FZ1000 Detailed Review with 8 Minutes of Footage

[@wal]

Best review of this camera on KZbin. Great job!!

[@misterpimlott6330]

Hi

[@microdac]

Excellent review! Most so-call reviews fail to show the real image qualities - you did. Love that. Thanks.

[@ZoranMaslic]

This review is done very well, the best review of this camera I have seen and I have probably seen all of them on KZbin. My compliments!

[@kevingrote]

Zoran Maslic Thanks!

[@ZoranMaslic]

You are welcome, Kevin! I appreciate the way you have done it!

[@moukafaslouka4796]

My biggest gripe with the FZ1000 is the loud stabilizer noise. Other than that, it beats any cheap camera I have ever used.

[@Toki1908]

Man, this is the best review of any camera reviews I have ever seen.

[@kevingrote]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@jonnham]

Bought this camera a couple of months ago. Just now starting to really use it. This is the best review I've seen on it yet. Very detailed. Some of the pros/cons and even features I did not know. I learned a lot here. I'll keep this one in my liked vids. Thanks man.

[@kevingrote]

No problem! Glad I could provide some good info for you.

[@Lizerator]

Very helpful and detailed review. I am watching in April 2024 and this review is very helpful!

[@kevingrote]

Awesome! Glad to hear that!

[@fredmiu2001]

A great review & straight to the point as well....well done & thanks.

[@JoJoEnglish]

Best review on this camera i have seen, explained everything i wanted to know about it.

[@fearlessleader1436]

Just came across your review. I have just bought my third FZ1000. Can’t seem to stay away from it. The price and quality are hard to beat, and I own professional cameras and drones to compare it to. Good job!!!

[@kevingrote]

Thanks! I've also been very impressed by it. Such a great, super affordable camera!

[@malachi-]

You do know there is an FZ1000m2 now, right? Not much different, but some convenient improvements..... touchscreen!

[@kevingrote]

@@malachi- Yep! I would love the touchscreen.

[@RareMEDIAWellDone]

I own two of these cameras for my video production business and I use them in a slightly different way. I throw the 4K UHD footage on at 720 or 1080 timeline and this allows me to reframe, stabilize or pull camera move decisions in post-production, rather than the field for my TV commercial and web videos for clients. Though this can be used for holiday snaps by the casual consumer, put these cameras on a solid tripod or a jib arm and the FZ1000 camera is a beautiful production tool. Also, firmware upgrades have added more options, including 24p at 4K, although I don't need that for my business. At this price point, if you drop and break it, it is not the end of the world. Like a GoPro, these can be throw-away cameras for that one time only crash-cam shot. Great job on the review!

[@305unleashedgraphix3]

I still love this camera two years later.. glad for the 4k 24p update !! thanks for the video !!

[@shauryanagpal7713]

I liked this camera a lot.Better than what Canon & Sony offers.Also it fits in my budget.I wanted to know is Panasonic FZ1000 still worth to buy now in 2017??🤔

[@pmpbuhgm]

Kevin you are fabulous and your review is extremely worth seeing. I bought this camera I was horrified when heard the terrible noise coming out of the body when the cam was off since all what I did after I purchased was inserting the battery turned it on then off. The next day I hurried to the seller broke my worries but his answer was not convincing even after he exposed another one to me. Thus, I put it aside tried to watch as much KZbin reviews as possible, esp. the long ones, but in vein until I received yours through the suggested vids Thank you very much and I am very proud to say that you made the difference.

[@kevingrote]

Pmpbuh Pmpbuh I'm really glad I could help!

[@MyPicturesRestoredBedford]

Many thanks for this helpful and complete review. I recently traded in my DSLR for this Lumix and do not regret the decision!

[@AGag47]

- You CAN change the sharpness in-camera along with NR, contrast, Saturation, not to mention you can shoot RAW and process the file in the camera. - In regards to your wife's video, it looks like you had a multi focus setting. Either way your wife should have used Face Tracking for her tutorial. - To return to shooting after viewing an image you just have to tap the shutter button. - A Pro that should get honourable mention: lightning fast and accurate point to point focus, best in its class. - Excellent 60p footage at FHD that you can slow down to 50% slow mo - The camera can be set to remember your last focal length on startup

[@andreatilli6227]

Graceland Studio Covers Should I get this or fz300 as my first camera ? (rarely do videos)

[@LiebensteinMovies]

Additional tipp about continous focus and video. On my FZ-200 the manual focus is stable, so if you go to tele 600 mm make manual focus, go back out to 25 mm and back to 600 mm, the focus will stay and everything is sharp. That's because the area of sharpness of the tele is smaller. It's not perfect, but I often work in that mode. That's an old movie maker trick. Go to maximum tele, make it sharp and you are sure, that everything you will do is sharp. That of course only works, if the object doesn't change the distance.

