First look – Features
The FZ1000 features a 20.1-million-pixel 1-inch MOS sensor that can capture Jpeg as well as Raw images. It also has a Leica lens with 16x zoom, giving it a 25-400mm equivalent range, somewhat smaller than Panasonic’s other Lumix bridge camera, the FZ200 with its 24x optical zoom (25-600mm) lens.
4K video recording and a number of the other advanced video tools that appeared in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 have also been included in the FZ1000, including Cinelike Gamma, 100 frame per second full-HD video recording, Zebra patterning and focus peaking. The lens of the camera also features a smooth five-step zoom and 5-axis Hybrid Optical Image Stabilisation to prevent unwanted and stuttered motion whilst capturing footage.
Panasonic is keen to stress that ultra high definition 4K is not just a great tool for people who want to record videos and to make its point, Panasonic has made it possible to grab 8-million-pixel stills from footage during playback mode on the camera at the touch of a button. This will give photographers a new way to capture stunning motion images, that can’t be achieved as easily any other way.
The FZ1000 shares the 49-area customisable autofocus system featured in the GH4, and although I only saw a pre-production sample it appeared fast and responsive.
Build and Feel
On the rear of the camera the 3in 921K-dot LCD can be flipped out and tilted 270° as well as rotated 180° to face forwards. A 2.3-million-dot OLED live viewfinder with 0.7x magnification is also featured and providing 100% field of view. The scene in front of me was reproduced crisply and gave me a great indication of my exposures before I released the shutter, as it adjusted to the settings.
The camera is relatively light at around 0.8kg, just a fraction of the combined weight of a DSLR with an equivalent range of zoom lenses. This will be one of the main points of appeal for people considering the FZ1000.
Comparison + Market position
Given its feature set, there aren’t any cameras that can be directly compared to the FZ1000; it’s in a lane of its own. However, anyone in the market for a fixed lens camera that has a flexible zoom range may be more attracted to the larger zooms of other bridge cameras. But if 400mm is enough zoom for you, there isn’t any other fixed lens camera currently on the market that offers such advanced and comprehensive features straight out of the box.
The FZ1000 is expected mid-July, priced £749.99
