everything online for Panasonic. I'm considering leaving Panasonic because of it. Nikon has also become quite good with video, lately.

Have you tried the burst modes on LUMIX if you use faster V60 or V90 cards?

Great video as always, Emily. Always fun to watch. Hope you don't mind me asking because I'm not sure if I'm understanding correctly. You made quite a mention of the 14bit raw files of the Om1ii but didnt mention that the standard output of the G9ii is 16bit, as are many cameras these days. Have I misunderstood and you were talking specifically about something different? Looking at the specs of the OM1ii it shows the normal RAW output of the camera is just 12 bits whereas the normal output of the G9ii (and older G9 and GX9) is 16bit. So 14bit in hi-res mode only isnt really a deal in comparison with other much older cameras? Have I missed something? Obviously there is also the G9ii 100Mp hi res mode. Any chance you could do a side by side comparison of the 2 cameras in hi-re modes at both standard and high MP modes, and possibly also both handheld and tripod mounted? I almost moved to the EM-1iii due to the great handheld hi-res modes but obviously technology has moved a lot since

Hi, thanks a lot for this video ! Pana G9 (mkI) and OM-1 (mkI also) user here, mainly bird photographer. The only times I've hit the buffer with my OM-1 are when using procapture at 120 fps for bird takeoffs. Nota Bene: my wildlife lens is the Panasonic 100-400, so I'm stuck with 25fps bursts with the autofocus, which is fine by me. The 90 or so image buffer is enough for me, even when photographing very speedy birds like swallows in flight, because I rarely burst for more than 2 seconds at a time. The video capabilities of the OM-1 are pretty gimmicky compared to my G9. Yes there's a log profile I don't have with the G9, but it's forced when you want to record 10 bit, and I don't always need it. Also, the slow motion of the OM-1 looks like a pixel soup, and that's a real shame. However, when it comes to macro, boy the OM-1 shines. I get way faster bracketing burst rates compared to the G9, that grants me a much higher success rate on live insects ! About subject detection, my OM-1's bird detect happily detects insects and even frogs ! So just because it says birds, don't hesitate to try it out on other subjects :)

Really enjoy tis video...thanks for sharing your thoughts...oso what type of caps are on both cameras..silver and red color...

Great video. Nice balance between structure and informality. Olympus leaving market and Panasonic having FF mount are two extras to consider.

I love the handheld high res mode on my s5ii - the 14 bit implementation on the OM is really cool. I'd love to see that in Lumix.

Very helpful video (although I won’t be able to afford either one unless I save up for about 2 years!). I wonder if by that time Panasonic could improve some of their downsides with firmware- maybe start writing the bursts as you shoot, or process a focus stack jpg in camera. Hopefully they’ll watch your video and take it into account!

Both camera's exceed my photography abilities.

The comment about gelling with you camera is interesting - I still seem to enjoy using my PEN-F far more than my relatively new (to me) factory refurb E-M1 mk3 despite the E-M1 being the more capable and newer camera.

kind of a weird question but for bird shooting would the gh7 be kind of the best solution because of the cfexpress card slot and associated clearing speeds?? i know that it’s mainly pitched at video but the burst clearing speed may actually make it a better birding camera especially if you are ok to shoot only to cfexpress card and don’t need to shoot to both slots?

I'm not a fan of M43 system as I said previously and I believe the APS-C size sensor is the sweet spot, howver, I always enjoy your stuff as I believe you are really a "talented" photographer with a refined taste in editing your photos too...quite imperssive indeed!

