I thought it was time to start a new thread on the FZ1000 specifically to discuss using the camera, examples, queries, positives, negatives etc.

I have used Panasonic for years and already had a couple of FZ200s along with my 3 Panasonic video cams. I have never been a great fan of lens changing with video, coming from a long video camera background and enjoying working fast and light, so DSLRs for video have never been attractive to me even allowing for the great low light performance of the bigger sensors.

Having added photography to our wedding offerings a couple of years back, it seemed logical to go in the direction of a camera that can offer the possibility of video and photography for our joint packages rather than mixing our DSLR with the videocams which was slowing us down. Having experimented with the limits FZ200s in daylight conditions, the FZ1000 seemed to be the first camera that fitted our requirements for a fixed lens variable zoom camera that was light and adaptable plus affordable if it wasn't quite what we needed.

Fast auto focus was essential, with a manual override when required, the ability to manually adjust everything, but also the ability to instantly change to reliable fully automatic for sudden and unexpected events.The facility to also shoot stills while filming video would be a useful addition, and being able to lift stills from 4k and crop down 4k video was also something that really interested us.

I received delivery of my first FZ1000 a few weeks back as covered in another thread so what are the findings so far? I'll start a second post to explore my findings.

Roger

For anyone using a high end DSLR, then the first think to notice is that the camera is much lighter, feels a bit plasticky and is not weather and dust sealed. For me, that is no problem at all, as my outdoor work is mainly weddings and if it is wet or dusty, they are going to dash inside pretty quickly. The camera casing is probably not going to stand up to dropping any sort of distance, but then I doubt that most modern cameras at any price with sophisticated electronics would fare much better even if the case survives.

The LCD screen is very sharp and clear and can be articulated to virtually any angle to cover every type of filming position, although in bright sunlight it will be difficult to see without some sort of hood, in common with most other LCD screens. The viewfinder is excellent and very sharp, but would benefit from a larger eyecup for bright sunlight, although I must say I haven't had a problem with it so far in sunlight.

The standard picture look seems to be very natural and I haven't needed to change it for the two weddings that I have used it at. There has been some criticism of the manual focus ring, but I have found it quite effective with an immediate centre zoom for focus as soon as it is moved, and blue fringe focus assist which is easy to see. I have found that I can use the manual focus quite slowly for fine tuning, although the auto focus has been so good I have barely needed to use manual.

Unfortunately, using the lens ring for zoom is hopeless in every video take I have tried. It's only practical use is for fast framing changes, with everything slower being very jerky. The other zoom control, is a little better, but a slight change in pressure on the lever gives an instant speed up or slow down and the speed seems to alter on it's own after a couple of seconds. It needs to be used with care and if you want a slow creeping zoom, forget it!

For me, the zoom is the only big downside to the camera and is something that I can live with. I love the many adjustments that you can make to customise the settings to your own requirements, including dynamic range, basic contrast and colour settings and all the things that are essential to finding your own levels and tweaks.

For my fast approach to video and stills, many of the auto assists are excellent, with superb 5 axis stabilisation and the intelligent auto which allows me to instantly select it and take a picture, knowing that the results will be very usable. I can increase or decrease the gain even while in full auto and then immediately switch back to my preset manual mode when I want to take a little more time. The telephoto is good, up to 24x with no noticeable artefacts but the aperture changes steadily from 2.8 to 4.0 as the telephoto increases. That's only really a problem in lower light, but not a major one, as ISO can be used up to 3200 before it starts to drop off, but gentle lighting is something I always have available for low light first dances etc.

So far I have been using the camera for backup video clips, but have taken over 1500 wedding stills and have started to use it for most of the main shots. I am pleased enough with the camera to now have a second one, which my wife Claire uses on her dual package shoots and when we are working together, She absolutely loves it and finds it really easy to get great stills, even finding the manual controls easy which is something she usually moans about and no lens changing ;-)

Tried some 4K viedeo and the clarity and sharpness is outstanding, but have found that my system is struggling a bit with it, so a new computer is now required. I am also very impressed with the stills that I can lift from the 4k footage from within the camera, which opens up some interesting new possibilities.

Shot a wedding yesterday with some video clips from the camera and dived in and took over 1000 stills under varying conditions and will try to upload some later.

