Panasonic Lumix FZ200 - 5 Years Anniversary

[@JonnyBlueChair]

The FZ200 was my first 'proper' camera, loved it. That, plus your videos Graham, really helped me get into photography.

[@theresebouvard5903]

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[@clarification007]

Graham, you are a huge part of the success of that FZ200! All your videos done, are pure reference on what is that great little camera. In fact, it was so good, my wife also bought one. We both like and love you and the FZ200! :) Thanks Graham!

[@melodyeshore903]

I love my FZ200, and you've taught me more about photography than any manual ever could (although your print manual is always at my elbow). Thank you, Graham, for being a constant source of inspiration, encouragement and advice...

[@CrazyFunnyCats]

Melodye Shore come see our slow mo vids of bees with the fz200

[@WesBlackman]

I have the FZ200. It is great for video. Over four years, I've shot about a year's worth (it seems) of video and the battery life is still AMAZING. I can go around 3 hours on the original battery. If I need to go longer, I change out to a non-Panasonic battery and can get another 2 hours. Still shots are amazing too. I usually stick with the automatic mode, but the pre-set scene feature I use a lot. In a museum recently, I discovered the "shooting through glass setting and it worked like a champ. I consider it one of the smarter buys of my lifetime and have no need to upgrade. Gratified that it is still for sale on the marketplace and can recommend to friends. Thanks Graham for your videos. They helped me get oriented to the camera and demystify it.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks, the camera still packs lots of potential for all kinds of photography

[@sumesestsumusestissunt4207]

Hallo Graham, you may not remember me, but I have sent you a little photo-book with views from our lakeside in southern Bavaria, may be about as much time ago, as this still outstanding camera entered the market. Since then I have tried a lot in photography - even I reached up with 6by9 uns 6by4,5 cameras an lenses and at times shooting with ordinary analog film. Well, nowadays in times of general lockup, you are fiddeling with memories, so I found the copy of the booklet I sent to you and was instantly happy. I searched again in KZbin and enjoyed all your expertise around this little camera wonder again. I have sold mine long ago; but tell you what, just got one today in good condition for 120 Euros on ebay. And I am thrilled again by the idea to start all over again with it. Let me say many, many thanks for all you have done so far to keep this camera alive all these many years. Maybe, if we ever will be allowed to leave our houses again (joke), I will do a second booklet for you. Your adress seams to be constant, I guess. Best regards from Joseph in Bavaria.

[@michaelwilliamson2766]

I bought the FZ200 after watching Graham's videos. He and the FZ200 hooked me on the love of photography. I traded it in on a FZ2000 and I still miss the f2.8 at 600 mm. Thanks so much Graham for all your videos and information you have passed on to us.

[@torritor]

I bought this camera 2 years ago and still there are new things to explore, the videos you made of this helped me a lot to understand the functions of the camera. I realy like the camera, and even for a amateur it makes great pictures. Thank you for your great work.

[@enelcaminoaemausconjesus]

10/22/2021. It is still a great camera today. better than many in its current class of the year 2021. I just bought it, I bought it on Ebay in excellent condition and it surprised me, despite the years that have passed.

[@yashg5]

I got started in photography with FZ200 and your very helpful tutorial videos, not just about this great camera but also about various aspects of photography in general. Then I graduated to a Canon 70D and now onto Canon M50.

[@Kelkschiz]

Started with an FZ300 several year back have now migrated to a secondhand GH5. A really easy transition. Loved the FZ300 it taught me so much about photo- and videography. Your guides were really helpful, thanks! These were life changing cameras for me.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks for the great comment, really appreciated.

[@judystandeven5554]

I happily bought the fz300 when I noticed it displayed in a shop. My brother has the fz200 and still enjoys it so I chose to give the fz300 a go. Graham's videos have helped me to move beyond point and shoot photography and experiment using manual settings. I was delighted to recently have some photos published.

[@dunnymonster]

I've had my FZ200 for about 3 years and in my opinion its one of the best small sensor bridge cameras you can buy. The larger pixel pitch ( it's only 12MP) and constant f2.8 lens makes it one of the best bridge cameras you can use in low light. Unlike the Nikon bridge cameras the ability to shoot Raw is also a great help in post processing. 600mm zoom might seem short compared to bridge cameras from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fuji but you'll rarely need to reach further in regular use day to day. The fact that the FZ200 is still available after 5 years is no surprise. Other than the FZ300 nobody has made a comparable bridge camera. They are both in a league of their own :-D

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes I agree with you the super-super zooms must have limited use as the small apertures at these focal lengths would mean long shutter speeds or higher ISO plus atmospheric haze etc is going to kill any image quality I would think.