It was nice meeting you in Froðba 😄

Maybe the best camera comparison review ever!👍 Once again Emily's honesty and good cheer bubbles through to endear! Even those of us who do not want the G9ii/OM1ii will be tempted (a little😉). But, we do have a better appreciation for the features in the cameras we have or want. There is one serious contender for go anywhere compact alternative that has many of the G9ii/OM1ii essential features (PDAF, hi burst speed, stabilization, weatherproof, 4k video) with a 24-600mm f2.4-4 lens thrown in. Although the Sony RX10iv is 7 years older than the G9ii/OM1ii, it still packs a punch for the hybrid shooter. Maybe Emily will be tempted by the dare to take the RX10iv vs G9ii/OM1ii comparison challenge!😊👍

Great review thanks, so in conclusion you NEED! to have both cameras 😂

Thanks Emily! Great info here. And there I was just getting ready to sell my original OM1, but not for the OM1-ii. Just because I’ve never warmed up to it. Maybe I should keep it? I don’t enjoy the menu system of OM cameras. Okay I hate it! Plus, their lenses are just too pricey for me. Question: Do Lumix macro lenses work with OM focus stacking? I can’t seem to get a definitive answer and I’ve no Lumix (or any) macro lenses on hand to test. But would rent one if need be.

Good gosh. Those things are huge!

Loving the Olympus approach to burst 🎉 (using em1 II tho)

A fair and objective review. Macro, sports, action or wildlife then buy the OM. Video and more general photography buy the Panny. Two great cameras and we should be grateful to have such a choice.

Lumix G9ii. The one and only!

Hi. May I ask you to test m43 wideangle lens like 9mm 1.7 vs FF wideangle single shot of Milky Way astro landscape? ))) is FF much better for astro landscape than best m43 ?

Very good 👍 thanks 🙏🏼

I own both Oly and Panny, both are great although I prefer the Olly lenses. Cannot go wrong with either.

I have both the OM-1 and G9m2. Bought the G9m2 for photos but predominantly doing video, particularly slow motion. I have an odd issue shooting video - there is a shimmering effect like a heat haze visible on the EVF and Screen which is recorded onto SD card. This is particularly noticeable using the OM 150-400mm lens. And I have noticed the sensor does not always return to centre position when the camera is switched off. Waiting for a detailed review on the G9m2 video capability and use with a series of lenses.

Hello! Sorry if this was addressed in the video and I missed it but does Continuous Autofocus affect the burst modes at all?

How are they with the older 4/3 lenses, I have and use those older ones with adapter?

I was hoping to see a face detect af comparison. I own the om1 mark 1 and it is NOT great for running children, way behind Sony A7IV for example, which I also own. Has it been improved on OM1 mkii ?

Thanks for a great video, very balanced and effective. I have some Lumix cameras and some Olympus/OM System cameras. I use the Lumix cameras in my online corporate training role, and they have NEVER let me down. However, I find that, in my photography hobby, I prefer Olympus/ OM. I just find these "jive" with me better. You are dead right though, G9ii or OM1ii, you cannot go wrong. For my hobby, my next camera will be the original OM-1 and even that will be way too feature rich for my hobby needs. 😅

A very very detailed explanation of both of these flagship cameras from both brands. One of the things that Om system talk about is that they put human detection into its Ai subject detection mode now. I m just wondering whether it is massively different from the one in the original OM-1? Can I finally shoot sport with the OM-1 mark ii now ? Is the human subject detection sticking to the face now ? It certainly wasn’t with the original OM-1 ? Has anybody tested this ?

Good job! You really knows what I want to know about these cameras. One thing you should know is that the max writing speed of a memory card have nothing to do with cameras. it only works when the memory card is insert a computer with certain card reader. And cameras like these two, you should get a V60 or V90 card with UHS II at least. A UHS II card like 160m/s is faster than a UHS I 200m/s card on camera.

you forgot to mention that all Olympus camera has SSWF sensor cleaning which keeps your sensor clean all the time which is missing in all other brand

Doesn't one of the two buttons on top of the OM-1 II have a little red dent in it or does it only appear to? Because that would be also a way of haptic differentiation just as Panasonic does it with the two little bumps on the middle button. So technically it shout be distinguishable, or am I wrong?

I wonder how the stabilization compares in stills mode. I was able to do handheld 8s exposures on om1 and 10s on om1ii (literally handheld astrophotography lol) - how does this look on the Panasonic side?

