Graham.......You are truly a Blessing to the World of Photography.......Your splendid "how to" tutorials, and thorough camera reviews are so well-planned and executed.....I just bought an FZ-300 yesterday, and I am amazed at how beautifully detailed and sharp the 4k-MP4 files are when recorded in bright light......the weather sealing, the 4K video, and the advanced easy-to-navigate Touch Screen menu system make this little camera a "must buy" for anyone on a modest budget......Thanks Much..!!
Dear Graham, almost 9 years ago my decision to buy a FZ200 based on your fantastic videos. Now I have allready ordered a FZ300 and, waiting for this camera, I study your videos and learn some changes in advance. Thank you very much for your support for this wonderful cameras.
Thank you,Graham. That 363 page manual that comes with the FZ300 is sometimes difficult to interpret. Your videos have really helped me out. You are right, this camera is terrific for such a wide variety of uses. It is sophisticated enough to allow the user to feed their creativity as their skill grows. Very grateful for your help.
Kia Ora from New Zealand! Thank you so much Graham! ...I have just moved up from my FZ200 to the FZ300 and find your tutorial so helpful! ..in fact knowing your tutorial was available gave me the confidence to buy the new camera with out being daunted by all the new changes and features . I deeply appreciate your generosity in time in producing and making freely available this tutorial , warm regards Jan Raymond
Great tutorial series! The last time I had think about film speed, aperture and so on was when I was buying film for my Pentax P30t. Not only did your series get me thinking in those terms again, after so very long, but you beautifully showed in an easy-to-comprehend manor the other great features of the FZ300. I feel I learned far more from your series than if I had gone through the owner's manual page by page. So Bravo! I am a fan!
Thank you so much for your advice and help. I purchased the Fz300 & really enjoy the speed of focus & its many features. It is worth buying it and thank you for your help in learning it through your videos.
Thanks Graham ...the video as usual is done very well. I do not have a 330 but do have an FZ200 and I still learned or improved my understanding of the FZ200 with this video. Thanks again.
Hi Graham. I've been eagerly awaiting this review and was delighted to see it up here when I checked in a few moments ago. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise - I also have the fz200 and loved your tutorials on that camera too - so I am looking forward to the upcoming videos. And what a camera - delighted with my upgrade. Kind regards. James
Graham Houghton - Transitioning from the FZ200 to the FZ300, it has been noticed that not only is the SD card/battery door now hinged differently, the tripod mount is closer to the center of the lens. Cut the corner off one Monfrotto 200PL plate at about in the middle of the protrusion on the front to the rear enough to clear the door. The FZ200 is not able to accept this modification of the plate as it would require removal of too much metal to allow it to mount securely. Can now leave my QR plate on when changing the battery or SD card. As for being off center from the lens, purchased 2 Neewer Two Way Focus Rails, US$13.50/ea. with Amazon Prime, with a Manfrotto quick release adapter, putting them together for a 4-way adjustment that will also serve to center the lens on the tripod for panorama shots. Have been using Bogen/Manfrotto support gear since 1991 with the Bogen 3001 tripod, 3025 3D head, 3130 Fluid Head and 3016 monopod still doing very well, though the plates are a bit different today, and did not want to change to the Arca mounts. Perhaps the FZ400/440 will add some additional depth to its bottom and move the bloody hole over to center? Stay tuned!
WOW! Picked up my FZ300 (I bought it from Germany) yesterday from the post office and took it straight out to a remembrance concert last night on the British Base here (in Cyprus)... Flash seemed inappropriate so I was shooting in 'P' with ISO3200 and took some brilliant pictures - seem to be little noise or much less than the FZ200 which i had locked down into ISO100. Thanks for your help and advice Graham - and camera recommendations! Not sure if I can post pictures here but will try one from last night... Answer - No, you can't post or link images in a comment!
