I need help and recommendations. Years ago I gave up interchangeable lens cameras. I sold my late husband's Nikon and mine as well.
Back then, I counted on fabulous support and information on this forum and fell in love with both my FZ200 and FZ1000.
I'm turning 80 next month and if I have to spend the time researching my next move ... I might not live long enough to enjoy the decision!!!
I have an FZ200 which I use hiking ... taking pictures of birds and grandkids. It has done some remarkable things but, believe me, I'm not knowledgeable or talented!
I have an FZ1000 which I used on our 2016 safari ... a bit cumbersome for hiking but totally remarkable images (from a jeep). I'm now joining one of my kid's families for a walking trip in The Azores and Porto and need a light-weight, long zoom camera.
1) Is the 300 FZ a real improvement over the FZ200. I see there is an FZ330. What's that all about?
2) I don't blow up images very often ... but, even if I wanted to, the FZ1000 is too heavy to pack and hike.
3) Confused about ISO. I see difference between FZ200 and FZ300.
Thank you all in advance. Ruthie
Hi Ruthie
Nice shots you included in your OP. That lion one is especially good, and from close range too, it seems.
Firstly, as Panasonic has never confirmed it, and especially as the FZ200’s video resolution only went to full HD 1080p compared to the FZ300’s 4K, I wouldn’t be so sure that the FZ300 has exactly the same sensor as that found in the older camera. Although there’s a chance that the FZ200’s sensor was an over-specified run-out trial for the FZ300, absent of the company’s confirmation of this, we’re never likely to be any the wiser.
What I do know for sure is that the processing engine of the FZ330 was/is an advancement over that found in the 200. In my experience, it shows in the quality of OOC Jpegs one could expect to obtain from both cameras, with the newer model affording noticeably more detail for less noise in like for like ISO settings and under similar/same shooting conditions. Surely, only those of us who’ve owned and seen results from both models firsthand are best placed to give the most accurate assessments of image quality.
From what I see, I’d say that once premium settings have been dialled in (well away from factory-set defaults) FZ330 OOC Jpegs are approximately 20% cleaner and less affected by noise and detail smearing than we see from the FZ200. For me, that’s a notable and in some cases substantial improvement that alone warrants the upgrade to the newer and slightly bigger model.
Account for the fact that the FZ300 is also splash and dust resistant, shoots 4K video, is loaded with other specs that many folks will find useful, has quicker autofocus (almost up to your FZ1000 speed), and the FZ300 becomes an even more attractive option. From a handling and ergonomic perspective, the 300’s way ahead, too – save to mention that unlike to FZ200, the 300 remembers when we’ve selected the smaller central focus box between power on/off cycles. I found the FZ200’s inability to do this really inconvenient, save to mention annoying. All in all, I’d have to say that in every possible way that a user might expect, the FZ300 is a much better camera than the FZ200. No question about it in my experience.
Re your FZ1000, some advantages come with its larger 1-inch sensor. Up to and including all focal lengths it shares with the FZ300, your FZ1000 gives higher resolution for less noise but its longest focal length of 400mm EFL is 200mm shorter than the 600mm FZ300. Although some might find cropping FZ1000 images to 10mp 540ish-mm yields comparable results to the FZ330’s 600mm, I find they fall way below my levels of acceptability. Rather, in my experience, the only 1-inch sensor FZ that truly meets my needs from that perspective is the FZ2000 (2500). Whilst I’m unable to recommend the excellent FZ2000 to you because it’s slightly heavier and larger than the FZ1000 you already find too cumbersome, I’ve prepared some examples of Robins and the level of feather detail afforded by my FZ2000 and FZ330, which I believe represent a fair comparison under the light levels I prefer to shoot with either model.
Aside from the fact that they are shot at slightly different times on the same day, the distance between me and the subjects remained exactly the same, as did each set-up. You’ll notice that in the FZ330 example, because of its 120mm longer native optical reach, the robin fills more of the frame in the 4.3 aspect ratio of the sensor, compared to the 3.2 AR of the FZ2000’s 1” variety at 480mm. An ISO setting of 100 on the 330 compared to 160 on the FZ2000 is neither here nor there in terms of how it may affect detail reproduction. So a relatively fair comparison can be seen here.
FYI,
100% crops are taken from full resolution files, with no resizing having been done afterwards. I’ve included them to help you see the level of detail/noise in relevant instances. If you zoom in on your favourite viewer, you’ll be able to judge between the level of ‘speckles’ compared to feather detail from both cameras. You might prefer to view the darker background areas where noise should be more evident.
I’ve also done a crop-to-match between my FZ2000’s 480mm max zoom and the 600mm FZ330 before resizing for accurate comparison. The main reason I reduce resolution (except for 100% crops) is because I have a comparatively slow internet connection and uploading stuff can take ages, let alone the fact that downloading is an even longer process via my TV, which is my preferred method of viewing these days. My 4K OLED tele often informs me that insufficient memory is available to open anything over 3000 pixels on the longest side, despite my keeping the browser cache free and clean most days. :-(
Anyway, all in all, the captions I’ve included in the examples are pretty much self explanatory. Going by EXIF data, which shows as you hover over each image, note that 108mm equates to 600mm EFL on the FZ330, whist 176mm = 480mm EFL on the FZ2000.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend any 1” sensor camera to you that falls short of 480mm EFL, or any pinhead 1/2.3 “ sensor model shorter than 600mm at their longest end for your wildlife shots.
In closing, I’ll highlight what I see as the most important aspect of all in regards to maximising fur or feather detail in animals and birds, which is that you fill as much as the frame as physically possible with your chosen subject. If you don’t, then you enter the world of compromise, and the smaller the sensor, the bigger the compromises re detail retention you can expect from any need to crop.
Bottom line, as you seem to like the output of the FZ200, I recommend the FZ330 with no reservations whatsoever. Work within and accept the limitations of its smaller sensor (as you do with your older FZ200), and the FZ300 seldom disappoints – at least in my experience.
Along with my user reviews which I note that John kindly linked in his post above, I trust you’ll find this post useful.
As I can’t really add anything else, I’ll wish you all the best and good luck with your decision.
Cheers...
PS. To quote John from above re the FZ300: “These are two long, comprehensive reviews by Stevie Boy Blue”
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63244070
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4565945
It will lighten your wallet though. 