[@Zackariyaouchen]

Graham Houghton was and still a big part in this game changer !

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Really appreciated, thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@websitesthatneedanem]

Agreed!

[@Dalwhat]

I bought an FZ200 this time last year in order to take with me on a cruise to Alaska. Rather than take my DSLR kit as weight was an issue I traded a degree of image quality for portability. I found Graham's series of videos absolutely crucial to help me get to grips with the minutae in the short period of time before the trip. The results were perfectly acceptable and to the untrained eye not really any different from what I could produce with my 5DMk2. Shoot in RAW and process in Lightroom and you can get really good results from the Leica lens. This year I'm off to The Maldives and the FZ200 will be accompanying me once again. A freat travel photographer. Just make sure you use a tripod for the longer focal lengths for best results. Thanks again Graham for making the camera very accessible

[@terrienoll225]

I must comment on how beautifully your video is staged and lit. A youtube gem!

[@WesBlackman]

I also use a Rode mic that fits in the hot shoe and it helps with the audio quality. I find the 2.5 to 3.5mm adapter doesn't add any detectable noise. It just looks a little ungainly with the extra cord.

[@luisv7117]

Thank you, Mr. Houghton, for your incredible videos, nice clear and slow spoken without loud music, I love listening you are full of knowledge, thank you again, Sir.

[@garypoole716]

Great video as usual Graham,I'm sure you have done a lot for the sales of Panasonic fz range,keep up the good work!! Can't believe it's 5 Years old and as you say still for sale! Gary

[@rodgerscott348]

Great comparison video on the two cameras. I have had the FZ200 since it first came out and loved it, but it took me a while to get the best out of it. That F2.8 25-600mm lens is unique. A lens like that is simply not available on any other camera anywhere at any price (except now its on the FZ300), but aside from that, no other camera/lens manufacturer has one that can match that specification. I have the FZ1000 now, but if I hadn't already owned that camera when the FZ300 came out, I would have upgraded immediately. Thanks for all your efforts with these and other cameras.

[@Lepewhi]

I love this camera. Yes, it has a small sensor, but for travel, it sure beats a cell phone. My cell phone doesn't have a zoom. Plus, there is RAW capture and a constant 2.8. oh, and battery life isn't bad. I have no need to update. I'll shoot it until it dies. When it does die, I'll go for a 1 inch sensor, but I'm ok with this small sensor for the moment. Thanks for the Anniversary message, Graham

[@rocheuro]

I got my FZ200 along with many Canons, Sigmas and Sonys.. and I would never sell my such original and unique FZ200 ! I just love it. amasing and unique featured camera. Btw. watched ur vids about PAnasonic Bridge Cameras thank you for huge amount of usefull information on your channel, Greets from Poland!

[@Kurosaki0Ichigo]

I happened to have bought the FZ200 today, and I picked it over the FZ300 because it provides the same image quality. But it lacking some newer features, like WiFi capability and 4K recording. And some more, but I'm just going use it on holiday and probably not play to much which the settings.

[@AzureSkyes]

Hi Graham, just bought the FZ330 (partly due to the information you've provided, so thank you), and also just bought the colour hard copy of your instruction manual from Amazon. Can you tell me if you also include a PDF of the manual with the hardcopy? Thanks.

[@Auror37]

Still great information for us Fz-200 users. Haven't made the push to the 300 or even the 1000 yet

[@alphaphotoandvideo]

3/18/18...should i replace it with gz2500???🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@humourcar]

Hi Graham. Good video but a little bit of constructive criticism...I was hoping the video was strictly regarding the FZ200 and your thoughts and review 5 years on and not a comparison between the fz200 and fz300. I'm looking at picking up an fz200 as a compact travel camera for an upcoming trip. I have an fz2500 but it's a large camera to be carrying around for 2 weeks.

[@Kalyptic]

Any taughts on the FZ80?

[@Mortthemoose]

Am just buying the fz200. What sd card should I buy for it please?

[@joeprete7424]

+Graham Houghton ...It's still well ahead of many of it's competitors, and when they turn up as NOS, they still sell very fast. I wouldn't part with mine, or my DMC-LX7 either. They make quite a pair! Btw, Thanks for your many fine videos Graham!

[@anantachydrupamayam1718]

I downloaded almost all of Graham`s videos about FZ200 and they made me much better photographer. I`d say that there is still no other camera out there )except FZ300) with which you can produce so easily good photos - still the best iA mode for lazy photographers :). I bought it almost 3 years ago refurbished, basically new and I was missing only the low light performance, so last year I bought the canon g1x 2nd hand, mint condition for a bit over $200, another very portable camera which you can use to take just incredible photos handheld with 12800 iso - you have to try it to believe it, so for me this is the perfect portable duo for almost every situation.

