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| Photographing birds in flight is probably one of the most difficult tasks you can ask a camera to perform. The FZ300 does just fine. The main limitation on success is the experience and skill of the user. |
Panasonic announced the FZ300 in July 2015.
I bought one as soon as it became available in Australia and used it for a short time.
At the time I was very much engaged in learning about the FZ1000 and deciding to leave the world of interchangeable lens cameras forever.
The FZ300 seemed at the time like a poor cousin to the FZ1000 so I gave it perhaps less attention than it deserved.
Since then eight things have prompted this re-appraisal of the FZ300 and other fixed zoom lens cameras using the “smart phone” sensor.
1. I have gotten older and my priority has shifted towards finding the most compact solution to my all-in-one camera requirements. My wife who likes to photograph birds has the same idea.
The FZ300 and FZ70/80 are large enough to hold comfortably and steadily for minimal camera shake but small enough to fit into a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 10 bag.
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| Running dogs are not quite as difficult to photograph as birds in flight but they are still plenty challenging enough especially when backlit as here. |
2. My notions of acceptable picture quality have become more pragmatic. I recently completed and printed to A4 size a portfolio of 350 family photos dating from 1925 to the present. Some of the originals were poor quality contact prints only 50 x 70 mm in size.
Yet when family members view the prints not one of them asks what camera made the picture and no one has commented about the technical quality of the prints. The content is what matters.
3. Over the last two years I have been exploring the level of picture quality available from cameras which use the so-called “1/2.3 inch” sensor which actually has a diagonal of around 7.67 mm. The exact size can vary from one iteration to another.
This is the same sized sensor found in many smartphones.
I have found that even budget small sensor cameras such as the Panasonic TZ80 can produce pictures which I can print up to an actual size of 410 x 550 mm, about the largest size my Epson 4880 printer can output.
These prints look just fine, clear and sharp with good presence on the wall, good highlight and shadow detail, good colour and no grain apparent at normal viewing distance.
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| I was on a ferry travelling at 17 knots in the opposite direction to this powerboat which is doing about 20 knots. The FZ300 had no trouble following focus on the power boat. |
4. In either compact or “bridge” style, small sensor cameras can have a much greater zoom range than any other camera type. In addition the bridge style models in particular can have excellent ergonomics (although not all actually do) providing an engaging, enjoyable experience for the user.
Some like the FZ300 featured in this post meet my criteria for a “proper camera” with a very nice EVF, fully articulated monitor, proper anatomical handle and thumb support and a full set of controls for the expert/enthusiast user.
5. I realised that the better digital cameras using a 7.67mm sensor have an output with about the same quality as the best I could get 15 years ago from 35mm film in a high quality camera with a good prime lens.
I figure that if 35mm film was good enough for me and just about everybody else, which it was, then digital cameras with the 7.67mm sensor will do me just fine.
6. I tested several small sensor cameras in a range of challenging situations including subjects with high brightness range, birds in flight and many others, and found they performed well enough for my purposes.
7. I revisited Adobe Camera Raw and re-acquainted myself with the many sliders to be found there. This revealed the potential capability of ACR which I had not fully explored previously.
I realised that by shooting RAW and working on the files in ACR I could obtain surprisingly good output even from high ISO (1600) files.
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| You could probably photograph the sailboat with AF Single as it is moving slowly compared to the powerboats whizzing around on Sydney harbour. I used AFC and burst mode with all the 20 or so frames sharp. |
8. Far and away the camera type most frequently purchased by individuals is the one in a smart phone.
Cameras for CCTV and industrial uses are also vastly more numerous than dedicated consumer cameras for individuals wanting to take photos.
Many of these cameras use a version of the now ubiquitous 7.67mm sensor type, often made by Sony or Samsung.
I figure that most of the R&D effort is probably going into this sensor type with the expectation of improved picture quality in the hopefully near future.
There you have the eight things. I think that together they make a strong case for the camera with a “smart phone” sensor.
So I bought another FZ300 and have been using it extensively in a variety of challenging situations.
My wife liked the feel and size of the FZ300 so we got one for her also.
The photos which accompany this post illustrate the ability of the FZ300 to follow focus on moving subjects.
At the time of writing The FZ300 is the most capable of the 7.67mm sensor cameras at this task.
It is the only one I would use for birds in flight which it manages quite well.