A review of Panasonic's superzoom camera with zoom comparisons to the Panasonic FZ2500 and RX10 IV. Many photo and video examples, including a photo shoot and a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the camera.
Launched in 2014, still holding tight 2023... I bought it in 2018, sold couple of years ago... But will surely buy again... 2.8 throughout the zoom range makes it one of its kind... Hope Panasonic comes up with such product again with almost decade of tech advancement...
I bought this few years ago when it first came out. Still my fav superzoom camera. I mainly used it for video shooting. Tested it in the rain and 100% sure this is a great whether prove camera. Trust me!
Another wonderful video. Thank you so much for that. I enjoy A LOT your videos. You are one of the best out there. Dude, please keep doing what you are doing!!!
Thanks for your videos. Informative, clear and entertaining. Bought the Fz 300 about a week after your video came out. This camera is a great bang for your buck , fun to use and play around with all the advanced modes to enhance your photography skills. Thanks again for producing your videos.
Hey thanks so much for your comment. Im glad you agree how versatile the FZ300 is and what a great bargain. It was a real surprise for me too. Thanks for your support!
I use the FZ300 and I love it, but I'm always looking for new options. Your channel has been a tremendous resource for me. I greatly appreciate the work you are doing. Thank you!!
Sad that Panasonic abandoned this range. The FZ200 was also great. Imagine if they bring out a FZ400 with a better chip, face and eye tracking, faster shutter etc.
Great vid. I've owned FZ330 for a couple of years. Greatest budget option. FZ2000/2500 great for video but some owners claim photos are soft. Rx10iv is the absolute best if money no option. I'm not keen on the jpegs and always shoot raw. Keep iso below 200 Small sensor Image quality drops in bad light even at f2.8. Awesome for wildlife video with good enough autofocus although i read somewhere that 4K video isnt stabalized. Light but tough and isn't scared of bad weather. 4k photo mode is awesome. 600mm!!! If physics allowed this lens to have a 1 inch 20mp sensor with PDAF it would be perfect. And waaay more expensive 😊
Haha yes it would also be way bigger and heavier with the 1” sensor but I agree with your analysis - what surprised me is how well it held up to the 2500 and the RX all considering Thanks for your comment
It's good for the money. Had one 4 years now. Since I got my Panasonic 14-140 I don't use it as much because that is smaller on my GX9 and much sharper. But when I need versatility or it's raining I take the 300 instead.
This one is actually a pretty good camera for natural light portraits if you get on the telephoto end, thanks to its constant f/2.8 aperture. One thing I like is I dont have to spend money on mist filters to soften up the over sharpened look from modern mirrorless lenses, you get that softer look already and can get a rather filmic look when shot correctly. I still need to try the FZ2000.
I have the FZ300 and still use it for video. The sharpness in 4K is great, it has stabilization, constant aperture lens, microphone input and Lumix colors. On the other hand, there is a 29minute video recording limit, the sensor is the same size (and grain) as GoPro, the autofocus is virtually non-existent and the HD video is straightforward terrible (I guess they have some line skipping and lousy codec for the HD video, just stay away from it). On many outdoor interviews and live streams, I have used the FZ300 along with GH5, GH6, G9 and nobody noticed :D
I had the FZ200 years ago. Loved it, but I went back to DSLRs. I gave it to my son some time back. I'm getting a bit tired of not taking out a camera because a DSLR with 24-70 & 70-200 f2.8 is a bit to haul around. I'm starting to consider the FZ300 as a knock-around camera. I don't need full frame or even APS-C so much these days. With software like Gigapixel AI and others, I can still get images that I can print out at 13x19. If I need very low-light performance I can grab the old Canon 6D which still does great in very low light. I just wonder if I can bring myself to accept how little I used the bigger cameras and maybe just sell most of the gear. Decisions, decisions. This does look like a great little companion camera to do several different things. Higher resolution slow-motion would be nice, but my old FZ200 slow-mo videos still looked pretty good on the monitor. Appreciate the video.
Low light test! I had the rx10 m iv, and now have gh6 and Olympus em1 m iii. The rx10 was fantastic in good light, but it super fell apart in low light. My mft cameras are closer to aps-c in low light than they are like the 1” sensor or smaller cameras. I don’t have tests to show this, but I know just from using both platforms. Richard Wong did a long video on the new g9 ii, and compared the noise of a number of aps-c to the g9 ii, results were near the same for ISO noise.