Best camcorder I've had the pleasure of owning Graham and I really appreciate your tutorials (not that i have watched them all yet) 2 questions I would greatly appreciate answering is how do you turn off image stabilisation? What's the best way to conquer blown out clouds/ sky on those brighter days? Sorry if you have already answered these in your other videos, Thanks!
Thanks a lot Graham. Love your videos. Keep up the good work! Which of the available picture styles do you think is probably the best "for taking pictures". Thanks.
Around 20:25 you spoke about Exposure Value. When I duplicate what you showed regarding the EV my display is different, it doesn't have the flash EV provably why I have a 300 instead of the 330. What's the easiest way to control the flash EV and the flash modes. Thanks
nice review - Panasonic really does a nice job of the menu layout - so many Fn keys - and C1 C2 .... - just wish the next FZ1000 will be the size of the FZ330 and had touch LCD etc
Glad I came across your videos! Nice job explaining the camera that I think I will be purchasing. Question - dos you have one for the Fz300 that shows hot to use the stacking feature? And, must I use Photoshop to take advantage of it - I thought I could stack and improve my images (wildlife) in-camera??
Thank you very much Graham, so many GEMS in this video. There is nothing better than actually seeing the settings being changed. Your videos are always so incredibly useful. I notice the video was set to MP4, do you prefer that to AVCHD?
+Rob Healey I normally shoot AVCHD however MP4 is so much easier to edit on my ageing PC as it renders much quicker in the editor. Thanks for your great comments!
+Graham Houghton I've used Sony Movie Studio Platinum for many years, it is an inexpensive version of Vega Pro. I just upgraded to Platinum 12 which has 4K editing . It's at the ridiculous price of $57 on US Amazon- I paid us$75 for my upgrade!!!! but it's worth it. A very extensive NLE with about 16 tracks, awesome audio editing etc www.amazon.com/Sony-Movie-Studio-13-Platinum/dp/B00HRQB216
Graham, Having watched a lot of your RUclips sessions on the DMC-FZ300 I bought one yesterday. Being a Novice I am finding it difficult to learn to use. As mentioned, I have noted a number of different Tutorials in RUclips but many of these relate to transitioning from other cameras. Wondering if there is a definitive list or your Tutorials that will help me master the FZ300 starting from a Novice level?
Hi Graham - thanks again for a great piece of work - very interesting.One little thing: the point focus seems an improvement from the 'smallest' single focus point on the 150/200. But I was wondering why the point focus can be changed in size? A point is a point...? Probably missing something :)
Many thanks for your excellent videos and explainations - really love it my question about your accessories you mentioned. Which diffusor do you use or is showen in this vid? thanks in advance
Thank you for you tutorial vids...I am looking to move from a Canon Lergia G25 to a bridge camera, being disabled I use a mobility scooter to get around so I was looking for something smaller than the Legria. Looking at your videos I got it down to a Canon powershot SX60 and Lumix FZ200, but the came along the Lumix FZ330 but the my choice is Panasonic Lumix FZ330 would you say that's a good choice for a near novice ?
Hello, I want to know il there is a crop factor with the Fz300/330. When I'm at 50mm, it is really 50mm like a full frame or not? Thank. So glad watching your videos... don't stop!!!
Great videos, learning many things. Is there a way to keep the FZ300 on an external power like a regular video camera, so I can record for hours? Also a class 10 U1 is no good and it will give errors. It is 16MB/sec but in theory those 12MB/sec would be enough but are not. I bought one and the camera stops and tells me the card has no speed for it. I'm getting a U3 as you recommended and those are about 45Mb/sec so this will be nice. Thanks
Dear Mr Houghton, I have used Lumix FZ 10 with wide conversion lens 0,8X and teleconversion lens 1,5 X, by Panasonic. For planned new camera FZ 300 can I use both with reduction ring, I what effect I can expect ? With regards Aleksander
I am a birder and need a good field camera to capture images for later identification, etc. I have an FZ200. It's good for that and I appreciate the 600 mm zoom. Sometimes I have to use digital zoom when my subjects are distant which produces terrible photos, but adequate most of the time for ID work. Once in awhile I get some nice photos that I publish online, but that is not my primary goal. I am thinking about buying the FZ300 (330) because of the same zoom capabilities, but I am in turmoil because the FZ1000 is now in my decision mix. Comments I have heard from FZ1000 users about the reduced zoom (400 mm vs. 600 mm) capability is that it all works out because of the much higher sensor resolution which means that cropped and re-sized images look as good as if taken with full zoom on a 600 mm lens. Is this true? Can anyone offer some advice. Simply, which would be a better camera for the needs I stated above?
