Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 Panasonic - Review 🏆

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 is a premium bridge camera designed for enthusiasts and prosumers. It features a 20.1MP 1-inch MOS sensor and a fixed Leica DC Vario-Elmarit f/2.8-4.5 20x optical zoom lens, equivalent to a focal length of 24-480mm. This versatile zoom range allows you to capture wide landscapes and get close to distant subjects. With its large sensor and fast lens, the FZ2000 delivers excellent image quality and low-light performance.

The FZ2000 is also capable of recording 4K video at 30fps and supports Panasonic's 4K Photo mode. Its video capabilities make it a great choice for multimedia creators looking for high-quality video and stills in a single camera. Some other key features include a 0.39-inch OLED Live View Finder with 2.76 million dots, 3-inch touchscreen display, WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity, and a full range of manual controls. This camera aims to balance portability with premium photo and video capabilities.

Design

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 has a sleek and sturdy design perfect for enthusiasts and pros. Despite its robust feature set, the camera remains relatively compact at 5.4 x 3.5 x 4.1 inches and weighs 31.7 ounces. This makes the FZ2000 easy to carry around all day for shooting. The body is constructed from magnesium alloy, giving it a premium feel and good durability. The handgrip and rear thumb rest are rubberized for a secure and comfortable hold. The camera is weather sealed as well, allowing use in light rain. Overall, the FZ2000 is a thoughtfully designed camera that balances portability, durability, handling, and style.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is another excellent offering, targeting professional photographers and videographers with its advanced features. It's known for its exceptional video recording capabilities, offering 4K 60p/50p and 4K 30p/25p/24p 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording. The camera also boasts a rugged design with a magnesium alloy body and full weather sealing for reliability in challenging environments. To learn more, visit the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 page.

Image Sensor

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 is equipped with a large 1-inch 20.1MP MOS sensor, which enables it to capture high resolution still images and video with excellent dynamic range and low noise. The 20.1 megapixel resolution provides plenty of detail for large prints or heavy cropping.

The MOS sensor design is optimized for fast readout speeds, making it ideal for 4K video recording and high speed burst shooting. Its size gives it approximately 4 times the surface area of a typical compact camera sensor, allowing it to achieve a nice balance between high resolution and good low light performance.

Overall, the 1-inch 20.1MP MOS sensor provides the FZ2000 with excellent image quality capabilities for both stills and video. The high resolution enables detailed photographs, while the large sensor size and MOS design provide quality results even in challenging lighting conditions.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ200 also features a 1-inch sensor and comes with a 15x optical zoom, making it an ideal travel companion. With 20.1 megapixels, it offers detailed image quality for both photos and videos. The lens covers a range from wide-angle to telephoto, and its compact design ensures portability without compromising performance. Learn more about its features and performance at the Panasonic Lumix TZ200.

Lens

The Lumix DMC-FZ2000 is equipped with a high-quality Leica DC Vario-Elmarit f/2.8-4.5 lens that provides a 20x optical zoom range. This versatile lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 24-480mm, allowing you to shoot wide landscapes and get extremely close to distant subjects.

The fast f/2.8 aperture at the wide end enables beautiful background blur and low-light performance. As you zoom in, the aperture becomes slower at f/4.5, but still gathers enough light for shooting in dim conditions. The lens uses Panasonic's Power OIS stabilization to minimize blur from camera shake when shooting handheld.

Having a 20x zoom in a pocketable body is a major advantage of the FZ2000. You can photograph a variety of subjects and scenes without needing to change lenses. Whether you're shooting landscapes, portraits, sports, wildlife or anything in between, the zoom range has you covered. Overall, this Leica lens maintains excellent sharpness and contrast throughout the zoom range.

Video Capabilities

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 excels when it comes to video recording capabilities. It can record DCI 4K video at 24 fps and UHD 4K video at up to 30 fps. This allows you to capture extremely high resolution video for everything from home movies to professional productions.

The FZ2000 offers a range of bit rates up to 100 Mbps for 4K video, ensuring excellent quality with low compression. It also provides a number of high frame rate (HFR) recording modes for slow motion video, such as FHD at up to 120 fps. Advanced video features like V-Log L gamma and focus transition make this a great choice for videographers looking for pro-level controls and effects.

Overall, the video recording formats and frame rates offered by the FZ2000 make it a highly versatile hybrid camera suitable for both photographers and videographers alike. The 4K video quality is superb, and the array of tools for controlling exposure, focus, audio and more allow you to craft professional-looking video straight out of the camera.