I do use the FZ300 for some years now. It is a great camera, almost perfect, I don't even mind the small sensor because they put only 12 Megapixel on it. The leica lens is amazing. F/2,8 the whole way. I am happy that I own it.
A workhorse cam I still use a lot, mainly for lockdown music event documentation; 1080 is fine, 4k is a little smeary/milky. Def got my use from this cam tho and its still going!
I have tried several bridge cameras including the RX10 mk4. For price portability and image quality this camera cannot be beaten. I paid £409 back in Jan this year. I use it for video mostly.
The FZ300 is my workhorse and it's close to brilliant at what it does. Nobody can touch the constant F2.8 aperture and the video and stabilization are great. I've pulled video stills out that you wouldn't know weren't "real" stills. Something to consider - if you don't need the weatherproofing and aren't that into video, the FZ200 is actually better. Both 200's I've owned were markedly sharper than the 300 and it's much smaller and lighter as well {maybe not in numbers, but you'll feel the difference instantly}. Nikon and Canon bridge cameras have never come close to Lumix thanks to the Leica optics.
Hey, thanks for the comment. That's an interesting point that the FZ200 was sharper than the 300. Sometimes when a company uses a slightly different glass, that can make a difference!
I recall watching one of the great Graham Houghton's videos comparing the 200 with the 300 and even there, the 200's stills looked better. And as I've said, the 300 is like a Cadillac and the 200 is like a Corvette, a tank versus a sports car. Finally, both of my FZ200's were made in Japan, the FZ300's in China - THAT, to me, is the key.@@pzkw10
@@techtoremember8096 thank you. I will have my D5600 with a 70-300 4.5 zoom with me but want back up. I just retired was former sports photographer, but looking to lighten my load. Best jeff
I discovered I can shoot the moon with my FZ300 five years ago. From then, I started to shoot night scenes . She has tons of preset scenarios to choose from. I love her Dynamic Monochrome ( D Mono) so far from the color palette mode. I showed the d mono files to My friends. They all are wondering if I own a Leica. Yes, I love the texture,too. 😅😅
The RX10 iv is a monster specs wise but so is the price. In Canada the price is hovering around $2,200 C!. The FZ300 strikes a nice balance between function and price. I currently have a Nikon B700 and that camera's performance would be similar to the FZ80's though it has a few more features. I think if I was going for another such camera, I'd sacrifice some zoom range for the better low light and video performance the FZ300 camera supplies. Great comparison video, well done!
Hi there and thank you! I agree with your analysis. The other thing which is nice about the FZ300 is its really a lot lighter than the RX10 IV, especially if you're carrying it around all day. Cant believe how expensive it is in Canada. especially considering its so many years old!
@@techtoremember8096 My Nikon B700 died today. Thinking of getting another superzoom for my backyard and walk around photography. Now I'm revisiting this and other of your videos in hopes of getting another superzoom before they disappear completely!
I photograph and produce videos of civil war enactments and interiors of old homes. The zoom allow me to zero in on individual soldiers and also I can shoot interior shots of homes without using a flash. Super camera and great quality!
One thing not mentioned in the video is EVF quality. Not sure how it compares to the other cameras you compared it against but it is big and the quality is very nice, much better than the one on my Panasonic GX9. Images from the FZ300 will benefit greatly if taken with and processed in RAW, particularly noise reduction. You'll want to cap the ISO on this camera at ISO400 as it's probably a good two stops behind a micro four thirds camera.
Hey, yes the EVF is certainly better than the FZ80 which has one of the worst EVF's Ive ever seen-small and the focus diopter seems to change on its own and it constantly needs readjustment. The FZ2500 has a nicer EVF but it is a much bigger and more expensive camera than the 300. Agreed on the ISO, however I go back and forth on this issue because if you top the ISO TOO low, your shutter speed will also be too slow to compensate and many shots may be out of focus because of this- Personally I'd rather have a little more grain in my image than a blurry shot (which you can't do anything with). What I'm saying really applies more to fast action like wildlife or street photography but if you are shooting more static scenes, like portraits or landscapes then I agree with you on topping the ISO at a low figure. There's only so much you can do with a small sensor camera. Yes, you will have more flexiblity with RAW but I think most people use this camera in a casual way and tend to shoot JPEGs. But nice to know you have the RAW option.