[@JustinKreule]

I've seen a lot of reviews of this camera, and this is the best by far! Well done - also nice to have a more recent vidfeo that mentions the firmware updates

[@kevingrote]

+Justin Kreule Thanks! I've thought about making an updated version of the video to add in the changes that came with the firmware updates, but as soon as I do, Panasonic will probably release another firmware update, or they'll just release another camera that's cheaper and better and nobody will care about this one anymore =P

[@powerlink2000]

Excellent review! Still the best after 3 years. Thanks for sharing!

[@kevingrote]

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words! I wish I had the time to make more videos like this.

[@audioscapefilms4889]

Great review ! by far the best I have seen great work Kevin ;)

[@oldschoolzaba]

Best review I've seen. Purchased with a kit on Amazon while watching. Thanks man!

[@Gooddog1]

Superb review, and I learned something that the four thirds sensor is bigger than the one inch. Thanks, I was hoping this camera would capture better night sky photography though.

[@geraldfraser]

Thanks! yours is the best, most useful review of the FZ1000 I've seen yet :) Can't wait for mine to arrive.. oh, BTW they are only $730 on Amazon now.

[@coastalmotionvideo1301]

Best review for this camera by far!!! Excellent!!! Right on!!!

[@LiebensteinMovies]

Hi, came across your video, because with a friend we think about, what buying next, we also make videos and photos. Your video is really good, good examples, good explanation, I like it. I have the FZ-200, there it has a 25 to 600 mm Zoom with f2.8 over the whole area. Absolutely amazing. If you have problems with focus, also the FZ-1000 should have a face recognition, which places the focus on faces. And to make it better, you can make a photo of a person and registrate it for personal focus face recognition.

[@BillBowdish]

I enjoyed seeing the Puyallup Fair and other local shots. Nice review!

[@breakpack]

Thinking about buying this used. 8 years later and the quality still looks good!

[@kevingrote]

I still use mine. The only reason I might choose a different camera over this one is because newer cameras have usable auto focus. The FZ1000 has reasonable auto focus for photos, but it's not great for video.

[@breakpack]

@@kevingrote Good point! I imagine cameras now a days really have advanced. This one I would be able to get for $250 barely used. I'm hoping that is a good price. I wouldn't be able to buy the more pricey ones just yet. :)

[@kevingrote]

@@breakpack $250 is a great price for a camera like this.

[@breakpack]

@@kevingrote Awesome! Then I going to pick it up! Thanks :)

[@zurvey]

That was an amazingly helpful review. Thank you so much for taking the time for us like this. I really appreciate it.

[@adamw1944]

Excellent review, I love the way and style of your really fair review. I'd like to see your review of DMC-G7 in the near future.

[@Sheikxlove123]

Thank You! I Really Appreciate This! This Was The First Camera I Bought And I Have Yet To Maximize Its Features And You Helped Clear Up A Lot!

[@SuperSnks]

This is how all camera reviews should be! Short, sharp and to the point without fluff! The FZ1000 mark 2 is coming up soon and with some luck we maybe we can get a review Kevin Grote :p

[@kevingrote]

To be honest, I'm still so happy with my FZ1000, I see no reason to buy the Mark II. Sure, it's got a few new features that sound nice, but I'm perfectly happy with just my FZ1000. It's been a few years and I still use it all the time.

[@mauricoperez]

Good tutorial! thanks for information! .. I have this camera Lumix FZ1000 for 3 years and it has been one of the best purchases especially for travel photography! ... let me tell you that two years ago on one of my trips to Sant Lucia in the Caribbean I was hit by a car and my camera flew meters ... I thought that it had damaged but still works like new!! Cheers!

[@thomasottvideos]

An excellent production! Thank you for sharing your substantial knowledge. T. Phoenix, AZ - USA

[@alzyerpal-TV]

I've had mine (PAL) for a couple of months now and love it. One thing about the review, where you mention the auto focus issue during your wife's makeover shoot, did you try setting the autofocus to 1 Area or Face Recognition ? And as mentioned in another comment, you can retain the previous focal length between switch on/off's by selecting 'zoom resume' in the menu. Superb footage selection towards the end of the review, the quality versus price on this camera is truly staggering.

[@carrersol8]

Allen McLAUGHLIN

[@shuswaptoy]

Thanks for your detailed and very illuminating review. You said all that was needed concisely.

[@hollnagelc]

Great review. Just bought one of these used for $300, to take on an Alaskan Cruise. Was really considering the FZ300. But couldn’t pass up the FZ1000 at that price.

[@ponciodupont5069]

Dear Kevin, Please let me congratulate you on the quality of your amazing presentation: Clear and simple facts, great exposition and appropriate language use (Thanks for not using "sexy" and "cool") Technical info was on the level. A great way to explain things is thinking like if you were explaining them to a 7 years old: flexible, clear language. You really master the skills. I've just bought a Sony RX10, since the price rebate was not to ignore. It will replace my good old Panasonic FZ50 in the studio. FZ50..Studio work, I said? YES!! It has been a workhorse, and still is. My work consists mostly on baby pictures and glamour sessions, and since I do not expose at the Museum of Fine Arts, the sensor size serves me well, thanks. But by now I really need a larger screen with a superior pixel count. I just don't get it from Panasonic: WHY they equipped both, the LX100 and FZ1000 cameras with such a puny pixel count screens? I NEVER use the EVF. I wear glasses. Your videos (And I hope they aren't edited samples) look great from what I see coming from others. I'm not a video guy, but I'd like to know that quality is inside when needed. And for what I see, the FHD suits me well. A question: The 4k to 1080 conversion, is it in camera or one needs an editing program? And if so: which one? User friendly, please...! I want to wish you and all those happy puppies around you: A great, happy and successful 2016..!!!!! Keep on sharing, please. Greetings from Montreal!!

