Panasonic updates LUMIX S9 with firmware 2.1: MP4 (Lite) modes and new Lens Fn options

Panasonic has announced a firmware refresh for the LUMIX S9 that adds new lightweight recording formats and broadens what you can assign to the camera’s Lens Fn Button. The company described the release as a "new firmware update (version 2.1) is on the way for the LUMIX S9."

The headline feature in this release is explicit: the S9 will gain MP4 (Lite) recording options. Panasonic sums up that change as an "Addition of 4K 60p/50p and FHD 120p/100p/60p/50p recording options for MP4 (Lite)." Those new frame-rate and resolution pairs widen the camera’s video-mode choices for workflows that favour MP4 containers and the lighter data profiles that MP4 (Lite) typically implies.

Alongside the extra recording modes, firmware 2.1 expands what the Lens Fn Button can be set to do. Panasonic listed this change under "Expanded assignable functions for Lens Fn Button settings, including:" and supplied a set of specific functions that can now be mapped. The new assignable items are:

• Aspect Ratio
• E-Stabilization (Video)
• Boost I.S. (Video)
• Image Area of Video
• Focus Ring Control
• Focus Limiter
• Hybrid Zoom
• Crop Zoom (Including related zoom operation functions)
• Focus Peaking
• Video Record

Giving the Lens Fn Button access to these video- and focus-related controls means you can tailor one of the nearest physical controls for quick toggles during a take or a run-and-gun setup change. For example, assigning Focus Peaking or Focus Limiter to the button offers on-the-fly focus aids without stepping through menus, while mapping Aspect Ratio or Image Area of Video lets operators quickly change framing constraints.

Panasonic also indicated that this firmware announcement sits alongside a broader set of software updates across the LUMIX family. The company said firmware work is coming for the LUMIX S1RII, S1II and S1IIE, with these updates targeting faster shutter response and better burst performance when shooting with an external flash, as well as general operational stability improvements.

Camera-side software is only part of the picture: Panasonic is updating its post‑capture and workflow tools as well. LUMIX Lab will move to Version 3.1.1 and adds support for the newly added MP4 (Lite) recording formats on the LUMIX S9. The Lab update also introduces new LUT category filtering, bundles of downloadable LUT Packs grouped by creative theme, and a refreshed interface with usability enhancements intended to speed editing and grading tasks.

For mobile or on-the-go transfers, LUMIX Flow receives a bump to Version 1.7.0. Panasonic notes that this update "Expands compatibility to the LUMIX S9" and brings usability tweaks to help streamline content production workflows. Together, the camera and companion app updates are aimed at making capture, transfer and basic finishing smoother for creators using the S9.

Taken together, the firmware and software changes appear to be targeted at users who toggle between stills and video or who need faster, simpler access to video controls without a larger rig. Adding MP4 (Lite) modes gives more options for capture formats that trade some codec complexity for file-size and workflow convenience, and the Lens Fn Button expansions let operators keep important toggles physically close at hand.

Panasonic’s announcement material stresses the technical changes; it does not present a full redesign or new hardware. Instead, the update is a set of incremental feature additions and stability improvements that increase the S9’s flexibility in the field, and that extend the camera’s compatibility with the company’s editing and transfer tools.

If you rely on LUT-based workflows, the new LUMIX Lab functions — category filtering and downloadable themed LUT Packs — could cut the time it takes to find a look and apply it across a shoot. Meanwhile, those who use external flash systems on hybrid bodies may see tangible responsiveness and burst advantages on the S1-series cameras once their respective updates arrive.

Panasonic’s release notes and support pages are the place to watch for download files, installation instructions and any regional information about availability. The company’s public statement pointed readers to its website for further details and timing.

For quick reference, the key version numbers and format additions called out by Panasonic are: firmware "version 2.1" for the LUMIX S9; MP4 (Lite) options listed as "4K 60p/50p" and "FHD 120p/100p/60p/50p"; LUMIX Lab "Version 3.1.1"; and LUMIX Flow "Version 1.7.0."