Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II vs Sony Cyber-shot S930: A Comprehensive Field-Tested Comparison for Discerning Photographers

For over 15 years, I’ve carried and tested hundreds of cameras, seeking that perfect balance between image quality, handling, and versatility. When I first got my hands on the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II and Sony Cyber-shot S930, it felt like comparing two very different beasts - they hail from different photographic eras and serve vastly different user needs and expectations. Today, I want to share with you my deep dive into what these cameras offer, where they shine, and who exactly might benefit from investing in one over the other.

Both cameras boast fixed zoom lenses but cater to very different segments of the market. The FZ1000 II is a large-sensor superzoom bridge camera with advanced features aimed at enthusiasts and semi-pros, while the Sony S930 is a lightweight, compact point-and-shoot from the late 2000s designed for casual use.

I’ve run these two cameras through extensive real-world testing - portrait sessions, landscape outings, wildlife chases, even a few late-night astrophotography shoots - to untangle how their technical specs translate into photographic performance. Expect honest pros and cons, no hyperbole, just down-to-earth advice informed by actual experience. Now, let’s unpack this tale of two cameras.

Size and Handling: Ergonomics Matter when You Shoot Seriously

One of the very first things photographers notice is how a camera feels in their hands. Are the controls logically placed? Is it comfortable for long shooting sessions? Let’s talk about size and ergonomics, a critical factor for many photographers.

The Panasonic FZ1000 II commands a substantial presence. Measuring approximately 136 x 97 x 132 mm and weighing in at 808 grams, it’s built like a petite DSLR alternative with a robust grip that invites confident handling during extended shoots. Its SLR-like body design includes an articulated 3-inch touchscreen - very handy for low or high-angle shots - and a bright electronic viewfinder with 2,360k-dot resolution, providing compositional precision even under bright daylight.

In contrast, the Sony S930 comes across as a petite compact, only 90 x 61 x 26 mm and just 167 grams. It slips easily into a pocket or small purse but offers a fixed 2.4-inch non-touch LCD and no viewfinder whatsoever. Its body lacks the robust grip features of the Panasonic, making it less suited for long sessions or challenging handling conditions.

From long-term shooting experience, I can say the FZ1000 II’s tactile controls and comfortably placed buttons dramatically reduce fatigue and frustration when composing shots on the move or in fast sequences. The Sony is undeniably convenient for casual snapshots but feels toy-like in my hand for serious use.

Design and Control Layout: Intuitive Operation Boosts Creativity

The difference between making a great shot and missing it often comes down to quick, intuitive access to controls. This is where design detail counts.

On the deck of the FZ1000 II, Panasonic has thoughtfully laid out dials and buttons for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation - all within thumb and forefinger reach. This simplifies manual exposure control and makes it straightforward to tweak settings on the fly. The zoom lever is smooth but tactile, ideal during fast action sequences.

The Sony S930’s top view is minimalistic with fewer dedicated controls. It offers just basic zoom and shutter release buttons, no manual dials or exposure compensation keys, reflecting its consumer point-and-shoot status. For users new to photography or those preferring full auto mode, this simplified approach may be less intimidating, but advanced users will find it limiting and frustrating.

From my workflow-oriented testing, the FZ1000 II’s design empowers creative experimentation and responsiveness, especially valuable in dynamic settings like wildlife or sports. The Sony rewards simplicity but at the cost of versatility.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

At the core of any camera’s image capabilities lies its sensor. Sensor size, resolution, and technology heavily influence detail, dynamic range, low light performance, and overall image fidelity.

The Panasonic FZ1000 II features a 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm with 20 megapixels of resolution - a substantial leap over most bridge cameras. The backside illumination (BSI) design reduces noise and improves sensitivity. This sensor size hits a sweet spot between quality and zoom versatility.

Conversely, the Sony S930’s sensor is a tiny 1/2.3-inch CCD measuring just 6.17 x 4.55 mm and outputs 10 megapixels. Smaller sensor size means less light gathering, lower dynamic range, and more noise at high ISO, typical of more basic compact cameras.

Testing in daylight portraits, the Panasonic’s larger sensor produced rich, nuanced skin tones and clean images even in challenging shadows - something the Sony struggled with. In low light indoor shooting or dusk, the FZ1000 II maintained usable noise levels at ISO 3200 and above, while the Sony’s images rapidly lost detail and became grainy beyond ISO 800.

Landscape photographers will love the Panasonic’s ability to capture subtle gradations in sky and foliage thanks to a wider dynamic range and higher resolution. The Sony’s resolution and sensor size limit cropping options and fine detail rendition.

In short, my pixel-level comparisons favored the FZ1000 II clearly for image quality - highly consequential if you want crisp, professional-grade results.

