Panasonic LUMIX DC-FZ10002EB Panasonic - Review 🏆

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II is a high-end bridge camera designed for enthusiasts and prosumers. Key features of this camera include:

• 20.1MP 1-inch MOS sensor
• 16x (25-400mm) Leica lens with optical image stabilization
• 4K video recording
• 0.39-inch 2.36m dot OLED Live View Finder (LVF)
• 3-inch tilting touchscreen display
• 12 fps continuous shooting
• Built-in Bluetooth and WiFi
• 422 Mbps maximum bit rate
• External microphone and headphone jacks
• RAW and JPEG photo formats
• In-body image stabilization
• Fast autofocus with Depth-from-Defocus technology

This camera aims to balance portability, versatility, image quality, and video capabilities in a single package. Its relatively large 1-inch sensor provides excellent low light performance while the broad zoom range offers great flexibility for different shooting scenarios. Overall, the FZ1000 II is a capable bridge camera geared towards enthusiasts looking for advanced controls and performance without the need for interchangeable lenses.

Design and Build Quality

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II has a well-built body that feels sturdy and durable in the hand. It measures 136.8 x 97.2 x 131.2mm and weighs 810g including the battery and memory card. The body is constructed out of a combination of plastic and metal, with a textured handgrip that provides a secure hold.

Despite its large zoom lens, the FZ1000 II remains relatively compact and lightweight. The body design incorporates both an electronic viewfinder and a 3-inch vari-angle LCD screen. This allows you to easily compose images from high or low angles. Buttons and dials are logically laid out, making the camera intuitive to operate. There is also a handy zoom lever around the shutter button for operating the powerful 16x optical zoom lens.

Overall, the FZ1000 II feels like a premium camera, with excellent build quality that can stand up to regular use. The ergonomic body design provides a comfortable and secure grip. While not as compact as some bridge cameras, the FZ1000 II strikes a good balance between portability and versatility.

Another noteworthy model is the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G80EB-K. This camera is known for its rugged design and advanced features, making it ideal for both amateur and seasoned photographers. The G80EB-K offers 4K video recording, 5-axis image stabilization, and a splash/dustproof build. Its ergonomic design provides a comfortable shooting experience, and the camera offers extensive manual controls for creative flexibility. Ideal for outdoor photography, the G80EB-K is built to handle challenging conditions.

Image Sensor

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II features a 1-inch 20.1MP High Sensitivity MOS sensor, which is large for a bridge camera. This allows the camera to capture more light and produce images with lower noise compared to smaller sensors typically found in bridge cameras.

The 20.1MP resolution provides plenty of resolution for large prints. It also enables more flexibility for cropping images later if needed. The sensor has no optical low-pass filter, which maximizes sharpness though can increase moire in some images. Overall, the 1-inch sensor in the FZ1000 II delivers excellent image quality for its class.

Another notable bridge camera from Panasonic is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000. This model features a 1-inch 20.1MP sensor as well, but comes with enhancements geared towards more professional use. It includes a 20x optical zoom compared to the FZ1000 II’s 16x, 4K video recording capabilities, and an integrated ND filter for better control in bright conditions. The FZ2000 is ideal for enthusiasts looking for a versatile and high-performing camera.

Lens

The LUMIX DC-FZ10002 has a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens with 16x optical zoom (25-400mm equivalent in 35mm format). This provides great versatility for wide angle to super telephoto photography.

The lens has a bright maximum aperture range of f/2.8-4 which allows for beautiful background blur and performs well in low light conditions. At the wide end, f/2.8 lets in plenty of light to keep ISO levels low. When zoomed in, the f/4 aperture still captures enough light for handheld photography.

For image stabilization, Panasonic incorporates Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) to reduce blur from camera shake. This is essential for telephoto shots where hand shake is amplified at longer focal lengths. The 5-axis hybrid O.I.S. combines optical and electronic stabilization for smooth video footage when walking with the camera. Overall the stabilization provides around 4 stops of correction to enable sharp images at slower shutter speeds.

Autofocus

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II has a contrast detection autofocus system with 49 areas. This allows you to select from several AF modes like face/eye detection, tracking, 49-area, custom multi, 1-area, and pinpoint.

Overall, autofocus is very fast and accurate in most conditions. It can lock focus in bright daylight in around 0.1 seconds. In low light conditions, it may hunt slightly before locking focus but still performs well. Continuous autofocus when tracking moving subjects is also good thanks to Depth from Defocus technology which helps maintain focus.

The customizable AF features allow you to tailor the autofocus to your shooting style. For example, Pinpoint AF mode lets you precisely target a tiny area for macro shots. The Face/Eye Detection works great for portraits, automatically detecting and focusing on human faces. So whether you're shooting sports, wildlife, macro, or portraits, the FZ1000 II has you covered with its versatile autofocus capabilities.

