Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.2 Ergonomic evaluation and score 4 July 2019

-
FZ1000.2



The main difference  between the original FZ1000 and the Mk2 version is the user interface including the external layout and controls. The original was decently well designed but the user interface of the Mk2 is better in every respect.
In fact the FZ1000.2 is one of the most user friendly cameras I have owned providing an enjoyable, streamlined operating experience.

Setup Phase
The FZ1000.2 has Panasonic’s latest mid range Menu system with a My Menu and subheadings in the Custom menu, very nice graphical user interface and easy navigation.
It is one of the better menu offerings among currently available cameras but could still be substantially improved.
In my view all the camera makers need to undertake a root-and-branch re-design of  their menu systems using photographer relevant categories. Old style submenus like [camera symbol] and [Custom] really mean nothing.
In addition Panasonic could improve navigation to enable whole page jumps.

Setup score 11/15

Prepare Phase
This is well managed on the FZ1000.2 with plenty of well chosen access points for setting up the camera to meet changing conditions.
However as I commented with the G95 I have shifted my view on the subject of Prescribed Purpose Modules. Having run a lot of motion studies I now take the view that the Drive Mode Dial and Focus Mode lever should be removed and their functions allocated to a Fn button or similar.
This would enable more streamlined shifting between Custom Modes on the Mode dial.
As it stands if I want to shift gears from general photography to say, sport/action I have to select one of the pre-programmed C Modes on the Mode Dial and change the setting on the Drive Mode Dial and change the setting on the Focus Mode lever.
Get rid of the Drive Mode Dial and Focus Mode lever and it can all be done with one action which is turning to the pre-set Custom position on the main Mode dial.

Prepare score 12/15

Capture Phase, Holding
The FZ1000.2 has one of the better shaped handles in the business for a very secure, comfortable hold. The thumb support  is a big improvement over that on the original giving excellent support and seamless access to the rear dial.

Holding score 16/20

Capture Phase, Viewing
The FZ1000.2 has Panasonic’s latest mid range EVF and touch enabled monitor and they are excellent. Both provide a natural view of the world, both are highly adjustable and both can be configured to look and function the same.
The monitor is fully articulated and  the touch functions implemented effectively.
The EVF has an excellent eyecup.
You need to look a long way upmarket to find a better viewing experience than this.

Viewing score 16/20

Capture Phase, Operating
The FZ1000.2 has a classic Mode Dial and Twin Dial control layout. The front dial is in the standard Canon location, behind the shutter button.
I have over the years done many motion studies on actual and mockup cameras comparing various control dial locations and configurations and come to the conclusion that the arrangement seen on the FZ1000.2 is the most effective. By this I mean it enables full control of exposure and focus parameters while looking continuously through the viewfinder and without having to shift grip and it does this with the fewest possible actions each of low complexity.
Manufacturers including Panasonic are forever tinkering with the location of the front dial but I have yet to see any improvement over where it is right now on the FZ1000.2.
All other aspects of the operating experience are well implemented. Most of the controls are all well positioned, with good haptics. Those which are not, for instance the three buttons on the lens barrel, can be disabled.

Operating score 17/25

Review Phase
The camera manages all the essential tasks of Review Phase with no problems. If there was a jump-to-100% at the focus point that would further improve the experience.

Review Score 5/5

Total score 77/100

Comment
The FZ1000.2 represents a worthwhile ergonomic upgrade to the original version and is a very enjoyable camera to use. The score of 77 makes it best of the cameras which I have evaluated to date.  
It could be even better with Sony Style Auto ISO Min.SS, a more streamlined version of the Q Menu with twice as many items visible on screen, more photo relevant menu categories, a thumb stick and  removal of  the Drive Mode Dial and Focus Mode lever with three separate C Mode positions on the Mode dial.
Reduced EVF blackout would also be welcome but that is not exactly an ergonomic issue.