Roger

Awesome Roger! I was really hoping that Chris Hurd would have read our request on the forum plus an email from me and given us a category under Panasonic so we could post the technical stuff there but alas it doesn't look like it will happen even though the new FZ300 has hit the streets too.

I shoot our first wedding in the morning with just the two FZ1000's for video and I'm sticking to our two Nikons for stills at this stage as we do need a wide lens for group shots. So far test shots have been really good and I have done about 10 real estate shoots on the camera prior to this so it certainly works well. Now compared to my Sony's with APSC sensors the footage at 1080 P (to be fair and not use 4K) is way way sharper and the colours are pretty much perfect. Despite what people have said about the 20mp sensor and poor low light so far in dingy houses the footage even in low light has been good and where my Sony's that cost 4 times as much started to get noisy even at 3000iso these cameras produce a pretty good low light image at 6400 ISO ...The proof of the pudding will be at the reception tomorrow evening when I start hitting low light BUT I do have the option of putting a video light on the camera if I need one!!

I have left the A-Cam (ceremony and speeches) on APS focus (push the shutter to focus and it stays there as there is little or no movement and I have turned continuous focus in video mode off. On my handheld B-Cam I have the same setup but continuous focus is on so I can get the bride coming down the aisle and stay in focus ...we did do a rehearsal a few nights ago and it handles the autofocus quite well indeed. What I do like is if it has to do a refocus in auto it seems to apply a pleasing blur transition of about 1/2 second and actually looks quite professional ..I found no hunting at all ..once it focusses it stays there!

For this first wedding I'm not going to venture into the 4K realm (unless I get tempted..which might happen at the reception) and for now will shoot at 1080 but in MP4 mode as my NLE seems to render a lot quicker with MP4's compared to AVCHD files.

Will update after the wedding ..I'd like to see some of your footage too from the last shoot!!!

Chris

Regarding the zoom ..I have two handles either side of the B-Camera and my right finger can reach the shutter button comfortably with this configuration. It can also reach the ring around the button used to zoom and I have found that a lot more precise to use for zoom so far ...I usually do a zoom as they sign the register so I'll try it out tomorrow too...the lens ring seems to have a dead spot on it and does nothing as you twist it and then it suddenly takes off ...the shutter button ring seems to be a lot less critical!!

I've done the reverse to you Chris, concentrating on the stills with the FZ1000 and taking a few short hand held video clips in 1080p. My findings with the zoom are pretty much the same as yours and I will be interested to hear how you get on at the wedding.

Roger

What are you using for support Roger - Frankenstein rig or monopod? I had a rig for my A7s but now I find I can be just as stable hand held providing I use the viewfinder and not the LCD monitor. For bride prep I use a monopod and for evening receptions - but that's mainly to save my back as it's a little heavy with the Tamron 24-70

The FZ1000 interests me as a camera for my other half who I leave for the last half hour of bride prep - needs to be foolproof in auto though, especially at dealing with backlight

Pete

What are you using for support Roger - Frankenstein rig or monopod? I had a rig for my A7s but now I find I can be just as stable hand held providing I use the viewfinder and not the LCD monitor. For bride prep I use a monopod and for evening receptions - but that's mainly to save my back as it's a little heavy with the Tamron 24-70

The FZ1000 interests me as a camera for my other half who I leave for the last half hour of bride prep - needs to be foolproof in auto though, especially at dealing with backlight

Pete

Hi Pete,

Claire and I both use a lightweight tripod, that we can instantly kick in the legs and use as a monopod, or even as a makeshift steadycam by retracting the legs and lightly holding it by the centre column. I also often use the FZ1000 handheld for almost all still shots and for quick video clips. The stabilisation is excellent and it also has a selectable artificial horizon to overlay if you want to be absolutely sure the camera is level. Great for handheld, but also with a tripod I often find that the spirit level says level, but the camera isn't quite, so I now use the AH all the time for levelling.

