There really is no camera that does it all. Shallow depth of field needs larger sensors and fast primes. The big advantage of a 1" sensor camera is to have a deeper depth of field to allow easier run n gun use. Even 2.8 at wide angle won't give much depth of field unless the subject is right in front of you. I like shallow depth of field and good bokeh, but not in every shot, so something like the RX10 or fz1000 would be more ideal in those situations where I don't need it than say my GH4.

Do.You think it's better than rx10? Steve

It will be easer to achieve a shallow dof with the rx10 because it remains a constant f2.8 throughout the zoomrange.

Thanks guys, i love my 5diii and 6ds the look is so great not all the time of course, so i am waiting for the a7s ii and in between that coming i need a good little cam for back up and holidays and maybe extra for the weddings, fz1000 or rx10? What yas reckon. Thanks for replies by the way...

Any guesses which camera Chris and Roger will recommend??

Really, its down to budget, and if the extra features like constant 2.8, s-log, nd filter and a few extra pieces of functionality are important enough to justify the higher price. The fz1000 has a longer zoom reach. Both have slowmo, but a recent review of the rx10 ii suggests it's 100fps is superior to the GH4, which implies also superior to the fz1000. If you're going down Sony anyway with the a7s ii then the Rx10 ii would be a better compliment to the camera.

Cheers stevie boy. Thought so..

After very very serious thought, i cannot get rid of my brilliant canon 70d for the rx10 or the fz1000, neither have touch screen which i use all the time running and gunning in the mix of busy weddings. yes when i switch to the 5d and 6d i am full manual focus but there are times when you have to simply use auto focus. the 70d is that good, ye it sucks over 1600 iso but then the full frame comes in, i can even switch to 50mm 1.4 and get good results. the specs on both cams fz1000 and rx10 are not enough to go with them. so the hunt goes on for the dream bokeh , dream auto focus continuous cam, with stabilization, full frame cream of the crop. Please tell me otherwise guys

I think any comparisons between the RX10 and FZ1000 are really academic as there are certain things that one does better than the other, but I wouldn't say either was better, from the reviews. People cherry pick certain bits like fixed aperture zoom, or 4k ability but does it really matter?

What makes a good camera for me is one that does what I want now, and fits in with my other gear. I also need to feel comfortable and confident with it, but I am not looking for the holy grail. The FZ1000 is Panasonic, so fits in with my other gear and the fact that I have always found Panasonic equipment to be very reliable. That probably gives me more confidence than other makes that I always seem to have had problems with over the years. The most important thing is that by using this camera, I will be able to do what I do better/quicker/to a higher quality what have you, without spending large sums of money on the camera and ancillary equipment, or having to sell other stuff to pay for it. If it does the job that I expect it to do, then I will also be able to quickly buy another for Claire, to give us both identical 3 camera video rigs with stills ability which are very light and portable. I may well also get a third, as the first two schools shoots have been great and a third will give us a matching 3 camera rig to replace the current one. At the end of the day I want to make money out of it without crippling investment in high end gear weighing me down.

The Sony RX10 will probably have a similar appeal to those already in the Sony camp and wanting a fast run and gun camera, so you pays yer money and makes yer choice. :-)

Roger

I get your good points roger, but looking the past hour on stats and reviews and studying all cameras the 70d is the only one i can use with ease on a fast wedding day.
In good light morning prep and arrivals and exit n mingling and slide shots and getting low and swivel screen and glide cam and speeches filming guests and unexpected the 70d excels.
Low light in church switch to 6d 5d and the speeches dark dungeons 5d 6d.
Low light dance and mingling full frame for sure. I think that's why i will wait for the a7s ii so long as it will have touch screen and stabilization the two key elements for a wedding in my eyes. Apart from framing and story of course. No doubt the Rx10 & FZ1000 are good cams but just not professional enough in the nitty gritty. Please prove me wrong.....

People cherry pick certain bits like fixed aperture zoom, or 4k ability but does it really matter?

The answer is yes, but not for everyone. I have a 4K Wedding in the Autumn, so naturally this feature is important. 2.8 constant aperture allows better scope for zooming in without loss of low light performance, better depth of field, but again, it depends where you're coming from, what your other equipment is. When I'm balancing a camera with a GH4, GH3 and fast primes, I'm going to prefer higher low light performance to better match in post. If I was looking to buy a number of the little critters, I'd probably go for the fz1000 as the cost makes this more viable. Obviously the RX10 earns its higher price with more features - whether they're important to you or if they can be worked around like nd filter, is down to personal preference.

