PANASONIC LUMIX FZ1000 4K Point and Shoot Camera, 16X LEICA DC Vario-ELMARIT F2.8-4.0 Lens, 21.1 Megapixels, 1 Inch High Sensitivity Sensor, DMC-FZ1000 (USA BLACK)

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This is an early impression, ive been using the camera for a few weeks now. I bought it especially for a trip to go see NASAs launch of the Orion. I currently own a Sony RX10, which i love, but im feeling the 4k bug, and am always interested in more zoom reach. So, thus far these are my thoughts, which may change as i figure more things out with the camera: -Size is nice, very chunky and feels good in the hand, but NOT pocketable(duh) -Construction feels nice, despite being pretty plasticy, the zoom extension feels more solid than the RX10 -4K video looks very nice and detailed, you have most of the same controls as the GH4 -Photos look nice, not incredible, but nice, and im still working out some kinks... -Built in timelapse, LOVE having this. -The EVF is big and detailed, though you need to look at it at just the right angle -The LCD is pretty good, certainly suitable for this level of camera, and it swivels in all directions -The video codec holds up well at 100mbit for 4K -37mm isnt wide, but usable in 4K, 400mm+crop+intellizoom gets a great amount of reach! Plenty more to come, im still on the fence whether i want to keep this or wait for the RX10 successor. Despite the RX10s lesser specs, its been a fantastic camera, and im very curious about the eventual mark 2. At the moment though, if you were looking to get one of these cameras, i would absolutely get an FZ1000, it just has more features which i make use of. The photo was a long exposure of very early morning at nasa

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The Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 is such an amazing bridge camera, it eclipses entry level DSLRs! It is a 1 inch sensor, has good zoom range, decent aperture size, image stabilization (you only get this on the Nikon D3200 with $700+ lenses), 4k Video, 4k Photo screen grabs, and RAW. Best of all is the fast autofocus, which is the best in its class and even some DSLRs. If you are not looking to spend thousands on extra lenses, then seriously consider this option instead. You will not be disappointed! I had purchased a Nikon D3200 a couple years ago to take my photography to the next level. I just shoot family stuff like sports, events, and outdoor scenery when we go hiking or something. I was displeased with the auto focus speed of photo mode, and the focus always taking forever to adjust in video. Dont get me wrong, the Nikon with the kit lens and a prime 1.8 can take amazing photos! However, it was not getting the job done for sports and video. I decided to check out bridge cameras more, as my coworker showed me his new FZ1000. I was immediately amazed by the zoom, optical image stabilization, and auto focus speed! To top it all off, it shot 4k and videos 10 mins longer. Nikon was limited to 20 mins. I am loving my decision to drop down to a bridge camera so far, as the FZ1000 can take just as amazing photos. However, the catch is that it can be a challenge to get the right settings. I have had issues with hi levels of noise for low light photos. I am sure that it is my fault, as I did not adjust the corrects settings. Furthermore, some of the pictures taken at 400mm seemed a little blurry to me. Again, I am sure that it is due to operator error. So be warned that it can take some getting use to. I feel that I was able to get achieve competency faster on the Nikon platform, than the Panasonic.

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Having been the owner of a Nikon p900 superzoom I was disappointed with the image quality with the small sensor. With the one-inch sensor on this camera and up to 400 millimeter lens you still have the digital Zoom capability, maybe not as far-reaching as the Nikon but gives you a well extended super zoom with better image quality in this camera. I find the switches and the sound but especially the quickness of the zoom to auto focus is what makes this a great bridge camera.