[@richardmeade9842]

Graham - I'm writing you regarding an issue with all my Lumix cameras. One of which is the FZ300. I also have a G9 and an LX10. Withe the G9, I had a friend take a photo using the timer and then run to get in the group photo. The pictures were not a in focus and sharp as we wanted. I think she may not have paused slightly and let it focus first - would that be the problem. Also, can you set the camera to 4K or 6K and take a photo with the seat timer? Another issue is taking photos with 4k and then selecting the photo I want to keep and making it a jpeg. Doing this in-camera is still a bit difficult for me and I would be much more able to select the desired image if I could see it on a larger computer screen - is there a program for that? I sent these questions to Panasonic but have not received a response. I have multiple medical issues that cause me to be off balance, etc.

[@estudiomarpilatespersonal]

Is it possible to do Live Streaming using FZ200?

[@dzittin]

I love my FZ300 for most, but not all of my work. I am a birder and a bird photographer and I find it great for doing ID work. Zooming out to 735 mm when needed (8MB image) to capture features on a bird almost always works for ID efforts. The photo, however, is just that, an ID photo, not something I would post for others to see. If there is enough light and distance is not too great and I use a low ISO (100) I can get some near-professional photos. I use this camera exclusively in aperture priority mode and adjust the ISO according to get shutter speeds conducive to good hand-held photography which of course depends in part on my hand steadiness and the steadiness of the subject. With experience I strive for the lowest ISO (lower shutter speeds) I can get away with and still obtain quality photos. All this said, I wonder if it would be possible to produce a camera similar to the FZ300 with a larger sensor. I know this will increase the weight and size of the camera, but consider that in order to get high quality I use a Fuji X-T2 with a 100-400 mm zoom (4.15 LBS total). The relatively lightweight and much smaller FZ300, coming in at 1.52 LBS, is extremely convenient for long hikes and travel. That said, I would not mind, say a 2-2.5 LB version of the FZ300 if the sensor size were near 20 MP. I know I am naive about physical limitations and perhaps this is impossible, but I am saying it sure would be nice and it's something I would buy without hesitation if it otherwise had all the FZ300 features. So far I have rented the Fuji, but soon I will have to make a decision and the Fuji-Telephoto combination is not cheap (around $3500 USD). Panasonic - are you listening?

[@HelenaMikas]

As ever a wonderful comparison *

[@jeffmassey4860]

Ordered the FZ200 book on Amazon,and had it spiral-bound locally. A better read!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

That's a great idea, thanks.

[@aldogentile245]

Graham, I noticed that you said there is a problem with the focus lock in the Fz300. So you contantly have to pay attention to this issue. In you opinion, Is this a firmware problem? Concerning the weigh of the FZ300, Is it more heavy than the fz200? As usual, a very useful video. Thanks!!

[@nightcoder5k]

I picked up an FZ200 after owning an FZ1000. I still have both and love them.

[@websitesthatneedanem]

FZ200 - Great camera, love it! - Just started using the Super slo-mo, excellent! ( Does have a problem with purples though! )

[@lindarogoff6775]

I have this camera and love it but would like to ask a ? that has stumped me. What is the F/8equivalent to on a dslr? That is the highest aperture on this camera so unsure how to calculate which aperture to use.

[@ernieeverest5300]

I often use Auto Retouch and Creative Retouch on my Lumix FZ200, they can be very useful. Does the FZ300 replicate these ?

[@tomcurtis6953]

I bought a Canon Camcorder to replace my FZ200 as I purely needed it for video. Big mistake what a load of rubbish. So I am going back to FZ200 for video. I have loved the videos and should have taken more note of your suggestions.

[@titusw834]

A friend recently asked me for a recommendation for a "beginner" camera for his wife. I was singing the praises of the FZ-200 and recommended your video tutorials. I then discovered that the FZ-200 is not available new any more. How much of a deterrent is the Depth From De-focusing problem you discussed here? I want to recommend the FZ-300 as a replacement, but am worried that if they lose shots because of that issue they'll be greatly disappointed in my recommendation.

[@JonnyBlueChair]

Graham, does the fz300 still allow you to use the extension barrel that screws in over the lens to allow the extended teleconverter and close up lens to be used?