Must be a girl thing, Claire has a fantastic eye for framing and posing but has no interest at all in the mechanics of the camera. She loves the FZ1000 because she can use it in full auto but still use the thumb wheel to increase or reduce the gain if there is a backlight problem that the camera struggles with, although it is usually very good. Claire either uses the Auto or the Manual as she finds it very intuitive to rapidly change shutter, aperture, ISO and WB, She has also discovered the bracketing for preps shots where there are quickly changing scenes, so a 3 shot bracket of zero and +/- 1/3 gives her room to manoeuvre.

At the current prices Pete, I would go for it.

Roger

Guys is it true you can't access the battery/card door with a QR plate on? That would be a bummer

I'm now looking at the RX10 - pretty much the same price and similar spec but constant 2.8 zoom - seems poor battery life for both these cams is an issue though.

Pete

That is correct Pete, the battery is accessed through the bottom, but not a problem for me as I use a thumb wheel screw on my double plate, so only a few seconds to change the battery. Chris has also posted a pattern for a simple aluminium plate he made up to leave access to the battery door while still on the tripod.

The battery life is not as long as my bigger video cam batteries, but quite reasonable and much better if you are just using the viewfinder.

Roger

Thought I would upload some quick stills from my Thursday wedding taken with the FZ1000 I usually quickly crop and process a few and downsize them to send to the couple the day after their wedding as a taster. They have all been reduced from about 5mb down to 1mb for ease of uploading.

090 taken by Claire at Preps, manual F3.8, 1/100, ISO 125, Auto WB low flash
172 taken by Claire at Preps, manual F3, 1/1600, ISO 125, Auto WB low flash
553 taken by Roger at Romantics outside, manual F3.8, 1/100, ISO 125, Auto WB PS vignette
519 taken by Roger at Romantics outside, manual F3.9, 1/100, ISO 125, Auto WB PS vignette

Can only get 4 in one upload.

Roger

A few more under varying lighting mainly auto with tweaks

538 taken by Roger at Romantics, Auto, F3.6, 1/160, ISO 125, Auto WB, PS B&W
534 taken by Roger at Romantics, Auto, F3.7, 1/160, ISO 125, Auto WB, PS blur vignette
586 taken by Roger at Reception, manual, F3.6, 1/60, ISO 1600, Auto WB
891 taken by Roger at Sunset, auto, F3.2, -0.3 manual exposure bias, 1/80, ISO 125, Auto WB

Roger

Beautiful Roger, well done!

Beautiful Roger, well done!

Thanks Anthony, although I didn't post them looking for praise, in fact I think they are the first work I have ever posted here. I posted them because I felt that the FZ1000 is capable of giving professional photographic results in many instances, and most of the discussion in the forum about it has been related to the video aspects of the camera.

I intend to use it for both and so far see it as a real boon with our joint video and photo packages. It doesn't have the build quality of high end DSLRs, and the low light isn't as good as a full frame DSLR, but for 95% of what I do it copes very well. For the price of one DSLR lens, I already have two FZ1000s and if something even better comes out next year, I can upgrade without worrying about having forked out thousands for a camera and lenses that in most cases would out perform the work I would use it for.

Roger

There is an awful lot to be said for having a fixed zoom lens. I used to spend way to much time obsessing about lenses & changing them. I no longer film weddings & had sold all my Canon DSLR gear but we have just recently bought a Sony AX100 for my wife to use for a project you has embarked on The AX100 is a great little video camera. I used to love my old Sony A1 HDV camcorder which was about the same size. I have been blown away with 4K video. It will definitely be the next big thing. It's like watching moving photographs or looking through a window & that's on my 30" 2560x1600 monitor so goodness only knows how much better it will look on a proper 4K screen.

All of the above is a long-winded introduction to the fact that I was so pleased to try my wife's AX100 that I have now bough a Sony RX10m2. It's the same 1" size chip as the AX100 & the FZ1000 & I have been so pleased with using it for both stills & video. Continuous AF is as good as a proper traditional video camera. The stills are great simply using Auto-everything. The High Frame Rate super slow motion video cannot be found on any camera at this price.

If I were filming weddings again then I would use a couple of RX10m2 & an AX100. I am sure that a couple of FZ1000s plus either an AX100 or Panasonic equivalent could be equally good.

The FZ1000 is of course half the price of the RX10m2. It lacks the constant F/2.8 aperture but does have a 25-400mm equivalent zoom versus the 24-200mm on the Sony. The Sony has click less aperture plus ND filter plus HFR & probably some other stuff to justify the price but if buying multiple cameras the price of the Panasonic is amazingly attractive.