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PROS == By far the most important thing that makes me like this camera is the viewfinder, with a large and bright display that provides WYSYWIG when in automatic mode (i.e. what you see is what you get). It is a gianl improvement over LCD monitors, both flip-out and on the back of the camera, for several reasons: First and foremost, I can see with significantly greater clarity through the viewfinder than on an LCD monitor. And... very very crucial .... photography is all about seeing. Second, I find that when I use the viewfinder, the camera is easier to control, because when it is pressed up against my face, my fingers are much closer to the camera than when I am using an LCD monitor. Unlike with an LCD monitor, my fingers are in a constant orientation with respect to the camera, which helps me to better access the controls without having to look at them. Third, I find it easier and faster to navigate menus and to change settings like F-stop and ISO and shutter speed when the camera is pressed against my face. Fourth, very very important, its easier to take photos outdoors with your eye pressed against the viewfinder excluding extraneous light than it is with an LCD monitor, especially under bright sun.. Before closing my comments about the viewfinder versus the flip out LCD monitor, I should note that the flip out on the FZ1000 is nice and flexible -- and remains very useful under certain circumstances -- if you want to shoot from low down in a situation where you dont want to bend, or high up if you are in a crowd or need to see over some other obstacle. But most of the time these days I find myself shooting from the viewfinder, because I can see so much better.. == Excellent performance in indoor photography I originally got this cam because I wanted to take pictures indoors under normal levels of artificial light with ultra rapid focus and exposure control. By "normal levels of artificial light" I mean no light coming in from windows, no special artificial lighting, and no flash. Just the amount of light you would get in a normally lit windowless office or in a living room at night time or in a furniture showroom. This cam is very good at doing this when it is in automatic mode, yielding amazingly good hand held pix in poor light, at incredibly low shutter speeds like a quarter of a second, without a tripod, because of superlatively strong image stabilization, and this happens even at substantial zooms like 200mm. Any camera without image stabilization would be showing huge amounts of blur and shake. And I should add that color balance in low artificial light is good, when in automatic mode. With candid pictures of people under normal living room lighting at night time, the FZ1000 usually does surprisingly well in automatic mode. I was enormously surprised to find that with exposure of one quarter second, most pictures of most people come out quite well, because with most people, there is much less movement than I expected to find - except when the person is speaking or eating. As might be expected, under low light the FZ1000 in automatic mode does not do well in capturing rapidly moving people or other objects. But setting a high shutter speed and a high ISO value this camera copes quite well. Its true that high ISOs make photos more grainy, but in pictures of people its the expression that counts, IMHO. In this regard, shooting in low light, the FZ1000 and FZ200 are about equivalent. == Crisp controls that are not mushy or muddy. == The camera is the result of a collaboration between Leica and Panasonic, and has nearly identical hardware to a Leica V-Lux Type 114 that costs a lot more, though the software is different. == High capacity zoom lens immensely improve the ability to take good pictures, because one can often get closeups of subjects that would be hard or impossible to get close to, and because one has much more flexibility in determining what to include and what to exclude from the picture. On the FZ1000 the 400mm optical zoom magnifies images to eight times a normal 50mm lens and with digital zoom to 1600mm you can get 32 times normal magnification. Picture quality is excellent up to 400, and in my opinion remains quite good at 800mm when theres plenty of light. == Fast focusing and fast determination of exposure settings and almost zero shutter lag, which allows the capturing of fleeting events. == In my opinion feels solid and well built. == Allows me to display live images on a Panasonic Viera TV set via HDMI cable. I dont know whether it will do this on other TVs. This is really helpful for portraits where you want the subject to be able to see their image on a TV screen so that they can adjust their expression. CONS == This camera is a bit of a power hog. If you want to shoot a lot of footage Take several spare batteries with you . I think it gets worse when image stabilization is switched on. == In SCN mode there are far too many presets that differ only by tiny amounts. And one very valuable preset that was in the FZ200 has been deleted, namely the "Through glass" preset, that improved images taken through glass windows. CONCLUSIONS This camera is very flexible and takes excellent pictures in automatic mode in a huge variety of situations. Some folks sneer about "point and shoot" automation, but I really like a well designed automatic mode because it allows me to concentrate on the content of the picture rather than worrying about settings, and lets me grab shots that I would otherwise miss. I think that about 9 times out of 10, automatic mode on this camera does a better job than I would do if I spent time fiddling in manual mode. P.S. I attach a hand held photo of the moon taken with maximum extended zoom of 3200 mm, leaning against a car for the hand held shot. This shot demonstrates the incredibly good image stabilization offered by the FZ1000. This image has had no postprocessing and is not cropped. To achieve maximum zoom, I set Program mode, electronic zoom enabled, picture size of 5MB (and not the 20MB option).

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I have 2 dozens cameras, from 4"x5" to pocket compacts. If I can only pick one to carry with me on travels, the FZ1000 will be the one. Actually I did go to Africa with it and leave home my usual assortment of lenses. I took more photos with it than with my full frame because I did not leave it in the hotel room! It has 4k video and an universal lens from WA to telephoto and IQ for my purpose is more than enough. I rarely print in large size but do edit my photos on a 36" 4K screen and in these conditions was pleasantly surprised by the quality even with crops. Of course, every camera has its purpose and I am not getting rid of my other equipment but I wont travel with 2/3 bodies and 4/6 lenses like I used to. Quite a relief!

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Id spent a couple of years playing around with interchangeable lens cameras, but realized that I would do nothing but suck down my bank balance if I kept up with that little hobby. I like Lumix cameras a lot, and was looking for a single lens camera that could shoot close ups, but also had a great zoom. I also wanted some video capability. Well, this camera, for me, is incredible. The pictures it shoots (and remember, Im an amateur, for me, Bokeh might as well be an Iranian fish delicacy) are breathtakingly gorgeous, the camera is easy to use and Im having great fun learning all of the advanced features. The big surprise is the 4K video quality, it really is fantastic and has sparked an interest in learning more about making videos, and video editing. This is not a pocket sized camera, but is also not stupidly big (I told you it wasnt a technical review, huh?). Another great fun feature is that you can connect it to your iPhone and use that as a remote control to see through, and operate the camera. I feel like I should give the one con I can, and that is that the lens cap always feels pretty loose on the camera, like it might fall off and allow that lovely lens to be damaged at any moment. Note to self, buy a clear filter, or better lens cap. Ive honestly been thrilled with this thing and its now going everywhere with me. For me, its the ultimate (and god, I hate this word) prosumer camera.

