Re: Serial Dbf Viewer 2000 V4.65 13
Keena Wiegert
The Leica-branded lens has a bright F2.8 to F4.5 aperture and its 20x optical zoom goes from 24mm wide-angle to 480mm telephoto (in 3:2 AR). The lens is housed within a separate outer casing that, unlike any other FZ in the range, remains fully extended when powered on, enabling image shift to be suppressed by 80% when using zoom. The lens operates via a guide pole mechanism for high quality zoom and has step-less IRIS control. Smooth bokeh comes by way of a lens with 9 aperture blades. A real selling point for me, however, is the built-in ND filter, which can be selected manually or set to Auto (and Off) for use in either video or stills photography.
The camera offers everything to video and stills photographers alike: including full manual controls, intelligent auto modes, rapid focus, raw editing, diffraction compensation, creative effects, Low-light AF, Starlight AF and loads more. 4K Photo means you can shoot at 30fps and then select your best shots. There are focus stacking and post focus options, too. Built-in Wi-Fi means you can remotely control the camera as well as transfer images to your preferred viewing device.
The FZ2000 can shoot up to 12fps when using the mechanical shutter for around 45 raw shots, or more than 200 JPEGs when using a fast memory card. 30fps is also achievable in the 4K Photo mode, but at a reduced image size of 8 megapixels.
As you zoom in, the brightest F2.8 aperture of the lens gives way to F4.0 at around 80mm equivalent. The camera gives good levels of detail throughout its focal range and purple fringing and chromatic aberration seem well controlled.
The area of the sensor used when recording video (crop factor) depends on whether we choose Full HD or 4K resolution. In Full HD with IS off, almost the full zoom range of 25-500mm equivalent is available. Switch to 4K, however, and the wide angle gives way to 36mm equivalent, representative of roughly a 1.44-1.5x crop.
120fps at Full HD resolution is available for slow-motion with variable bit-rate option. Maximum ISO speed for video is ISO6400, although quality of results will taper off considerably at this setting.
Seriously, try finding a dedicated video camera that can take such superb stills as the FZ2000. Even rarer is the excellent stills camera that shoots utterly superb video. The FZ2000 fills all the shoes!
That's a good review. The FZ2000 has impressive specs and a reasonable price tag, so it's all about the IQ. You've illustrated your review with lots of attractive pictures, but unfortunately all these pictures are compressed or crops. For me only full-size OOC jpegs are useful, I want to download them and examine them and compare them.
Ultimately, if you really cannot gauge how good FZ2000 Jpeg image quality is from my efforts here because you have a larger resolution screen than most, you could always look up full sized examples posted in other reviews, many of which will be found with a Google search.
I owned a FZ2500 (FZ2000) a couple of years ago. I agree with you that it is a very good camera. When I bought it I tested it against a Sony RX10 iv and thaought that the FZ was equal in IQ and better in many other ways. I finally sold it because it has no weather sealing, which I needed for some of the trips I was planning. I bought a G9 and am very happy with it, but of course there is no lens that covers the same range. The Oly 12-200 is close on range, but very sub-par on IQ, so I am getting rid of that as well. Anyway, I agree that the FZ2500 is a very good camera, and if it wasn't for the weather sealing issue I would still have one.
Thanks Stevie Boy Blue. Yes, I bought the FZ2500 less than a year after it was released, so I probably did pay full price, although I can't remember the exact amount. When that camera was announced I thought that there must be a mistake because it did not list weather sealing. After all, the FZ300 had weather sealing and it was introduced some time before the FZ2500, and it was a much less expensive camera. The FZ1000 did not have weather sealing, but it was introduced prior to the FZ300, so a bit more understandable (although the FZ1000 ii also is without weather sealing which is not at all understandable). If Panasonic ever introduces a sucessor to the FZ2500 and it has weather sealing I will be right there with my credit card.
Note below is the set-up I used to use with a Raynox 2.2X TC added to either my old FZ28, 38 or 150. Note also that unlike with a DSLR where the conversion fits between the sensor and the lens, Bridge camera extensions can only be applied via an adapter tube. This will be obvious to some, but not others, unfortunately. Hence illustration.
Thanks Stevie, you make two interesting points that should be factored in: 1) the impact of default settings, and 2) whether or not the aperture was set at the sweet spot for the image. Thanks for the feedback- more for me to ponder!