Hi Nigel,

I think that the Sony and the Panasonic will appeal to the same market, and both have slight advantages and disadvantages over the other. Not enough to make either necessarily better and it will probably be more about those who prefer Sony and those who prefer Panasonic.

So far, I haven't found any real downside to moving over to the FZ1000 and it seems to be lightening the work load considerably. I prefer it for my still photography for the speed and convenience and in most wedding scenarios I don't feel I am losing out on quality. I think one of the things that may stop many using either camera at a more professional level, is the amount of money that has been spent by them over the years building their equipment up, camera body, lenses, filters, adapters etc.

I did work with one photographer recently who had two full frame Nikon dslrs with him but did virtually all the photos with what I think was a Nikon bridge camera, although I have forgotten which one. He said it was so much more convenient and enable him to get quick shots that he would have otherwise missed. He said he still took the big Nikons as they made him look more professional.

Roger

I thought it was time to start a new thread on the FZ1000

Well it has been a week since the last one, so was wondering what was keeping you. :) Maybe short of a proper forum for the camera, we could simply label this one 'FZ1000 and Wedding/Event Techniques'. :)

I notice you didn't feel lack of water proof enough of a disadvantage to be concerned. After our summer, its easy to feel that way. Were you filming on the 24th and 26th last month? I was; on both days the Bride arrived in pouring rain. Despite a tree for cover for one and the church entrance gate for the other, my camera got soaked. The Photographer on the 24th got it even worse, his camera was simply dripping water from it by the time the Bride made her dash to the church.

I suppose it's tempting to hold back on shots when it rains, but it feels unfair on the Bride who has to suffer rain as it is without her video or photos being reduced as a consequence. So I'm intrigued as to your provisions in place should the weather turn.

As for your one big complaint on the fz1000, the zoom. Shooting with primes and the odd manual zoom, zooming is a technique I've stopped using for obvious reasons. Still with 4k, there's room for post zooming. On one Wedding, it looked so good, a client I showed the video to criticised me for walking back down the aisle with the Bride and the father during the entrance. I had to explain that I was standing at the front and the zoom back as the Bride walked down was done digitally. Probably wouldn't fool anyone here of course.

I just uploaded a clip to youtube from the same wedding as the stills, shot at 1080 50p, taken straight from the camera and converted to Mp4. YouTube

After some of the comments I have seen on line regarding burnout in high contrast etc I shot these while on manual, using the camera for stills, but taking quick clips in between using the sub record button.

The clip in the hall before anyone arrived, was to see whether it was possible to get a usable shot in an extreme lighting and contrast situation, with white chair backs to the fore in direct sunlight. You can clearly see the changes in exposure while I am filming, for those that wonder whether manual control without stopping the video filming is possible. I was in creative video mode for that one clip.

All four clips were taken using auto follow focus.

Roger

There is an awful lot to be said for having a fixed zoom lens. I used to spend way to much time obsess It's like watching moving photographs or looking through a window & that's on my 30" 2560x1600 monitor so goodness only knows how much better it will look on a proper 4K screen.
.

My feelings exactly. I've become a big supporter of 4k and shoot all my Weddings with my main camera set to 4k. Footage on my 55" 4k TV is amazing. Ultra HD bluray disks are planned to be with us by the end of the year. So I'm looking forward to one day delivering in 4k as well as shooting in it.

Hi Roger

Just got back from my Sunday wedding that was shot exclusively on FZ1000's from start to finish!! All I can say is WOW!! I'm suitable impressed ..Church footage is sharp and noise free (My Sony's would have struggled and given me a soft image! The reception was also shot on both cameras and the speeches were done without any extra lighting!! The only thing I did was pop on a video light for the first dance as they killed all the lighting ...The Panny also seems to handle LED lighting way, way better than my Sony's too!! At this time (midnight) I'm only uploading footage to the drive ..nothing else but a quick run thru the footage to make sure it's OK ... I'll post some stuff in the morning

Batteries last very well ..the B-Cam started flashing red at 9pm this evening after being used since mid-day ..the A-Cam batteries (ceremony and speeches) is still going strong!