[@kevingrote]

Thanks for your positive remarks! I agree with your comment about the screen. I've considered buying an external monitor for high resolution viewing. Regarding the 4k to 1080 conversion; you can do it in pretty much any editing program. I personally prefer Adobe Premiere. You can either create a project with 1080p settings, and scale down your 4k video files on the timeline, or you can create a 4k project and just export the final video as a 1080p file. As far as I know, you cannot convert it in camera. Thanks again!

[@ponciodupont5069]

+Kevin Grote Thanks for the tip, Kevin. Keep on sharing in 2016. Cheers!

[@theohiooutdoors2444]

Thank you! I'm considering buying this camera! I'm looking for a good quality camera that will handle both of my video and photography interests without breaking the bank! Your review is VERY thorough and you talked about everything I was wanting to know about it! I don't want to carry multiple lenses so for a fixed lens unit that will get do nearly everything that I want it to do and provide good quality, I'm sold!

[@kevingrote]

Good, I'm glad my review helped you with your decision. I love the FZ1000. It's a fantastic camera. The video quality is incredible and I have used it on professional shoots many times. Photo quality can be pretty great as long as you've got lots of light, but in low lighting it doesn't produce the best results.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Great review. You brought up stuff I have never heard about. I still ordered mine as they are very cheap on Amazon right now (Feb 18, 2019)

[@AngelaCMurphy-Connie]

Brilliant review - thanks so much. I've bought the camera and totally love it! :)

[@iiiConic]

best review out here

[@johndonaldson5126]

Great video. Concise and efficient. I just placed a $325 bid on an FZ1000 on eBay. It's 2019 and this camera is now quite old but will fit my needs. I have much better cameras but won't bring them on my boat. We've long used a Fuji xp60 but the image quality is quite poor and the think just can't focus well either. I was frustrated by the (I only take stills) few available rugged cameras as they all have small sensors and limited focal length. I wanted something to take photos of riders on a towed tube behind our boat, or of someone on a wake board. But I didn't want to spend a ton of money. I spent three days poking round in point and shoot land, and interchangeable lens camera land, but I just couldn't find a match. Then I discovered the Panasonic FZ1000. This won't be my first Panasonic, I had and FZ30 for a few years as my main camera. It was actually pretty good but in the end I wanted a camera that could produce sharper images. For boat use I wanted at least a 1" sensor, at least 16 mega pixels, an EVF, good auto focus, stabilization, a wide focal length, and the FZ1000 seems to be the only camera I've researched that meets all of those goals for a reasonable price. Thanks for your review. It was very good.

[@kevingrote]

Glad I could help! Sounds like it should be perfect for your needs! I've used mine on the back of a boat to capture inner tubing before and it worked great!

[@simulationsecrets6540]

Awesome vid, very well done and informative. You are appreciated, bro.

[@dumbson]

considering to buy the mark 2.. this is the closest review I can find. Thanks!

[@artology1]

Great Video! Do you think it's worth me buying this model just for capturing time lapse videos of my artwork? or will cheaper models do exactly the same job?

[@kevingrote]

Artology I use mine for time lapses all the time! If you're trying to save money, technically you could do time lapses with most smart phones, but if you want a nice upgrade to the quality, this camera is awesome. And if you're asking me, this thing provides much better quality video than most every other camera out there for this price.

[@artology1]

Kevin Grote Thank you for your reply. I have been using my phone to record time lapse videos but I am not satisfied with the quality. I have a few more questions if you can be so kind to help me out. You demonstrated how you can sync your phone to it.. Can you pause and resume a time lapse recording from your phone? Can you connect an ac adaptor to it? Finally can the memory card be accessed while attached to a tripod?

[@kevingrote]

Artology So I know a time lapse can be paused from the camera, but I'm not sure if it can be done from a phone. Unfortunately, there's no AC adapter for it. And the only way you can access the SD card from a tripod is if the tripod plate is thin. But if you've got a small enough tripod plate and head, and could swap out the SD card, you could swap out the battery too because it's in the same spot as the SD card.

[@artology1]

Kevin Grote You are a legend! Thank you so much!

[@pspgamer17]

really enjoyed this video

[@kevingrote]

Thanks!

[@veeranrocks1]

good reviews man keep up the good work

[@paulrowan1501]

I ordered this camera 2 days ago before I had viewed your review. Now I'm certain I made the right choice for me needs. Thanks for all the effort you put into a pretty comprehensive review of the FZ-1000. Can't wait! BTW, have you tried any external mics with it?

