Panasonic today announced the newest member of its FZ line –
the FZ1000 that brings 4K video recording to non-DSLR cameras.
The camera comes with a 1-inch 20.1MP high-sensitivity MOS
sensor that is said to be four times larger than the 1/2.3-inch sensor of its
predecessor allowing the device to capture images with reduced noise. This is
also partly thanks to the quad-core Venus engine processor.
The sensor is complemented by a 25mm ultra wide-angle Leica
DC Vario Elmarit lens that features an aperture range of f2.8 to f4.0. It
offers consumers 16x optical zoom. The device’s zooming capability is achieved
through the lens’s 15 elements arranged in 11 groups that provide a smooth and
even focus. Moreover, the Leica lens sports a 5-axis compensation system as
well as a hybrid optical image stabilizer to suppress handshake movement in
almost any direction.
But of course the main highlight of the FZ1000 would be its
4K video recording capability. The camera is able to capture QFHD (3840 x 2160)
video recording at 25 frames per second in MP4 format. It can also use recorded
4K video content to extract a frame to create an 8MP photo. Users can also
switch to Full HD video recording in case they happen to run out of storage
space to save their high-quality content.
Panasonic has also improved the focusing speed of the
FZ1000. For starters, boot up time takes only 0.66 seconds, while focus speeds
range from 0.09 seconds at the wide end to 0.17 seconds at the telephoto end.
High-speed burst shooting is also available at 12 frames per second. The device
also uses Panasonic’s light speed autofocus and DFD (Depth from Focus)
technology in order to speed up the focusing time.
At the back of the FZ1000 is a 3-inch 921k-dot free-angle
LCD with a wide viewing angle that swivels 180 degrees to the side and tilts
270 degrees up and down. The screen has AR coating that minimizes reflection
which maintains the screen usability even while shooting outdoors. There’s also
a 0.39-inch Live View Finder (LVF) with a 2359k-dot high resolution and 4:3
aspect ratio.
Other notable features of the FZ1000 include 802.11n Wi-Fi
connectivity, NFC connectivity, Creative Control functionality that lets users
add a variety of filters into their images, a 3cm Macro shooting mode, an
Intelligent Auto Plus (iA+) mode and a level gauge that detects the horizontal
and vertical orientation for better scene composition.
The Panasonic FZ1000 is expected to go on sale in July with
pricing information to be released before the launch date.