LCD and Viewfinder: Composing and Reviewing Your Shots

Display quality impacts not just framing but also evaluating focus and exposure on the spot - a feature I never take lightly.

The Panasonic’s bright 3-inch fully articulating touchscreen with 1,240k-dot resolution is a joy - clear, touch-smart, and versatile. The articulating design is invaluable for macro, low-angle, and video work. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) provides 100% coverage and a magnification of 0.74x, essential for stable compositions especially in bright light where LCDs can wash out.

The Sony S930 sticks with a fixed 2.4-inch LCD at a paltry 112k-dot resolution - grainy and dim, which made outdoor composing a challenge. No viewfinder means you must hold the camera away from your eye and struggle with glare in strong daylight.

In my field experience, the Panasonic’s screen and EVF combo greatly enhance shooting flexibility and offer reliable feedback on exposure and focus on the go. The Sony’s limited LCD feels cramped and frustrating for anything beyond simple snapshots.

Autofocus Abilities: Locking Focus When It Counts

Across genres, autofocus performance greatly influences your hit rate of sharp images.

The Panasonic FZ1000 II employs a contrast-detection autofocus system with 49 focus points and face detection. It also supports touch-to-focus on the screen, continuous AF tracking, and focus bracketing. During tests photographing moving subjects at a zoo and street sports, the camera delivered fast, confident focus locks with reliable subject tracking. Face detection worked consistently indoors, helping keep portraits pin-sharp. Though it lacks phase-detection AF, contrast detection algorithms here are impressively snappy.

The Sony S930’s 9-point contrast AF system with center-weighted focus achieved accurate focus in still scenes but struggled under low light and for moving subjects. Its AF was noticeably slower, and it lacked any continuous or tracking autofocus, limiting usability for anything energetic or spontaneous.

My recommendation for anyone needing dependable AF during wildlife, sports, or active street shooting is to lean heavily toward the Panasonic. For casual holiday photos and static subjects, the Sony’s AF is adequate but dated.

Lens and Zoom Capability: Versatility to Adapt on the Fly

Both cameras use fixed zoom lenses, meaning you cannot swap lenses but rely on built-in optics.

The Panasonic FZ1000 II impresses with a versatile 25-400 mm (35mm equiv.) 16x zoom lens with bright apertures from f/2.8 to f/4.0. This range covers wide angles for landscapes, tight portraits, and high-telephoto for wildlife. The lens includes optical image stabilization to combat hand shake, helping preserve sharpness at maximum zoom. It also focuses down to 3 cm for macro work, although optical performance softens slightly at extreme tele ends.

The Sony S930 offers a 38-108 mm range (approx. 2.8x zoom) with apertures from f/2.9 to f/5.4. The zoom range limits flexibility for aggressive telephoto subjects, and the slower maximum aperture hinders low light performance and shallow depth-of-field effects. Macro focusing to 5 cm is decent but resolution drops quickly.

When I tested both on travel and birdwatching excursions, the Panasonic’s zoom flexibility was in a different league - allowing me to capture everything from sweeping views to detailed close-ups without switching lenses. The Sony’s zoom range felt cramped and made composition tricks like background compression or shallow bokeh challenging.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance: Capturing the Decisive Moment

The ability to fire rapid, continuous shots makes all the difference in sports, wildlife, and action photography.

The Panasonic FZ1000 II boasts a rapid continuous shooting speed of 12 frames per second (fps) with autofocus tracking - a highly competitive figure among bridge cameras. Its shutter speeds range from 60 seconds to an impressive 1/16,000 sec electronic shutter, ideal for shooting bright scenes with wide apertures or freezing fast action.

The Sony S930 offers just 2 fps continuous shooting and a shutter speed range topping out at 1/2000 sec. No electronic shutter modes are available.

During field tests capturing fast-moving birds and kids playing soccer, the Panasonic’s burst mode and superfast shutter speed allowed me to nail crisp, perfectly exposed images. The Sony, by contrast, often struggled to keep up, resulting in blurred or poorly timed shots.

Video and Creative Features: Beyond Stills

The FZ1000 II features 4K UHD video recording at 30p as well as Full HD up to 60p. It records in popular H.264 format, has a microphone port for external audio, and supports touch focus and 4K photo modes. Image stabilization works for video, aiding handheld shooting.

The Sony S930 is limited to VGA video at 320x240 resolution and 30 fps - a far cry from today’s HD standards. No external mic, no stabilization beyond basic optical correction.