I bought an ex display G9 at Wex Photo last week because I miss the old ergonomics compared to the new G9ii. I use it for birding and the original G9 AF still sticks to my subjects.

Excellent Comparison. Objectively describing the possible pros and cons of owning either model. Sadly, i want features from both. I love sports and wildlife photography. Particularly motor sports. The buffer clearing issue on the G9ii would annoy the heck out of me and also rolling shutter when panning. I have original G9 with pl 100-400mm and love that combo except for dodgy af. I also use Olympus em5iii and adore it for every day stuff. So maybe no need to change yet. But the OM1 is very compelling. I also have a lot of oly glass too, so have feet in both camps. If Panasonic could sort the burst write issue my decision would be made. I'm a little hesitent to commit more of my dwindling finances to OM Systems until i see proper progression in the OM5 series.

Have you tried using V90 cards in Lumix G9II for faster writing after the buffer hit? The compatibility list for SD-cards on G9II does not mention V30 cards at all because of slow write speeds.

Great video. I am going through a time where I am frustrated with my equipment and my work. I really wanted to like the G9II. Darn. Back in the day I had two Olympus P5's. I used the Olympus M5.2 for a while. I still use the Olympus M1.2. But I have been looking for something else. I like the Lumix menus. I had a GX8 for a while. I rented a G9 for a week. I had a GH5II for a while. And I had a G9II for a while. I have several M43 lenses I like. I am thinking about looking at the G7 or GX7. Smaller. Lumix menus.

Thanks!

would the G9ii handle burst mode and buffering better with a connected SSD ?

This was a really good comparison, I want both 😅😅 I must say that I use handheldhighres on OM1mkll on birds that sits still and I love it. The faster the shutterspeed the better, and you can have high iso cos the noise disappears. Ihave 300f4 and 150-400tcpro. A G9ll fore my videos and walk around photos would be nice 👍

lately, due to the launch of the Sigma 500mm f5.6 L mount, I am wondering if I should go for S5 II instead of G9II. Obviously, L mount has a very limited choice of lenses. just not sure how well is S5II do with wildlife. the Sigma 500 is so sweet with its weight of less than 1.4kg, it is very compatible with the tele lens of OMs or Panny M43 lenses.

Great, objective, insightful comparison. I've never held a camera with better ergo than the original G9, and the M2 is not quite as good in that regard (all Oly/OM bodies feel too small, as do Sony E-Mount). Thanks for pointing out that 1/15 limit for DRB. I was unaware of that, and often shoot even slower than that (hand-held, of course, given that 8-stop IBIS). Yeah--I was not pleased to find that the files are 2X larger with the G9M2 compared to the M1, but it's not that big a deal. Weird (not in a good way) that Lumix removed in in-camera focus stacking feature from the G9M1 (plus I don't use Lr/Ps). It's rare I'd use that anyway but I've still got the M1 for that... That said, I get great macros from the G9M1 and M2 (using the Oly 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens). Actually, the Leica 8-18 does not have IS, but as you say, Dual IS isn't really needed at those FLs. Re buffering, I've never come close to shooting 200 frames in a burst (who has the time to curate that?!), nor have I ever shot more than a few seconds in any burst mode (nor beyond 20 fps). I will say that it's annoying that I can't immediately review shots in the G9M2 like I can with the M1, even with UHS-II (albeit V60) cards, but that's just par for the larger file course (unless they can devise a clever way of overcoming that--perhaps making a JPG immediately available while writing the RAW).

This girl is faster than both cameras

Thanks for the video. Did I understand it right and the g9ii locked with pre burst? or just with burst shooting? I think that is pretty inconvenient because for birds yeah you are right, that pre burst button needs to be held for quite long. Also I think the other pro that the Om-1ii has is the speed of the composite for hand held high res, because it takes the shots at 1/120, there would be less motion artifacts and blur.

How bad are the lock ups on the G9II after bursts? I was going to upgrade from my G9, because I've owned that since its launch. I mainly shoot my children's sporting events, but if it's locking up significantly it might not be the best upgrade. How long does it usually take to clear with regular use?