FZ1000 held overhead, viewing on the articulated monitor |
Can the FZ1000 Replace
An Interchangeable Lens Camera with three zoom lenses or a superzoom Lens ?
Really ? I have been using Interchangeable Lens
Cameras (ILC) for many years, not because I like changing lenses, but because
until recently there has been no other way to have good picture quality and a
decent selection of focal lengths from wide to telephoto. In addition ILCs have
tended to provide a higher specification
level than Fixed Lens Cameras (FLC).
Actually I hate having to buy, carry and change lenses. This
is the least user friendly and least ergonomic feature of any ILC. It is also why many buyers acquire an ILC
then permanently mount a travelzoom/superzoom style of lens.
I have for many years known that if someone made a fixed zoom lens camera with the picture
quality and focal length range of an ILC with a good quality travel/super zoom
lens, or a 2 or 3 zoom lens kit, I would
buy it in a microsecond.
The FZ1000 appears on paper to be exactly that camera so I
did indeed buy one as soon as it arrived
in Australia.
For this exercise I compared the FZ1000 to a Panasonic GH4 with
Lumix 14-140mm travel zoom, and also the GH4 and G6 as kits
with consumer grade zooms and pro grade
f2.8 zooms, as this equipment was available to me for testing.
The GH4 is the latest hybrid, multifunction supercamera from
Panasonic which has been receiving well deserved rave reviews. The G6 is a very
good upper entry level ILC which consistently makes excellent pictures.
The M43 consumer grade zooms, super zoom and pro grade zooms
have all been used and tested by me over a period of several years and I have
found they make excellent pictures.
I also consider the option of a mid range DSLR with 16x
superzoom lens. I did not have one of these for direct testing against the
FZ1000 but I have previously tested a Nikon D5200 with Nikkor 18-200mm lens
against a Panasonic G6 fitted with the Lumix 14-140mm lens. I found the G6 kit
made better photos in the majority of situations, mostly because the lens was
better.
I include a Nikon 1 V2 with 10-100mm all purpose zoom lens
which has been in our household for some time but is soon going to make way for
a second FZ1000.
Last I discuss some issues with full frame cameras. I have not used one of these since the days
of film so purchase of a full frame DSLR has never been a serious consideration
for me. But I include some figures for size, price and performance by way of
comparison.
Kit
|
Width
mm
|
Height
mm
|
Depth
mm
|
Box
Volume
cc
|
Mass
with
Batt
grams
|
Price
AU$
Retail
|
DXO
Mark
Score
|
Sensor
size
WxH,
diagonal
mm
|
FZ1000
f2.8-4
|
137
|
99
|
131
|
1776
|
890
|
1059
|
?69
|
13.2x8.8
15.9
|
GH4+14-140
f3.5-5.6
|
133
|
95
|
144
|
1819
|
850
|
2513
|
74
|
17.3x13
21.5
|
G6+14-140
f3.5-5.6
|
122
|
85
|
140
|
1451
|
640
|
1463
|
61
|
17.3x13
21.5
|
GH4+12-35+
35-100+
100-300
f2.8-5.6
|
2513
|
1750
|
4965
|
74
|
17.3x13
21.5
|
|||
G6+14-45+45-150
f3.5-5.6
|
1145
|
765
|
1306
|
61
|
17.3x13
21.5
|
|||
D5300+18-300
f3.5-5.6
|
125
|
98
|
198
|
2426
|
1310
|
2104
|
83
|
23.5x15.6
28.2
|
V2+10-100
f4-5.6
|
108
|
82
|
119
|
1054
|
610
|
1247
|
50
|
13.2x8.8
15.9
|
EOS 6D +
24-105 +
70-200
f4
|
2891
|
2200
|
4358
|
82
|
36x24
43
|
Or you can have a kit based on a smaller sensor which
delivers somewhat lower absolute image quality (but which is good enough most
of the time for most users in most situations) with the benefit of much reduced size, mass
and price.
The size, mass and price of a fixed zoom lens camera
is substantially less than the same or similar total zoom range spread over a 2
or 3 zoom lens kit, or a superzoom lens on an ILC.
Note about DXO Mark scores. DXO is, as far as I am aware, the only organisation which has attempted to
put a numerical score on RAW image quality. The published scores have generated
a fair bit of, shall we say, "discussion". Without joining the
argument about the validity of DXO Mark scores I just note that a one EV
difference in quality (which is mostly
due to digital noise, a.k.a. grain) is
represented by 15 points.
At the time of writing the FZ1000 has not received a DXO
score but published comparison reviews rate it indistinguishable from the Sony
RX10 which scores 69. That is about one
Stop (or EV step) less than the Nikon D5300 (with 28mm sensor) or Canon 6D
(with 43mm sensor).
My point is this: If the FZ1000 can use a 1EV step slower
shutter speed (which it can because of the excellent 5 axis OIS) or a 1 EV step
wider lens aperture (which it can if you look at most of the kits in the table
above) than a camera with 21.5, 28 or 43mm sensor, then the advantage of the
larger sensor (in terms of digital noise anyway) disappears.
Comparisons I don't want to bore the reader with minutiae
but a brief summary of the FZ100 in
comparison with each of the alternatives might be useful.
