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I would love to see a show of hands of anyone that is doing actual client work outside of feature films at prores 422 HQ 4K on a regular basis...as fun as that sounds, practicality always calls the shots. Also, the return on investment is very very low for shooting raw or prores on most cameras. You can get 95% of the same flexibility shooting a good compressed codec with 75% less headache, it's one of the best trades you can make IMO.

The lens on this thing is bonkers, most of the shots come out looking like they are shot on at least an APS-C sensor. The FZ1000 had been going for under 400 euros in recent months but I got lucky and found one for 150 at Foto-Meyer in Berlin. I don't remember the lens ever being this good. The close-focus ability is nuts. The contrast at the long end is very nice for a 25-400mm, it is very crispy for such a ridiculous zoom and it is really quick to AF. The whole thing is more ergonomic and snappier to use than Sony's RX10 series too. The 4K is a crop, that's the only flaw. Sony didn't let them use the later stacked 1" sensor so it has the older version. It was a bargain at 900 euros 10 years ago and I think it is one of those shot-getters that has really stood the test of time, so a mega thumbs-up at 150-400 in 2024 from me. The original review: https://www.eoshd.com/review/panasonic-fz1000-review-bargain-4k-super-zoom/

Delivering in 4K isn't very important to me but there's no real reason not to shoot in 4K even if you are delivering in 1080p. That's not to say that you can't get great results with a good 1080p image (the og Pocket gave me my favorite image out of every camera I've ever owned) and can even deliver in 4K with most people not even noticing (i know people who do it with their C100s), but there really isn't an argument for 1080p actually being better than 4K. People that say that are just being contrarians.

Damn, I thought I replied to your post already. This was all Prores. I did some tests when I first got it and found grading the Prores in post was just as flexible as the RAW, but it was easier for me in some ways, so I decided not to complicate the trip by also switching to RAW as well. I also have a vague memory that the RAW files corrupt if the camera runs out of battery while recording, but the Prores didn't, which isn't the way around you'd expect but it's what I experienced, so this sort of eliminates that too.

I bought an FZ1000 based on that review ! And then eventually moved up to the like the FZ1000 but on steroids FZ2000 (which I won’t bore everyone with banging the drum about again but it is an absolute belter). However, as much as it has an edge everywhere else (NDs, v-LOG etc) the lens on the FZ2000 at its longest end isn’t quite as sharp as the FZ1000, albeit it that it has a longer reach.

I totally agree. I have a Fuji X-T3, I don't record often, each time is a PITA. I am invested in lenses, otherwise I would buy Blackmagic Cameras which are the real alternative to all those japanese no sense menus!

Each to their own, but I find it a seriously useful tool, especially with 6k as it extends the focal length of my lenses by up to around 2x. This allows me to use shorter and lighter lenses which are also cheaper to buy in the first place such as a pair of Lumix 20-60mm’s which I can easily get over 100mm of reach with in post. Arguably, you can crop any footage, but 6k has an advantage over 4k as 8k does over 6k, but sweet spots and all that… Same approach for me with stills these days as in using a higher megapixel camera as it allows me to use less hardware which means a lighter load and more flexibility from less kit, albeit at the expense of some storage, but that in itself is much cheaper than extra bodies and lenses etc.

Here's a little clip from a balfolk dance last weekend, shot on BMMCC with the Sigma 18-35 and speedbooster.