Nhận xét

Đăng nhận xét

Bài đăng phổ biến từ blog này

IF ONLY FOR A SECOND ~ Unique and Wonderful Portraits of Cancer Patients

-
Hình ảnh
20 cancer patients participated in a unique makeover experience. They were invited to a studio. Their hair and makeup were completely redone. During the transformation, they were asked to keep their eyes shut. A photographer then immortalized the moment they opened their eyes. This discovery allowed them to forget their illness, IF ONLY FOR A SECOND. "Within a second, smiling faces were seen all over the room. At that very moment, cancer did not exist for the family members either." You can order the book and learn more about the campaign, launched today, at the  "If Only for a Second" website .
Đọc thêm

Setting up the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.2 Part 1 The Controls 21 June 2019

-
Hình ảnh
This is not Photoshopped apart from cropping and some adjustment to local brightness levels. The gull actually has no feet. It is 3 wing beats from having made a water take-off.  The FZ1000.2 can manage bids in flight and much more quite competently. The original FZ1000,   announced five years ago has been one of the best all purpose, do (almost) everything, freedom-from-changing-lenses camera models that you can buy. The Sony RX10.4 has more lens reach and a faster frame rate for continuous focus but is larger, heavier and much more expensive than the FZ1000. In addition the user interface is not as well designed. The FZ1000.2 is a mild upgrade to the original with most of the changes   going to further improve what was already a pleasing user experience. In addition there are several upgrades   to autofocus capability which I will discuss in this post as they affect the way the camera is best set up and operated. Accessories One of the nice things about this camera is that few acces
Đọc thêm

Setting up the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000.2 Part 2 The Menus 21 June 2019

-
Hình ảnh
Panasonic cameras including the FZ1000.2 have very good auto pano capability. My apologies for the boring nature of this post.   But menus are like that. Also apologies for the cryptic nature of some of my comments. I lack the energy to fully discuss the pros and cons of every option. The FZ1000.2 has Panasonic’s recently re-vamped menu system with a very nice graphic user interface, submenus in the Custom tab and a My Menu. There is still room for further improvement however. I would like to see the whole menu system revised from scratch with a new set of submenus based on more photographer relevant categories. The basic outline for my suggestion for these is something like: Setup>General/Controls/Viewing/Files Capture>Image/Focus/Exposure/Drive Movie Review Connect As it stands the submenus [camera] and [custom] don’t really mean anything.   All the other camera makers present the user with the same kinds of issues in the menus. In this post I will not deal with Movie or Playba
Đọc thêm

Fascinating Exhibition Preparation Photographs from the 1904-60's

-
Hình ảnh
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History has collected more than 32 million specimens relating to the natural world and human cultures. The Museum showcases its amazing treasures in the exhibit halls, and behind the scenes more than 200 scientists are at work making new discoveries. Millions of people from around the world visit the Museum each year. For information on current exhibitions and upcoming events, visit http://www.amnh.org/calendar. Fred Scherer installing Birds of Paradise Group, 1945 Photographing Tyrannosaurus skeleton, 1937 Museum staff painting background and mounting animals for Tiger Group, Asian Hall, 1934 Museum staff cleaning elephant skin, 1933 Museum staff mounting Brontosaurus skeleton forelimb, Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, 1904 Preparing African Buffalo Group, 1934 Museum staff preparing African Lion Group, 1935
Đọc thêm

Elements of camera design 7 July 2019 The good, the bad and the just plain silly

-
Hình ảnh
Chief camera designer on the lookout for new ergonomic mistakes Many camera historians   identify the UR-Leica of 1914 as the fore-runner of the modern hand held camera. With over a hundred years evolution you might expect that modern cameras would have gotten their user interface to a point that most people can pick one up and work it right away. Motor cars have a similar historical timeline. The Ford model T automobile started mass production on an assembly line in 1913. Automobiles have evolved to the point that I can hire one anywhere in the world and expect to be able to drive it using a set of controls which with a few minor exceptions (like the windscreen wipers) are universal everywhere. If this were not so all pedestrians and most vehicle users would be dead by now. Cameras are a totally different story. The people who design and make cameras continue to bequeath their products with a bewildering muddle of different types and designs of controls. Even within any one make of ca
Đọc thêm