Viewfinder and Display

The Lumix DMC-FZ2000 features both an electronic viewfinder (EVF) and rear OLED display for composing shots and reviewing images and videos.

The EVF is a 0.39-inch OLED display with 2,360k dots of resolution. It provides 100% field of view coverage and features a fast 120 fps refresh rate, ensuring a smooth viewing experience with minimal lag. The high resolution allows you to see a crisp and detailed representation of the scene. An eye sensor automatically switches between the EVF and rear screen when you bring the camera to your eye.

On the rear is a 3-inch OLED display with 1,040k dot resolution. Like the EVF, it provides rich colors, deep blacks, and wide viewing angles. The side-hinged vari-angle design allows you to tilt and rotate the screen for easier viewing from high or low angles. OLED technology delivers excellent brightness and visibility even in direct sunlight. Overall, the high-quality EVF and rear OLED screen offer an immersive viewing and composition experience.

Connectivity

The Lumix DMC-FZ2000 comes equipped with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. This allows you to remotely control the camera, transfer images to smartphones or tablets, and tag locations on your photos using GPS data from a linked smartphone.

For wired connections, the FZ2000 has both a micro HDMI port as well as a USB 2.0 port. The micro HDMI allows you to output video and images directly to an external monitor or TV. The USB port can be used for charging, data transfer, and also to power the camera for extended shooting times when connected to an external power source.

Overall, the connectivity options are versatile for both wireless remote shooting as well as wired video output and image transfers. The WiFi and Bluetooth make sharing your photos on social media or backing up your shots very convenient.

Battery Life

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 is powered by a DMW-BLC12 battery which provides enough juice for around 350 shots per charge based on the CIPA standard. This is a decent battery life for a camera of this class but could require an extra battery for all day shooting.

The FZ2000 has an eco mode that helps extend battery life by dimming the screen after a short period of inactivity. Turning off features like image stabilization when not needed can also help squeeze more shots out of a single charge. Overall the battery life is similar to other advanced compact cameras with long zoom ranges. Just be sure to keep a spare battery handy for longer shoots or all day events.

Pros

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 has many standout positive features that make it an excellent hybrid digital camera.

• Versatile zoom range: The built-in 20x optical zoom Leica lens provides a very versatile focal range equivalent to 24-480mm in 35mm format. This covers wide-angle to super telephoto perspectives.

• Impressive image quality: The large 1-inch 20.1MP MOS sensor produces high-resolution images with excellent dynamic range and low noise levels, making this a great all-rounder camera.

• Robust video capabilities: The Lumix FZ2000 excels at video recording, offering up to 4K resolution with a range of frame rates and codecs. The 5-axis hybrid optical image stabilizer provides steady handheld footage.

• Fast performance: The camera has a quick 49-point autofocus system and can shoot at up to 12 fps continuous shooting, so you won't miss a moment.

• Fully articulating touchscreen: The 3" OLED touchscreen display provides a crisp and vivid viewing experience. It flips out and rotates making shooting from creative angles easy.

• Extensive manual controls: There are physical dials for shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation giving an intuitive shooting experience for enthusiasts.

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Built-in wireless connectivity allows remote camera control and image sharing to smartphones or tablets.

Cons

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 has some drawbacks to consider:

• The camera body is quite bulky and heavy compared to other bridge superzoom cameras. At almost 1kg, it can feel cumbersome to carry around and handle for long periods.

• The zoom range, while generous at 20x optical, is not quite as extensive as some competing superzoom models that offer 24-25x zoom. This may limit your ability to capture extremely distant subjects.

• There is no weather sealing on the body, so you'll need to be cautious using the camera in inclement weather or wet conditions. It's not built to withstand heavy rain or dust.

• The touchscreen LCD can be prone to fingerprints and smudges. You may need to wipe it frequently to keep visibility clear.

• Autofocus performance drops in low light conditions, with more hunting and slower acquisition compared to daylight shooting.

• The battery life is fairly average at around 260 shots per charge. You'll want to pack a spare battery for all-day outings or travel.

• There is no built-in flash, so you'll need to use the hot shoe or external speedlights for supplemental lighting.

• It's a fairly expensive superzoom camera, nearly double the cost of some competitors. The price may be prohibitive if you're on a tight budget.