[@kevingrote]

I actually haven't used any external mics with it. I've got a Tascam recorder that I use for all my audio recording.

[@kennethshaw8388]

Fantastic review and explanation of the FZ1000 features. This camera is on my short list, and the balance is tilted more in favor of this. You mentioned touch screen as something you would like as an added feature. I assume that the tablet app works that way. Are the remote functions responsive (i.e., no lag between sending the command and the camera's response)? Thanks for your excellent video! You certainly raised the bar for quality and informative reviews.

[@kevingrote]

Kenneth Shaw There's definitely lag when using a mobile device. I haven't timed it, but if I were to guess, I'd say it has about a 1 second delay, in both viewing and controlling the camera using a mobile device.

[@au1947]

MOST PERFECT REVIEW... REALLY GREAT GREAT JOB.... THANKS A LOT

[@balticvid]

Really nice review. Thanks, Walt

[@TPVPRO]

I'm not sure if its a firmware update but it does now have 24p in 4k as of 5/14/2015. I hope they add manual control to slow motion in future updates.

[@bagpuss998]

Great video and review 👍

[@latuamotivazione]

Wow!! Il miglior video su questa fotocamera.

[@surfyogi]

Great review man! Excellent tutorial as well. You have covered so much here, I have to watch it several times, and I'm an experienced photographer.. (It's technical) I was knocked out; just wish you would explain each item on the camera individually, in just a little detail; so many settings on the right dial, you skipped over pretty quickly, without naming each one. But it was easy to sit through and didn't take too long, so there is that. Thanks!

[@AdiGryfino]

The Best Review! Well done & thx! Poland :]

[@carlycruise]

Great Review, Nice Sharp Video!

[@Ram3esIV]

Thank you! Going to by this camera for a week documentary expedition in Siberia.

[@slimyelow]

Thank You. This is an excellent informative and extensive review (likely the best) on the FZ 1000. The demo shots at the end are priceless. - zoo footage at 1080/30p is amazing! Unlike McKinnan suggesting in his $1000 vs $8000 review, where 120 fps beats 4k footage, it seems here that 4k and 120fps features have their place within this lower budget. It is up to the owner to exploit the pros and diminish the cons. - which Kevin does really well I am torn now : a6500 or Fz 1000 ??? Amazon gripes about a mechanical ring coming loose inside the lens is disheartening.

[@brianellsworth4767]

Helped me understand some functions become disabled in different setting... It does have a lens resume setting in the tool menu .. It will remember zoom setting after power down,but not something I use

[@TheNachtportier]

Kevin, smaller sensor actually means more depth of field not less as you say. More depth of field means: more of the image area is in focus and that is exactly what a smaller sensor does.

[@joeprete7424]

+Kevin Grote ...Regarding this "Element Movement" demonstrated at 8:15 of the video; Is this affected at all, by rough handling (and throwing uncushioned/unpadded/unprotected) boxes during the Package Delivery process? (I received one, put into a huge box, with several other items, all loose and freely moving around inside) from Amazon. No Air Packs, or even Paper Packing!) Note:they did this, despite my ordering it by itself, hours after other orders I placed, and noting "Gift" means nothing to them!

[@kevingrote]

Nope. Has nothing to do with packaging. That's just simply the way the camera is made. The reason it does this is because of the stabilization of the lens. By leaving some space inside the lens, it allows the stabilization system to move the lens around and adjust for camera shake. A good stabilization system will hold the internal lens elements in place while the camera is turned off, but this is a fairly cheap camera and doesn't do that. I actually have a Canon L series lens that does the same thing if you turn the camera off while the stabilization is working. It cuts power to the stabilization, leaving lens elements free to move around. However, if the stabilization is not currently on when I turn off the camera, the internal elements of the lens are held tightly in place. Too bad the FZ1000 doesn't do that. It's always loose when the camera is off. Not too big of a deal though.

[@MrZnoier]

Very detail review thank you. Best review!!

[@JoseGonzalez-oe8ly]

I like a lot this review, super professional I brought this camera for $128.50 dlls from KEH Camera (used) and I happy!!! The only issue is the pic have a lot of noise and no has the sharps like a Sony 7 II (full frame) but super ease to use the menus very intuitive, super video, and much better pics like a Iphone or phone .

[@JacquesGaines]

Very cool video. Your setup is the same as mine Canon 6D and an FZ1000. Anyway, enjoyed the video

[@EpicBroNLEpicBroNL]

+The Movingicon what do you find your best camera the 6dor the fz1000

[@LookRainy]

+EpicBroNL the two camera served different purposes. 6D is a full fram DSLR that has interchangeable lenses, which is great for stills, especially its full frame sensor helps a lot in low light conditions. but when it comes to video, 6D is shit, it does not have a articulate screen, no AF in video mode, no 4K, 1080p video is very soft. FZ1000 on the other hand is a versatile camera, it does ok in still photos, but the real advantage is the video department, the 4K is awesome and it is just so much easier to shoot video on this thing. basically you buy the two cameras to do different things. hope that helps.

