Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 with 4k video just announced

This is really quite an amazing new camera: Panasonic just introduced the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 or as it will probably be known, the Lumix FZ1000. A “bridge” type camera with long lens and manual override features and some amazing specifications:

  • 4k 30p video – yes, for real, at 100 Mbps! Plus 1080/60p, 30p and 24p too.
  • 20.1 megapixel 1″ sensor
  • f/2.8 to f/4.0 25-400 full frame equivalent zoom lens
  • Wi-Fi remote capability (use smartphone or tablet as the remote controller), NFC or QR code easy connections between camera and phone/tablet
  • Articulating LCD screen plus 2.35 MP electronic viewfinder
  • Highspeed auto focus
  • 12 fps continuous shooting
  • 8 megapixel image resolution from capturing still images from 4k video
  • Uses the same Venus IV processor as the Lumix GH-4

 

With a list price under $900. Shipping July 27th but taking pre-orders now. I suspect there will be high demand for this. Panasonic has posted a demo 4k to 2K converted video on Youtube that looks stunning.

Competes very well with the Sony RX10 but makes the Nikon 1 V3 look overpriced (and no 4k video there either). All of these cameras use a 1″ sensor.

The Sony and Panasonic cameras look, at this point, to take a dominant role in the “bridge” camera segment. Panasonic is also rumored to be introducing an LX8 this summer. The LX8 will replace the LX7 by adding 4k video and an articulating LCD screen, say the rumors.

Seems likely that the era of the 1/2.33″ sensors is over with. Why take crap photos with a small sensor when you can do that with your smart phone? The Canon s100/s110/s120, the LX7 and the Olympus XZ-1/XZ-2 all use 1/1.7″ sensors. Seems that the desire for higher image quality and better low light performance – and better than a smart phone camera – may move the camera market to these larger sensors fairly rapidly.

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