Lastly for Pete .. I posted an easy mod for the battery door ..I can change mine without talking anything off ..even on a tripod!! I think it's in previous posts .. a simple aluminium plate!! I use my own rig on the B-Cam just a "U" section of aluminium square tube with foam grip handles ..so easy to make and use plus it supports both a videomic and a light when required.

Absolutely delighted at this stage!!!

My mod for the battery access is at : http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-lumix-gf-gh-lx-series/529215-fz1000-tripod-plate-modification.html#post1894705


Chris

My feelings exactly. I've become a big supporter of 4k and shoot all my Weddings with my main camera set to 4k. Footage on my 55" 4k TV is amazing. Ultra HD bluray disks are planned to be with us by the end of the year. So I'm looking forward to one day delivering in 4k as well as shooting in it.
I just saw the announcement an Ultra HD Blu-ray which will be shipping before Xmas. One nice feature they have included in the specs is called 'Digital Bridge' & is the ability to copy to another device i.e iPad I don't know how they handle the DRM so you cannot make infinite copies but they seem pleased with themselves over this innovation. Another innovation is High Dynamic Range which requires new TVs but sounds amazing too. High Frame Rate too if anyone other than Peter Jackson ever makes a HFR movie. Here is a good recent overview article Ultra HD Blu-ray: everything you need to know | What Hi-Fi? (http://www.whathifi.com/news/ultra-hd-blu-ray-everything-you-need-to-know)

NetFlix & other services streaming 4K is all very well but requires 20-25Mbps network so in the UK at least only a minority of people will be able to view. Ultra HD Blu-ray is going to be the way that most people feed their 4K TVs. NetFlix may be 4K but the bit rate is less than regular HD Blu-ray. The maximum bit rate for Ultra HD Blu-ray will be 108Mbps (66GB dual layer disc) or 128Mbps (100GB triple layer disc). The 4K image quality has got to be superior from disc.

I notice you didn't feel lack of water proof enough of a disadvantage to be concerned. After our summer, its easy to feel that way. Were you filming on the 24th and 26th last month? I was; on both days the Bride arrived in pouring rain. Despite a tree for cover for one and the church entrance gate for the other, my camera got soaked. The Photographer on the 24th got it even worse, his camera was simply dripping water from it by the time the Bride made her dash to the church.

I suppose it's tempting to hold back on shots when it rains, but it feels unfair on the Bride who has to suffer rain as it is without her video or photos being reduced as a consequence. So I'm intrigued as to your provisions in place should the weather turn.


I sure you can guess that after all these years and weddings there is very little that catches me out including rain, snow and anything else you chuck at me :-) Every camera that I use has a little pvc rain cover made up from damp course pvc. Cost me a few pence and I would trust it far more than getting rain all over my camera even if it was weather proofed. Usually they stay in my camera bag, but any sign of rain and they are in my pocket ready. I also keep a little pop out brolly in my bag that I have clamped to my tripod before now if I can't be bothered with the cover. I've yet to meet a Bride who is prepared to get her dress and shoes wet for more that a few seconds :-)

Roger

Hi Roger, actually my question had a purpose as even I don't like relying on weather proofing, a marketing term more than solid fact, as my only defence against the elements. I had a plastic cover, I hated using it. Might still have it but to be honest, so little of my Weddings get bad rain, I tend to chance it. The umbrella is a nice idea. I agree the Bride moves quickly but she also has an entourage to protect her, and of course when the car arrives, she's inside and I'm outside.

What I want is some Inspector Gadget umbrella, but what you suggest sounds interesting.

Steve, most of the cheap popup umbrellas fold to about 6" long and just have a round knob at the bottom, so it's very easy to adapt a clamp or handlebar GoPro adapter to fit to the brolly shaft. I'm surprised nobody has marketed one although there might be a clip on pushchair (stroller) one on the market that would do the job.

Roger

Here you go Steve as a starting point, there are probably others cheaper Height Adjustable Buggy Brolly - Dark Blue : Umbrella - The Buggy Brolly for Strollers, Buggies and Prams, umbrellas to keep Mum and Dad dry (http://www.buggybrolly.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=18)

Roger

That's perfect Roger. I admit not giving it too much thought; out of over 200 Weddings, I can count on one hand those where I needed an umbrella. Trouble is when that happens, you really need it.