After very very serious thought, i cannot get rid of my brilliant canon 70d for the rx10 or the fz1000, neither have touch screen which i use all the time running and gunning in the mix of busy weddings.

Please tell me otherwise guys

I admit the lack of touch screen does concern me with these cameras, but their other functions and in particular the long zoom, which for the GH4 would require 2 different lenses more than makes up for it. It would also better serve as a travel camera than the GH4.

Really when it comes down to it is that the RX10 fills a function - its not a replacement to my other cameras, its there to compliment them and be used in situations where my GH4 is less practical. For Bridal Preps, Ceremonies, Speeches, 1st Dance and all the beauty shots, I expect to still use the GH4. Its things like Bride's arrival, where a long zoom to wide angle would be welcome, leaving the church, again zooming in to start with, then back out. Quick selection of ND when I follow the couple outside, superior slowmo by all accounts for the confetti, Bride and Grooms exit. There are other cases I'm sure I can think of given time. Now I'm handling these shots very well with the GH4, but the RX10 would make them easier to pull off and allow a greater zoom range. For me its on my list, not in the next few months, but by the end of the year, certainly.

Good points Steve...My mind flows with full frame though, it gets my juices flowing when i then start to edit, when i edit bits of the ceremony and speeches where i use a back up camcorder wide on the top table or isle shot or ceremony i cringe at the lack lustre footage boring and flat... Dslr full frame staccato effect is why i carry on otherwise i would just be the normal boring wedding video i see every where.

where i use a back up camcorder wide on the top table or isle shot or ceremony i cringe at the lack lustre footage boring and flat

Something tells me that backup wide camcorder is not a ax100...:)

Steve B,

I totally understand where you are coming from and I'm sure that a combination of your equipment preferences and way of operating would probably not open itself to either the FZ1000 or RX10 apart from perhaps to grab the odd quick shot. For me it would never be the only type of camera, just a very nice tool in the box, but my lightweight and very mobile way of working is probably a lot different from your own so lends itself more easily to that style of camera. I can see me using some FZ1000 together for school work, but one of my reasons there is to be able to use less cameras on more productions by cropping from 4k, and covering double the number of productions at the same time. Quick in and quick out with me for school productions every time.

This week's school productions alone have already paid for the new camera and a second one shortly, so if I can double the number by the end of the year that will be a good result.

Roger

Good points Steve...My mind flows with full frame though, it gets my juices flowing when i then start to edit, when i edit bits of the ceremony and speeches where i use a back up camcorder wide on the top table or isle shot or ceremony i cringe at the lack lustre footage boring and flat... Dslr full frame staccato effect is why i carry on otherwise i would just be the normal boring wedding video i see every where.

I had a guy cover a Wedding for me who felt as you do - full frame was there in every shot - no room for deeper flat looking video in his style. To be honest I found this constant reliance on fullframe to be just as boring as those videos you yourself complain about.

I'm also a great supporter of 4K, which brings a dynamic to the image to me that fullframe does for you. The amazing detail of 4K, like a moving photograph or the looking through a window effect, for me makes HD even fullframe, look both soft and lacking in detail. 5d Mark III shots I've edited since have been fine for close ups, but a wide shot of a building, it looks frankly terrible.

Now don't get me wrong, I love beauty shots with a shallow depth of field, creamy backgrounds, great bokeh. Buying an RX10 doesn't mean I'm losing that; its there for particular moments, certain shots. It's not going to be a main camera - that honour would still belong to the GH4.

I do like variety in my video, and whilst my 2nd, 3rd and 4th cameras for Ceremony and Speeches lack the great image my manned camera will have, they do at least add a different angle of the event, which for me is far from boring.

Sure guys i agree with all points and rightly so and you film and buy cameras how you think you will use them and of course i have to use camcorder footage with cutaways and safety shots.also. But i could not do without a DSLR and the quality they bring in regards to D.O.F. My films and work give a good mixed balance of a variety of shots but in general i love the look of the bride and groom stood out from the background which is a lovely beautiful bokeh background. Cheers lads.

Ah Ha!! I have just seen why Colin has a Fotga variable ND on his camera ... They actually are made extra wide at the outside edge according to the blurb "so they don't vignette" .... I have seen a few posts where people have had vignetting at full wide so worth looking into especially if it's quite a "thick" filter!

Do me a favour Roger and see if the ones you ordered are OK when they arrive.

I have already ordered two Fotga slim ND's like Colin has so hopefully they wont have any problems.

