How does a Panasonic FZ1000's maximum zoom compare with 10x50 binoculars?
Asked 5/21/2015
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I'm new to photography and trying to compare my dad's Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 with my Leica 10x50 binoculars. Binoculars are described as 10x magnification, but the camera is described by focal length and zoom range. At the FZ1000's maximum telephoto setting, how close is it to 10x binoculars? What's the best way to compare them?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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Leica 10X binoculars show a field-of-view of 6.7°. This is slightly wider than a 400mm lens on a full-frame camera.
The Panasonic FZ1000 has an equivalent 25-400mm zoom, so at its maximum it will appear slightly more zoomed-in than the binoculars, showing a 6.1° angle-of-view.
The angle-of-view is the best way to compare these two because other measures are relative. When stating a magnification, like 10X, one has to know relative to what. Cameras state it in relation to the widest angle, so both a 35-350mm and a 24-240mm lens have 10X magnification because objects appear much closer at 350mm than 240mm.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The best comparison is angle of view, not the camera’s advertised “16x zoom.” Binocular magnification like 10x means the subject appears 10 times larger than to the naked eye, while a camera’s zoom ratio compares only its longest focal length to its widest setting.
From the answers provided:
- Leica 10x binoculars have about a 6.7° field of view.
- The Panasonic FZ1000 reaches a 35mm-equivalent 400mm, giving about a 6.1° field of view.
So at full telephoto, the FZ1000 is very close to 10x binoculars and appears slightly more zoomed-in by angle of view.
If you prefer the old “50mm = 1x” camera rule of thumb, then:
- 10x binoculars are roughly like a 500mm lens
- The FZ1000 at 400mm equivalent is roughly 8x
That sounds contradictory, which is why field of view is the more useful comparison here. In practical terms, the FZ1000 at full zoom is in the same ballpark as 10x binoculars, with a slightly narrower view.
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