FZ200 zoom problem

I got my FZ200 yesterday and after some play, packing it to send back to B&H
Still not shure if I'm going after the refand or exchange.

I'm talking about video performance , because it should work as B camera for vedding shooting.
Here's my problem. The camera zoom does not go smoothly through the range.

For example it starts zoom in with very noticable jerk, goes through with same jerk around 12x and lands at 24x with same visible jerk. Plus there's bumps with visible picture shift around 22-23x range. Same story with zoom out.
Also the zoom speeds up between 0x-6x both ways.
All the test were made on a tripod and viewed on monitor in PremierePro.
I have the older FZ18 and it zooms with no problems at all both ways.

But I'm still not shure if this problem belongs to my particular camera or it's super zoom problem in general. Don't wont to refund because the picture it provides match my HMC150 videocameras.
Really appreciate any help out and thanks in advance

No, it shouldn't do that. I wish it might zoom slower sometimes, but it is very smooth at least in my camera. There is a certain zerkiness to the LCD and EFV images, however - kind of a delayed in processing which is one of the weaknesses of this camera - but it does not reflect the actual image being captured.

Yeah I am not happy with the video...it is sharp but when I pan, the image jumps or jerks a little. My Panasonic TM90 camcorder is rock solid so not getting rid of that for video. Its also a little sharper I think. I don't think the big lens on the FZ200 is fast enough to compensate for shake while taking video and panning. Its fine when your still and taking still shots. Maybe just too big to adjust quick enough. Granted I was on a boat but my TM90 is rock solid when bouncing around like mad. I will still use it though...just not good with pans. My still images on the boat were perfectly sharp even at 600mm.

I have had mine for about 30 days now and I am not noticing this problem. Took a 4.4 min. MP4 video of my cat climbing a tree from about 40 feet away. Used all the zoom range, went back and forth, several times to get foreground and so forth. No problems. Sounds like a faulty unit. Get it replaced.

I really like my FZ200.

Don
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Don

I have not shot much video with it but was not using MPEG4. I was using the avchd at 28meg. Like I said its fine for stills and the zoom doesn't make any funny noises like some have complained about. I will experiment more with it. Like I said I was on a rocking sail boat. Will try the mpeg setting next chance I get.

I don't recall a jerky zoom its just jerky panning.

The problems associated with zooming and panning with the FZ200, are likely complex and difficult to duplicate on every video scene. Some of the hesitation and instability, may be due to playback problems on the camera or with a computer. The playing program and speed of the computer could be playing a role. The difference between AVCHD at 60p/28 Mbps and MP4 at 30p/12 Mbps, could be involved.

But I am disappointed that these glitches are showing themselves when panning and zooming. I've carefully checked every FZ-Series camera, beginning with the FZ50 and have seen these difficulties. A delay in achieving a sharp video autofocus when panning and zooming, seems to be endemic in these models, but I was hoping that Panasonic had fixed this in the FZ200. Maybe it is limited to individual cameras with flaws, but it may be that many people haven't shot much video with it or just haven't looked closely-enough at the results.

I had been close to buying one myself, but I'm cooling-off on that idea fast. My Sony HX200V and HX100V do so well with video and have rock-solid autofocus. They give 810mm for photos and the HX200V has a 1,250mm video reach, with an advanced image-stabilization mode. They don't have mike inputs or video shutter and aperture control, however. I recommend that people interested in a top-quality superzoom camera take a good look at the HX200V. I'll keep the FZ200 under consideration, but with a more critical eye than before, regarding video performance. Maybe the kind of firmware upgrade that is said to have improved the FZ150, is possible.
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The zoom action on my 200 is nice and smooth. Purchased from B & H also.

My observations with a tripod (video viewed on the FZ200's monitor, in PSH AVC mode)...

Zoom is much faster between 1x and 6x than between 6x and 24x. Zoom is quite variable in speed.

Noticeable jitter in the video at around 12x zoom. Not so noticeable when zooming fast.

Pan is somewhat unstable, but not that unstable.