I discovered I can shoot the moon with my FZ300 five years ago. From then, I started to shoot night scenes . She has tons of preset scenarios to choose from. I love her Dynamic Monochrome ( D Mono) so far from the color palette mode. I showed the d mono files to My friends. They all are wondering if I own a Leica. Yes, I love the texture,too. 😅😅
You put incredible amount of effort for this cheap little camera, most of the time they are ignored. I think constant aperture is one thing very cool about it. Almost all small sensor compacts go down higher than f5.6 in the telephoto end so in low light they are useless when zooming. With this all the focal range available without loosing exposure. This one gathers about 4/10 times the light of the rx10 in the telephoto end. If it was f5.6 it would be 1/10 times.
Great analysis but I believe that since the sensor on the 300 is smaller it can get away with capturing less light than the Sony and still produce a relatively bright image- I will be doing a direct comparison video of the 2 in low light in addition to the fz 2500 to see how the difference between sensor size and f stop translates to the final result Thanks for your comment
@@techtoremember8096 You gave a beautiful example of that with the Canon, how dark it is on telephoto range. Bridge cameras are not for me but fz300 definitely has a charm. Thank you very much. Great work
The FZ330 is exactly the same camera, but the European version, the FZ300 is the US version. Had my one a year and great for travelling as water and dust resistant.
I bought the FZ 300 as soon as it came out locally - as I was looking at the FZ 200 only to be wowed by the FZ300 - yes I am a novice birder and been learnt photography with this great gem . as most bridge cameras go - this FZ 300 is one of the few that keep a constant fast 2.8 all the way - main reason for buying from a birding point of view ( someone whom walks alot looking for birds/wild life ) there is no other camera at this price and weight that could ever compete - Canon /Nikon/Sony bridge cameras - some have much more zoom (Nikon P1000 = 3000mm ) Canon HS 60 or 70 have 1350mm - however at full extension the lens slows down massively - due to tiny sensor size one must have the fastest lens possible - especially in low light my photos have been used many times as banners for the websites I post yes true there are a few things not perfect with the FZ 300 but these are worth it old expression comes to mind - one gets what one pays for (plus more on the FZ 300 ) I will advice this camera for any beginner or novice or any wild life photographer - have no experience on landscape /street photography or portrait photography so cannot say about this - sport or wild life - it is a beast :-)
Great to hear ! I was so surprised after testing this camera it’s a real find and I can totally see it’s value for birding Thanks for sharing your input
Glad you're enjoying the channel.It's just that the optical quality of cell phone zooms lenses aren't really a match (yet) to a dedicated camera. The real high zoom like on some of the Samsung phones is digital interpolation, not a true optical zoom camera like the Nikon P1000 or P950 which will blow it out of the water, but as the technology progresses I might do a comparison. Thanks for the comment!
@@techtoremember8096 I do urge you to do it, if you go on dpreview, you actually can see comparisons in the mobile section of the site. Smartphones at the moment offer 105mm-240mm equivalent focal range, and you can also add a telephoto conversion lens to increase that focal range. Ofcourse it won't beat the Nikon P1000 but if you compare apples to apples (small sensor to small sensor, and focal range to same focal range), you'll see these smartphones are not too far off. The best thing also about smartphones is they use phase detect autofocus, a lot of standard cameras still use the slower contrast detect autofocus. Your channel is the only channel I know that focuses on superzooms and I enjoy it a lot.
nice. im surprised by the quality. wasnt aware of such a gem. i used to have a compact superzoom sony wx500 but the image quality was shit in all range. i used to have rx10 and bought it to korea for a trip, ended up didnt use it much because it was bulky. maybe this fz300 is a good compromise
Hey, yes I remember having that WX500 a while back and the quality was definitely not good at all. The FZ has much bigger glass and better optics and makes for a far better image. It is a good choice when you don't feel like lugging around the RX10 IV!
I use a wide-angle lens for room photography. Can you show some examples of taking pictures in the corners of rooms? - Thank you for this video, it was very helpful!
HI there. I can tell you that the wide angle is 24mm which is considered the standard wide angle on many cameras today. It is not ultra- wide however and depending on the size of the room and how far back you are (there are many factors), you may not be able to get the entire room in. For most situations, it is wide enough but if you are doing a lot of real estate photography or video work, then you may want to consider a camera with a wider lens (like 20mm or even wider) or which can use an interchangeable lens so you can use a wide angle prime. I appreciate your comment on the video!
Hi there. Funny you mentioned that. I just released a video on the 981/991 Panasonic camcorders and there are some comparisons. I think the FZ300 is a bit sharper and more vibrant in certain situations. Thanks for your comment
the best value for money camera for birding and not only. f2.8 in full range, 12fps in raw, fast buffering, 30fps in 4k photo, very sharp, light and affordable. surpassed only by the rx10iv but at more than 3x its price.