I just saw the announcement an Ultra HD Blu-ray which will be shipping before Xmas. .

I've been monitoring all things 4k and the new bluray player has me very excited. Can't wait before ultra hd and 4k content can actually be purchased. My internet signal is crap and as you say quality of bitrate isn't quite up to scratch. How long before recordable 4k or ultra HD is available and it becomes an option on my delivery.

Hmm.... Probably awhile. Though got 1 client awaiting 4k delivery via USB from a Wedding I shot in April.

Hi Guys

Quick series of clips straight out of the camera and just a bunch of snippets of 10 seconds each from bridal prep thru to speeches (Don't panic it's only 90 seconds long) No extra lighting at all for all these events so they were shot in what was available only even the groom's speech. I was quite impressed that the groom's black suit and black curtains behind didn't fool the camera into over exposing. I shot everything in MP4 but only at 1080 not 4K!! Creative Video mode and main mode set to P so the camera chooses the shutter and exposure. This was our wet wedding yesterday .. on my computer the video of the bouquet actually looks sharper than the stills we took on our Nikons!!!

Wedding IQ Summary - YouTube

Chris

Nice footage and glad you're getting great shots with it. Outdoors shots suffers from the high shutter, sorry not a fan. Don't like it in my GoPro footage either. Though admit seen worse examples.

Other than that, some good looking clips. Seems to handle well.

Looking nice and sharp Chris. I thought for a moment that the reflection on the roof of the limo was burnt out until I realised it had a white roof!

I've found the camera can handle just about everything I can chuck at it, although I prefer to use the M setting when I am in creative video mode as I find P tends to push the shutter speed up a lot.

Did you take the speech audio into the Camera with your radio mics and where was the feed taken from?

All looking good so far :-)

Roger

Steve, most of the cheap popup umbrellas fold to about 6" long and just have a round knob at the bottom, so it's very easy to adapt a clamp or handlebar GoPro adapter to fit to the brolly shaft. I'm surprised nobody has marketed one although there might be a clip on pushchair (stroller) one on the market that would do the job.

Roger

I would love a larger version of one these

http://www.toxel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/umbrella12.jpg

but I don't think they exist

Steve ? That was my fault entirely as I left the variable ND's in the case! We got to the Church in freezing weather and black rain clouds so I figured I wouldn't need them outside the Church. Soon after the bride came out the sun came out but was didn't have time to get back to my case to get the ND. If only ND's could be turned down to clear I could leave them on!! The other issue is they walk out the Church and start congratulations straight away!! No time to change anything.

Roger? The speeches were far from ideal as they announced they would have a "roving mic" I managed at the last minute to convince them to stand next to the bridal table so the best I could do was stick a gooseneck mic on the table .. you can see it on the right I think but far from ideal ..I had that into a transmitter on the table going back to the camera's receiver ... Remember these are clips directly from the card so nothing has been touched in post.

I was quite pleased that the camera can handle a dingy reception venue too .. sheesh with my big Sony's I would have needed my 2 125W CFL's and still would have seen some noise on the black curtains.

Steve? were you talking about the slight stutter outside the Church? I remembered I was shooting that in MP4 25P not 50P which could account for the illusion of a high speed shutter as it wasn't THAT bright outside!! What did you notice that looked like overly high shutter??

The Bride's arrival with the car moving behind it. Fast motion tends to amplify the effect. Yes after the church you can see it also, when one person passes in front of the camera. Minor stuff really, but I seem to have an eye for it. I can spot it in others work too.

I haven't noticed any motion artefacts in my footage, but I have seen them on footage that I have converted to a lower res for uploading. I also sometimes notice movement jitters when streaming from YouTube.

Roger

Cool Steve.. appreciated !! I would say the 25P frame rate probably made it worse too. I'll have to use the ND's next time as we are almost into Spring which means bright light and sunny weather.

Apparently if you don't use Creative Video mode you can move into a NIght Shot mode on these cameras for video as well as photos ..I wonder what that will do ? I haven't played with even a quarter of the features yet. First camera I have seen where you can put in your own colour curve profile so you can adjust contrast at any level between 0 and 255 ...it actually has features way past it's price point!!

