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Sunday, 7 June 2015

Panasonic FZ1000 One Year User Experience Report


FZ1000 Tripod. The buildings on the hill are 6 kilometers from the camera. The sun set 15 minutes ago. I was easily able to focus manually in the EVF with peaking assist.


The FZ1000 was announced in June 2014.  I bought one when it became available in Australia and it soon became my preferred camera for almost everything.

I regard the FZ1000 as the most versatile and overall most capable single piece of photographic equipment I have ever owned and I am very fussy about picture quality, performance and ergonomics.

I was so happy to be rid of the burden of having to change lenses that I sold all my interchangeable lens cameras (ILC) and lenses and have never regretted doing so.

Panasonic really put everything they had into the FZ1000. It is made in Japan, has an excellent ‘one inch’ (15.9mm diagonal) sensor made by Sony, very good picture quality capable of very big enlargement, an excellent 16x zoom lens, very good performance with the new DFD autofocus, very good ergonomics and 4K video as a bonus.

These days so many cameras, particularly from Canon and Nikon (but others too)  are made to fit a price hierarchy structure. As a result entry and intermediate models lack features which could easily be included, presumably to encourage the buyer to move up to a higher price point thereby realising more profit for the maker.

But Panasonic loaded the  FZ1000 camera with every feature, function and capability they could, thereby producing a really excellent product which is a pleasure to use. It is also offered at a remarkably low price point.  I think that the lens alone, if it were supplied on a mount for an ILC would cost as much as the entire FZ1000 camera.

FZ1000 Canberra


It seems to me that the FZ1000 continues to suffer from a lack of understanding by the market, resulting in modest sales rankings.

Today it ranks #71 in the Amazon ‘Point and Shoot’ list. All the cameras ahead of it are less expensive and some considerably so, but they are also less well specified, most substantially so.
In my view the FZ1000 is not appropriately regarded as a ‘point and shoot’ or a ‘compact’ or a ‘bridge’ camera.

It is a FZLC (fixed zoom lens camera) of considerable capability, able to replace an entry or upper entry DSLR or MILC and a bag full of lenses. 

My research with mockups has demonstrated to my satisfaction that if well designed (some cameras this shape are poorly designed)  the ‘humptop’ SLR shape with handle, Mode Dial and Control Dial  used by the FZ1000 provides the best ergonomics and user experience.

Comments I read in online forums suggest that many camera users lump the FZ1000 in with small sensor superzooms and travel zooms, not realising that it is in a  different class with regard to picture quality and performance.

It is my impression from the forums that many camera users are simply unable to believe that the FZ1000 is as good as it really is. So they keep on buying entry level CanoNikon DSLRs which are less expensive (with standard 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens) but also much less capable and versatile.

I think Panasonic’s marketing people need to do more to correct this apparent misconception.  They have produced a ground breaking product which is not getting the market attention it deserves.

The FZ1000  is the first ‘all in one’ FZLC which has allowed me with confidence to divest myself of all my ILC gear. As such it has been very influential in my life. I now set forth on photo expeditions with just one piece of equipment in a compact Lowe Pro Apex 110 bag.  I return home with excellent photos or if not excellent the fault lies with me, not the camera.

FZ1000 Skulpcha Kulcha by the C


Picture Quality   I tested the FZ1000 against a Panasonic GH4 with 12-35mm f2.8, 35-100mm f2.8 and 100-300mm lenses.

Overall the FZ1000 delivered slightly more resolution and detail at most focal lengths than the  3 lens Micro 4/3 combination which cost 4 times as much.

The GH4 had about half to two thirds of an EV step less noise at ISO 6400 than the FZ1000.

I found that my M43 cameras and the LX100 which uses a cropped 4/3 sensor have slightly more highlight detail in some conditions than the FZ1000.

Current M43 cameras are reported by DXO Mark to have more dynamic range than the FZ1000 but in practice this is not a limiting factor for photo results.

The FZ1000 uses (I believe, Panasonic is ridiculously unforthcoming about this) the same 20 Mpx Sony ‘back side illuminated’ ‘one inch’ 15.9mm diagonal sensor as the Sony RX100 Mk 2 and 3 and the Sony RX10.  

The Sony technology appears to be effective in extracting a level of imaging performance from the smaller sensor which is almost equal to the best available 21.5mm 4/3 sensors and even some Canon 27mm APS-C sensors.

Performance  The FZ1000 responds quickly to all user inputs. Shot to shot times are almost as fast as I can move my right index finger up and down on the shutter release button. Single shot AF is fast and accurate. The camera can follow focus on moving subjects with a high level of accuracy, making it suitable for outdoor sports. Indoor sports are a little more challenging but still possible.

Manual focus with peaking is accurate and easy to use.

The zoom lens allows the camera to switch seamlessly from telephoto to wide angle to close ups with no need for extra equipment.

There is a built in flash always ready to use.

Some features of the FZ1000 and the FZLC genre in general are of considerable benefit but not particularly obvious in the specification sheet.

