FZ2500 Impressions and Comments?

Larry Johnson · January 10th, 2017, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

I think Larry means he has dedicated his FZ2500 to shooting video ...I'm the same, I use the 2500 for video and the FZ1000's for stills and sometimes also B cam video.

His issue is the FZ2500 dims the LCD screen after 30 seconds and if you touch the screen to bring it back to full brightness and you have touch focus enabled you could easily change the focus point without realising it ..equally if you use the shutter button to "wake up" the screen you could quite easily push a tad too hard and stop the video!!

I will experiment later today and see what I come up with..have a wedding rehearsal to attend this morning

Exactly. I bought the 2500 to use exclusively for video. I have a canon dlsr for stills.

Larry Johnson · January 10th, 2017, 07:32 PM

Chris,

I may have found the solution. I've switched the Monitor Lumanince from Mode 1 to Auto. Page 231 in the manual says the monitor will dim in Mode 1 after 30 seconds of no buttons being pressed. It may not happen in the auto mode. I'll test it tomorrow if the sun comes out.
The potential problem is that it seems we can't manually adjust brightness hgher in any mode other than Mode 1.

Chris Harding · January 10th, 2017, 10:44 PM

Hi Larry

Yes 100% correct! I was out today in the bright sun and never experienced any dimming at all. My cam was on auto by default .. I assume you changed it to Mode 1?

Auto seems to work pretty well even in bright sun !!

Mike Griffiths · January 11th, 2017, 02:45 AM

Agree with Chris, out today filming in a clinic, no dimming while running on 'manual video' but the screen dims if in standby and no buttons pressed. Each clip was about one to 2 minutes long and one interview was about 6 minutes. Monitor luminance 'auto'

Roger Gunkel · January 11th, 2017, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Johnson

Exactly. I bought the 2500 to use exclusively for video. I have a canon dlsr for stills.

Aah I see! You meant you have dedicated it to video, I would certainly try it with stills though as it should be even better than the FZ1000. I frequently use mine instead of my Canon DSLR.

Roger

Chris Harding · January 11th, 2017, 04:14 AM

If you are in standby it's no issue at all to flip the mode dial to P and shoot off a few stills and then go back to creative video mode. However I still prefer to use the FZ1000 ..At one wedding I was shooting stills, went into the reception and as the bridal party walked in I was still in stills mode !!

Larry Johnson · January 11th, 2017, 01:53 PM

The next question is regarding Silent Mode and Audio. Selecting Silent Modeturns off all those annoying beeps, but also prevents audio recording. This will be appropriate for most of my wildlife filming. However, there will be times that I'll want to record audio while keeping all the other camera noises silent. I've found no option for this. I won't be buying an external mic since I expect to do little audio recording.

Mike Griffiths · January 11th, 2017, 06:31 PM

???? I have mine on silent mode when recording. Just tested it. Silent operation, manual video and sound is fine

Larry Johnson · January 12th, 2017, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Griffiths

???? I have mine on silent mode when recording. Just tested it. Silent operation, manual video and sound is fine

There's two different Silent options in the menu; Silent Mode under the Custom menu and Silent Operation under the Motion Picture menu.
When I turn on Silent Mode, audio doesn't record and shutter beep is muted.
Silent Operation doesn't affect audio recording.
Shutter beep can either be muted with Silent Mode on or when selecting Beep in the menu and turning it off. Beep can only be selected with Silent mode if off.
My solution is to mute the shutter Beep (selecting it the "Setup" menu) and leave Silent Mode On until I want to record audio.
I'll keep Silent Operation on too just so I don't forget to turn it on when I record audio.

Steve Burkett · January 17th, 2017, 01:02 PM

I see DPReview have published a review of the FZ2500 and whilst they have commended the new features, they have highlighted the inherent weakness of such cameras, in that quality is dependant on the fixed lens. It seems that a longer zoom reach has come at a cost in image quality judging by the sample comparisons.

In fact the lens on the FZ1000 is by their own tests of a much superior quality in regards to corner to corner sharpness. I think for Video, the new features makes the FZ2500 a no brainer in upgrading from the FZ1000, but for Photography, I would be less inclined to use the FZ2500 over the FZ1000.

You can see the review here and make up your own minds, but its worth considering depending on how you intend to use the camera.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pan...-fz2500-fz2000

Mike Griffiths · January 21st, 2017, 08:39 AM

I've had real problems today with focussing. Set on AFC it keeps losing focus when about 1 metre from the subject on W/A
and 4K. Yes I know manual is better, I had no time to change, but what AF system should I be using. The manual is totally confusing.

Larry Johnson · January 21st, 2017, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Griffiths

I've had real problems today with focussing. Set on AFC it keeps losing focus when about 1 metre from the subject on W/A
and 4K. Yes I know manual is better, I had no time to change, but what AF system should I be using. The manual is totally confusing.

Haven't used mine much yet with all the rain and cloudy days, but ironically, I watched (most of) this video this morning. He mentions that there's no real difference between AFS and AFC provided Continuous AF is set to "On" on the 3rd menu screen. I don't know how true that is.

.

Chris Harding · January 21st, 2017, 06:59 PM

Hey Mike

If you want to shoot where the AF assists but you control the focus the keep it on AFS or manual ..I never use anything else. If you are shooting fairly consistent stuff then keep continuous focus off .. I find the on a tripod continuous is off and it the subject moves I then use touch focus on the LCD to refocus. Other for fast action especially handheld keep it on AFS and keep continuous focus on in video mode. I run my FZ1000's the same way but, of course with no touch focus I just assign AE lock to focus. Using half press shutter to focus is OK when you start a clip but not good at all if you need to refocus while recording,,it's too easy to push the button past halfway and you stop the clip recording.