If I watch it in the NLE there is a bit of blur when the taxi zooms past ..more than likely 25P blur!!

Apparently if you don't use Creative Video mode you can move into a NIght Shot mode on these cameras for video as well as photos ..I wonder what that will do ? I haven't played with even a quarter of the features yet. First camera I have seen where you can put in your own colour curve profile so you can adjust contrast at any level between 0 and 255 ...it actually has features way past it's price point!!


I don't use the creative video very much for video, preferring the photo modes, although for longer shots, you can't change the settings while you are videoing unless you are in creative video mode. There seem to be a lot more options and flexibility otherwise in photo mode. I do find the sub record button tricky to find at times, and it is easy to think you have pressed it when you haven't. I do like the fact that when you are using the photo modes to take video, you can still use the main shutter button to take stills at the same time.

Roger

Thanks Roger

I was under the impression that if you are in Photo Mode you can shoot video (even with most scene files too!) but you have to use the shutter button to focus and then use the sub button to start video (that's the red one right?) In Creative Mode the shutter button focuses and then starts and stops video and with my grip I can easily reach the shutter with my finger BUT cannot quite get to the sub button!!

I must really try a few scene modes ..they might be useful !

Anyway at this stage I am satisfied I can shoot a wedding comfortably with just two FZ1000's and an extra SJ4000 at the ceremony for a wide top shot so I'm happy

BTW: a few guests were confused when asked to say "congratulations" but having a nice black furry deadcat on the mic does help them realise it's video. I'm starting to gravitate to maybe another two FZ1000's for stills as the Nikons are getting a bit old in the tooth and only 12 mp! The Pannys are a lot sharper!! Still trying to find a decent TTL flash that has a "backlight" mode so it doesn't try and light the background ..only the foreground. I could do a lot more stills without flash actually as the ISO is way better than my Nikons!!

If the FZ has a pop up flash, try one of those little "puffer" style flash diffusers (the ones that mount to the shoe and put a half bubble sort of white diffuser in front of the flash - look kinda like you skinned a golf ball and opened it up). They are very cheap (sub $10 from China/HK), but I actually find on my RX10 that they work amazingly well, almost as good as a full bounce/rotate/diffuser type setup. Just don't let any "pro" togs catch you with one <wink>. They look a bit "silly", but as we all know, results count over how it looks! I've used full rotator brackets, diffusers, bounce/rotate flashes... with a little work, the built in flash and puffer seems to do an acceptable job, with far less bulk,weight, and hassle.

I've found much the same setup with RX10's as you are with the FZ1000's, two cameras, with an AX100 to cover "wide" and any dedicated video, though I expect the RX10MkII to nearly replace the AX. It's nice to be able to "lighten up" the kit with these newer cameras!

That's a good idea Dave, I wonder whether half a table tennis ball might do the job.

Roger

Dave? that is a brilliant idea ...I've even seen little tents that are designed to fit over the top of the camera. "Don't let any pros see it??" The team I work with now and again have Nikon 810's with SB910 flashes and the guy then puts what can only be described as a "Tupperware hood" over the front of his flash .. it is huge and looks cheap and nasty too and has "amateur" features ..sorta like a child's pair of toy bellows ...however it certainly works!!

I will definitely look at that as with ISO's becoming so good you seldom need flash nowdays except as a fill and the pop up can easily do that!!

Dave, thanks fr the suggestion. I think that this is what you are talking about http://www.amazon.co.uk/PicknBuy-Diffuser-compatible-Fujifilm-Panasonic/dp/B00695N5HU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439278281&sr=8-1&keywords=Pop+Up+Flash+Diffuser

Like Chris I have seen pro photographers using all manner of home brew flash diffusers constructed out of cardboard, aluminium foil, plastic etc. It's not a sign that they are cheap but that photographers are always searching for that elusive perfect flash diffuser. Look how Gary Fong has made a fortune out of selling photographers an overpriced white plastic bowl.

I just uploaded a clip to youtube from the same wedding as the stills, shot at 1080 50p, taken straight from the camera and converted to Mp4.