One of these is the diaphragm type leaf shutter. This is almost silent in operation, allows flash synch at all shutter speeds up to 1/4000 second and never causes shutter shock.

I was reading some forum comments about the newly announced Panasonic G7 yesterday. There was much chat about whether the focal plane shutter in this camera (and almost all ILCs) had electronic first curtain and/or whether E-Shutter is available.

All this reminded me that when I was using a GH4 with the 14-140mm lens I had to use the E-Shutter in general photography to prevent shutter shock, then switch to the mechanical shutter with sport/action/moving subjects with shutter speed above 1/400 sec to avoid the ‘rolling shutter’ effect then switch on ‘shutter delay’ with slow speeds on tripod to prevent shutter shock.

I found all this a complete pain and am disappointed to see that the same rigmarole will apparently blight operation of the G7.

With the FZ1000 I have no need to be concerned about all this hocus pocus with shutter types.

The leaf shutter works for everything unless I want completely silent operation or a shutter speed of 1/16000 second (which I have never done) in which case E-Shutter is available.

I note in passing that the FZ1000 Operating Instructions, Page 164, indicate that  normal operation of the leaf shutter involves electronic start and mechanical end to all exposures.

Ergonomics

Holding  The handle and thumb support are  substantial and mostly well shaped, but see my suggestions for improvement below.

The camera is easily carried by the handle.

Viewing  The excellent monitor is fully articulating which is optimal. The EVF is excellent, large and sharp with fast refresh rate.

The user can segue seamlessly from monitor to EVF maintaining the same view with the same camera data.

Few cameras provide a better viewing experience.

Operating  It is easy to adjust primary and secondary exposure and focussing parameters while looking continuously through the viewfinder without releasing grip on the camera with either hand. Excellent.  Not many cameras can match this.  The FZ1000 is a very nice camera to operate.

Could Panasonic improve the FZ1000 ?  Yes, of course, but I must say they got this one right in almost every substantive respect.

The cutaway shape of the thumb support is a bit odd and should be reshaped. There is a pressure point on the upper surface of my right third finger when I hold the handle. This could benefit from a mild reshape. People with smaller hands might not notice this.

Other things would include improved sensor performance as and when technology permits and improved follow focus on fast moving subjects, also as and when technology permits.

Maybe more advanced lens making technology could provide a longer zoom range and/or wider aperture.

One specific feature of the FZ1000 (and several other Panasonic cameras) really bugs me. If I am making a series of photos of a subject and press the Playback button mid way through the series to review the results, the camera waits some time, usually about 10-15 seconds then retracts the lens to the startup position. This is irritating  as I then have to re zoom and re focus the shot. Panasonic should get rid of this annoying and apparently pointless behaviour or at least offer an option in the menus to disable it.

Summary  With the FZ1000 Panasonic has produced a game changing camera which takes the Fixed Zoom Lens category to new levels of versatility and capability.

I checked listings before posting this but I was unable to find any [ILC+one lens] combination or FZLC providing equal picture quality plus 16x f2.8-4.0 lens from any  maker at any price/size/mass point.

Some FZLCs with smaller sensors better the zoom specs but lack the picture quality.

Some DSLRs and MILCs have better high ISO picture quality but have a smaller aperture  zoom  and are heavier and more expensive.

None of them puts together a package to match the FZ1000.

I think the FZ1000 represents the dawn of a new era in camera design, capability and versatility.

The 20th Century’s way of providing  multiple focal lengths was interchangeable lenses.

The 21st Century’s way is a fixed high tech zoom lens with multiple aspheric elements.

I hope we will see competitors for the FZ1000 from other makers. This might raise awareness in people who sell and buy cameras about the benefits of a modern FZLC and promote development of the genre.






8 comments:

  1. Thanks for your excellent objective review of the FZ100.
    Have you used the izoom feature which Panasonic claims can double the zoom and still result in good images?
    If so would appreciate your comments. Thanks

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  2. http://cameraergonomics.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/fz1000-extra-zoom-options.html
    Hi Victor, The link above refers to this issue. Thanks for the feedback
    Andrew

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  3. Thank for all the information on fz1000 it has really helped....

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  4. I totally agree with your assessment of this groundbreaking camera. It's an incredible value for all the features and convenience it packs.

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  5. Andrew what are your recommended settings for Sharpness, contrast, etc. for the FZ1000? You had posted them before but I cant seem to find them. I remember sharpness was -5.

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  6. I am interested to know what software/editing program you use...


    carole

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  7. HI Carole, I use Adobe Photoshop.
    Andrew

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  8. A good article on the FZ1000. I fully agree with your assessment; except that the grip is perfect for my large hands with short fingers. I bought mine in March, 2015; and like you, have not used an interchangeable lens camera since. In testing, I found the FZ1000 gave about 10% higher resolution than a Canon 70D or 80D with the 18-135 IS or 70-300 IS lenses after they were calibrated for AF Micro Adjust. I also bought the Canon G7X II to have a pocketable equivalent. It shows the same resolution as the FZ1000.

    ReplyDelete