Really is a good filter Chris. I am constantly suprised at how good it is, considering the low price

Thanks Colin

Mine will be here next week so I'll try them out. I just wish that ND filters could go down to ND0 ..none can of course but if they could you could then leave them on the lens! It just means that for Church weddings I need to take the filter off the B-Camera once the bride has arrived cos most Churches need lots of light!! Not a big deal though and one can still use the filter even in deep shade at ND2 without any ill effects!

Chris

After four school shoots this week, I have been pleasantly surprised at how long the batteries seem to be lasting. From some reviews I had expected a short life, so had taken several batteries to each school, but in fact only used one each time. Two of the productions were an hour long and the screen was on continuously including setting up. There was still plenty of life left in the battery at the end of each performance so I don't anticipate any battery problems for long ceremonies.

Just about everything was left on auto after the initial setting up and the auto systems coped very well, which is what I need when we have four cameras and sometimes five running all through school shoots.

So far my only disappointment is the lack of smoothness and proper speed control with the zoom. Why they are unwilling or unable to implement it on this type of camera is beyond me. It makes it impossible to do any sort of low speed zoom in during an interview for instance, or even a medium zoom during a wedding ceremony. The zoom is really only of use for reframing.

Roger

Hi Roger

I truly also expected the zoom ring to be better ...the ring around the shutter button is a bit better but still nothing like it should be at all. I certainly don't understand why the zoom works like that and for me I cannot really do a slow zoom at all ... I guess we cannot have everything perfect ...Then again shoot in 4K and zoom in post and you are done and you can control the speed exactly. Are we missing something about how to operate the zoom ring ... I'll play with it and see what sort of touch it needs to make it practical to use but I doubt it!!

On my next wedding I want to shoot a fair amount of 4K so out go the current SDHC 16GB cards and I'm getting some 64GB UHS3 cards to use ... should be interesting ... You cannot supply the bride 4K except on USB and watch on a computer but one can upload 4K videos to YouTube which could look good on a website. I'm happy you have a fair amount of shoots at present as it's helping me sift out the bugs!!

Chris

Hi Roger

It doesn't seem that we will get a forum in the Panasonic category so when you get a minute your setup of the FZ1000 would be appreciated for comparison. At the moment I'm using Creative Video Mode and P mode on the Motion Menu. I find that for individuals at weddings (people as opposed to school concerts) the Centre weighted exposure seems to work best in getting good exposure.

If you want to share what you have found so far ..please let me know

Chris

Remember too that content is still the most important thing for a bride and miss the bouquet toss with your 3 x C300's and two assistant shooters and you have failed miserably in the brides eyes but catch a really good shot with your little GoPro and you are the best ever!!

That is a long held belief here at DVInfo. You just nailed it with that statement. Content is king. But hopefully that content will be captured with a higher quality camera. In real life, it doesn't always come out that way.

-gb-

That is a long held belief here at DVInfo. You just nailed it with that statement. Content is king. But hopefully that content will be captured with a higher quality camera. In real life, it doesn't always come out that way.



It's almost a cliche one could say. Look my GH4 is a lovely camera, but its size comes at a cost; there have been a few times when I have had it freeze, lock up. I had one Ceremony where it would only record for 8 - 14 seconds and then just stop. My GH3 could suffer from that little issue also. Cards didn't make a difference in the GH3's case, but the GH4 I'm sure it was a particular card it didn't like. The freezing, locking out was always when recording 96fps. Random really, but it happened on about 6 Weddings last year. I rarely use its slowmo now - image is too damn soft.

Simply put, there is no denying that such a small form factor puts more pressure on the cameras ability to record for any length of time. There's a reason there are the C300's of this world.

That said, I'm not about to buy a C300 any more than I'm buying a fz1000. Oh and my GoPro4 is a hit or miss thing also; sometimes stopping for no good reason. Very unreliable.

That is a long held belief here at DVInfo. You just nailed it with that statement. Content is king. But hopefully that content will be captured with a higher quality camera. In real life, it doesn't always come out that way.

-gb-


I have a Sony CX730 slung around my neck or nearby for most of the day because if something happens really quick and unplanned I can nail it with that camera in auto and the BOSS stabilisation works a treat. Like you guys I'd rather get the shot without the finesse of carefully chosen iris/shutter/ISO than miss it!

Hi Roger

It doesn't seem that we will get a forum in the Panasonic category so when you get a minute your setup of the FZ1000 would be appreciated for comparison. At the moment I'm using Creative Video Mode and P mode on the Motion Menu. I find that for individuals at weddings (people as opposed to school concerts) the Centre weighted exposure seems to work best in getting good exposure.

