Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 Digital Camera

The Panasonic Lumix FZ300 might not be a huge update from its predecessor, the FZ200, but it's still one of the best in its class and a fantastic option for a single camera for photos and video -- even in the rain.

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  The Panasonic Lumix FZ300 has a best-in-class 24x f2.8 25-600mm lens; excellent photo and video quality for a small-sensor compact; extensive shooting mode and setting options; comfortable body and control layout; its body is weather resistant; and it records great-looking 4K video that can also be...

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  The controls and setting navigation may be overwhelming if you're used to "leaving it in Auto." Because of the lens, it is bigger -- and more expensive -- than other small-sensor cameras with comparable zoom ranges. No headphone jack.

The excellent Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 superzoom offers a long focal range with a fixed-aperture lens, 4K video, and instant autofocus.

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  24x zoom lens with f/2.8 aperture. All-weather build. Excellent EVF. Vari-angle touch-screen display. Very fast autofocus. 12.4fps burst shooting. Strong high ISO images for its class. Raw image capture. 4K video.

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  Expensive. Large-sensor superzooms offer better image quality. Zoom range isn't as ambitious as others.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ300 is a camera with two faces. On the one hand, it offers a very good technological equipment, with its remarkable zoom with constant aperture, videos 4K, the flurry of 30fps, the abundance of electronic options, the great sights and the great depth of control.

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  Objective 25-600mm f / 2.8, Excellent build quality, Fast performance, 4K video, Great depth of control.

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  Price challenging for a camera sensor to reduced image quality in the media, "soft" full aperture.

The Panasonic FZ300 improves upon the FZ200 in numerous ways while building upon the same tried-and-true 12.1-megapixel sensor and 24-600mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. The redesigned body, improved EVF, and better tilting display really help the FZ300 handle well out in the field.

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  Good image quality for its class; Improved ergonomics; Impressive new EVF and rear display; Versatile 24-600mm equivalent f/2.8 lens; Faster autofocus performance; 4K video and 4K Photo features.

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  Bulky camera body; Excessive default noise reduction applied at lower ISOs; Continuous autofocus performance is inconsistent.

Panasonic's superzoom is good, but is it worth the price?

Three years ago, when the FZ200 was released, it was one of the fastest cameras in the super-zoom category. The FZ300 improves upon that performance and also delivers higher resolution, better stabilisation and 4K movie recording in a more robust, weather-sealed body.

Consider a 25mm - 600mm F/2.8 lens for an SLR. The very fact that this camera exists, albeit with a small sensor, is amazing and easily earns this camera 5 stars. There is no similar camera to consider in this category. I also owned the prior model, the DMC-FZ200. It was great.This is much better.

I've only had this camera for a few weeks so haven't had it long enough to give an extensive review. I own a Canon DSLR and Canon Powershot but wanted something for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. This fits the bill perfectly.

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  Long zoom, weather resistant, sharp viewfinder.

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  Small sensor, numerous menu options

Good all around camera.

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  Easy To Use, Fast/accurate auto-focus, Good Image Quality, Good Image Stabilization, Good in Low Light, Great Zoom, Large Clear LCD, Nice Body Color, Short Lag Time

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  None

If you can accept the trade-off related to the 'noise factor' coming with the small sensor, this is an awesome camera for the price. If you have the money and can live with the 16x optical zoom and the bigger size, rather try and settle for the FZ1000.

A little bigger than I expected ( I call it my fat camera). I keep in raw shooting mode - the JPEGs just can't match my Fuji cameras. Tracking focus and face recognition are very good. Burst shooting at 12 fps for about 30 shots is great.

I like this camera. There are a number of features (maybe standard, now) that I was pleased to discover. In particular, the "pre-trigger" mode (4K continuous mode; it keeps recording images and then, upon shutter-button press, saves the last second or so plus a little after the press) is potentially...