I have to be honest, I thought big superzoom bridge cameras like these had died off. It was 2018 since the Nikon Coolpix P1000 was launched, and there hasn’t been much hype about this format of camera since. It finally became discontinued in March.
But now here’s Panasonic with the Lumix FZ80D ($477.99). It doesn’t quite have the zoom of the Nikon P1000, but with a 60x optical zoom range going from 20-1200mm full-frame equivalent field of view. It sports an 18.1-megapixel sensor, with 4K video and continuous shooting up to 10fps.
Panasonic Lumix FZ80D – Superzoom Bridge Camera
The only video I can find for the new camera is the above review from Richard Wong. As usual, Richard goes quite in-depth with the camera, resulting in a 26-minute video. So, if you’re serious about this camera, it’s well worth a watch.
What’s particularly nice about the Lumix FZ80D is that at the short end of the focal length, it’s quite a bit wider than most of the competition. It features a 20-1200mm equivalent lens. Most bridge superzooms, like the Nikon P1000, start at 24mm.
This makes it better suited to more everyday tasks where being able to shoot wide and catch everything in the room is important.
No Phase Detection
One thing that might be a little disappointing, given Panasonic’s recent discovery of how good phase-detect autofocus (PDAF) is, is that there’s no phase detection here. According to Panasonic, the FZ80D uses Panasonic’s Depth-From-Defocus (DFD) autofocus system.
While this won’t make much difference for stills, it will almost certainly have a noticeable impact on autofocus when shooting video. It also has no AI subject detection. It does have basic face and eye detection, but I’d still expect some drifting and occasional hunting from the DFD autofocus system.
For what it costs, though, I think it’s a reasonable compromise. If you really need phase detection autofocus, you’re looking at the Panasonic GH7 ($2,197.99), Panasonic G9 II ($1,897.99) or Panasonic S5 II ($1,697.99).
Panasonic Lumix FZ80D Specs
Sensor18.1-megapixel
Lens MountBuilt-in
Focal length Range12-1200mm (35mm equiv) f/2.8-5.9
Max resolutionUnspecified
ISO80 to 3200 (Extended: 6400)
File formatUnspecified
StabilisationOptical in Integrated Lens
4K Video4K UHD (3840 x 2160) up to 30.fps
HD VideoFull HD (1920×1080) at up to 60fps)
AudioBuilt-in microphone
Focus typeUnspecified
Viewfinder2.36m-dot OLED viewfinder
LCD2.36m-dot 3″ fixed touchscreen TFT LCD
Storage1x UHS-I SD Card slot
Connectivity1x USB-C, 1x micro HDMI
Dimensions13.03 x 9.42 x 12.52 cm
Weight640 g (With Battery, Recording Media)
Launch price$477.99
Price and Availability
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80D is available to pre-order now for $477.99. Shipping is expected to begin in early August.