If you want to share what you have found so far ..please let me know

Chris

Hi Chris,

Claire was filming last weekend's wedding and wasn't ready to use the FZ1000 for video yet, preferring the cameras she is used to. This weekend we have a joint photo and video shoot, so Claire will be using her usual cameras andd I will use a usual camera plus the FZ1000 for video and stills, so a good work out.

I have used the camera at four schools shoots in artificial lighting of varying quality and so far the results have been excellent with both clarity and colour rendition. I use creative video mode most of the time, and centre weighted exposure seems to work well. I have also been trying full manual on exposure and aperture which gives me flexibility to take stills and use the second record button for quick video clips in between.

I've also been very pleased with footage and stills taken on the IA setting both for video and stills, and with the facility to adjust the auto setting on the go. I'll give some more thoughts after the weekend.

Roger

Thanks Roger

I'm a bit used to having my shutter, aperture and ISO displayed on the screen and you cannot have the first two if you are in Creative Video Mode but you can switch ISO to manual which is quite nice! I'm not really trying to make "wedding films" anyway so it's not a big deal ... I'm just trying to figure out what the shutter drops down to in very low light ? I would suspect it wouldn't go down any lower than 1/25th surely but will find out at my first wedding of the season in 2 weeks time.

Your input after the weekend would be greatly appreciated

Chris

Thanks Roger

I'm a bit used to having my shutter, aperture and ISO displayed on the screen and you cannot have the first two if you are in Creative Video Mode but you can switch ISO to manual which is quite nice! I'm not really trying to make "wedding films" anyway so it's not a big deal ... I'm just trying to figure out what the shutter drops down to in very low light ? I would suspect it wouldn't go down any lower than 1/25th surely but will find out at my first wedding of the season in 2 weeks time.

Your input after the weekend would be greatly appreciated

Chris

Think I have your answer Chris :-) Put the camera into creative video mode, select the menus and then go to the video camera menu. At the bottom of page 1 you will find EXPOSURE MODE which you should set to manual. If you then come out of the menus you will find that the settings remain displayed on screen while you are filming and you can change them with the thumb wheel while filming, both aperture and shutter.

Roger

Thanks Roger

I'll give it a whirl in the morning when I have some decent light! At 11pm at night all I have is my dingy office light so the shutter stays firmly on 1/50th

Chris

Hi Guys

For any of you that are using a tripod or monopod already know that once you put the tripod quick release plate on the camera you cannot open the battery door so you have no access to the card or battery!! I made these simple plates out of some scrap aluminium flat bar (4mm thick) in a "T" shape which solves the problem once and for all!! The skinny bit mounts onto the camera body where you would normally attach the tripod plate with a tripod screw and your QR plate then mounts further forward under the lens where it is out of the way of the battery door ... I can leave my camera on a tripod now and I'm able to change batteries or cards without having to remove anything

I have posted the measurements on the Panasonic forum but had to put it under the GH4 category if anyone needs the dimensions?? I have them on both cameras and it's so easy now to change batteries or cards without having to even take the camera off the tripod!!!

Chris

That's a useful tripod plate fix Chris, although I mount mine on a double plate with a knurled knob below, so can remove it for handheld or battery change with a quick thumb and forefinger twist.

Yesterday was my first proper wedding shoot with the FZ1000 and I decided to give it a good test in some areas. It was a joint video and photography package at a hotel venue, with Claire covering the Bride's preps in her room, photo and video, plus most of the video of the day. I concentrated on the main photography and the B video cam for ceremony and speeches.

As it was a pretty low budget laid back wedding, I decided to chuck the FZ1000 in at the deep end with the photography, having already got very comfortable with it. The hotel was fairly low light throughout and although the grounds are good for photography, it was non stop rain for the entire day with a slight break as the light was weakening between 8.15 and 8.45pm.

On the photography side, it might surprise some to know that I ended up taking all of the formal and informal pics with the FZ1000 using mainly manual settings, but with lots of the casuals on the IA+ setting. When working quickly around the room and with table shots, I found that on IA+ the camera immediately recognised my speed light and minor adjustments to the flash were all I needed to compensate for distance and spread. In areas where the light in the room was less dim, the camera managed well with no flash.

The ceremony was reasonably well lit and I was asked to use no flash or shutter noise. I put the camera on silent mode and it did exactly that, totally silent! So much so that the registrar said that she wouldn't have minded if I took one or two photographs. I actually took about 100 during the ceremony. The camera was set for IA+ during the close up shots as the couple's faces were in shadow with a lighter room behind them. The camera gave a setting of ISO 1600 F3.4 to F4.2 and shutter speeds of 1/25 to 1/30th, with the occasional use of exposure compensation override. The OIS was on and I am pleased with the results. For the signing shots, I left IA+ on as the results were good and added the speed light, which reset the camera to ISO125 F3.2 and 1/1600 shutter, AWB was very accurate.