Hi Graham, love your videos, I am finding them very informative. I am investing in a FZ200 camera to start out as a hobby and am keen to know the best SD card to use for HD videos. Am thinking of investing in SanDisk Extreme 64 GB SDXC Memory Card up to 90 MB/s, Class 10, U3, V30. Am unsure if these specs are unnecessarily high for that camera however. I would really appreciate any advice
BerniThank you so much for explaining some differences. I love the "fz200 but wondering if I should upgrade to the FZ 300 & is it worth the money to upgrade?
+Bernice Hansen It;s such a different camera, not only in the way it handles but also the marvellous flexibility in the set ups you can achieve, yes it's worth the upgrade
Now I saw that FZ300 is the best camera even with 1/2,3 sensor. But unfortunately here in Brazil things like this are very expensive and I didn't find it to buy here in any store.
Thanks so very much. I like to shoot extreme telephoto and the FZ200 is pretty strong at doing this without flattening the battery but a bit more stabilization would certainly be useful.
Question re using 3" LCD viewer on the FZ300 First let me thank you for the huge amount of helpful information that you have provided in your books and blogs and videos. On my FZ1000 I have attached a magnetized metal frame around the 3" LCD monitor that allows me to attach a magnetic LCD hood and viewer that very greatly improves what I can see while taking daytime photographs outdoors, as the hood excludes light and the viewer has a 2x lens that amplifies the LCD image. The hood / viewer I purchased is called LCD Viewfinder with 2X magnification and can be seen at www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BTCWZYC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 On my FZ300, however, the magnetized hood interacts badly with the sensors of the LCD monitor onscreen menu, and causes the LCD monitor to go blank. MY QUESTION IS: is there any way to deactivate the sensors of the LCD monitor screen so that they stop reading inputs from the screen ? (I think the sensors cause the LCD monitor to go blank when they sense the magnets of the LCD viewfinder in close proximity.)
I love this awesome camera. I've had it about 2 months. It's more camera than I need. I've taken some beautiful moon shots which you can see on my face book page. Alfred Frank Lee.
Invaluable help for a complete novice who last used an SLR 40 years ago! Many thanks
Graham.......You are truly a Blessing to the World of Photography.......Your splendid "how to" tutorials, and thorough camera reviews are so well-planned and executed.....I just bought an FZ-300 yesterday, and I am amazed at how beautifully detailed and sharp the 4k-MP4 files are when recorded in bright light......the weather sealing, the 4K video, and the advanced easy-to-navigate Touch Screen menu system make this little camera a "must buy" for anyone on a modest budget......Thanks Much..!!
Dear Graham, almost 9 years ago my decision to buy a FZ200 based on your fantastic videos. Now I have allready ordered a FZ300 and, waiting for this camera, I study your videos and learn some changes in advance. Thank you very much for your support for this wonderful cameras.
Thank you,Graham. That 363 page manual that comes with the FZ300 is sometimes difficult to interpret. Your videos have really helped me out. You are right, this camera is terrific for such a wide variety of uses. It is sophisticated enough to allow the user to feed their creativity as their skill grows. Very grateful for your help.