Video Capabilities

The Lumix DC-FZ1000 II can record high-quality video up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps) in the MP4 format. It utilizes the full width of the image sensor for 4K video, resulting in very detailed footage.

For slow motion, the camera can shoot 1080p Full HD video at up to 120fps. Slow motion footage can be recorded at 120fps, 100fps or 80fps, providing flexibility when editing to create smooth slow motion effects.

The FZ1000 II supports both the AVCHD and MP4 codecs. MP4 is more convenient for sharing online and on mobile devices. AVCHD provides very high bitrates up to 28 Mbps but the files are larger.

The camera has both a microphone input and a headphone jack for monitoring audio while recording. Manual control over audio levels is possible. The 5-axis hybrid optical image stabilization provides smooth handheld footage and can be combined with digital stabilization when desired.

Overall, the FZ1000 II has extensive video capabilities for its class. The combination of 4K resolution, high bitrate recording, microphone input, and stabilization allow for great looking video straight out of the camera. Slow motion options in Full HD are also very useful.

Connectivity and Ports

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II has robust connectivity options, making it easy to transfer photos and videos as well as control the camera remotely.

For wireless connections, it has both Bluetooth and WiFi built-in. The Bluetooth allows for easy pairing with smartphones and tablets for remote control and image transfer. The WiFi also enables wireless transfer of images as well as remote shooting capabilities when paired with a smartphone and the Panasonic Image App.

For wired connections, the FZ1000 II has both a full-sized HDMI port as well as a USB port. The HDMI allows you to output video and images directly to an HDTV. The USB port is USB-C, allowing for quick charging and data transfer. The USB port can be used to charge the camera battery as well as transfer photos and videos to a computer.

Overall, the connectivity options on the FZ1000 II are versatile. You get both wireless Bluetooth and WiFi, an HDMI port for direct video output, and a USB-C port for charging, data transfer, and quick connection to a computer. These options make it easy to transfer images and videos from the camera as well as control it remotely.

Battery Life

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides enough power to capture up to 350 shots per charge based on CIPA standards. This is a decent battery life for a bridge camera with a large 1-inch sensor and superzoom lens.

The included DMW-BLC12 battery has a rating of 8.8V and 1865mAh. While battery life could be better, it's about average for this class of camera. The battery can be charged in-camera via USB or with the included AC adapter.

One downside is that the battery is built-in and not removable. This means you can't carry spares to swap out when the battery runs low. However, the camera can be powered and charged continuously over USB while in use, helping offset the lack of spare batteries.

Overall, the battery life is sufficient for day trips and short excursions. But users planning to shoot all day or who don't have ready access to USB charging may want to consider an external USB power bank to ensure uninterrupted shooting.

Pros and Cons

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II has many strengths as well as some weaknesses that are worth considering.

Pros

• Excellent image quality and low-light performance thanks to large 1-inch sensor
• Versatile 16x zoom lens with good optical quality and wide aperture
• Fast autofocus and good subject tracking
• Good ergonomics with plenty of physical controls
• Fully articulating rear LCD
• Capable 4K video and slow motion modes
• Good connectivity options including Bluetooth and WiFi

Cons

• Lens is relatively large for this class of camera
• No touchscreen functionality on rear LCD
• No built-in ND filter
• Mediocre battery life
• No weather sealing
• No headphone jack

The FZ1000 II combines a versatile zoom range, great image quality, fast performance and video capabilities in a bridge camera design. It's a good choice for enthusiasts looking for an all-in-one solution, though some may prefer interchangeable lens models. The lack of a touchscreen and ND filter are unfortunate omissions.

Conclusion

Overall, the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II is an excellent bridge camera that offers a versatile shooting experience. Its 16x zoom lens provides a very useful focal range for everything from wide landscapes to close wildlife shots. Combined with the large 1-inch sensor, it delivers impressive image quality with good dynamic range and low noise levels. Autofocus is fast and accurate thanks to the depth from defocus technology.

The FZ1000 II shoots high quality 4K video and offers both mic and headphone jacks for improved audio recording. The fully articulating rear LCD makes composing shots from challenging angles much easier. Connectivity options like Bluetooth and WiFi allow for wireless image transfer and remote camera control.

Battery life is a bit disappointing at around 350 shots per charge. However, the camera can be powered via USB while shooting to extend runtimes.

For hobbyist photographers looking for excellent image quality and versatility without the need to change lenses, the FZ1000 II is easy to recommend. It provides an ideal balance of portability, features, and performance. While it may not fully replace an interchangeable lens camera, the FZ1000 II eliminates the hassle of carrying multiple lenses while still offering great quality. Overall, it's an excellent bridge camera choice for travel and day-to-day shooting.