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This camera has many fine fetchers, BUT save yourself the headache of having to deal with the Panasonic Texas repair service center. I will never buy anything consumer electronics from Panasonic. This center has; unabashedly lied. Its basic trick is for you to send in your devise; then to tell you it it costs more to fix than it is worth (even it it is the most simplest manufacturing error) ; then get you to buy someone elses old equipment. In the mean time you will have sent your equipment back and forth to TX.

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I purchased this camera shortly before my recent trip to the Galapagos, and I am SO glad I did. Im essentially an amateur photographer who simply wants to get the highest-quality pictures possible when using automatic modes (or pre-set "scene" modes), and this camera took absolutely phenomenal pictures under those conditions. Even on maximum zoom - without using a tripod - I can count the grains on sand on the faces of marine iguanas. I can zoom on a picture of a frigatebird and see myself reflected in its eyeball. The sport mode was terrific for capturing birds in flight. Extremely happy with picture quality and overall experience with the camera. Highly recommended. The pivoting LCD screen was extremely helpful for composing shots for eye-level pictures of animals and birds on the ground or in trees/bushes.

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Theres no such thing as a perfect - or even best - camera. Theres only the camera thats best for you. For me, the FZ1000 has quickly become the camera I carry 99% of the time. I still have my Canon t3i, and a really nice assortment of glass for when I have a specific image in mind that needs the Big Guns. But, after using just a Lumix FZ200 on a 6-week European vacation, I experienced the ease of carrying a single-piece camera outfit (...and the "little" FZ200 even yielded a few prints that I expect will sell well.) When I read about the FZ1000, I took the leap, and Im glad I did. Ive shot stills and video in all kinds of light, from wide to telephoto and macro, and the FZ1000 surpassed expectations. Although (like virtually every camera) the 1000 works best when theres great lighting, and you use the middle of the zoom range, Ive gotten decent image quality under stage lights, dusk, clouds, and indoors, using both ends of the zoom. Am I compromising anything to use the FZ1000 instead of my t3i? Sure. On the ends of my zoom range, the FZ1000 is softer and less forgiving of tricky lighting than my Canon lenses. Still, I can easily travel with the one-piece FZ1000, and make shots that would get away if I had to change a lens. Remember this: The 35mm film camera was a portable compromise. It didnt produce the huge, detailed image of a view camera, but you could take one with you FAR easier than you could take a bigger rig. For me, this is the essence of using the FZ1000. Ive examined my photo history, thought about my shooting habits, and selected the FZ1000 as the go-to camera best suited for most of my needs. If, like me, youre looking for a great camera thats easy to keep by your side wherever you go, you wont be disappointed with the FZ1000. It is incredibly feature rich (see some of the online reviews...) and, at $875, a real deal.

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I love this camera. It is very intuitive. I am going to purchase a printed copy of the 367 paqe Advanced Camera Manual off of the internet in order to learn more about it. I have also signed up for a Camera Class not to learn the camera so much but to get better photos when the lighting is not ideal. Dont get me wrong the camera did great in Auto mode. I just want to understand more about light & camera settings. Love: 1. Out of the box Auto Mode - fantastic photos & videos. 2. Zoom - easy to focus on desired subject at a distance. 3. Fast Focus - easy to photograph my busy 3 year old grand daughter (she is busy & fast) Cons: 1. Large - About the size of a DSLR. However no camera exists in a small body that does what this one does. 2. PhotoFunStudio 9.5PE : If you used a previous Panasonic camera with PhotoFunStudio & Windows Movie Maker. It will no longer work. PhotoFunStudio 9.5PE only converts videos to .mov or .mp4. Windows Movie Maker does work with these file types. You will either have to purchase new video editing software or video converter software. Unknown: 1. I havent tried the Wifi connection yet. 2. I dont use the 4K Video option as I dont have anything to play 4K Video. MP4 Video requires no conversion to play outside of camera. I did convert some HD Video to MP4 & MOV formats using the included software CD. I have several Panasonic Cameras and in my opinion they are all good for amateurs who just want a point and shoot. I purchased a Sony RX10 & kept it for a couple of days. It did not have enough zoom to suit me. It wasnt as intuitive as the Panasonic. I had a hard time getting it to focus on a subject at the long end of the zoom. I may have gotten a bad unit as I could tell it had been tried out before. Clock was set, items out of baggies etc. The Sony was smaller & built better than the Panasonic. However I am thrilled with the Panasonic. I also purchased a square trade warranty from Amazon (these are cheaper than on Square Trades Website). If you are on the fence between the Sony RX10 & this one I would pick this one if you are inexperienced.

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