Roger that shot of the ceremony room is a perfect example of the extreme lighting we have to deal with at weddings - I get that so often where one half of the room is in darkness and the other half is in bright sunlight - the FZ1000 seems to deal with it ok.

Hi Pete,
Yes it was quite extreme, more so than it looks in the clip. I only shot from that point as they were coming back down the aisle. Given more time I could have played around with the contrast range adjustments and other settings that I haven't even tried yet, but the camera seemed to handle it well anyway.

Roger

Yep, that's the one, I have a couple of them stuck in my bags so there's usually one handy. There seem to be two China/HK manufacturers, as I've got two slightly different types, one is a gloss finish on the difusers, the other a satin finish - both seem to work fine, I think the satin ones might be slightly better. Both were cheap as well!

For the price, they give you a more diffused light, and less problems with shadows behind the subject - not quite as good as a fully rotating bounce system, but I found I needed a diffuser with those as well! I intentionally avoided those that looked like a bathroom fixture... Sto-Fen makes a more discrete design, as do many knockoffs of their product. I can still mount a full size type flash with bounce/rotate and a diffuser on the RX10's, but then I have to carry another "thing" with more weight and bulk.

Another handy "thing" you might take a look at is the Sirui brand footed monopods - similar to the better known Bogen/Manfrottos, but bigger/longer feet, making them much closer to a tripod. I noticed a few pros mentioning them, picked up a couple of the older designs (with the fluid system in the base - new ones have it up towards the top/grip) used, and they seem to be a good all-round support setup.

Hmmm I have a couple of plastic diffusers that I used to put on my generic flash heads but stopped as they kept falling off ... If I cut a slot in the bottom they will work really well over the pop up flash .. I'll try one later ... I can also see some potential using a plastic shoe bracket slid into the hotshoe which could also support the diffuser so the pop up flash doesn't take any excess weight! With camera ISO's getting better and better one can also restrict flash to really dark situations ...I see a lot of photogs actually NOT using flash but have a remote LED light with the camera ...one of the biggest issues I have with flash is people instinctively closing their eyes when you say 1- 2 -3 smile. If there is no flash they tend to keep their eyes open so maybe photogs have now seen the "light" ( sorry ..very pathetic pun I know!!)

Maybe flash days are coming to a close with cameras like Pete's A7S which can see in the dark!!

I don't do stills Chris so have never even pressed the shutter button and I've had it nearly 6 months! Taking the dog for a walk in a minute so I might have a go! I should point out that I have some experience in photography and when I started out on my own in the wedding video business I also set myself up as a wedding photographer as well in case the income from the few video bookings I was getting at the time was not enough so I'm no stranger to it.

Interested to read how you get on Peter. Me also with my FZ (and my GH4s) never a snap EXCEPT video grabs from 4K which not bad. I do bird vids so the 1/50th "fixed" shutter speed a bit of a drawback with "grabs".

Ron

Me neither! I have yet to take a still on the FZ1000 .. too busy shooting video plus I'm so used to using the Nikons for stills and my wife has got used to them too. The Nikon software also gives you amazing facilities in post for photos ... Their D-Lighting is a huge asset and gets carried forward into the software too. However I must admit Roger's stills do tempt me to try a few stills at a wedding when I'm not too busy!! I slip in a few just for fun on Saturday!! The only thing that worries me a little is Nikon flash units have a backlight feature and I have yet to see the same on Panny flashes ... Like Pete I just shoot great video on the FZ's so far and am more than happy!!

You really should experiment with the stills Chris, I think you will be quite surprised.

Roger

Hi Roger

I will at the next wedding it's one of just only 3 in 2015/16 that I'm not doing the photography too so while the Asian photogs are fussing with the couple I will test out the camera at the reception on the guests. I'm not really concerned at all with good outdoor shots or even well lit indoor shots but I do need good stuff at the reception and that's where flash comes into play and I can find nothing for the camera that equals the Nikon SB600 units we currently use on our Nikon still cameras. We work hard and fast at receptions so I definitely need a TTL flash that thinks for itself. Wifey does an open photobooth with a big black backdrop so I also need a flash unit that will not interpret the background as "more light is needed" and then end up with overexposed people ...the Nikon flashes have that built in.

Chris