Just the other day, I was talking about how awesome the Panasonic LUMIX S9 is with staffer Alberto Lima. We both agree that if you’re looking for a small, full-frame camera that it’s hard to beat. It dawned on me that Panasonic also hasn’t made any sort of larger-sensor compact camera in years. What would’ve been the LX100 Mk III is actually the Leica D-LUX 8. But actually, if Panasonic put the right lens on the S9, it would be a wonderful compact camera that everyone would want to bring around with them. Better yet, it could undercut the Sony RX1R Mk III.
So let’s think about this:
- The S9 isn’t weather-resistant. And that’s fine, I guess. Let’s say that it’s kept that way
- Maybe they keep the 24MP sensor at the heart of the camera
- You’ll still get all the cool color options
- The lens permanently attached to it would be similar to the Leica 28mm f1.7 attached to the Q3.
- They sell it for maybe $4,000 total or even $3,700.
I think LUMIX would wipe the floor with the rest of the camera industry in so many ways. Canon’s V1 wouldn’t really have a chance against a full-frame competitor. And both Leica and Fujifilm would only be going after higher end options. Sony, too, would be going after only higher end shooters.
But realistically speaking, LUMIX has everything in place to make this happen. They’re constantly sharing technology with Leica, and I think that LUMIX could even make something like this in-house. Consider the fact that they company made the 100mm f2.8 Macro lens as small as it is. It’s often said that a pancake lens can’t be made for the system because of optical constraints, but I don’t think that this is really the case.
I know that the folks at LUMIX often read this website. At one point, they were even a larger advertiser. And we’ve proven to them that through our own sales efforts, we can sell lots of S9 bodies. With that in mind, I think that a camera like this would be something that every photographer would want and would also love to carry around everywhere with them.