In my opinion the fz2500/2000 had to be talked down, the reason was: it was "too good" and to me the best bridge camera out there, (i still believe it is) i know the RX10 IV is good, but to each their own, ok i admit i am a very big fan of Panasonic products, i have often wondered why Panasonic never reacted to any, if not all of these allegations made about the daft soft lens fiasco (as that is what i like to call it) regarding the fz2500/2000? could it be that most new owners were/still are entirely satisfied with their copies of it? and that there have never been complaints made regarding this "Gigantic Issue" to Panasonic? it really seemed strange, many Websites and UTube reviewers give, and gave the camera a very high rating, though some played follow the leader, and did not!!
I do not deny there has been, and still are, some faulty copies out there, but it must be remembered that this can be the case with other manufacturers products, not just Panasonic, but quite honestly, many folks seemed brainwashed in to thinking `EVERY` fz2500/2000 had a soft-lens problem, I had seen some of the fz2500/2000 complainers comparison shots (fz1000-fz2500/2000) and their settings were wayyyyyy off, but there was no telling some of them and it was a case of sending it back with the usual words: "I will just keep my trusty old fz1000, blah, blah, blah!! if they could not set up the fz2500/2000 how did they set up their fz1000? to me the soft lens fiasco was beginning to become a psychological issue, lol, nearly every time there was a complaint about an fz2500/2000 cam having a lens problem it just kept pushing this soft lens myth forwards and forwards, perhaps if most of them (not all) were to read their instruction manual and set the camera up properly and practise how to use it, then they might have got on better, most people who own the new camera seem to be happy with it, there are many positive and some negative reviews on the Internet and UTube available to read, watch, and learn the in and outs of this great camera, as I said, I `do not` deny there was a lens problem with some, but on all of them? Cmon!! show me proof, I loved my FZ1000, at the time in 2014 after I purchased it, I was so darned impressed with it, that within 3 weeks I sold all my Canon gear EOS 60D, Lenses, Canon Camcorder etc, and "never" looked back, I would never demean the FZ1000 in any way, and it really holds its value even to this day, indeed, I saw some sell second-hand on E-Bay for nearly new prices, (honest) and no-doubt it will be deemed one of Panasonics Classics, i stated in a forum one night that i was selling my fz1000, next day someone had contacted me, offered me a substantial sum that i could not refuse, and it was sold that day, (incredible but true) if my FZ1000 had anything missing, for me, it was a touchscreen and built-in ND Filters, these 2 items alone I had always wanted/missed on my FZ1000, also I am more Video orientated, the 4K Video that the fz1000 output was just stunning, the new Touchscreen, built-in ND Filters/photography features and Video features/improvements alone on the Fz2000 did it for me, I "had" to have it, I loved my new FZ2000 and hoped that it would it deem me good, just like my FZ1000 did for over 2 years, and it most certainly did, i compared lens sharpness time and time again between my fz1000 and fz2000 having near identical images and settings side by side, and try as i might, could not detect any differences in sharpness between them at all, no sign of a soft lens problem either, i only sold my fz2000 not because of a daft soft lens problem, but because i could never afford the price of a GH5 with even more incredible video features, to conclude: When I've heard of some-cameras-only problem before, the answer has usually been that people are forgetting the effect of lens performance or just didn't RTM, many people like to blame hardware instead of themselves: also, the Internet can speed up the transmission of bad news, even when it can be false, and the decline of print media and its replacement with sites that are much sloppier about verifying rumours (for example: the famous daft soft-lens fiasco) before passing them on, only added to this, it was in my opinion: `i`m the Pied Piper, follow me!! Happy snapping/videoing my friend!!
The Pentax 17 is the first Pentax film camera in two decades. It's built around a half-frame film format and includes design cues inspired by previous Pentax models. Is the experience worth the price of admission? We tested it to find out.
The newest version of Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds video-oriented flagship camera has arrived, and it includes features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit Float audio capture, phase-detect autofocus, and compatibility with Panasonic's Real-Time LUT system and Lumix Lab app.
The Lumix S9 is Panasonic's newest full-frame mirrorless camera. It allows users to create their own custom looks for out-of-camera colors and is the first full-frame Lumix camera aimed squarely at social media content creators.
b1e95dc632