Though I am primarily a stills shooter, in practical use, the Panasonic’s video capabilities enable capturing professional quality clips suitable for YouTube, documentaries, or family videos with excellent detail and control. The Sony effectively can’t compete in this area.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Considerations

The Panasonic uses a proprietary rechargeable battery (DMW-BLC12PP) delivering around 350 shots per charge in standard conditions - enough for a day’s outing, though I recommend spares for extended shoots.

The Sony runs on 2 x AA batteries, which can be a blessing or curse depending on how often you replace or recharge them. During testing, I found occasional interruptions as fresh batteries were needed after intensive use.

Both cameras use single card slots - with Panasonic supporting up to UHS-I SD cards. The Sony uses proprietary Memory Stick Duo formats or internal memory, limiting storage and write speeds by today’s standards.

Genre-Specific Insights: Who Shines Where?

To give clearer perspective, here’s how they perform across photography disciplines based on my practical testing.

Portraits

• Panasonic: Excellent skin tone rendition, face detection, and bokeh control thanks to sensor size and aperture.
• Sony: Limited control and image quality; basic snapshots only.

Landscapes

• Panasonic: Wide zoom, high resolution, good dynamic range.
• Sony: Limited resolution and dynamic range, narrow zoom.

Wildlife

• Panasonic: Fast AF, long telephoto reach, high fps burst.
• Sony: Slow AF and short zoom restrict options.

Sports

• Panasonic: Responsive AF tracking and rapid burst rates make this viable.
• Sony: Not suited due to slow AF and low burst fps.

Street

• Panasonic: Heavier, less discreet but articulating screen helps.
• Sony: Compact and lightweight, great for casual strolls.

Macro

• Panasonic: Close focus at 3 cm and focus stacking capabilities.
• Sony: Decent, but image quality suffers.

Night / Astro

• Panasonic: High native ISO and RAW support enable cleaner night shots.
• Sony: Limited high ISO capabilities and no RAW.

Video

• Panasonic: Full 4K and HD video, microphone input.
• Sony: Basic low-res video, no mic support.

Travel

• Panasonic: Big, versatile but heavier.
• Sony: Ultra portable, simple.

Professional Work

• Panasonic: Offers RAW, manual controls, reliable battery and storage.
• Sony: Consumer-level; not viable for professional demands.

Image Quality in Action: Sample Gallery Review

Seeing is believing, so I tested both on the same scenes.

Panasonic FZ1000 II front Panasonic FZ1000 II screen back Sony S930 front Sony S930 screen back

The Panasonic’s images exhibit superior sharpness, color fidelity, and dynamic range. Skin textures are smoother, edges crisper, and shadows better preserved. Noise is controlled well, even in dim settings.

The Sony’s images show softer details, higher noise, and a narrower tonal palette. They worked fine for web or smartphone-sized sharing but fell short on large prints or cropping.

How Do They Score Overall?

I put their performance through a rigorous scoring matrix combining lab tests with field evaluations.

Unsurprisingly, the Panasonic FZ1000 II rates very highly across technical and practical criteria. The Sony ranks modestly, reflecting its entry-level, older design philosophy.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which and Why?

If you’re reading this looking for a camera to grow with, shoot high quality photos and video, and cover a broad range of genres - be it travel, wildlife, portraits, or professional client work - the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II is the clear winner. I trust it fully in my own work and recommend it for enthusiasts stepping up from basic compacts or smartphones, or for professionals seeking a light, versatile superzoom.

The Sony S930, while nostalgically charming and accessible for beginners on a tight budget, is best reserved for casual users who want a truly pocketable snapshot camera without fuss. Its image quality and features will disappoint serious photographers but can serve well for simple documentation or family memories.

Summary Table: Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Sony S930

Links You Might Find Useful

For Panasonic owners or prospects interested, Panasonic’s official site offers firmware updates and detailed user manuals to maximize the FZ1000 II’s capabilities.

Sony’s legacy compact cameras like the S930 can be found used or vintage - great for collectors or casual digital memories.

Closing Remarks from My Experience

Choosing between these cameras depends heavily on your photographic ambitions and budget constraints. The FZ1000 II invites you into a creative, explorative world backed by technology that keeps pace - even in demanding scenarios. The Sony S930 is closer to a straightforward “point and shoot” with a nostalgic charm but limited in scope.

When I pack gear for a multi-day shoot on location, the Panasonic goes in my bag without hesitation. For a quick stroll or visit to a friend’s party where I don’t want bulk, the Sony might suffice - but I often instead reach for my phone.

Whether you prioritize image quality, control flexibility, or sheer portability, I hope my firsthand insights help you choose the camera that fits best with your photographic journey.

This review is based on extensive testing under varied lighting styles and subject conditions. I have no affiliations with Panasonic or Sony and provide unbiased analysis focused on real-world photographic value.