[@EpicBroNLEpicBroNL]

tnx

[@JacquesGaines]

I agree with LookRain. The only real advantage to the 6D are the stills and the fact that you can change out to great glass. But the FZ1000 is such good bang for the buck it isn't even funny. Even with that argument, the glass on the FZ is pretty sweet

[@Peluchinan]

Really, really great in-depth review. Is the camera rocking the new Panasonic firmware, I read somewhere else that this allows the camera to shot at 24fps at 4K.

[@kevingrote]

Peluchinan I have not updated my firmware since I got the camera, but I definitely need to do that soon.

[@chluigi3576]

Nice review! Helped me a lot!!!

[@Legat14]

Thanks for review. I own this camera. It's realy good choise for average videographer like me.

[@viforata]

Hello Kevin, I bought the FZ1000 only for video. It is very noisy unless the light is really good. What I see from you is absolutely amazing low light video quality in 4K but I was not able to find that in my FZ1000 (for example ISO400, F2.8, 25p, 1/50 which should provide excellent results returns a lot of noise and detail loss if the light is not perfect - internal noise reduction does not help). The best video results in low light I had in IA (intelligent auto) which is so god but IA only works for HD. Also, trying to find similar settings in HD (in order to apply those in 4K), I could not replicate the low light video quality of IA no matter what I did. I get so much noise even at very low ISO (to be able to use ISO1600 with decent results would be a dream!)... Please let me know in detail what settings did you use in order to get so impeccable low light video quality out of your FZ1000. Thank you!

[@kevingrote]

So I shoot in full manual mode for everything, and I don't use noise reduction. Have you adjusted your shadows/highlights? Because that can cause a lot of extra noise. But other than that, I don't know what to tell you. Mine works great and if I keep my ISO low, I get a really clean image. Maybe you should contact Panasonic?

[@viforata]

Hello, thank you for info! FZ1000 is out of stock everywhere right now. I bought an unit which was a demo display in a showroom (initially they didn't want to sell it but I insisted in a polite manner). Maybe it is one of the incipient units (it had first firmware version but I've upgraded it to ver 2.2) and that can explain certain things, maybe. However, as long as I have an invoice and warranty, I will send it to service. Thanks again!

[@fernandotwomarquez5812]

You are absolutely right, the same thing happens to me. I see tutorials, applied the settings but the quality is pretty bad. I do not understand what they do to achieve that level of quality. In my region (PAL Europe) I only reach 100fps. Slow motion in my case with a "standard" setting and a great light looks horribly. It looks like webcam quality, 320p. An absolute noise, especially in what is recorded black, the image quality does not reach that 1080p slow motion. I do not understand what I can do to be able to achieve the quality that Kevin achieves. His slow motion is supreme, especially when his brother jumps out and goes from normal speed to slow motion. Many are lost in the same, I have come to think that some departures from the camera have arrived with defective lenses.

[@kevingrote]

Fernando TwoMarquez I'd contact Panasonic with a few sample shots you can send them. make sure they are shots with great lighting. Hopefully they can do something for you.

[@malcolmcurtis9786]

Many thanks for the info on a great camera.👍👍👍👍👍

[@aboveandbelowfilms]

Great review Kevin. The first one I've seen that mentions not true 4K. I have question about bracketing. When I review the images they don't display the differences in the exposure on the monitor, only indications is the icon showing +2, -1 etc. Is this normal? Cheers Mary

[@kevingrote]

Mary Malloy to be honest, I've never used the bracketing on this camera. But from what I know about it, that sounds right to me.

[@quickpickle]

awesome review! What video bitrates does it shoot at? Thanks!

[@numbersix9477]

Great review! Thanks!

[@slimyelow]

Had the 1000 for 22 days and it IS a weapon, don't mess with us!

[@Percyflag]

Outstaning review. Very detailed and thorough and you follow up comments with actual test footage! Have you tried converting 30fps 4K video to 24fps video? I wonder if it is possible to maintain sync - I'm thinking mostly of separately recorded audio. I probably wouldn't buy this camera if it's not possible to convert dialog footage to 24fps.

[@kevingrote]

Well you could just record in 24fps and avoid the conversion. I never convert frame rates if I don't have to. You can also sync up your audio to 30fps without problems. That's what I do.

[@jt5439]

Very good... thank you so much!!!! Would you recommend this fz1000 versus the z300 and/or the g7???

[@edwin_ac]

A very nice review Kevin, thanks for sharing. I love the extended sample videos in the end. I just have some comments/questions - 1. For the sample videos, it's great to see the type of video used, it would be greater if the exposure settings were indicated also. It will help somebody like me who's not into videos, but want to learn taking videos. 2. How easily can you grab still pictures from a video? Is it the same with LX100, that is, play the video, press the pause button, press the center button to save, press the right button to select other picture frames to save? 3. Is the 4k photo burst feature feature (burst, pre-burst, burst start/stop) in G7, also in this camera? Sorry if I have too many questions. Thanks in advance.

