Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 II

The Lumix DMC-FZ1000 II is a bridge camera from 2019 with a permanently attached lens. That design hands you one ready-to-shoot package, though you can never swap to a wider or longer optic.

A one-inch sensor sits behind a well-rounded feature set: an electronic viewfinder, a flip-out screen and 4K video recording. Still photographers and casual videographers can share the same body comfortably.

At 808g and 136 x 97 x 132mm it is far from pocketable, but everything stays self-contained in one body, and WiFi is built in.

A 20-megapixel one-inch CMOS sensor handles the imaging, paired with the Venus Engine. Those specifications sit behind our Optics score of 61, which rates the setup good and places it around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

In-body stabilisation earns its keep handheld. It reduces camera shake, so slower shutter speeds stay usable when you are shooting without a tripod. It will not freeze a moving subject, but it takes the wobble out of handheld frames.

For action, the fastest burst reaches 12fps. Treat that as the top speed rather than a sustained promise. Forty-nine autofocus points are available, and the 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder gives a detailed framing display.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 125 to 12800, and the fastest shutter speed is 1/4000s. The base and maximum ISO settings and the shutter maximum each earned partial credit in the Optics score.

Video is a genuine strength here, with our score of 83 marking it very good. The score reflects the 4K maximum resolution, the 60fps maximum frame rate and the built-in timelapse mode. Resolution and frame rate are separate limits, not a confirmed combined recording mode. Recordings save as MPEG-4.

In-body stabilisation carries over to footage by reducing the camera shake that makes handheld clips wobble. Long handheld holds benefit most; a moving subject is another matter, since stabilisation addresses camera shake only.

The flip-out screen earns its place for filming too. You can tilt it toward yourself when recording alone, or angle it for low and high shots without guessing the framing.

The timelapse mode is built in, so you can set the camera on a tripod and let it shoot a sequence at set intervals without an external trigger.

Framing comes through a 3-inch TFT LCD with 921,000 dots, alongside live view and the electronic viewfinder. The screen flips out, so waist-level and overhead shots become easier to compose. It is not a touchscreen, so settings change through the physical controls.

Our Features score of 41 reflects a modest equipment list. Weather sealing and Bluetooth are both absent, and each cost the section points, while the screen earned most of its marks for size and dot count. WiFi is built in, but GPS is absent, so the camera offers no automatic location tagging.

Lighting options are reasonable. A built-in flash covers casual indoor shots, and support for an external flash opens the door to stronger, better-controlled light when you want it.

There is no weather sealing, so keep the camera under cover in rain or dust.

Cards go into a single slot that accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC media with UHS-I support. Fast cards work at their intended speed, but with only one slot there is no in-camera backup, so carry a spare card for important shoots.

Power comes from a DMW-BLC12 battery rated at 360 shots per charge. That figure carries no stated test conditions, so treat it as a rating rather than an all-day promise; a second battery makes sense for heavy shooting days.

The battery charges over USB, which makes topping up convenient between shoots from a wall adapter or a laptop.

Our Storage & Battery score of 35 is limited, and the single slot plus the modest shot rating explain why. USB charging earned full marks. Neither gap is a dealbreaker, but both ask a little more planning from the photographer.