After the ceremony, we cleared a space for group shots and set up a pair of light stands with white umbrella reflectors and high efficiency bulbs to give an overall constant light level and no flash. The camera was set at ISO200, F2.8, 1/60th shutter. There was only about 15ft of working depth, and the lens gave a wide enough angle to get a width of 15-18 people in shot, which was plenty for the groups. Some close up head and shoulder shots I tried with a higher ISO640, F3.8 and 1/80th just for comparison and all look sharp. I have only had a quick look in camera so far, but will get a better idea when I download later today.

The rain stopped for a while although it was very dull, so we managed to get som outside pics, which I shot on P mode, ISO125, F2.8 to F4, shutter 1/125 to 1/400th depending on zoom range. Indoor evening shots were a wide mixture of flash and dull room light, with some experimenting with partially candle lit and again a mix of manual and AI+

I also took various video clips throughout the day and also took some stills while taking video, just to see what quality was possible. None of the video clips were taken using creative video mode, as I was primarily doing stills and wanted to be able to take them instantly. This meant that the sub video button was used, with whatever settings the camera was set up. When on IA+ mode, the video on the sub button at first glance looks very useable even in low light. Once I start processing things I will upload some shots.

Overall conclusion so far is that my expectations are exceeded for photography, giving me the confidence to shoot just about all of their stills on the camera in less than ideal circumstances, but with consummate ease and speed, and to a standard that I know they will be delighted with. I also love that I can switch instantly from stills to video on our joint package and take stills while videoing if suddenly needed. I'm not suggesting that it would replace full frame multi lens DSLRs for top end photographic shoots, but for the joint package that we offer and a lot of medium price work I am sure it will do a great job, I now can't wait to try it on a bright sunny wedding at a picturesque venue.

Roger

Thanks Roger

Thanks a great summary. Now, a stills question? My Nikons have a sb600 speedlight on them and the main reason is you get not only TTL but also TTL BL which basically looks at the subject and allows just enough flash for the subject without trying to light the background so you don't get the background beautifully lit and the subject over exposed . What speed light are you using on the FZ1000 and does it have that sorta mode??

We also do an open photobooth which has a black backdrop curtain so normal flash also tries to expose for the dark background but this TTL BL mode doesn't!! Something like that is essential for stills for me!!

Thanks again

Chris

Nothing sophisticated about my flash Chris, just a Yonglu 560Mk111, I just set up the camera settings I want and match the flash to it. I could probably spend a lot more money on a flash and have it automated, but don't have any problem setting it up quickly.

I also ordered my second FZ1000 today, this time from the Dutch company who have it back in stock. It's £30 more than my other one from HK, but is from a large reputable company and will be here by the end of the week. We will now be able to film stills and video at the same time without compromising either, and of course Claire will have her own one for solo work. She loved using it for preps stills yesterday.

Roger

Glad to see that your discovering the versatility of this little gem of a camera Roger. I shot a video at a game farm last week in 4k, the client wanted stills as well. As I know him well, he provides pheasant poults for my own shoot, I told him that I would grab frames from the video, for his stills. He was delighted with both the video and even more so, with the stills. The FZ1000 is going on many more shoots with me in the future

Claire and I have a wedding on Thursday this week which a joint video and photography package. It will be the first one since the second FZ1000 arrived, so we intend to explore the photography and video capabilities in much more depth, as it is a straight forward civil ceremony with Bride's preps first. We will parallel all the video with an FZ1000 and usual video cam so we have a safety backup while we are gaining confidence with the new cams.

Roger

Hey Roger

Thanks that will be interesting! We have our first wedding of the season this coming Sunday after our Winter break so obviously I'll be using the FZ1000's for video but Nikons for photography. I'm still pondering on whether to shoot this first season wedding in 4K or just 1080 but we do have a rehearsal in 2 days at the Church so I might do a bit of 4K and HD at that to help me decide before the actual shoot on Sunday.

I have the same variable ND's as Colin for each camera but my first genuine outdoor wedding is only the 6th September but at this time of the year it's still a bit wet or overcast so the filters might not come into use before we get the really bright days. We are still technically in the tail end of Winter.

Let me know your comments after Thursday's wedding and some technical details would also be nice!

Chris