Kia Ora from New Zealand! Thank you so much Graham! ...I have just moved up from my FZ200 to the FZ300 and find your tutorial so helpful! ..in fact knowing your tutorial was available gave me the confidence to buy the new camera with out being daunted by all the new changes and features . I deeply appreciate your generosity in time in producing and making freely available this tutorial , warm regards Jan Raymond
Great tutorial series! The last time I had think about film speed, aperture and so on was when I was buying film for my Pentax P30t. Not only did your series get me thinking in those terms again, after so very long, but you beautifully showed in an easy-to-comprehend manor the other great features of the FZ300. I feel I learned far more from your series than if I had gone through the owner's manual page by page. So Bravo! I am a fan!
Just purchased a new FX-300 (FX-330 in your country). Your video is much better than reading and re-reading the printed PDF file. :-)
Thank you so much for your advice and help. I purchased the Fz300 & really enjoy the speed of focus & its many features. It is worth buying it and thank you for your help in learning it through your videos.
Thanks Graham ...the video as usual is done very well. I do not have a 330 but do have an FZ200 and I still learned or improved my understanding of the FZ200 with this video. Thanks again.
Hi Graham. I've been eagerly awaiting this review and was delighted to see it up here when I checked in a few moments ago. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise - I also have the fz200 and loved your tutorials on that camera too - so I am looking forward to the upcoming videos. And what a camera - delighted with my upgrade. Kind regards. James
Excellent!
Your videos persuaded me to buy the FZ200 and my FZ300 arrives tomorrow!
Great tutorials Graham. always appreciated, keep them coming.
Graham Houghton - Transitioning from the FZ200 to the FZ300, it has been noticed that not only is the SD card/battery door now hinged differently, the tripod mount is closer to the center of the lens. Cut the corner off one Monfrotto 200PL plate at about in the middle of the protrusion on the front to the rear enough to clear the door. The FZ200 is not able to accept this modification of the plate as it would require removal of too much metal to allow it to mount securely. Can now leave my QR plate on when changing the battery or SD card. As for being off center from the lens, purchased 2 Neewer Two Way Focus Rails, US$13.50/ea. with Amazon Prime, with a Manfrotto quick release adapter, putting them together for a 4-way adjustment that will also serve to center the lens on the tripod for panorama shots. Have been using Bogen/Manfrotto support gear since 1991 with the Bogen 3001 tripod, 3025 3D head, 3130 Fluid Head and 3016 monopod still doing very well, though the plates are a bit different today, and did not want to change to the Arca mounts.
Perhaps the FZ400/440 will add some additional depth to its bottom and move the bloody hole over to center? Stay tuned!
Even having owned this camera (G7, actually) for several months I learned several new things, thank you.
Excellent and completely thorough review! Thanks Graham.
WOW!
Picked up my FZ300 (I bought it from Germany) yesterday from the post office and took it straight out to a remembrance concert last night on the British Base here (in Cyprus)...
Flash seemed inappropriate so I was shooting in 'P' with ISO3200 and took some brilliant pictures - seem to be little noise or much less than the FZ200 which i had locked down into ISO100.
Thanks for your help and advice Graham - and camera recommendations!
Not sure if I can post pictures here but will try one from last night...
Answer - No, you can't post or link images in a comment!
Best camcorder I've had the pleasure of owning Graham and I really appreciate your tutorials (not that i have watched them all yet) 2 questions I would greatly appreciate answering is how do you turn off image stabilisation? What's the best way to conquer blown out clouds/ sky on those brighter days? Sorry if you have already answered these in your other videos, Thanks!
Thanks a lot Graham. Love your videos. Keep up the good work! Which of the available picture styles do you think is probably the best "for taking pictures". Thanks.
Around 20:25 you spoke about Exposure Value. When I duplicate what you showed regarding the EV my display is different, it doesn't have the flash EV provably why I have a 300 instead of the 330. What's the easiest way to control the flash EV and the flash modes.
