PANASONIC DMC-FZ300K LUMIX Splash-Proof Hybrid Digital Camera
Last updated: January 10, 2022
This digital camera has built-in Wi-Fi, which allows you to conveniently send images directly to your smartphone. Plus, it also features a great zoom and is less expensive than interchangeable-lens digital cameras.
We looked at the top Digital Cameras and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Digital Camera you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: Built-in Wi-Fi with a great zoom at an affordable price.
In our analysis of 88 expert reviews, the PANASONIC LUMIX Splash-Proof Hybrid Digital Camera placed 2nd when we looked at the top 16 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.From The Manufacturer
The Lumix DMC-FZ300K offers 4K video features and a Leica DC lens with 24X zoom and a bright F2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range. Plus capture moments with superb 4K imaging performance in both video and exclusive 4K PHOTO. Built into a Splash proof / dustproof body the Leica Lens offers 5 Axis Hybrid Optical Image Stabilization assures steady photos and videos, and a high sensitivity sensor with superb low light image quality.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
With the FZ300's capability to stay at f2.8 throughout its zoom range, you don't need to be shooting in full sun or using its higher ISO settings to get a good shot. In fact, during shooting in mixed daylight conditions, the camera rarely went above ISO 400.
The built-in WiFi is also worth calling out. It allows you to shoot remotely or share images via your smartphone. Simply connect with Panasonic's Image App and you'll have access to all of your camera's controls. This is useful for shooting in tough to reach areas or capturing images that you need to be in–such as a family photo.
- Reviewed
Combined with the ability to use 4K Photo burst shooting, the superzoom capacity of the FZ300K is ideal for some superb images of normally hard to capture scenes which involve an object, animal or person in quick motion.
- 4K
The excellent Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 superzoom offers a long focal range with a fixed-aperture lens, 4K video, and instant autofocus.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 is an update to the very popular FZ200. It retains the same 12MP sensor and fast 25-600mm equivalent F2.8 lens but adds a new image processor, weather-sealing and 4K video support.
Both the monitor and EVF screens have higher resolution. The monitor’s resolution has increased from 460,000 dots in the FZ200 to 1,040,000 dots and it includes touch control. The EVF has been upgraded to an OLED display with 2,360,000 dots (compared with 1,312,000 dots in the FZ200). It also has a proximity sensor that switches between the monitor and EVF when you raise the camera to your eye. The monitor can be used as a touch-pad for setting focus while framing shots with the EVF.
You can also extract stills from 4K video clips in 4K Photo mode, have the camera save 4K still images at 30 frames per second, or even let it continuously pre-buffer two seconds of 4K stills and then save them as a burst once you hit the shutter button.
The maximum aperture of F/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range is still very rare for this class of camera. This is a big advantage for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ330 as it allows you to get sharper results and capture more "keepers" at the extreme ends of the zoom range - in our view, we'd rather have a shorter, faster lens than a longer, slower one.
What reviewers didn't like
And the settings, my god, the settings -- they just seem to go on and on, so you can adjust just about every aspect. (If you want to see for yourself, download the full manual.) Panasonic even added another shooting option via a firmware update called Post Focus. It uses the camera's high-speed autofocus system to determine the distance between the camera and the subject, which it uses to capture the best focus for 49 individual areas within each frame.
In our lab tests and real world shooting this was borne out: the FZ300 is sharper and faster than many other superzooms, but it lacks the dynamic range, high ISO performance, and shallow depth of field you get with the best point-and-shoots.
- Reviewed
One other design feature of the FZ300 that definitely leaves something to be desired is the lack of a zoom ring around the powerful lens itself. This is more than a bit of a letdown and though Panasonic has provided a much smaller and in our opinion less precisely usable zoom slider along the left side of the main camera body. You can also use an adjoining focus dial to adjust shutter speed and aperture –not bad but also a bit clumsy.
- 4K
Image quality is typical of Panasonic compact cameras. Generally good color, though yellows have a greenish tint, which can negative affect skin tones. Noise reduction can be high in JPEGs, though the Raw option is helpful. High ISO performance is better than many of the other cameras in this class, though don't expect miracles.
The lens handled normal backlighting very well. But it can easily be forced to flare when a bright light source is within the image frame.
The downside here is that your composition and subject position may also vary between frames, because they're being captured sequentially over a short period of time. In that respect, the Lytro has the advantage because no matter where you choose to put the point of focus, the overall composition won't change.
View our Digital Camera buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.