Cameras made for content creators who shoot a lot of video are part of a new trend. And Panasonic has joined in. The company has launched the Panasonic Lumix S9 in India. The camera, which is known for its extremely light and thin body despite being equipped with a full-frame image sensor, has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 1,49,990 (body only). The kit option with a 20-60mm lens is priced at Rs 1,79,990.

This is quite aggressive pricing for a full-frame camera. However, this is probably also because the camera segment aimed at content creators is very competitive at the moment and the Sony ZV-E1 is also likely to arrive in India soon.

Currently, however, with the Lumix S9, Panasonic has the first-place lead, at least in India. Weighing around 403 grams, the Lumix S9 is extremely lightweight for a full-frame camera. It also features second-generation in-body image stabilisation, which offers up to 6.5 stops of stabilisation. At the heart of the camera is a 24.2-megapixel full-frame image sensor.

While the image sensor is unlikely to win any records against high-resolution sensors in other cameras, the main part of the Lumix S9 is its focus on video capture, which could make it an ideal device for content creators who aim to step up their game by moving away from smartphones or cheap and low-quality cameras.

The Lumix S9 features e-stabilization for video recording and in “High mode” it can even correct perspective distortion, allowing for even more accurate and stable video recording. More importantly, the Lumix S9 also offers a real-time LUT function that – unique to it – allows videographers to select from a number of popular color styles or filters directly in the camera. This one step alone will make applying color correction easier and less time-consuming.

Apart from the S9 camera, Panasonic is also bringing a companion app to India. This app is called the LUMIX Lab app for iOS and Android smartphones and will allow users to edit their photos within the app. The speed of transferring data from the camera to the smartphone has been improved with the new app, allowing users to create their own customized LUT color files on their smartphones, reducing the need for post-production editing on a computer.

In addition, the S9 also features a new recording format called MP4 Lite. Shooting in 4:2:0 10-bit at 30 frames or 25 frames per second with open gate, this feature will allow users to record high-quality video optimized for smartphones.

Speaking about the demand for professional yet compact cameras for content creators, Manish Sharma, Chairman, Panasonic Life Solutions India and South Asia, said, “The LUMIX S9 is designed to meet the evolving needs of modern creators. We are seeing a tremendous response to our products in the Indian market. In the full-frame category, we have grown by 50 per cent in India last year, and with this new launch, Panasonic is well positioned to capture this dynamic space.”

Toshiyuki Tsumura, Director, Imaging Division, Panasonic also highlighted the camera’s focus on content creators. He said, “India is an exciting market with many opportunities to connect with the ever-growing tribe of content creators. The LUMIX S9 with the LUMIX Lab app is a great solution for content creators on the go.”