The compact, Instagram-ready Panasonic S9 drops to new low for Black Friday

The biggest deals in the holiday sales tend to be for tech that’s a little less fresh, but the newly announced Panasonic Lumix S9 has dropped to a new low price in the early holiday sales. At Adorama, early Black Friday camera deals have dropped the price of the camera to about $1,200 body-only or $1,500 with a kit lens.

The S9 is both Panasonic’s smallest and most affordable current model full-frame mirrorless. Yet, the Panasonic Lumix S9 brings the brand’s most loved features, including customizable color profiles with LUTs, excellent stabilization and a wealth of video tools to a very compact body. As an L-mount camera, it is also compatible with a wide range of lenses. The S9 is also one of the few cameras that’s available in more than just black or silver, with a wide range of color options.

I was able to test an early model of the Panasonic S9 and I fell in love with the ability to customize the colors of the images in-camera with LUTs. While Panasonic cameras have long used LUTs or Look Up Tables, the S9 has a dedicated button and allows photographers to use the mobile app to customize their own colors. Think of it like adding an Instagram filter before the photo ever leaves the camera.

Panasonic Lumix S9 | was $1497 | now $1,297
Save $200 at Adorama The Panasonic Lumix S9 is a compact mirrorless camera, making it a popular choice for travel or Instagram. Sporting a full-frame sensor, the S9 is a compact mirrorless that doesn't skimp on image quality. Video tools and a range of color options add to the lure of the camera, which typically lists for about $1,500 for the body only.

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I did, however, miss the grip, viewfinder and joystick that’s part of most high-end mirrorless cameras. But the trade-off for axing those features is a much smaller body. The S9 is designed for taking with you anywhere, especially when paired with a compact L-mount lens. That makes the camera a very tempting option for travel.

Just-launched cameras tend to be harder to find deals on than shooters with a little more history. For example, the Panasonic S5 (which has now been replaced by the S5 II) is $800 off, putting it just under $1,000 in the US. The Panasonic S9, however, just launched at the end of June, so finding a Black Friday deal on such a new camera is a rare treat.

Not sure what camera suits you best? Check out our guide to the best mirrorless cameras, or eye the biggest deals in our list of Black Friday camera deals. Already add the S9 to your cart? Don't forget to add an L-Mount lens for your bag too.