Panasonic EVA1 announced at CineGear 2017

[Troy Moss]

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

Latest news on "EVA" :))

The Panasonic AU-EVA1 awaits you - YouTube

Chris Young

Good marketing tool. This should have been released before CineGear!!!

[Brian Rhodes]

Panasonic EVA1 US $7345.00

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._7k_super.html



£7,458.00 inc VAT

Buy - Panasonic AU-EVA1 (AUEVA1) 5.7K EF Mount Compact Super 35mm Cinema Camera with Handle, Grip and Monitor

[Danilo Del Tufo]

Here there are the final specs:
New Compact Cinema Camera AU-EVA1 | Panasonic

[Christopher Young]

Originally Posted by Brian Rhodes

£7,458.00 inc VAT

That is one crazy price difference between the US and UK.

In Pounds that puts the EVA-1 at around US$9,680.00. Why the $2,300.00 difference between the two markets? Mind you here in Aus they are quoting $11,650.00 which is crazy for a camera with NO on-board 4K 4:2:2 10-bit 50/60p which is really required for sport and rapid dance motion.

I see on-board 4:2:2 10-bit 4k is only available at 24/25/30p. I also see from the specs that the upcoming 400Mbps is only applicable to 24/25/30p. It appears to be much the same as a GH5 spec wise.

So as a 4k 50/60p camera it appears that we are restricted with on-board to shooting at 4:2:0 8-bit at 150Mbps which is a shame in this day and age.

EVA-1 at $7,345.00 or Sony FS7 at $7,499.00 with 600Mbps 4K 4:2:2 60p is going to be a choice some will be facing. A tough call if you need the 4:2:2 higher frame rate.

Apart for the codec choices I think Panasonic made a mistake going with an old SLR legacy lens mount in the EF mount as any lens with a shorter flange distance requirement than 44mm is ruled out. I think JVC combining an S35 sensor with the M4/3 mount was mindful of this lens choice issue and made the smarter choice. Time will tell I guess.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Dylan Couper]

Apart for the codec choices I think Panasonic made a mistake going with an old SLR legacy lens mount in the EF mount as any lens with a shorter flange distance requirement than 44mm is ruled out. I think JVC combining an S35 sensor with the M4/3 mount was mindful of this lens choice issue and made the smarter choice. Time will tell I guess.

Panasonic went with hands down the most popular lens mount in the world, instead of a lens mount used by a fraction of filmmakers and photographers and require adapters to work.

JVC made a smart technical decision but I think it backfired with market confusion. Panasonic made the decision from a marketing standpoint. Time will tell though.

[Brian Rhodes]

Director of Photography Filippo Chiesa
PANASONIC First EVA1 Footage

PANASONIC First EVA1 Footage Panasonic on Vimeo

[Gary Huff]

Elle Schneider's EVA1 Short Film

Short film "Near to Superstition" shot on EVA1 by Elle Schneider | Panasonic - YouTube

[Dan Brockett]

Johnny Dernago's Rocket 88 - I felt this was by far the best looking footage of the three when I saw this at the Academy Theater in Hollywood the other night. The theater has a state of the art digital projector and all three films looked good but this one had the best lighting and most interesting concept.

Short film "Radio 88" shot on EVA1 by Johnny Derango | Panasonic - YouTube

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

all three films looked good but this one had the best lighting and most interesting concept.

Completely agree with that assessment. There is a “road show” coming here in the first of October, so I’ll be able to check out all three in a theater as well.

[Dan Brockett]

Been a lot of grumbling about fixed pattern noise and compression artifacts from these YouTube and Vimeo clips. Reserve judgement about the the camera's low light ability until you have seen the films properly projected in a theater or if Panasonic releases the RAW footage. I have seen artifacts in the on-line clips but sitting in a darkened state of the art theater, I saw no noise issues on a huge screen, I think they are YouTube and Vimeo compression artifacts. Remember too that these films were shot with the limited 150Mbps codec and that the release of the 400Mbps codec will result in a very different image quality. Also, Mitch Gross said that these films are "the worst you'll ever see the camera look" as Panasonic engineers have been continually tweaking the compression, gain and noise settings and the shipping cameras will look better than these samples which were shot on engineering models. I, for one, believe Mitch, he is not a huckster nor trying to pull one over on people, he has more than enough experience in this business to be genuine and forthright with what his product is capable of.