[@kevingrote]

+Edwin Canlapan I'm afraid my response may not be exactly what you're hoping for... 1. Technically the point of this video isn't to train people how to use cameras, it's to review a specific camera. In order for me to add exposure settings to every clip, you're talking about many additional hours of work. I would have to keep a pen and paper with me at all times to write down the settings of every single clip I take if I think there is the potential of using it in the review. When I'm changing exposure settings for practically every single clip, it's just not worth my time. Then of course, I'd have to create custom titles for every single clip in the editing process. Once again, it's just not worth my time. 2. Yes, that's exactly how you do it. 3. I've never used the G7 before, so I really don't know what you mean by "burst, pre-burst, burst start/stop". Sorry.

[@edwin_ac]

Fair enough Kevin Grote. Thanks for the information

[@docon1974]

Good review and well edited. Do Panasonic hope to update this model any time soon?

[@kevingrote]

Not that I know of.

[@VistasHermosas19]

It does do 4K 24fps, not sure which firmware upgrade but you do need to be in video mode on the top dial to select it in the menu. I just rented the GH4 for a week too and really did not see the need to drop an additional 1600 bucks for the added features of the GH4. If I want those features I will use my "video" camera which is meant for shooting video really. There are many times I could not use the FZ1000 or any DSLR for that matter because the normal ENG features are simply not there, e.g. servo zoom, XLR inputs, external hardwire zoom and focus controls etc.

[@MsLostboysforever]

hi 2 years on is there a better point and shoot than your Panasonic fz1000? fantastic video thinking of buying one this weekend. unless you think there is something better at that price range?

[@kevingrote]

MsLostboysforever Well that's a complicated question. When you say "better", are you asking about photo quality? Video quality? Lens quality? Number of features? Build strength? There are a number of factors that go into making a camera good, so to vaguely answer your question: yes, I think the FZ1000 is a great camera for its price. But is there another camera out there that's better? Maybe. Another camera might be better at some things, but worse at others. It just depends on what you really want in a camera.

[@MsLostboysforever]

well I bought the Panasonic lx100 a week ago and find it too soft in jpeg, even after adjusting nr as sharpness in camera,, also something with less bokeh, I am just looking for something with a bit of zoom and a view finder for wildlife and holidays, not with separate lenses. any ideas

[@laneturner8759]

FYI--. -I just bought a new fz1000 June 2015. New firmware now allows the FZ1000 to shoot 4K video at 24p which is nice addition. If you have old firmware you can update it. As far as bit rates both the 4k options record at 100 mbps and all of the other avchd and mp4 modes max out at 28 mbps however even at 1080 the video looks really good. The slow motion 120 fps is fun but the quality / sharpness seems to suffer a bit---looks more like 720---- and controls are not adjustable while recording slo mo however it could be used. Hope this helps.

[@WARGODCINEMA]

THANKS FOR THE REVIEW LOOKS LIKE IT HANDLES LOW LIGHT VERY WELL I GOT THE PANASONIC FZ300 AND WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LOW LIGHT AND NORMAL LIGHT SETTING IT WAS VERY FUZZY ..SO NOW IM IN A TOSS UP BETWEEN THIS OR THE G7 4K

[@MrVitalino123]

Good informative video with very detailed review. Thank you! Is it worth to buy it today for about $500 in good condition? Is it outdated by now?

[@kevingrote]

I still use mine pretty regularly, so I would say that it's definitely still worth $500.

[@MrVitalino123]

@@kevingrote MANY THANKS!!! I appreciate your good advice.

[@pgulysse1]

Thanks. I think the new FZ1000II have touch screen. I hope Lumix will update the FZ2500/FZ2000/FZH1, faster lens but same body size, 2 card slots (a premier for a bridge)... more specs from Panasonic 1" sensor 4K camcorder line, but still 20MP for stills ... This hybrid bridge is meant to please photographers and videographers. I hope they are developing it alongside the coming GH6.

[@erikchee1002]

Great review. You mentioned that low light performance isn't that great. I'm looking for a fast camera, with reasonably good low light performance. The Canon 7D Mark II would be ideal for me but when combined with the 70-200 2.8L IS it'll set me back 4 big ones which is just too much. I shoot videos and stills of my kids playing ice hockey. My old T1i just don't cut--too much noise at IS0 3200-6400. I need to shoot faster than 1/500 shutter speeds and ISOs of 3200 or higher due to the bad lighting. I wonder if the FZ1000 will do the job. Thanks.

[@erikchee1002]

After renting FZ1000 a couple months ago, which I'm glad I did, I am not impressed with the low light performance. Although I could capture the action, the images look weird flat. Probably okay if viewed on a tablet/phone but not full screen on a 24+" screen. The video is very good. Also I cannot edit the raw files on Adobe Photoshop CS5.5. I don't know about Lightroom.