Thanks
Thank you so much Graham, another fantastic video...Looking forward to the next one now... No pressure !! lol
Very good Graham.
nice review - Panasonic really does a nice job of the menu layout - so many Fn keys - and C1 C2 .... - just wish the next FZ1000 will be the size of the FZ330 and had touch LCD etc
+control chaos Yes these features on the FZ330 show what the FZ1500 could be like!
Glad I came across your videos! Nice job explaining the camera that I think I will be purchasing. Question - dos you have one for the Fz300 that shows hot to use the stacking feature? And, must I use Photoshop to take advantage of it - I thought I could stack and improve my images (wildlife) in-camera??
Thank you very much Graham, so many GEMS in this video. There is nothing better than actually seeing the settings being changed. Your videos are always so incredibly useful.
I notice the video was set to MP4, do you prefer that to AVCHD?
+Rob Healey I normally shoot AVCHD however MP4 is so much easier to edit on my ageing PC as it renders much quicker in the editor. Thanks for your great comments!
+Graham Houghton I've used Sony Movie Studio Platinum for many years, it is an inexpensive version of Vega Pro. I just upgraded to Platinum 12 which has 4K editing . It's at the ridiculous price of $57 on US Amazon- I paid us$75 for my upgrade!!!! but it's worth it. A very extensive NLE with about 16 tracks, awesome audio editing etc www.amazon.com/Sony-Movie-Studio-13-Platinum/dp/B00HRQB216
Graham,
Having watched a lot of your RUclips sessions on the DMC-FZ300 I bought one yesterday. Being a Novice I am finding it difficult to learn to use. As mentioned, I have noted a number of different Tutorials in RUclips but many of these relate to transitioning from other cameras. Wondering if there is a definitive list or your Tutorials that will help me master the FZ300 starting from a Novice level?
Hi Graham - thanks again for a great piece of work - very interesting.One little thing: the point focus seems an improvement from the 'smallest' single focus point on the 150/200. But I was wondering why the point focus can be changed in size? A point is a point...? Probably missing something :)
Many thanks for your excellent videos and explainations - really love it
my question about your accessories you mentioned. Which diffusor do you use or is showen in this vid?
thanks in advance
Thank you for you tutorial vids...I am looking to move from a Canon Lergia G25 to a bridge camera, being disabled I use a mobility scooter to get around so I was looking for something smaller than the Legria. Looking at your videos I got it down to a Canon powershot SX60 and Lumix FZ200, but the came along the Lumix FZ330 but the my choice is Panasonic Lumix FZ330 would you say that's a good choice for a near novice ?
Thanks for this great video. About 2 min. into the video, you mentioned the wide angle lense sitting on the table in front of you. Who makes that?
Hello,
I want to know il there is a crop factor with the Fz300/330. When I'm at 50mm, it is really 50mm like a full frame or not? Thank.
So glad watching your videos... don't stop!!!
Great videos, learning many things. Is there a way to keep the FZ300 on an external power like a regular video camera, so I can record for hours? Also a class 10 U1 is no good and it will give errors. It is 16MB/sec but in theory those 12MB/sec would be enough but are not. I bought one and the camera stops and tells me the card has no speed for it. I'm getting a U3 as you recommended and those are about 45Mb/sec so this will be nice. Thanks
Dear Mr Houghton, I have used Lumix FZ 10 with wide conversion lens 0,8X and teleconversion lens 1,5 X, by Panasonic. For planned new camera FZ 300 can I use both with reduction ring, I what effect I can expect ?
With regards
Aleksander
I am a birder and need a good field camera to capture images for later identification, etc. I have an FZ200. It's good for that and I appreciate the 600 mm zoom. Sometimes I have to use digital zoom when my subjects are distant which produces terrible photos, but adequate most of the time for ID work. Once in awhile I get some nice photos that I publish online, but that is not my primary goal.
