G9 High Res Mode

Had anyone tried G9's 80MP High Resolution Mode handheld, or with just a monopod?

I have i would say its not very usefull. if you are really really steady you might be able to get something almost usefull. but really if you are handheld just use the 20mp mode, chances are it will resolve more detail. I would be hesitant to even use it with a monopod. In my experience its tripod only.

I've found that using high shutters speeds and the PL8-18, I can get about 75% "keepers" using high res on the G9. Good holding technique, high shutters seeds, short FL is essential. However, the Gh6 is killer with its HHHR images:)

Use type II high res only.

EclecticFish: Thank you. I will be experimenting with the camera this weekend. While we already have heavy tripods that I don't feel like lugging along on hikes, I just bought a lightweight compact one (Sirui) to carry with hiking that won't weigh me down too much. If I get some results I will post them here.

VideoShooter: I plan on trying the G9 High Res with a very wide angle lens (Leica 9mm) for landscapes as you use. 75% success rate sounds like it is worth trying. Thanks for the tip about the GH-6. I was not aware of HHHR mode in Panasonic, although I know Olympus just put that feature in a new camera or two. A lot easier than carrying along a tripod on a hike. I am actually looking for a camera for myself because the G9 is my wife's. Interestingly, looking at DPReview's Studio Scene Comparison Tool, I have not found a camera of any format that can beat or even match the G9 in pixel shift mode for detail. I will check out the GH-6.

Does the G9 maintain IBIS for stabilization combined with the pixel shift, or does the stabilization turn off for the shift?

I don't know how the various cameras do it, but the only camera I have with pixel shift is the Canon R5, and it shuts down stabilization for pixel shift, and takes way too long (about 0.75s plus exposure times) to complete all of the shifts to be usable hand-held, even with very short focal lengths. You get what looks like a dither around high-contrast edges if you use very fast shutter speeds, and if you use longer shutter speeds to reduce that dither, you effectively blur everything to the point that the extra resolution does not capture any extra detail.

So, for hand-held super-resolution, the old-fashioned burst-enlarge-align-stack method may still be preferable, although it is nowhere near as efficient per frame as a precision-spaced shift.

Off

Gh6 produces 100 mp files about 38" wide:) Takes about 6 or 10 seconds from start to saved. They are amazing.

I've played around with it. Handheld, I did for fun. Nothing usable from what I recall.

It has rather been overtaken by the existence of in-camera hi-res modes, but I half recall a technique that exploited multiple hand held images to get a higher resolution result. It relies on the fact that succesive hand held images will inevtably have small shifts between them. I cannot track down any of the original sources, though I think there was a dpreview thread on the subject.

From memory the key steps are:

increase the image size by 2 in each direction (eg 3000 x 4000 to 6000 x 8000) Edited - use "adjacent pixel" method for expansion
load as stacked layers in an editor
align

the next bit is where my memory fails! (Edited to correct layer order of opacity changes)

set stack mode to average, then set opacity of first bottom image to 100%, next to 50% (1/2) , next to 33% (1/3), then 25%, 16% etc

It's a bit tedious and clunky but I have used it succesfully.

G9 high res mode does it all in camera. Two types, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 for still scenes and type 2 for scenes with motion in them. Stated to be tripod, see above post for a work-around that semi works handheld.

Hampshirejohn: Interesting, I will try it someday when I get better at editing. Thank you for the idea. Several cameras have high-res now, but not all work in-camera, and even fewer work hand-held. The only ones I know of are MFT: GH6, OM-1, and OM-5.

JohnSheehyRev: Good question and one I will research further. Your experience is helpful to know before I invest any money in a new camera.

The advanced manual confirms that IS is not available in hi-res mode. It also says that for any Panasonic lens with stabilisation, that is turned off. For any non- Panasonic lens with IS it recommends turning it off.

That's an old Photoshop quirk; I don't know if Photoshop still has that issue. There are plenty of programs that treat every member of a stack with the same weight, and Photoshop may have otehr tools now that are meant for stacking.

I have started using my G9 pixel shift mode handheld on purpose to do in-camera ICM and multiple exposures. You get 8 shot multiple exposures in a quick burst. I've quite enjoyed some of the results.

Only if you are into abstract stuff of course, but here's a little gallery of my first experiments:

whisperingcat.co.uk/piwigo/index.php?/category/41

It's a lot of fun, with the benefit that the G9 automatically composites into a single raw file in camera which saves a lot of manual effort in post.

I used G9's high res mode on a Manfrotto tripod, and it worked beautifully. I don't think I would try it hand held, I am not nearly as steady as a tripod.

Unfortunately I can't post such a large image here, nor will smugmug give me link to the full sized image.

Arthur Szyck ark at the Forest Hills Jewish Center

stained glass windows

I took these pictures because the FHJC is about to be demolished, and they have not found any place that can accommodate their 30 foot tall ark decoration, even it if was done by a famous artist.

A bit like impressionist paintings, if that is what you are shooting for. Regarding the viability of handholding the G9 in high res mode, your photos provide a "clear" answer to that question.