[@RalphGrizzle]

Do you still use this camera today - or have you found something better with the extended zoom capabilities? I have a GH5 as my primary camera and am looking for a second camera with a strong zoom. Great review!

[@kevingrote]

I do still use it. All the time, actually. I have never needed more zoom range, so I've been quite happy with this camera. If anything, I wouldn't mind a better max aperture...but if I need that, I pull out my GH4. I've been using those two cameras for the past 4 years and still don't see a ton of reasons to upgrade. The quality is phenomenal and still stands up to the newer cameras.

[@jamesbond-xf1mu]

Hi Kevin, Thank you for your review really appreciate the time and effort you put into it, bought a Leica type 114 which i think is the brother of the FZ1000, just wondering if you can do a review as to the difference , 1 thing I notice my Leica doesnt have 30 frames, bought it from a pawnshop , and all i have is 25fps and 50 fps plus the 120 fps, I didnt know that the ntsc and pal thing still exist in this time , I thought all cameras has the option to choose ntsc and pal, maybe you can shed a light on this. thanks

[@kevingrote]

Hey James! I do not own the Leica Typ 114, so unless you want to send me one or convince Leica to send me one, I won't be able to create a review comparing the two cameras. I know that most higher end cameras all have the capability to switch between NTSC and PAL modes, but I don't think most consumer grade cameras have the ability to do this. After a bit of research, it looks like the Typ 114 has two models, an NTSC model and a PAL mode, which tells me that you cannot switch yours over to NTSC. Sorry. =(

[@thejungleexplorer]

I got a couple questions. How much noise can your hear in the video from the zoom functions. I have had megazooms before that had horrible zoom noise in the video if you used the zoom while filming. Also, how good does the camera handle panning while filming? Say you were trying to film a bird in flight. Thanks

[@kevingrote]

It's not horribly loud, but it's definitely noticeable. If you plan on recording audio, I can't recommend using the audio from the camera. You're going to want an external mic if you want professional quality audio.

[@kevingrote]

Panning is fine though. If you're zoomed all the way in, it might be hard to get a smooth pan just because of how long the cameras zoom is. If you're zoomed in much, I wouldn't recommend panning with the stabilization turned on though because it kinda messed itself up. But if you're shooting wide, panning is great with the stabilization on.

[@thejungleexplorer]

Thanks for answering so quickly. I have a Pentax K-r with SMC DAL lenses. I know you said you are a Canon guy, but do you think this camera will provide better or worse still image quality then my K-r?

[@kevingrote]

I honestly don't know. I've never used a Pentax before. Sorry.

[@thejungleexplorer]

Thanks anyway. I am just trying to decided if this camera will be a replacement for my Kr- DSLR camera. I love my K-r and have taken some amazing photos with it. But lugging a 20 pound camera bag everywhere gets old and if this FX1000 could offer me comparable quality stills (I know the video is better), then I would buy it in a heartbeat and sell my K-r to pay for it. How would you say the image quallity of this camera would compare to an entry level Canon DSLR with a kit lens like the, Canon EOS Rebel T5i?

[@jammindesigns7135]

hey you did a great job!!! i must say you struck a major chord with me when you showed the rc car, I'm a rc channel and upgrading my set, what do you think of its follow focus on the rc cars and how would you recommend it overall between a 70d and a lumix g7? again bravo!

[@kevingrote]

Ehhh, the auto focus is alright. For something like RC racing, you should be fine as long as you're not zoomed in all the way or shooting in low light. It probably wouldn't have a hard time keeping things in focus. I think the FZ1000 will have better quality video than the 70D, but the G7 will probably be a little better than the FZ1000 (but barely better quality. You may not even notice the difference). But when it comes to photos, both the 70D and G7 will take nicer photos than the FZ1000. I have a feeling they would all perform pretty similarly when it comes to the auto focus, but I've never had a chance to test out the auto focus on the 70D or the G7, so I can't say for sure. If I were you, I'd go for either the FZ1000 or the G7. I guess it all depends on whether or not you want to be able to put different lenses on your camera. If you're happy with a single lens that is really sharp and performs quite well, the FZ1000 is a great choice. If you'd like to have more depth of field (which you probably wont if you're shooting RC cars), or the option to just change the style of video your shooting through different lenses, go for the G7. Good luck! I hope that was helpful!

[@jammindesigns7135]

i also see you use adobe premiere, vs final cut for rc racing videos and in studio how to videos do you think final cut is ok? i also want to be more cinematic that these other current channels by adding in video text among other cool effects. i have adobe PS and AE so far but i just find that PP is just a little hard to hang on to at first (only been editing for a month in FCP X coming from iPhone version of iMovie)... this is turning lengthy is there any way i could contact you about other questions?

[@kevingrote]

Yeah, I've always used Adobe Premiere. I actually started using Premiere back in 2004 and taught myself how to edit with it. So I've been a Premiere fan for 12+ years. But FCPX is great for what you're doing. After Effects will definitely allow you to do some cool stuff with your videos, and you can still use FCPX for the final edit. I just sent you a youtube message with my private email so you can contact me with any other questions.

