FZ2500 Impressions and Comments?

[Mathew Meyerotto]

So what's the verdict on the FZ2500? Is it good enough for event work? The big selling points for me are no recording limits, ND filters, headphone jack, 4K. But apparently the lens is not as high quality as the FZ1000. I probably would mainly use it as 2nd camera to my AC90 for event work. Un-manned cam. Record 4K and zoom in on the footage on a 1080 timeline to simulate multiple cameras. I would personally use it for photography to replace my Canon T3i. Having played with the FZ1000 and liking it quite a bit I was disappointed to read about some of the quality issues with FZ2500. It was going to be my "perfect" bridge camera from work to play.

[Chris Harding]

Are you seriously comparing the Leica lens of the FZ2500 against the cheap lens that they put on the AC-90? Hardly a comparison ....the AC-90 also has so much smoothing filtration that in low light it looks like hair has been stray painted on .... I would be using the 2500 as the main camera and the AC-90 as a B-Cam

[Mathew Meyerotto]

I agree about the heavy noise reduction on the AC90. However, the AC90 is a decent camera for event work. It doesn't do anything great but gets the job done and has most of the features that I want for event work. For example, a minor feature is the variable white balance which is very handy for mixed lighting (which is pretty much the whole wedding day). It has dual XLR inputs and dual SD slots.

I would fully expect the FZ2500 to have overall better picture quality. With that said, I'm old school and like the grab 'n go experience of shooting with the AC90. If I were to really like using the FZ2500 I could myself replacing the 90.

So it sounds like you have experience with both cameras. Is the FZ2500 better in low light? I've read that it's not that great due to the lens stopping down quickly. My only experience with 1" sensor cameras is the RX100 which was pretty good in low light for stills but not great in video.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Mathew

We shot on AC-130's which were the 1/3" sensor model up from the AC90's tiny 1/5" sensors and the low light wasn't bad but the 1" chip (also backlit) on the FZ2500 is way better. Just for interest the FZ series actually use a Sony sensor anyway so you get much the same result ...I find the camera a lot better and sharper than my AC-130's

Yeah the big downfall is the lack of audio processing ..I'm using a Saramonic AX-7 2 channel XLR unit under my camera for audio which makes it clumsy for handheld work plus being "DSLR form factor" I had to put a bar under the camera with twin handles left and right to make it usable!!

I'm old school too and if I could get a shoulder mount camera with the FZ2500 lens and electronics in the housing I would buy two in a heartbeat ... I have never been a big fan of using mirrorless cameras for video but there isn't much else out there that will give me the same performance as the FZ2500

[Ronald Jackson]

Panasonic need to update their AF-101, put GH5 "works" inside and make a couple or three power zoom lenses.

Ron

[Bruce Reynolds]

I have always powered off my cameras if I'm not going to use it for awhile. Doing this with past cameras, GH2, GH3 and now GH4 and just got the FZ-2500 and have done 3 events with it and power it off also. No use wasting battery just standing around waiting BUT it might take more battery power just turning it on again and extending the lens over again?? To bad Panasonic doesn't have a frequent asked question board

[Bruce Reynolds]

Mathew Meyerotto-- I have used the FZ-2500 at 3 events in the month I have had it. One it was 2nd camera to GH4 and the wedding on Friday was an outside Indian ceremony and the FZ was main camera, GH4 was stand alone. The FZ was main because of the smooth zoom and ND filters.
Saturday it was a 40 year vow renewal and inside at a event place. I still used the FZ as main camera because of the zoom since I was by myself, the GH4 was 2nd camera with 12-35mm f2.8 lens. I did use both during cocktail time just to compare. The GH4 maybe just a little brighter, both on wide, both looked fine. And dancing time I used both again to compare and ended up using FZ-2500 more becaused I liked the colors I was seeing better.

[Chris Harding]

Back to your question about the FZ being good enough in low light and good enough for events ..yes absolutely The FZ1000 is actually a bit sharper than the FZ2500 due to maybe extra lenses so if the slow zoom is not critical for you I would get a FZ1000 and save $500!!