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes it still uses the same tube as the FZ200 the LA7

[@jeffhalebopp]

Hi Graham. I have 2 questions. On the FZ300, does it have exposure compensation control when shooting video in full manual mode when using auto-ISO? And in 4k does it have the normal non-5axis stabilization? Thank you so much!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

No it doesn't have that feature as in manual exposure mode you would be in control of the exposure and providing that the aperture and shutter speed are within the camera control range the camera will expose giving 0EV. If you wanted to intentionally add over or underexposure switch to manual ISO to do that. In 4k video you have the usual 3 axis mode of OIS

[@jeffhalebopp]

Graham, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I just ordered a used FZ300 from B and H at a great price. I can't wait to use it as a B-cam for closeups with my G7.

[@rogerdorsett3753]

Hi Graham I have been looking to buy a new camera but first key he say I am not a photographer by any standards. I have recently purchased a lumix tz80 for my wife which got me interested I have looked at the fz 82 and the fz330 can you offer any advice the camera is for general use not .any one specific thing . Thanks

[@tomcatzorro8778]

In one word : Fantastic!👍 Many thanks! 👊😺®️🦸‍♂️

[@kevinjones4585]

As always a good video. I have learnt much from these videos from a very low knowledge base. Thank you

[@EgoShredder]

When I first saw your channel in 2012 I could not afford the FZ200, and instead bought the FZ150 which I am very happy with. You seemed to like the FZ150 a lot when you first reviewed it, but there has been no mention of it since so I guess the FZ200 is far superior?

[@jacobitejake]

Me too, I have the FZ150 and I'm now looking to upgrade, should I jump to the 200 or save some more and leap to the 330? Graham, what do you reckon? I'm really into video and that's my main use for the camera.

[@honeyjoylamanilao5738]

Need help how to reset language from japan to English?

[@ismaelmachucareina1386]

Soy un colombiano y poseo una cámara Lumix Fz200, me gustaría tener la explicacion en español para realizar vídeo Gracias de antemano

[@marthatackett5539]

Hello Graham. I so enjoy your videos. I have an FZ200 and I love love it. However, it has recently having an issue. My zoom freezes and it shows "system error". It has happened about five different times. I've tried gently tapping the zoom. This sometimes works. I've tried changing the battery and I've tried changing the memory card. I'm at a loss as what to do. I can purchase another Lumix ..(I'm not necessarily interested in 16 mexapixals, but I'm sure I'll adjust). So first question is...am I doing something wrong to cause the zoom to freeze, second question, which Lumix do you recommend I purchase to replace the FZ200.Thank you for your time.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Is there any chance that you might have got sand or dust into the lens? It is not uncommon for the zoom system to get stuck if the lens has had a bang at some point, been in a hot environment but it can occur just because of general wear in the lens barrel itself. Probably a repair will be more than half the residual value of the camera now. The FZ300/300 is a far better option with better, higher resolution viewfinder and LCD touch screen. It's also dust proofed and splashproof.

[@marthatackett5539]

Thank you Graham. I ran a t needle around the lens compartment and it seems to be fine now. However, some of my photography is valuable to me and I don't want it to freeze up just went I'm trying to capture the "photo of the moment". As a result, I plan to purchase the FZ 300. I will be watching your several videos discussing the FZ300. You are so helpful. I love your instructional videos. Have a wonderful New Year!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thank you Martha for the reply

[@shahed4462]

hello sir, this video is mostly about the advantages of fz300. In fact it implies : upgrade your fz200 to fz300 because" fz300 is the best bridge camera in the market"

[@joeprete7424]

A little typo in your notes, we've got a few years to go, before we reach July 2025. Btw, you haven't aged a bit!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Well spotted, thank you for the comment

[@CrazyFunnyCats]

How do we Contact you . ? Your website isnt taking emails Business

[@paultasker7788]

Thanks Graham. I really like my Fz200. I keep trying to replace it every now and then as I love being able to crop images with a large sensor camera. But whilst I can get higher quality images out of mirrorless compacts and entry level Slrs I get much more consistency with fz200. The focusing, white balance and exposure seem to just work. And the 18 to 200mm lenses for slrs aren't in the same league as the Leica so if I have slr need 2 lenses. So I'm back with fz200 and like it more now with noise reduction at -2. I'm now getting low light shots good enough to view on a 50 inch tv and print to A4. Also like you say avoid anything over iso400. Will look good on camera screen and more in focus but you'll just regret it. Tends to over expose at night so reducing exposure will lengthen shutter speed a bit and also improve colours too.

[@Zackariyaouchen]

respectful .

[@estudiomarpilatespersonal]

Is it possible to do Live Streaming using FZ200?