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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000 vs FZ1000 Review

Panasonic made a few announcements at Photokina 2016 in Cologne, Germany, alongside the new Panasonic GH5, the G80 and the LX15, they also introduced the new FZ2000, the replacement to the FZ1000.

In this Panasonic FZ2000 review we're looking at the array of improvements and upgrades this camera boasts in comparison to its predecessor, the well-loved and extremely capable Panasonic FZ1000 - how can the new kid on the block outperform such a high-end bridge camera?

The Panasonic Lumix FZ2000 is a high end hybrid bridge camera built for both photographers and videographers boasting 4K video and 4K photo with some extra features that make it a real step-up from the FZ1000.

4K Video

Even though the FZ1000 also supported 4K video, in the time since it was released Panasonic have made some advancements that they’ve packed into the FZ2000. For starters, the 4K video recorded by the FZ2000 is now available at 30fps in MOV format, and will output Full HD at up to 200Mbps. Furthermore, it will output live HDMI output at 4:2:2 8bit recording onto an SD card and 4:2:2 10bit to an external device. It also now has slow and quick modes, VFR and a dolly zoom feature.

Read our blog on what memory cards are suitable for recording 4K video.

4K Photo

One of the biggest changes of the FZ1000 is the addition of 4K Photo. When the camera is in 4K burst mode, it will record 30 frames at 4K before the shutter is pressed and 30 after, giving you 60 frames (2 seconds) of 8 megapixel (4K) images to choose from, which will be great for shooting unpredictable moments or capturing something you might have otherwise missed.

Panasonic FZ2000 Lens

The FZ2000 has an all new Leica DC Vario-Elmarit f/2.8-4.5 lens with a focal length of 24-480mm which is a 20x zoom, this is a welcome improvement over the FZ1000’s 16x zoom. Additionally, the FZ2000 now has an inne zoom structure meaning the lens stays a fixed length, as well as step-less iris control for smooth focusing and aperture control and a built in neutral density (ND) filter.

Still Images

Here the two cameras differ very little. They both share the same 1-inch 20 megapixel sensor but the FZ2000 boasts improved noise reduction and sharpness as well as a fine tuning of the sensor and the Venus image processing engine.

Panasonic DMC FZ2000 Review - Body Design

Some great changes to the FZ2000 come in the form of its body updates, it now has a touchscreen LCD on the back, still 3 inches in size but now it’s 1,040k-dot compared to the FZ1000’s 921k-dot screen.

Other noticeable changes include the addition of second ring on the lens and an additional dial on the top as well as improved functionality to the buttons on the side of the lens, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack to complement the existing 3.5mm mic jack.

Extra 4K Functions

There are two additional features of the FZ2000 that make it stand out against its predecessor, they are Post Focus and Focus Stacking.

Post Focus works by multiple photos at the same time when the shutter button is pressed, all at a slightly different focal range, and then allowing you to manually select which image you want to use on the touch screen afterwards. The result is that if you’ve just missed the focus of an image you can go back and refine it immediately after the shot is taken, rather than having to bin the shot or re-shoot.

Utilising similar technology to Post Focus, Focus Stacking has the opposite end result. Focus Stacking lets you control the depth of field of the image after shooting. When you press the shutter button, multiple images are simultaneously taken both in front of and behind the focal point, the camera then digitally blends these images into one ultra-sharp focus image with an amazing depth of field that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

Conclusion

Overall, the FZ2000 has some decent technologies in it that make it a pretty noticeable improvement over the FZ1000. With the updated body, redesigned dials and controls, the new lens, updated 4K video and the new 4K photo with post focus and focus stacking, the FZ2000 is a great hybrid bridge camera whether you’re a photographer or videographer.

Panasonic FZ2000 vs FZ1000 Specs Comparison

The Panasonic FZ2000 is available for Pre-Order from Park Cameras at £1,099

Have you seen our comparison of the Panasonic GH5 vs GH4?

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By Park Cameras on 22/09/2016