Donna Brown
This camera is off the chain AWESOME!!! If this model had the larger touch screen of the FZ300, its constant f/2.8 aperture, and the weather sealing, Id have given it 6 stars, not 5. For a difference of only $100, I cant for the life of me understand why they dont combine these extra features of the 300 with the larger image sensor of the 1000 for the PERFECT bridge. I thought I would love the constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the entire focal range (25-600mm) of the 300, assuming it would render nicer bokeh and would be better in low lighting. Turns out the bokeh rendered by the 1000 at f/4 was as nice…in some instances NICER, than what the 300’s f/2.8 rendered. Even in instances where bokeh was similar, shading in the blurred areas was blown out on the 300’s shots, but not the 1000’s. And that constant f/2.8 low light advantage? No. Not compared to the much more light sensitive sensor of the 1000. Even with the larger constant aperture, the 300 struggled in low light, forcing a much higher ISO, and the noise that accompanied these ISO speeds was horrendous. The 1000 handled the same lighting conditions with much lower ISOs and NO noise! I thought I’d prefer the 300’s 25-600mm focal length over the 1000’s 25-400. In comparison shots, turns out the difference between 400mm and 600mm is not really all that much. BUT, the 1000 has an extra setting (iZoom) that can be used when shooting in jpg format that extends the 400mm zoom to an 800mm, and the 800mm rendering is virtually equal in quality to the 300’s 600mm rendering. I did not experiment with the digital zooms on either camera…I have a dreadful aversion to digital zooms…they are normally quite hideous. How much difference does the much larger sensor on the 1000 really make with regard to overall image quality and detail? HUGE. MUCH greater than I actually expected. Hands down NO COMPARISON straight out of camera. When shooting RAW, it was possible to pull out similar details in the 300’s files by adjusting exposure, white balance and highlights (details that seemed to be altogether missing when viewed straight out of camera) during processing, but who really needs more steps from downloading shots to final product? If you’re in the market for a bridge camera that can offer the convenience of a huge focal length without the cumbersome inconvenience of multiple bodies and heavy lenses, plus image quality comparable to many DSLRs, this FZ1000 LUMIX has no competitors in this price range. Both the 300 and the 1000 are HIGHLY customizable. I set both up to many of the same custom settings as my full frame DSLR systems. If you’ve read this far through this review, you’re no doubt serious...just go ahead and buy this thing…you won’t be sorry!