Does it seems like it would be good for outdoor sports? I have a canon powershot 620 and in burst mode I get good shots for what I need but it's at it's limit and I need more versatility.
Hi sorry for the delayed answer I don’t think this camera really is a great sports camera The autofocus might be the biggest issue Most cameras today can do a high speed shooting of sorts so there are many options
@@techtoremember8096 actually it is very good for sports and you can set the auto focus to a point . You didint show this in the video . But the camera does shoot 60 frames in Full HD and being weather prooof with a great zoom ideal
Hello there. Thank you for the comment! I find that this camera is so special that for the price point, it really is the best that I've seen. I highly recommend it! Another low price alternative is the Sony HX-400v which I reviewed however it does not record in 4K and is discontinued so you would have to get one used. Best of luck!
@@techtoremember8096 Yep. I bought it after reading your response on Amazon. Also ACDSEE Photo Premium software. Wish me luck as I begin my new hobby! I will be using RAW.
What do you mean at the end when you say there is no usb charging ? I’m looking for a cheaper camera that is versatile in wildlife, landscape, and doing some day to day photos of family fun. This seems like a good option.
Some cameras have a USB port and you can attach the camera to a computer and charge that way. Its usually a slow method anyway. This camera comes with a dedicated battery charger and that is the only way to charge the battery. Its not a big deal but people do ask about it so I thought I would mention it in the video. This camera is perfect for family fun. Small, inexpensive and can take great pictures.
You have more options: buy extra battery, and until the first accu runs out you can charge the second one in a dedicated charger feeded by powerbank (charger has micro usb socket). Or you can buy a dummy battery to feed the camera with an external power supply (12v car socket, powerbank etc etc, but the quality of the dummy batteries are questionable. Be aware that 3rd party batteries are far away from the original quality. I bought a cheap one, failed within 3 months. Than i bougt an original one, about 1yr old and still performs well.
I'm still using my FZ80. You just can't beat the superzoom for the price as a decent upgrade would probably set you back over a $1000 to see a real improvement
on the 30 minute recording limit, is that 30 minutes continuous recording clip or 30 minutes total on the memory card, I bought this for filming my hunts so ill have more than 30 minutes of video but not at one time.
I don't have a specific tutorial on that...if you are shooting photos then for sports you just may want to go into shutter priority and choose a fast shutter speed so your action is clear.
Great video! May sound like dumb question, but do the videos save to the SD card or internal memory? Have an FZ35 with videos on it from years ago that I still can't seem to figure out how transfer them ! Any help appreciated.
Hi there! No question is dumb! The videos all saved to the SD card in camera. You just insert the SD card into your computer and you can transfer the photos and videos that way. Thanks for the compliment!
@@techtoremember8096 : Thanks. My FZ35 does not save to the SD card. They go to the internal memory. I'd be jumping up and down if I could figure out how to get them off the camera! Jumping as opposed to sitting in this kitchen chair . . .
@happysawfish that is so strange! Did you check the menu to designate where to save the files ? If the camera has a usb connection, did you try to connect to your computer and perhaps you can see your files that way ?
@@techtoremember8096: going to try again to find that cord with a weird connection that came with it and check this out. Thank you so much for helping me : )
I recently bought a Used FZ 300 in exchange for my older G6, (as didn't want to carry extrsa lenses) but not used it to its potential yet. I realise this vid is now old, but just wondering if this it has been updated?
I'm really surprised by this camera. I have M4/3 cameras and a 1inch sensor. But, I thought this camera performed better than the RX10. And it is certainly better than a smartphone. And most people only use their phones. Looks like a good camera, even though it has a tiny sensor, but the constant 2.8 might compensate a bit in lower light.
@@techtoremember8096 Plus the constant F2.8!! Might get one for birding. It's certainly cheaper than getting a zoom for my M4/3. Plus, the lens would be slower.
@@Lepewhi I find mine isn't sharp enough for my tastes when taking bird pics, especially at 2.8. I have some nice ones but mainly in good light. The problem is you have to get close because you can't crop much. My panasonic 100-300 lens is sharper and i can crop in a lot more. Its doable and a great camera and more versatile but you can't beat putting a lens on the M43 camera. I bought mine used from MPB and its been great.