Yeah but when you have a relatively cheap and small camcorder like a Panasonic TM90 and shoot the same scene its nice and smooth panning and zooming even at 40x zoom. 1120mm equivalent and perfectly sharp all the time. It just disappointing that the camera can't do the same. I see the jitter even played back in the camera...and while actually filming. Other than this I love the camera for stills. The lens is amazing and so far all my shots have very good focus. I have been using auto focus tracking with great results. Not using IA mode...mostly program AE. I really think the panning jitter is the IS system holding on to images too long then jumping. I bet its optimized for still shooting not video.

alex56 said:

I got my FZ200 yesterday and after some play, packing it to send back to B&H
Still not shure if I'm going after the refand or exchange.

I'm talking about video performance , because it should work as B camera for vedding shooting.
Here's my problem. The camera zoom does not go smoothly through the range.

For example it starts zoom in with very noticable jerk, goes through with same jerk around 12x and lands at 24x with same visible jerk. Plus there's bumps with visible picture shift around 22-23x range. Same story with zoom out.
Also the zoom speeds up between 0x-6x both ways.
All the test were made on a tripod and viewed on monitor in PremierePro.
I have the older FZ18 and it zooms with no problems at all both ways.

But I'm still not shure if this problem belongs to my particular camera or it's super zoom problem in general. Don't wont to refund because the picture it provides match my HMC150 videocameras.
Really appreciate any help out and thanks in advance

Click to expand...

I just received a new one today with the exact same problem.

Back it goes.

Craig Power said:

alex56 said:

I got my FZ200 yesterday and after some play, packing it to send back to B&H
Still not shure if I'm going after the refand or exchange.

I'm talking about video performance , because it should work as B camera for vedding shooting.
Here's my problem. The camera zoom does not go smoothly through the range.

For example it starts zoom in with very noticable jerk, goes through with same jerk around 12x and lands at 24x with same visible jerk. Plus there's bumps with visible picture shift around 22-23x range. Same story with zoom out.
Also the zoom speeds up between 0x-6x both ways.
All the test were made on a tripod and viewed on monitor in PremierePro.
I have the older FZ18 and it zooms with no problems at all both ways.

But I'm still not shure if this problem belongs to my particular camera or it's super zoom problem in general. Don't wont to refund because the picture it provides match my HMC150 videocameras.
Really appreciate any help out and thanks in advance

Click to expand...

I just received a new one today with the exact same problem.

Back it goes.

Click to expand...

Are you sure it not actually changing zoom speeds? Both zoom switches on the FZ200 are dual-speed, which depends on how far the switch is moved. It could be bouncing between them.

Until I read my responses from 2012 I forgot that my first FZ200 was jittery or jerky when shooting video. I have tried shooting video with the FZ200 I bought last year and it does not jump around like my first FZ200. I still have a gripe about its focusing when shooting video. Focus seems to lag behind the zoom which throws the image out of focus unlike the way my Panasonic TM90 video camera focuses which is very smooth zoom and always in focus.

Hi Bruce,

Speed variance during zoom is part of it, but also the chunk vibration that accompanies the change in zoom speed.

Definitely not smooth and the motor noise seems loud to me; a lot louder than I remember on my FZ150.

I ordered a new one and will report back.

Prices here in Canada are pretty good right now, I got it for $405 plus taxes. I guess they're clearing them out for the FZ300.

Take care

My second Fz200 arrived and the clunkiness of the zoom was worse and there was a discernible "electrical noise" emanating from the camera.

Yeah ... I had enough of this.

So I go to a "real" photo store to try one out and see if this zoom problem was all in my mind; I really wanted to like the F200 as a previous owner of an FZ150.

The fella at the camera store was quite knowledgeable and knew exactly what I was talking about. Bottom line is that there are two points during the zoom length where the elements have to drastically change position and this is the clunkiness that I felt.

The sales clerk said it was a result of the trade-off of zoom power and trying to shorten the lens length. He said that I probably didn't notice it on my FZ150 because the lens length was longer.

And as an aside I asked about the Nikon P900 super zoom and he steered me away from it because at the point in the lens' zoom where the elements shift a lot, creating the clunky feeling, focus is really soft.

I had no idea about these types of limitations regarding lens design, etc.

It was a great learning experience.

If only I hadn't dropped my XS-1 in the lake during the summer I wouldn't be in my current situation ... ;-)

Back to the drawing board as they say.

Take care,

Craig

Interesting...I don't use my FZ200 for shooting video very much. Will check this out next time I am shooting.

My first FZ200 bad issues shooting video. The image would jump around jerky even when not zooming.