Panasonic Lumix FZ300 / FZ330

The Lumix FZ300, also known as the FZ330, is a bridge camera from 2015. Its lens is fixed to the body, so you work with one matched optical system rather than buying and swapping lenses.

The body weighs 691 g, and weather sealing makes it a sensible companion for outdoor photography. Framing is flexible, with an electronic viewfinder for eye-level work and a flip-out touchscreen for other angles.

Day to day, it records on SD, SDHC or SDXC cards and runs on a lithium-ion battery rated at 380 shots. The fixed-lens design keeps the optical system in one body, while the single slot makes card-capacity planning important.

The stills specification is modest, reflected in an Optics score of 49 and a place in the bottom 24% of cameras in our database for Optics. Resolution is 12 megapixels from a small 1/2.3-inch sensor. Both weigh on that score, and files stay light while heavy cropping and very large prints are limited.

Action tools are stronger. The burst rate reaches a maximum of 12 frames per second, and the shutter tops out at 1/16000 s, which can help freeze fast movement. Autofocus uses a single point for selecting focus position.

Optical image stabilisation reduces camera shake, which can help at slower shutter speeds for static scenes. It does not stop subject movement. ISO settings run from 100 to 6400, providing a range of exposure choices as light changes.

The electronic viewfinder offers a 1.44 million-dot image for eye-level framing, and the fixed lens means the optical package is settled from day one, with no lens purchases to plan.

The camera records 4K video, giving clips room for modest cropping or reframing during editing. That resolution also supports larger delivery formats when Full HD is not enough.

Standard video modes reach 60 fps, which supports smoother motion and gentle slow-motion playback. Panasonic also documents dedicated high-speed modes at lower resolutions for more pronounced slow motion.

Recordings are written as MPEG-4 or AVCHD files, giving the camera two video file formats to choose between. That choice helps a project keep its recording format consistent from one shoot to the next.

Optical image stabilisation reduces camera shake during handheld recording, while the flip-out touchscreen helps with high, low and front-facing framing. Together they make the fixed-lens body more flexible for moving-camera and solo video work.

The rear screen measures 3 inches and contains 1.04 million dots for playback and live view. Touch input supports on-screen controls, and the flip-out design helps with overhead, waist-level and front-facing framing.

Weather sealing guards the body against dust and moisture in changeable conditions. A built-in flash and support for an external flash are both present, so you have light options when scenes dim. Sealing, the touchscreen and the screen itself all score well, supporting a good Features score of 70.

Bluetooth and GPS are absent, so the body has no built-in Bluetooth connection and no camera-sourced location data. Weather sealing remains useful when work moves into dusty or damp conditions.

Storage runs through a single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot. The body holds one card at a time, so choose enough capacity for the session and handle the card carefully when the photographs cannot be repeated.

The lithium-ion battery is rated at 380 shots. Treat that as a planning figure, and carry a charged spare when a long session leaves little time for a battery change or charging break.

A 380-shot battery rating and one loaded card make regular capacity and power checks useful on longer outings. Preparing a charged battery and empty card before leaving reduces interruptions later.

The single slot is the main storage constraint, while the battery rating calls for planning rather than an assumption of uninterrupted endurance. Both are manageable with a suitable card and charged spare.