Panasonic FZ100
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-600mm (F2.8-5.2) lens
- 540g - 124 x 82 x 92mm
- Launched July 2010
- Updated by Panasonic FZ200
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
67 Imaging
37 Features
62 Overall
47
Panasonic FZ100 summary
Panasonic FZ100 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom camera first revealed on July of 2010. It uses a 14 MegaPixel, CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a max resolution of 4320 x 3240.
Panasonic released the more recent Panasonic FZ200 (Read Full Comparison) to update this camera.
The FZ100 places at #38 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over all #479 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should look at our Smart camera search to find camera rankings based on your custom factors.
The following is a graph of specific factors used in the rating system.
Panasonic FZ100 family
The Panasonic FZ100 is part of a family of products. You can see the full list below.
F2.8-5.214MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic FZ100 Gallery
You can view the FZ100 from different angles in the gallery here.
Panasonic FZ100 Pros and Cons
Here is a checklist of advantages and drawbacks of the Panasonic FZ100 based on aspects that are often considered important in a camera.
Panasonic FZ100 Sensor features
The Panasonic FZ100 is powered by the Venus Engine FHD processor chip. The measurement of the sensor on the Panasonic FZ100 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 4320 x 3240 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may lead to cropping.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe CMOS sensor boasts 14 megapixels and supports a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. RAW photos are supported therefore you have more room to maneuver in post.
The graphic below displays the FZ100's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The FZ100 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is showcased in green.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesTo get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.
Panasonic FZ100 dimensions
Panasonic FZ100 is 1.19 lb (540 grams / 19.05 oz) and the overall size of the camera is 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams and the Panasonic FZ100 is more heavy than other rivals.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe following is a pic of the Panasonic FZ100 beside a soda so you can have a feel for its size.
The top view here will illustrate the button arrangement on the FZ100.
Panasonic FZ100 Lens features
The FZ100 has a built-in lens with a focal range of 25-600mm making it a 24.0 x zoom which is huge and will make it easier to zoom right in.
At it's widest 25mm, it will have an aperture of f2.8 and that is quite sluggish and not very good in low light situations and you will probably find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will likely also need to increase your ISO giving you noisy files. For the long end, 600mm is superb zoom and comes to f5.2 making it pretty sluggish and you will have to go with slow shutter speeds.
Panasonic FZ100 Connectivity
The FZ100 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Digital cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to transfer pictures and in some cases change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.
Some apps also stream a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it could be attached to an external monitor. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack using the USB socket.
Panasonic FZ100 Video features
The max video resolution on the Panasonic FZ100 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in AVCHD format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance for quality vs file size but 1080p will not give you much room to downsample. Even though the body features a microphone socket, it is missing a headphone socket which means you will not be able to check your sound levels.
Panasonic FZ100 Weather Sealing
There is no environment proofing for the Panasonic FZ100 so you have to be careful in rainy and dusty situations.
Panasonic FZ100 Display and Viewfinder
The Panasonic FZ100 houses a 3 inch fully articulated display with a resolution of 460 thousand dots.
The display is selfie friendly to get self portraits as well as group photos if needed. Please note that the display screen offers no touch support.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe View Finder specifications regarding Panasonic FZ100 are below:
- ViewFinder Electronic
Viewfinders are quite handy for bright outdoor situations which can make the camera display washed out and very difficult to view.
Panasonic FZ100 Shutter features
Panasonic FZ100 continuous shooting speed is 11.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.
Panasonic FZ100 Flash and Hot shoe features
Panasonic FZ100 boasts both built in flash and also external flash support.
Panasonic FZ100 Autofocusing features
Panasonic FZ100 boasts only Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster & accurate than Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detect which makes it handy for taking photos of people.
It also includes Tracking Autofocus for subjects on the move. Panasonic FZ100 has got manual focusing in case it is required for low light situations or you want more exact control on focusing.
Panasonic FZ100 Battery life
The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the maximum (600) battery life for this kind of cameras.
Here is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the highest battery life:
Panasonic FZ100 for varying categories of photography
The following graph provides a outline of the Panasonic FZ100 for varying categories of photography. To see more, visit the specific paragraph below.
Panasonic FZ100 as a Portrait photography camera
The Panasonic FZ100 receives a points tally of 54 which is reasonable, meaning that it is relatively appropriate to use for portraits. Photographing portrait images favors heavily to sensor dimensions, RAW support together with the capability to use external lighting.
Panasonic FZ100 Street photography factors
With a modest points total of 58, the Panasonic FZ100 is fairly appropriate to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.
Panasonic FZ100 Sports photography details
A moderate sports photography points tally of 51 suggests the Panasonic FZ100 is relatively acceptable for photographing sports. A camera needs good focusing plus continuous shooting for sports photography.
Panasonic FZ100 Travel photography factors
Portability is super crucial when buying a camera for travel. All things considered, the Panasonic FZ100 gets a decent 59 as a travel camera which is relatively suitable to take with you on your holidays.
Panasonic FZ100 Landscape photography information
For anybody planning to purchase a camera for landscape photography, the most vital aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic FZ100 at it's reasonable rating of 51 for a landscape camera is reasonably appropriate in the current market.
Vlogging with Panasonic FZ100
A vlogging camera really should offer a moving screen, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Panasonic FZ100 is a very decent pick as a vlog camera as it gets a nice rating of 64.
Panasonic FZ100 Alternatives
If you are trying to find replacements to the FZ100, below is a collection of the highest ranked cameras that fall in to the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.
The diagram listed below provides you an overview of the FZ100 versus it's top scoring rivals listed previously.
These are some more cameras you may regard as alternate options. To review a comprehensive comparison, visit the "compare" link.