FZ1000 vs GH4 with 12-35mm zoom, Interior, Night

FZ1000, 1/25sec F3.5, ISO 1600

GH4+12-35mm, 1/40sec f3.5, ISO 3200

 

The FZ1000  is an excellent camera in it's own right,  worth every cent and more of the asking price. However much of my testing has attempted  to answer a  specific question, namely,  "Can the FZ1000 replace my entire Micro Four Thirds Kit". 

This post compares photo quality of the FZ1000 and the GH4 fitted with the 12-35mm f2.8, one of the best lenses available for M43.

From previous testing I knew that outdoors, the FZ1000 can hold it's own with any M43 body fitted with any zoom lens including the high grade 12-35mm f2,8 and 35-100mm f2.8 lenses.

This post is about night time indoor, artificial light conditions which I knew could be more difficult for the FZ1000 with it's smaller sensor.

Both photos were hand held.  I knew from previous tests that the 5 axis OIS in the FZ1000  is more effective than the OIS in the 12-35mm lens. This enabled me to use a slower shutter speed and therefore a lower ISO setting with the FZ1000.

 

Here are the crops of the two photos at the top of the post. Can you pick which camera took each photo ?

 

 Comment  You can see that the pictures look virtually identical apart from some minor difference in contrast which crept in post capture. Minor differences in lightness and color balance were adjusted in Camera Raw before publication. Of course the aspect ratio is different.

Conclusion  with  attention to aperture, shutter speed and ISO  the FZ1000 can make pictures indoors in artificial light which are indistinguishable from those made with  GH4 and a very good  zoom lens.
Had I used f2.8 with the 12-35mm lens, depth of field would have been less and  ISO less or shutter speed faster.