I'm actually going to get rid of my FZ2500 and replace it with a shoulder mount MDH2 ..yes it's smaller sensor and not nearly as good in low light BUT I only use the 2500 for live streaming wedding ceremonies and I still have 2 x FZ1000's for 4K stuff .... Streams are all 720P so it's a waste using a 4K cinema camera to stream 1280x720 ... the MDH2 has a robust full size HDMI socket whereas the 2500 has a flimsy micro port (I have already damaged the ports in BOTH FZ1000's) Yes the FZ2500 has a brilliant zoom but to make space for the slow zoom buttons the stabilizer has been moved to a menu operated one so you cannot run off the tripod and have time to take the camera off the tripod AND switch on the stabilizer ...maybe however there is a function button it can be allocated too??

All things aside I still think it's a brilliant event camera!!

[Jack Walsh]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

I'm actually going to get rid of my FZ2500 and replace it with a shoulder mount MDH2 ..yes it's smaller sensor and not nearly as good in low light BUT I only use the 2500 for live streaming wedding ceremonies and I still have 2 x FZ1000's for 4K stuff .... Streams are all 720P so it's a waste using a 4K cinema camera to stream 1280x720 ... the MDH2 has a robust full size HDMI socket whereas the 2500 has a flimsy.........!

Hey Chris, nothing robust about the MDH2. Bit of a toy, had one for about a month. Dont think it will be up to your standards.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Jack

Not the casing ..that is flimsy ..the decent HDMI socket is what I need ..I just do a bunch of wedding ceremonies each month and even with a Lock Port on the FZ2500 camera I still have issues with the tiny micro port ..Yeah I had one before and regardless it will do the job just fine ...it's only a 720 stream ..single cam shoot. I still use my two FZ1000's for the decent stuff ...in fact I have twp photoshoots and two video shoots on Monday and Tuesday with the FZ1000's so they work hard and do a good job! I just felt it was pointless having the 2500 sitting in a rig all week only being used for 30 minutes on a Friday or Saturday ..such a waste of all it's awesome features ....BOTH my FZ1000 micro HDMI ports were damaged using a flexible HDMI cable so I want something with a tough full spec HDMI socket which the cheap MD has!!

They are mostly beach weddings too! So having a unit that I can replace cheaply when it ends up full of sand or salt spray is where I want to be. It's almost a disposable situation for me and I don't want to waste the pristine FZ2500 on that situation

[Bill Watson]

The lack of switchable ND filters on the FZ1000 is a shame though. For me anyway as most of my work is outside. Have you settled on a good ND filter for exterior work Chris?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Bill

I have two Fotga Variable ND's on each camera and they seem to be OK but probably not the best ... When they are used they seem to do a good job. We don't do an awful lot of stills ..mainly video but the occasional real estate shoot does come up. With weddings unless they are on the beach, we tend to migrate to shadier spots where we can.

I needed the FZ2500 mainly for the nice slow zoom plus the fact that both my FZ1000 HDMI ports got damaged with overuse of cables into the port so I figured I might as well go up a notch, To be honest I don't use the ND's that much ..if you are doing big zooms and don't need the ND's all the time a FZ1000 might be a better buy I would think ..the image IS sharper!!

[Bill Watson]

I'll be using it mostly for video. Full zoom then occasionally all the way back for perspective. I have switchable ND filters on my Canon XH-A1 video camera. Essential in the glare of the early morning sun.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Bill

If you are doing even zoom outs then definately get the FZ2500 ..the FZ1000 has a jerky zoom ..it's fine for framing but if you need a smooth zoom out or in then the FZ1000 doesn't do a good job! If you get the 2500 then you don't have to get ND's either ...in case you didn't know it also has "auto ND" which keeps the iris in the sweet spot if it's really bright .. all the HMC cameras had that feature too ..stops the shutter speed going crazy!

I'm doing my last live broadcast stream with the FZ2500 on Friday then I'll pop it onto eBay for a quick sale and use the 1000's and manual ND's from then onwards.

[Bill Watson]

How much do you want for it mate? Email me if that's better.