Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80 Digital Camera

Description

Mixing long-zoom capabilities with multimedia recording versatility, the Lumix DC-FZ80 from Panasonic pairs an expansive 60x zoom lens with high-resolution stills and 4K video shooting functionality. Revolving around an 18.1MP High-Sensitivity MOS sensor, the FZ80 has a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 for working in low-light conditions as well as a 10 fps shooting rate and UHD 4K/30p video recording at 100 Mbps. The 4K capabilities are extended to stills applications, too, and allow for 30 fps shooting at 8MP as well as the ability to use Post Focus for choosing your specific point of focus after shooting. Complementing these imaging assets is a Lumix DC Vario lens, which provides a 20-1200mm equivalent focal length range, along with POWER O.I.S. to minimise the appearance of camera shake for sharper handheld shooting.

Benefitting these performance attributes is an ergonomic body design that incorporates both a 1.166m-dot electronic viewfinder, for eye-level monitoring, as well as a 3.0" 1.04m-dot touchscreen LCD for intuitive control of shooting settings. Built-in Wi-Fi is also featured for wireless image sharing and remote camera control from a linked smartphone or tablet.

Features

18.1MP High-Sensitivity MOS Sensor and 4K UHD Video
An 18.1MP 1/2.3" High-Sensitivity MOS sensor helps to deliver fast overall performance and notable image quality to suit working in a wide variety of conditions. A top sensitivity of ISO 6400 supports working in difficult lighting conditions, and the shutter also affords a quick 10 fps shooting rate at full-resolution with the mechanical shutter as well as 30 fps shooting at 8MP using the 4K Photo modes.

In addition to the versatile still shooting modes, the FZ80 also supports recording UHD 4K/30p video at 100 Mbps in the MP4 format. Full HD 1080p/60 is also supported, as well as slow-motion 720p/120 and 480p/240 recording settings.

Lumix DC Vario 60x Zoom Lens and POWER O.I.S.
Covering an expansive 20-1200mm equivalent focal length range, the built-in Lumix DC lens offers a 60x optical zoom range that covers wide-angle to super telephoto perspectives. Benefitting the long reach is an advanced optical design that includes six aspherical elements, for a total of nine aspherical surfaces, and three extra-low dispersion elements to help control colour fringing and a variety of aberrations for high clarity and sharpness.

The lens' already impressive optical zoom range can be effectively doubled through the use of Intelligent Zoom, to achieve a total magnification of 120x. Extra Optical Zoom (EZ) settings are also available, which crop into the image to generate a narrower field of view, in order to produce 84x and 122x zoom magnifications at 9MP and 4.5MP resolutions, respectively. Standard digital zoom can be applied as well to, again, increase the effective zoom range by 4x.

Benefitting the long zoom range, POWER Optical Image Stabilisation is also featured, and helps to minimise the appearance of camera shake for sharper handheld shooting at greater zoom magnifications.

4K Photo Modes

Utilising the 4K video recording capabilities, a trio of still shooting modes are available for recording continuous 8MP stills at a 30 fps shooting rate:

• 4K Burst: Just as with video recording, this mode will allow you to continuously record 8MP images at 30 fps for up to 15 min, making it ideal for instances where you need a fast frame rate in order to capture the best moment.
• 4K Pre-Burst: This mode is suitable for times when you're unsure of the critical moment to press the shutter button and will record 8MP images at 30 fps one second prior to and one second after pressing the shutter button in order to give you 60 frames to choose from.
• 4K Burst (S/S): This mode most closely follows the 4K video recording process, and allows you to playback your video, pause at the chosen moment, and use the shutter button to mark a chosen frame from the video and save it as a single 8MP frame.

Post Focus and Focus Stacking
Another attribute of the 4K capabilities is a unique focusing method called Post Focus. This function records imagery as a 4K MP4 file at 30 fps and shifts the specific point of focus throughout the burst shooting in order to offer a range of distinct focusing ranges to choose from. During playback, via the camera's touchscreen, you can then tap the specific region of the image you wish to be in focus and an 8MP JPEG file will be created. Multiple individual files with different points of focus can be created from the original burst, and focusing assist functions can also be used to gain even more precise control over the specific in-focus region.

A built-in focus stacking feature lets you programme the capture of a sequence of photos with shifting focus. This technique allows you to utilise the highest performing aperture as well as increase the depth of field in your final image.

Body Design and Built-In Wi-Fi

• A 0.2" Live View Finder features a 1.166m-dot resolution, 0.46x equivalent magnification, and 100% frame coverage.
• A larger means for image composition and playback, the 3.0" 1.04m-dot rear LCD touchscreen monitor permits intuitive menu navigation and settings control.
• A built-in pop-up flash is available to produce additional illumination when working in low-light conditions. A hot shoe is also featured for working with an optional external flash.
• Built-in Wi-Fi allows you to pair the FZ80 with smartphones or tablets running the Panasonic Image App for wireless image transferring and remote camera control.

Depth-From-Defocus AF Technology
For accelerated autofocus performance, DFD (Depth-From-Defocus) technology is employed to quickly calculate the distance to subjects and adjust the focusing position to benefit continuous shooting and movie recording modes. This contrast-detection type focus method also benefits subject tracking performance for maintaining sharp focus on moving subjects.

Benefitting manual focus operation, focus peaking is available that highlights bright edges of contrast with a coloured outline for quickly recognising your focus point, as well as Touch MF Assist for touch-to-focus operation.

Other Camera Features

• A dedicated macro mode allows you to focus on subjects as close as 0.4" / 1cm-away.
• Raw image files can be processed in-camera for a more streamlined post-production workflow.
• A mechanical shutter enables a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 sec and an electronic shutter function avails a top shutter speed of 1/16,000 sec to better enable working in bright conditions and with wider aperture settings.
• Panorama Shot mode allows you to create seamless panoramic imagery by simply panning about the scene to capture wide-field views.
• The included lithium-ion battery provides approximately 330 shots per charge when using the rear LCD monitor, or 240 shots per charge with the electronic viewfinder.
• Convenient for travelling, the battery can be charged inside the camera via USB connection.
• Create Control modes: Expressive, Retro, Old Days, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Monochrome, Dynamic Monochrome, Rough Monochrome, Silky Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Toy Pop, Bleach Bypass, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Fantasy, Star Filter, One Point Colour, and Sunshine.
• Still image Scene Guide modes: Clear Portrait, Silky Skin, Backlit Softness, Clear in Backlight, Relaxing Tone, Sweet Child's Face, Distinct Scenery, Bright Blue Sky, Romantic Sunset Glow, Vivid Sunset Glow, Glistening Water, Clear Nightscape, Cool Night Sky, Warm Glowing Nightscape, Artistic Nightscape, Glittering Illuminations, Handheld Night Shot, Clear Night Portrait, Soft Image of a Flower, Appetising Food, Cute Dessert, Freeze Animal Motion, Clear Sports Shot, and Monochrome.
• Photo Style settings: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait, and Custom.
• Picture Adjustment settings: Contrast, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, Saturation, Colour Tone, and Filter Effect.