The FZ1000 is a very versatile and capable camera. It is
highly configurable. This means each
individual can decide how it will
operate to suit personal preference.
This is a wonderful thing but it does present the user with the task of
understanding how to make best use of
all the many options available.
Those coming from a recent Panasonic micro four thirds
camera will feel quite at home with the FZ1000 interface but users coming from
a bridge camera or other brand might find themselves facing a steep learning
curve.
In this little series of posts I will try to help the new
FZ1000 user set up the camera to their own preference.
Throughout I will indicate my settings and the reasons for
them. Your requirements will be different and unknown to me. So my settings are
not prescriptive but suggestions to stimulate your thinking process.
This post is about still photo not video. There are other
sources available for hints about setting up for video. I will not deal here
with Wi-Fi either as it is covered fully in the Owners Manual.
Download and read the Owners manual from any Panasonic website.
It is well written and very useful. It is also jam packed with information
which will take most people quite a while to digest.
Buy spare BLC-12E
batteries I have two spares, one
would be the absolute minimum. I find genuine Panasonic ones last longer than
any of the generics which I have used and they also take more recharge cycles.
The FZ1000 uses power zoom, power focus and requires power for the EVF, monitor and operating system so battery drain
is substantial.
Get a 62mm clear
protect or uv filter Some users
report they don't use a protective filter fearing image degradation. I use a
B+W 007 Clear MRC Nano XS-Pro
digital filter and have no problems at all. I much prefer to clean the filter
than risk damaging the front element of the lens.
Locate a carry bag.
I use a Lowe Pro Apex 110 AW bag as shown in the photo. The FZ1000 fits in this
perfectly with room for two spare batteries, a microfiber cloth and several
spare memory cards. I cut away the memory card pouch which sits above the
camera handle to ensure the camera fits easily into the bag without strain.
Leave the neck strap
in the box. Buy or steal from a compact camera a lightweight wrist strap. Even
the smallest ones can easily hold the camera's weight. I attach this to the lug
on the handle side and loop the strap around my wrist when I am carrying the
camera, just to ensure it won't fall to the ground if my grip is disrupted.
Lens Cap The inner
flat surfaces are smooth, providing inadequate grip for the fingers. Roughen
these with coarse sandpaper. Now the
fingers can grip properly.
Now we come to camera settings
Menu Resume This is found on Page 3 of the Setup Menu. Set
this ON so that the camera will recall the last menu item you accessed in any
submenu. So in the event you do need to access a main menu item you can get
there quickly without having to scroll through the entire menu. I use this
frequently for the Format function which is the last item on the Setup Menu.
Direct Focus Area, On or Off ?
Custom Menu Page 3. This is an important decision as it affects
the way the camera operates. If Direct Focus Area is ON the AF box can be moved
directly by pressing any cursor key. There is no need to press another button
to activate the AF box. The benefit of Direct Focus Area is fast, efficient access
to changing position and size of the AF box.
The downside is you
have to locate access to ISO, WB, AF Macro and Autofocus Mode elsewhere,
generally on a Fn button or in the Q Menu. This is not really a problem as
there are plenty of options available.
I set Direct Focus Area ON as it streamlines camera
operation in the Capture Phase.
Those users who in the past have become familiar with the
"focus (with the center AF area) and recompose" style of use might
find that Direct Focus Area brings new speed and efficiency to the AF process.
I allocate ISO to Fn1, AF Macro to Fn5 and WB and AF Mode to
the Q Menu which I allocate to Fn2. I will discuss Fn button function
allocations in another post.
Zoom to Manual (lens)
ring or (shutter button) zoom lever ? Custom Menu Page 7. This is another important
decision as your fingers need to learn where they should go in order to operate
key camera functions by memory, without having to think about which fingers go
where and do what. Like driving a car.
People coming from a superzoom camera might at first feel
more comfortable about zooming with the lever. Those coming from an ILC will
likely find their left hand wanting to turn the ring on the lens.
I set the Manual (lens) ring to stepless zoom and the Zoom
lever to [+/-]. I do this because
zooming via the lens ring seems more natural to me but also because this frees
up the Zoom Lever around the shutter button for direct control of exposure
compensation. This is very quick and convenient and I have never had the lever
move unintentionally. It is stiff enough to prevent that.
Stepped zoom also
works fine.
Some reviewers have suggested that zoom works faster via the
lever but I have not found this. Lens ring zoom works well if light but steady rotational
torque is applied to the ring. I can zoom from widest to longest settings in
about 3 seconds. Twisting the ring with
more vigour is counterproductive.
Switching from
monitor to EVF view Custom Menu page
8 > Eye Sensor. There are several
options and possible combinations.
I set Eye Sensor > LVF/Monitor Switch to Monitor. Now the
camera works like an FZ200 for readers who are familiar with this camera. The eye sensor has been rendered inactive.
When the monitor is turned to face out it is active. When
the monitor is turned face in, viewing goes
to the EVF (LVF). This suits the way I use the camera. When I want to view via
the EVF I turn the monitor in so it does not get covered in sunburn cream or
makeup if a lady is using the camera.
When I want to hold the camera close to my chest or close in
at my waist with the monitor swung out to the side, viewing by looking down at
the monitor, the eye sensor does not switch the monitor off. If the
eye sensor is active it will not let you hold the camera in close but forces you to hold it away from the body
which is less secure and stable.
