CAMERAS
ISSUE385|COMPUTER SHOPPER|MARCH2020 93
CAMERAS
SITTINGINTHEmiddleofPanasonic’sLumix
Gseries line-up,theG90willappealto
photographersand videographers alike.It’s
also asignthat Panasonic hasn’tabandoned
the MicroFour Thirds format,which is good
news forkeenamateurs lookingfor asmall,
flexible camera at areasonable price.
The G90 is availablebody-only,but there
are afew kit lens bundles as well. We tested
with the 12-60mmlens, whilethe 14-140mm
lens is arguably themorepractical optionfor
travellers, butcosts about£70 more.
DEEPCOMPACT
There’s plentythat puts theG90 ahead of
other modelsinits pricebracket. It’sphysically
smaller, andthe smallsensor brings withita
focal length multiplier of two, allowingyou to
magnifyfar-offsubjects without huge lenses.
There’s alsoafullyarticulatingtouchscreen,
plusthe very useful 4K Photomode.
The G90 has achunkygrip and acentrally
placedviewfinder,makingitimmediately
familiartothosecoming from traditional
DSLRs.The G90 is smaller andlighter than its
pricier relative,the G9,but still feelsserious in
the hand andiscomfortable to use.
One welcomecarry-overfromthe G9 is
weather sealing.Italso feels as though it can
withstand the oddknock,withits magnesium
alloy body giving it satisfying heft.
Although suitablefor beginners thanksto
its well-performing automatic mode,there are
lots of directaccessdialsand buttons across
the G90, which will pleasemore experienced
photographers. On the topisalarge mode
dial forquickly moving between various
exposure options, plus asecondarydial for
choosingadrive mode or selecting the 4K
Photomode.Two control dials at thefront
and rear can be used to adjust settings
depending on the shootingmode you’re in.
Many of the buttons and dials are
customisable,and abutton on the back directs
you to aquick menu whereyou can adjust the
parametersofcommonly usedsettings
without delving intothe mainmenu.
The G90 alsoinherits theG9’s
20.3-megapixel CMOS sensor,and just
like theG9, there’snoanti-aliasing
(AA) filter, whichtheoretically means
moredetailed images.Italso shares
the ISOrangeof100 to 25600 andthe
3in, 1.04-million-dot articulating
touchscreen. Only the viewfinderisa
downgrade, having 2.36millionpixels
to the G9’s3.68 million.
Afinal killer feature is Panasonic’s 4K
Photomode,asseenonotherLumix
PANASONIC LumixG90
★★★★★
£899•From http://www.parkcameras.com
VERDICT
Despitebeing pitched as amid-range travel
camera, the latest Lumix is agreat all-rounder
cammmeras but
nonetheless welcome.
Essssentially, it allows you
to record short video clipsand
extract astillincamera.Thismeans
that youcan shootat30fps and freezethe
action at the perfect moment, the drawback
being that final imagesare restricted to
8-megapixelJPEGs. If you’dpreferfull-
resolution images or Raw files, the G90’s
more traditionalburst modes runatupto
9fps with autofocuslocked fromthe first
frame,orat6fpswith continuous autofocus.DOESN’TMIXTHIRDS
Considering theG90 uses the same sensor
as theG9, we were prettysureofbeing able
to take decent images, and we weren’t
disappointed. Youwon’t getthe same image
qualityasyou would fromcameras with larger
sensors, althoughthe price and size of the
G90might make slightlyworse imagesaprice
many willbehappy to pay. Colours are nicely
saturated without going overboard, while
overall sharpness is verygood.
That said, theresults fromour low-light
tests werereasonablerather than
outstanding. Outputatthe maximum ISO of
25,600 was best forgotten, but ISO12800was
just about usable in an emergency. Otherwise,
those who arelikely to be shootinginless-than-ideallight will be better
off spendinnnngmoreonfast lenses
rather than reaaaaching forhigher ISOs.
Although theGGGG90’s fastest framerate
is alittle limitedat9fps(((or 6fpsifyou want
continuous autofocus),itmakes up forthat
with the 4K Photomode,giving you amuch
more flexible 30fps. It’s greatfor kids, pets
and other unpredictablesubjects, and while
the limitation of 8-megapixel JPEGs willbea
drawback formore advancedphotographers,
forthose looking to capture the decisive
moment forsharing online,it’s agreatfeature.
Vloggersare likely to be drawntowards
the G90 thanks to itssmallform factor,
reasonable priceand ability to shoot4K.
There’snocrop factor to consider,and
footage quality is pleasingly smooth.
High-speedmodes allow you to filmatup
to 120fps in 1080p,whilethe headphone
and microphone sockets–along with the
ability to shootV-Log footage–elevatesit
well above thebeginnerlevel,too.MOVING PICTURES
Overall,the G90 is atightly packaged,
appealing piece of kitwith aprettywide
image quality sweetspot. Those going on
the road forawhile will be abletopack it,
along with half adozen lenses, in asmallbag
and be equipped forjustabout everysituation
you’re likely to come across, as well as being
practical forphotographycloser to home.
Images straight out of thecamera are
bright, punchy and sharp.Itcan’t match
its full-frame rivals forlow-light
performance,but we wouldn’t expect
it to.Indeed, given that theG90 and
G9 share asensor,the G90 is arguably
the one to go forifyou’re mainly into
static subjects. If action shots areyour
thing, the extraperformanceofthe G9
makes it worththe extracash.For those
lookingfor asolidperformer that copes
well with anumberofdifferent tasksand
sits snuglyinthe mid-range –both stills
and video-wise –the G90isagreat option.