I am thinking about buying the FZ300 (330) because of the same zoom capabilities, but I am in turmoil because the FZ1000 is now in my decision mix. Comments I have heard from FZ1000 users about the reduced zoom (400 mm vs. 600 mm) capability is that it all works out because of the much higher sensor resolution which means that cropped and re-sized images look as good as if taken with full zoom on a 600 mm lens. Is this true?
Can anyone offer some advice. Simply, which would be a better camera for the needs I stated above?
Thank you Graham's.
Hi Graham, love your videos, I am finding them very informative. I am investing in a FZ200 camera to start out as a hobby and am keen to know the best SD card to use for HD videos. Am thinking of investing in SanDisk Extreme 64 GB SDXC Memory Card up to 90 MB/s, Class 10, U3, V30. Am unsure if these specs are unnecessarily high for that camera however. I would really appreciate any advice
Hi there Graham i was just wondering how you reset your Fz300 back to its original default settings.
Great video! What did you use to record this video?
The audio "beep" and shutter sound is to me, loud. Is there way to adjust the volume level?
Once again, love the tutorial.
Mr Houghton,could please let me know if the FZ330 can support wireless TTL flash ?
BerniThank you so much for explaining some differences. I love the "fz200 but wondering if I should upgrade to the FZ 300 & is it worth the money to upgrade?
+Bernice Hansen It;s such a different camera, not only in the way it handles but also the marvellous flexibility in the set ups you can achieve, yes it's worth the upgrade
Graham could you give me an Amazon Link to that Arca Plate please. I purchase a different one but it covers the battery compartment
Now I saw that FZ300 is the best camera even with 1/2,3 sensor. But unfortunately here in Brazil things like this are very expensive and I didn't find it to buy here in any store.
YOU WERE AND STILL MY TEACHER !!! RESPEEEEEEECT SIR
Thank beautiful camera
excelent! congratulations from Brasil
ive not owned a proper camera before so would u think the 330 is to much for the first? do i get the 200 or 300
some of my menu settings are greyed out and i cant change the settings. any ideas?
is it worth the upgrade from the FZ200 ?
please let me know how I can turn off the self timer. I had changed it from 0 to 2 seconds, now I cannot turn it off!
go back to the drive mode by pressing the bottom button on the 4 way navigation pad and the scroll left until you select single operation
I have the Amazon.com order number for your nice book. How can I get the PDF version?
Does FZ300 have better image stabilization than FZ200 ?
yes it does, it has the new 5 axis stabilisation - but this does not apply to recording in the 4K mode. The FZ200 only has 2 axis stabilisation.
Thanks so very much. I like to shoot extreme telephoto and the FZ200 is pretty strong at doing this without flattening the battery but a bit more stabilization would certainly be useful.
Question re using 3" LCD viewer on the FZ300
First let me thank you for the huge amount of helpful information that you have provided in your books and blogs and videos.
On my FZ1000 I have attached a magnetized metal frame around the 3" LCD monitor that allows me to attach a magnetic LCD hood and viewer that very greatly improves what I can see while taking daytime photographs outdoors, as the hood excludes light and the viewer has a 2x lens that amplifies the LCD image. The hood / viewer I purchased is called LCD Viewfinder with 2X magnification and can be seen at www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BTCWZYC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
On my FZ300, however, the magnetized hood interacts badly with the sensors of the LCD monitor onscreen menu, and causes the LCD monitor to go blank.
MY QUESTION IS: is there any way to deactivate the sensors of the LCD monitor screen so that they stop reading inputs from the screen ? (I think the sensors cause the LCD monitor to go blank when they sense the magnets of the LCD viewfinder in close proximity.)
certainly a big improvement on the 200 have you found any difference in IQ?
Just go for something like a Samsung MB-SG32D/EU card, they are cheap and does up to 90 MBps read / 80 MBps write..
got mine for under 20 euros.
I love this awesome camera. I've had it about 2 months. It's more camera than I need. I've taken some beautiful moon shots which you can see on my face book page. Alfred Frank Lee.
+Alfred Lee Great to hear you are pleased with the FZ330.