If you want to have the monitor facing out and the ability to
switch directly from monitor view to EVF view then you will have to set the
>LVF/Monitor switch in the custom Menu to Auto.
AF/AE Lock button
function Custom Menu Page 1. Setting
for this button will depend very much on the user's previous use and
expectations. You get plenty of choice, including AE Lock, AF Lock, AF/AE Lock
and AF ON.
I set AF ON which causes the button to function like the
back focus button on a mid to high range DSLR. This allows AF and AE/Capture to be separated,
which can be very useful in several situations.
In particular this allows quick AF with the back button when
the Focus Mode lever is set to Manual and the Focus/Zoom switch on the lens is
set to Focus. So in manual focus you can quickly AF to the in focus position
then fine tune with MF and peaking. This is very handy.
Update February 2015: I am now trialling the AF Lock setting for this button. In practice I did not use the AF-ON function for the AF/AE-L button as reaching it is just a bit too much of a stretch with the camera in landscape orientation, so I found myself activating AF with the standard half press shutter button.
But I am finding a use for the AF Lock function particularly when I want to make multiple pictures of the same basic scene but with people moving across the frame which would alter the focus distance if I left the camera to focus separately on each frame.
Update February 2015: I am now trialling the AF Lock setting for this button. In practice I did not use the AF-ON function for the AF/AE-L button as reaching it is just a bit too much of a stretch with the camera in landscape orientation, so I found myself activating AF with the standard half press shutter button.
But I am finding a use for the AF Lock function particularly when I want to make multiple pictures of the same basic scene but with people moving across the frame which would alter the focus distance if I left the camera to focus separately on each frame.
Scene Mode/Panorama The only setting I find useful in the Scene
Mode on the Main Mode Dial is Panorama, which this camera does quite well. So I turn
the Mode Dial to {Scn}, then press Menu/Set to bring up the Menu screen,
navigate up to the Scn Menu > Scene Switch > Scroll to number 25,
Panorama. Now go to the Rec Menu Page 4 > Panorama
Settings > Direction > Select the bottom one of the four choices
available. Note the indicated arrow directions.
Now at last after all that: when you turn the Mode Dial to {Scn} the
Panorama function will be active and the Direction setting ready to go.
The setting I have suggested allows you to hold the camera
in portrait orientation and sweep the camera from left to right horizontally.
This is often the best option for panoramas as it gives more height to the final
image than holding the camera in landscape orientation.
LVF Display Style and
Monitor Display Style In the Custom
Menu, Page 6 you get the option to set both the monitor and LVF to
"Viewfinder" style with key
camera data on a black background beneath the preview image or "Monitor" style, with the data
superimposed on the lower part of the preview image.
I strongly recommend the viewfinder style for both because:
I have found that the auto exposure algorithms used by the
FZ1000 quite often lead to a shutter speed or ISO setting which differ from
that which I regard as ideal. I therefore want to constantly monitor these exposure
parameters and shift Exposure Mode and/or shutter speed as desired. In order to
do this the data needs to be easily visible at all times.
I make both the viewfinder and monitor the same for a
seamless segue from one to the other.
Next in the FZ1000
setup series I will cover Q Menu, Function
button allocations and Custom Modes.
Great tips, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. It's great to know without going through the hard way. I don't have the camera yet, but very enjoying your tips. Hope my wife let me have this fantastic toy soon.
ReplyDeleteSoe Leong
Thanks again. My order is on the way & all the Info will be applied soon.
ReplyDeleteYour setup guides are very helpful to me. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have done with the Direct Focus Area question is to assign "On" to the C1 custom mode, along with a few other favorite settings and switch to C1 when I am shooting a subject which might require quick movement of the AF box. This way I can still easily access ISO, WB, Autofocus Mode and AF Macro at all other times.
ReplyDeleteRobert N.
The LVF Display Style and Monitor Display Style are actually on page 6 in the Custom Menu, not page 8. I have Firmware 2.0 -- perhaps it was different in 1.0.
ReplyDeleteRobert N.
Hi Robert, Typo corrected thanks. As for the Direct Focus Area settings your solution represents a good use of the setup options available. The reason I do not do that is that I want ISO, AF Mode and AF Macro to be always in the same places, not to change when a Custom Mode is set. Actually I don't use Custom Modes at all but that's just me. I have ISO on Fn1, AF Macro on Fn5 and AF Mode in the Q Menu on Fn2.
ReplyDeleteAndrew
thanks for the information! I bought the FZ1000 as a successor for my FZ200, but I'm dissapointed. I'm still figuring out why there's too little difference in the quality of pics ( except in low light conditions) between models, while there's surely is a difference in price
ReplyDeleteThe FZ1000 has a super eyepiece way superior to the FZ200. This is really helpful in shooting outdoors. Also in shooting from eye level.
DeleteI just bought the FZ1000 and got all the accessories your recommend above. Thanks. My question is on audio mics for video. I'm looking for a wired lapel mic for interviews. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Ash.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Pan vertically and rotate the camera! Genius!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! What would you suggest as raincover to still be able to shoot pictures in low rain conditions? Kind regards.
ReplyDelete