This is currently my go to camera. I am considering doing youtube videos. Is there any other camera under 700 dollars you would recommend? I would be willing to give up up some of the zoom capability if there are other features that beat this camera.
Depending on the type of RU-vid videos you are doing, the FZ300 may not be the best choice since its autofocus sometimes misses. For a great autofocus camera you may want to consider the Sony ZV-1 which is designed for content creators. Right around $700 and the autofocus is top notch.
It is not listed as a feature but I did see someone with a possible solution to stream: Here is that link: www.reddit.com/r/Panasonic/comments/j50syx/fz330_fz300_live_hdmi_output_is_possible_for/ The camera does not have built in charging capabilities so an external charger which is supplied, must be used.
It means the camera will stop recording after 30 minutes and create the file. If you want to record more, you have to press record again and it will record for another 30 minutes
I bought one today used from my local Facebook marketplace for CAD $300 / USD $223 in excellent condition. Do you guys think it’s a great price? It comes with all accessories and its box.
Yeah, when the light is good this camera is okay as long as you don't look at the detail. At ISO 400 and above though, it's really bad. I mean, really really bad.. I took a photo in a room with the light on and was really disappointed how aggressive the noise reduction was. Looks like an image from a 20 year old 3 megapixel point and shoot. Turn the noise reduction down to -4 and it gets slightly better.
Hi there. Yes unfortunately these small sensors are limited that way. By turning the noise reduction down don't you find sharpness also drops along with it? Its a compromise for sure!
Hello i am.starter, living very close the airport, i wanna shoot aircraft photo due to obsession with planes:) from my house which is on hill range is 5 km,i mean from the house to runway,pls advise me which camera can take good shoot,budget is Max 1300 usd or Euro,thks❤
There are quite a few good options of cameras which I reviewed. You can go with the Nikon P950 or P1000 the Panasonic FZ300, (zoom isnt as long as the Nikons) but still a very good camera or even the Canon SX70. All these cameras currently can be bought new and fall into your budget. You can watch my reviews and pick the one you like. Thanks
Hi. New sub here. Really enjoyed the review. I’m looking for a decent budget-friendly camera for my son, who’s into plane spotting. From your review, this camera sounds like a good fit, but I’d like to know if you’d recommend it for casual plane spotting. Thanks!
Hi there welcome aboard! (as they say on a plane) . Good question you pose. 600mm gets you close for sure but have you considered the Panasonic FZ80? ( I have a review on that one) which gives you double the reach of the FZ300 or the Nikon P1000 or P950 ..2 excellent options as well with even more reach and a better lens and better image quality. Naturally the Nikon's are in a higher price range and are bigger, the FZ80 is much cheaper and has some usability issues but delivers decent results with the right light and gets you very close. The Sony Hx400v is also a great unit (discontinued) but you can get it second hand with excellent image quality and a 1200mm zoom! so you have quite a few choices depending on your budget. You mentioned it as casual plane spotting in your comment so the FZ300 certainly might be good enough with a 600mm reach. I really do like that cameras as an all around performer and the price is right for sure.Thanks for your comment.
@@techtoremember8096Thank you very much for the suggestions and taking the time to write a detailed response. Will definitely check out the other cameras. Cheers!
So the stabilization that only works in the poorer1080 mode is completely useless? just looks like a good thing when browsing through the sales brochure? a sales trick that in reality only disappoints ?
@@techtoremember8096 But if it doesnt support stabilization in 4k I just cant see its point if its only usable to get fuzzy 1080p! Maybe I'm missing something here? but who wants fuzzy stabilized 1080 from a 4k camera? is this the elephant in the room? or have I got it all wrong? will any stabilization occur when shooting in 4k mode?
Let me clarify : the cameras both support stabilization jn 4k and 1080p Both cameras do a good job in both modes -I have examples in my video at full telephoto hand holding shots to demonstrate the stabilization Please check it out If there were no stabilization the video would be incredibly shaky and unusable because they are very zoomed in and it’s almost impossible to shoot like that )handheld without stabilization and get usable results -the stabilization is not perfect and not like the camera is on a gimbal but I would say there are about up to todays standards
Well in his videos he uses multiple cameras like GoPros and drones to get all different types of shots to keep his production value very high. Certainly one of these cameras could be the Fz300 -I don’t see why not.
Me compre la cámara!! He pasado de una canon eos 7d a esta maravilla, ahora si puedo hacer fotos sin pereza a coger dotos buebas de pajaros por menos de 500 dolares😂😅😂 feliz