Mike Griffiths · January 22nd, 2017, 01:21 AM

Thanks Larry and Chris, I'll keep playing. I was filming in bright sunshine ( it's Thailand after all) head and shoulders,I was still and the subject was hardly moving , very itrritating.

Chris Harding · January 22nd, 2017, 04:27 AM

At weddings where the subject hardly move I always use AFS, continuous focus in the video menu off and focus mode use the custom square. Use the shutter button to initialise focus and start recording .. If the subjects do move just use the LCD touch focus to bring it back sharp. The square can be customised so I make it about the size of the person's head at the widest I will shoot ..that way the camera cannot focus on the background cos it's out of the square. Of course if you zoom in later it's even better. I only use 49 point if I'm handheld and moving the camera a lot and then keep continuous on! General rule if you are on a tripod is stick to AFS and the square with continuous off. The difference between AFS and AFC is AFC is supposed to follow focus so if the subject moves position it will follow AFS is still the best though!!

January 10th, 2017, 07:32 PM	#47
Larry Johnson Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 75	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? Chris, I may have found the solution. I've switched the Monitor Lumanince from Mode 1 to Auto. Page 231 in the manual says the monitor will dim in Mode 1 after 30 seconds of no buttons being pressed. It may not happen in the auto mode. I'll test it tomorrow if the sun comes out. The potential problem is that it seems we can't manually adjust brightness hgher in any mode other than Mode 1.

January 10th, 2017, 10:44 PM	#48
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? Hi Larry Yes 100% correct! I was out today in the bright sun and never experienced any dimming at all. My cam was on auto by default .. I assume you changed it to Mode 1? Auto seems to work pretty well even in bright sun !!

January 11th, 2017, 02:45 AM	#49
Mike Griffiths Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chiang Mai Thailand Posts: 152	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? Agree with Chris, out today filming in a clinic, no dimming while running on 'manual video' but the screen dims if in standby and no buttons pressed. Each clip was about one to 2 minutes long and one interview was about 6 minutes. Monitor luminance 'auto' __________________ Mike

January 11th, 2017, 04:14 AM	#51
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? If you are in standby it's no issue at all to flip the mode dial to P and shoot off a few stills and then go back to creative video mode. However I still prefer to use the FZ1000 ..At one wedding I was shooting stills, went into the reception and as the bridal party walked in I was still in stills mode !!

January 11th, 2017, 01:53 PM	#52
Larry Johnson Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 75	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? The next question is regarding Silent Mode and Audio. Selecting Silent Modeturns off all those annoying beeps, but also prevents audio recording. This will be appropriate for most of my wildlife filming. However, there will be times that I'll want to record audio while keeping all the other camera noises silent. I've found no option for this. I won't be buying an external mic since I expect to do little audio recording.

January 11th, 2017, 06:31 PM	#53
Mike Griffiths Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chiang Mai Thailand Posts: 152	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? ???? I have mine on silent mode when recording. Just tested it. Silent operation, manual video and sound is fine __________________ Mike

January 17th, 2017, 01:02 PM	#55
Steve Burkett Trustee Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Romsey, UK Posts: 1,261	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? I see DPReview have published a review of the FZ2500 and whilst they have commended the new features, they have highlighted the inherent weakness of such cameras, in that quality is dependant on the fixed lens. It seems that a longer zoom reach has come at a cost in image quality judging by the sample comparisons. In fact the lens on the FZ1000 is by their own tests of a much superior quality in regards to corner to corner sharpness. I think for Video, the new features makes the FZ2500 a no brainer in upgrading from the FZ1000, but for Photography, I would be less inclined to use the FZ2500 over the FZ1000. You can see the review here and make up your own minds, but its worth considering depending on how you intend to use the camera. https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pan...-fz2500-fz2000

January 21st, 2017, 08:39 AM	#56
Mike Griffiths Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chiang Mai Thailand Posts: 152	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? I've had real problems today with focussing. Set on AFC it keeps losing focus when about 1 metre from the subject on W/A and 4K. Yes I know manual is better, I had no time to change, but what AF system should I be using. The manual is totally confusing. __________________ Mike

January 21st, 2017, 06:59 PM	#58
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? Hey Mike If you want to shoot where the AF assists but you control the focus the keep it on AFS or manual ..I never use anything else. If you are shooting fairly consistent stuff then keep continuous focus off .. I find the on a tripod continuous is off and it the subject moves I then use touch focus on the LCD to refocus. Other for fast action especially handheld keep it on AFS and keep continuous focus on in video mode. I run my FZ1000's the same way but, of course with no touch focus I just assign AE lock to focus. Using half press shutter to focus is OK when you start a clip but not good at all if you need to refocus while recording,,it's too easy to push the button past halfway and you stop the clip recording.

January 22nd, 2017, 01:21 AM	#59
Mike Griffiths Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chiang Mai Thailand Posts: 152	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? Thanks Larry and Chris, I'll keep playing. I was filming in bright sunshine ( it's Thailand after all) head and shoulders,I was still and the subject was hardly moving , very itrritating. __________________ Mike

January 22nd, 2017, 04:27 AM	#60
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: FZ2500 Impressions and Comments? At weddings where the subject hardly move I always use AFS, continuous focus in the video menu off and focus mode use the custom square. Use the shutter button to initialise focus and start recording .. If the subjects do move just use the LCD touch focus to bring it back sharp. The square can be customised so I make it about the size of the person's head at the widest I will shoot ..that way the camera cannot focus on the background cos it's out of the square. Of course if you zoom in later it's even better. I only use 49 point if I'm handheld and moving the camera a lot and then keep continuous on! General rule if you are on a tripod is stick to AFS and the square with continuous off. The difference between AFS and AFC is AFC is supposed to follow focus so if the subject moves position it will follow AFS is still the best though!!