Specifications and
features Many manufacturers
deliberately withhold features and restrict
the specification list of their fixed lens cameras, presumably to encourage
buyers to move up market to an ILC, and preferably a large sensor one, which I
assume provides the maker with a higher profit margin.
Panasonic has gone the other way with the FZ1000 which has
the most extensive list of specifications and features I have ever seen on a
fixed lens camera (FLC). In fact the FZ1000 is very close to the GH4 in all
round capability for both still and motion pictures and surpasses it in some
ways. These include such useful features as the i-Zoom, Macro Zoom and Auto Panorama
which can more effectively be incorporated into a camera with only one lens.
Picture Quality This is a composite of technical sensor image
quality, lens quality, focus speed and accuracy and other factors which impact
on the final output. I have made several thousand exposures with
the FZ1000 now and have a good idea of the quality of photos coming from it.
As indicated above the FZ1000 is only about 1 EV step behind
larger sensor cameras in technical image quality.
The lens on the FZ1000 delivers excellent sharpness across
the focal length and aperture range at an aperture of f2.8-4. The focal length
is equivalent to 25-400mm. The only kit in
the table above which can beat this on the numbers this is the GH4 with two pro
style f2.8 lenses and a long lens. Surprisingly,
on my tests the FZ1000 is much closer in outright picture quality to the pro
level GH4 kit than I first imagined would be possible. Now look at the price,
size and mass of that pro kit.
Look for instance at the Nikon D5300+18-300mm lens. The
FZ1000 has a 1EV lens aperture advantage across most of the focal length range
immediately negating the technical sensor advantage of the very much larger and
more expensive Nikon kit.
Consider even the full frame Canon EOS 6D. If you are doing
documentary, landscape, architecture or similar and want the same depth of
field (DOF), any lens on the 6D has to be closed down three stops more than the
FZ1000. So if adequate DOF for the subject is achieved with f4 on the FZ1000
the 6D will require f11. Assume the
angle of view is the same and the camera is hand held, then the 6D will require
an ISO setting 3 EV steps higher to prevent camera shake. This immediately
negates and probably reverses any noise (grain) advantage given by the larger
sensor.
Performance Only last year you could be reasonably sure
that almost any upper entry to mid range ILC would easily outperform any FLC.
All that has changed with the FZ1000. Panasonic appears to have invested the
FZ1000 with everything they know about camera performance. The result is fast
startup, fast single shot or continuous AF, excellent MF, fast shot to shot
times, fast response to all user inputs of all kinds, supremely consistent and accurate
AF and highly competent follow focus on
sport/action subjects.
I have been using the FZ1000 alongside a GH4 with 12-35mm
and 35-100mm f2.8 lenses. This GH4 kit is the fastest operating camera gear I
have ever handled and the FZ1000 keeps up with it all the way, in bright light
outdoors or low light indoors. The FZ1000 can autofocus accurately in light
levels so dark I can hardly see anything.
Ergonomics
Holding The FZ1000 is of
substantial size which is required to accommodate the fast superzoom lens. The
size permits inclusion of a substantial
and well designed handle, substantial thumb support and very well designed
control modules. The camera can be held
comfortably and securely in landscape or portrait orientation with the fingers
correctly placed for operation.
Viewing Viewing
arrangements on the FZ1000 are up with the best I have ever experienced on any
camera. The EVF is of excellent quality providing a clear, natural looking view
of the world ahead of the camera. It is so good that I forget that I am viewing
through an electronic device. Key camera data is always presented clearly and
is easy to read in all conditions.
The fully articulated monitor is also of excellent quality.
The user can segue seamlessly from EVF to monitor and see the same information
presented in the same way.
Of the cameras in my table above only the GH4 can match the FZ1000 for viewing
capability.
Operating There is not
space in this post to delve into the differences in operating characteristics
between MILCs, DSLRs and FLCs. Suffice to say that none of the alternatives to
the FZ1000 offers a more user friendly or efficient operating experience in the
Setup, Prepare, Capture or Review phases of use.
Summary The camera industry has been in turmoil
recently with falling sales across all categories. Some manufacturers have
tried to stimulate consumer interest with an appeal to past days of camera
glory with various retro style design themes. Call these a blast from the past,
if you will. In my view, this is going
absolutely nowhere.
The FZ1000 is a blast from the future. Panasonic has taken the lead from Sony's RX10 and improved it in almost every way.
Behold the future of cameras for the enthusiast/expert user.
FZ1000 Weaknesses No fixed lens camera can do absolutely
everything although the FZ1000 comes closer than anything else I have ever
encountered.
There are some things the FZ100 cannot do, or at least not
directly. Here are a few:
Ultrawide angle of view
is one. The workaround for this
is either auto panorama in camera which is surprisingly effective or multiple
overlapping shots imported into Photoshop or other image editor for panorama
stitching.
Indoor sport/action I am
still working on this one. In this situation one usually needs a fast lens, no
slower than f2.8 and very good high ISO capability, in the 6400+ range. The
FZ1000 is not quite there. I will experiment and report in due course.
Ultra telephoto lens The
lens goes optically to E400mm which is not super long. But i-Zoom stretches
that to E800mm and still at f4, with
quite decent quality, certainly good enough for birds.
Conclusion In my view yes, the FZ1000 can replace any
and all of the kits listed in the table above and will soon do so.
Thanks. You make a solid case for the FZ1000.
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