[@DaddyyCrab]

I’ll be over for a burger. Good analysis. 😎

[@lindastirling8451]

Excellent review thank you. Very helpful.

[@forcedadventure]

VERY HELPFUL - ALL THE BEST !!!

[@Winchester1973]

Great video. I subscribed. Do you think it's worth getting the updated FZ2000? I'm tempted to get the FZ1000 because I also want to use it on extended hikes and it seems lighter and roughly 50% cheaper...

[@kevingrote]

Winchester1979 Personally, I don't think it's worth the extra money. I think the FZ1000 is a better value and already provides all the features that you'd need.

[@Winchester1973]

Kevin Grote Thanks for confirming my intuition. I'm going with the fz1000 and see how far it takes me :) Take care!

[@ReverseCycoIogy]

nice review and shots. this camera is a beast, I got it for around $800. what video editor do you use? thanks.

[@kevingrote]

***** I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS6.

[@duttasanjiv]

Best review I saw about FZ1000! Very serious and dedicated. It helped me to decide to go for it. But pl. tell me whats the difference between FZ1000 & FZ1000GA? And by any chance, did you handle FZ2000/2500? I think 1000 & 2000 both have same lenses right?

[@kevingrote]

I've only got the FZ1000 and have not had a chance to work with the 2000 or the 2500, so unfortunately, I can't answer your questions. Maybe someone else can. Also, I didn't even know there was a GA version of the 1000. Not sure what the difference is. Sorry, I'm not helpful at all =(

[@duttasanjiv]

​@@kevingrote Hi! Sorry for the late reply. Your review & replies show you are a very modest man. BTW after watching many FZ2000 reviews & stills I am ready to go for that one only. Because price are almost same (50 k vs 60 k Indian currency) but later has lots of incredible video features plus additional zoom & a bit better design & connectivity. Just curious, was your FZ1000 made in China or Japan? Do you think made in China will have same lens quality?

[@kevingrote]

@@duttasanjiv I'm actually not sure where mine was made. I tried looking all over the camera and through the menus but couldn't find anything saying where it was made. I would hope the quality would be the same regardless of where it was manufactured.

[@duttasanjiv]

@@kevingrote Oh. Did you look at the bottom of the camera? a small square label should be there . i have some apprehension towards china made versions actually , donno if its rational or not though ... :-p

[@kevingrote]

@@duttasanjiv I have a small quick mount plate permanent attached to my camera, so it must be underneath that.

[@kuujjuaqlb]

Loved your video, I am also a canon person, I have the 7D but wanted something lighter to carry on holidays, I find this one harder to get to the view finder

[@kevingrote]

Thanks! What do you mean "harder to get to the viewfinder"?

[@kuujjuaqlb]

Kevin Grote sorry what I wan is i find it harder to change the setting ex; iso, metering and the focus, on canon it is so much faster and easier

[@kevingrote]

@@kuujjuaqlb I think it depends on what you are used to. I've gotten faster with my Panasonic cameras because I use those more often than my Canon cameras these days. But when I first got my FZ1000, I was definitely slower with all that. Now, it's second nature and I can make all those adjustments super fast without even thinking about it.

[@Web4Panama]

Thanks - great review with useful tips.

[@Freehelper]

only complete. Thanx for the job..

[@Aviatorspot]

Great video1 I just gothis camera. I find the focus is bti difficult in lowlght/dark scene cos it doesnt not have peaking colour to choose. What setting for night video? Why I cant choose the 4K option (its greyed out). For 4K video what mode (P. A, S, M, or P-video) do I use? Can I use all those modes or not?

[@OldAmericanroads]

Very nice ! :) Do you use a stabiliser for your footage ?

[@kevingrote]

Old American roads I do use a stabilizer, but I actually don't think I used it for any of the shots in this video.

[@OldAmericanroads]

Ok thanks. What kind of stabilizer do you use ?

[@kevingrote]

Old American roads I use a Defy G2x. It's a 3 axis gimbal.

[@OldAmericanroads]

Ok thanks !

[@stefpix]

Great review. Can you shoot photos at slower burst mode, like 2 / 4 frames per second?

[@kevingrote]

You can adjust it, but I'm not actually sure the exact number of frames it is shooting each second. In the menu you can choose Low, Medium, High, or Super High for the burst speed. Super High can only be selected when shooting jpeg. So to answer your question, yes...sort of.

[@stefpix]

Thank you. I am debating whether buying this one since the price is good. I have the Sony RX10m3. It is heavy, slow startup and also AF not great with moving subjects. Have you tried it?

[@kevingrote]

stefano giovannini I have not tried it. But I do know that the FZ1000 is pretty good at those things. It's really not heavy at all, it starts up blazingly fast, and it seems to do pretty well with the auto focus. It's not perfect auto focus, but it's a lot better than a bunch of other cameras I've used.

[@gennishino]

Like it. Your detailing is excellent