My observations from the Hollywood theatrical screening was that the camera, in the European art clip and in Elle Schneider's film, looked a bit "video-like" as far as cadence and feel. Johnny Derango used nice lighting and Black Pro Mists and I think his film looked really impressive, although there are still some slight video-like characteristics in the laundromat scenes with the British guy and the hostage taker. What was most amazing was that a $7,500.00 prosumer camera like this is so capable. I can guarantee you that a audience of normal people, sitting in that theater, would have had no idea that the films were shot on a $7,500.00 camera and they wouldn't have cared. The images looked good, the colors were spectacular, the images were sharp yet flattering to the talent. Elle Schneider's film had some shots obviously photographed at the worst possible time of day for flattering lighting and the images looked really good, not blown out, she had a huge vista with nuclear sun and clouds in the BG and none of the whites in the clouds were clipped. You definitely saw 14 stops of latitude. Projected, the firelight scenes looked great, not veering into the typical clipped red channel that shooting by firelight has, if you have ever tried it.

I also have to say that the audience seemed to mostly be camera nerds, not working DPs, operators and ACs, asking the most inane and irrelevant questions you have ever heard. I was embarrassed for Mitch and the filmmakers at how myopic and uninformed the questions from the audience seemed. It was like most of the 250+ people in attendance must have just been aspiring camera engineers because all that was asked were dumb questions about fixed pattern noise, how many stops V-log has, whether the film was shot at 24.0 vs. 23.98, it was so pointless and had little to nothing to do with how the camera was to actually shoot content with. Not a single person asked about how the camera was to operate, if the lack of an EVF held up their creativity, how the camera performed under tough physical conditions, were there any heat issues shooting Elle's film in the Mojave desert in hot conditions, what grade of Black Promists Johnny used and how the camera/image responded to them, nobody asked for comments from the colorists at Technicolor how they felt about the 150Mbps footage, etc. Going to this event made me realize how much more of a DP I am than a camera nerd. So many of the technical specs JUST DON'T MATTER, especially on $7,500.00 cameras. Does the camera look good? Does it let you realize your vision of scenes without major compromise? Do others think the images look good? Those are really all that matter on this level of camera IMHO.

Personally, I don't think this camera will used that often in narrative filmmaking, I wish that Panasonic would have had the camera out on some real world documentary shoots. That is who will be buying and using this camera mostly. If I, as a producer, can pull together a cast, locations, wardrobe, props, a great script and a full or even abbreviated indie crew, I am not going to shoot it on my C200, an EVA 1 or a FS5, I am going to rent a RED or an Arri or perhaps even a Varicam LT. Just seems wishful thinking that narrative filmmakers are flocking to sub $10k cameras. Whereas documentary, corporate and event filmmakers are going to be the audience for this camera.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

Elle Schneider's film had some shots obviously photographed at the worst possible time of day for flattering lighting and the images looked really good, not blown out, she had a huge vista with nuclear sun and clouds in the BG and none of the whites in the clouds were clipped. You definitely saw 14 stops of latitude. Projected, the firelight scenes looked great, not veering into the typical clipped red channel that shooting by firelight has, if you have ever tried it.

I thought her compositioning skills left a lot to be desired. First of all, 4:3 for 2x anamorphic is a feature of this camera, and she should have shot with that given the subject matter. She also was really lacking on spatial placement, both in scenes with people sitting around, and even just in the travel shots (also, a lot of burning of screen time with nonsense, that film could have been 2/3 to 1/2 the length).

I also have to say that the audience seemed to mostly be camera nerds, not working DPs, operators and ACs, asking the most inane and irrelevant questions you have ever heard.

Oh yeah, you get around DPs of note at NAB and you'll hear some absolutely inane questions, so I can believe it.

Not a single person asked about how the camera was to operate

My biggest question is: are the HFR modes like on the GH5, namely that you have to switch out of 10-bit 4:2:2 to get any HFR. So if you want to do a shot on the GH5 at 48fps over 23.98, you do it in 8-bit 4:2:0. I wonder if the EVA1 is the same.

what grade of Black Promists Johnny used and how the camera/image responded to them

Definitely a question I would have asked. Looking to add some Black Magic filters, and I'm not sure which strength to get, probably 1/8 or 1/4.

nobody asked for comments from the colorists at Technicolor how they felt about the 150Mbps footage, etc.

Yeah, or, for that matter, why they chose to shoot internally vs. out to recorder in ProRes. Was that a decision to keep things simple, or was that a requirement from Panasonic?

Going to this event made me realize how much more of a DP I am than a camera nerd. So many of the technical specs JUST DON'T MATTER, especially on $7,500.00 cameras.

Preach.

Personally, I don't think this camera will used that often in narrative filmmaking

Because of the trend where there's been a huge drop-off? I mean, back in the day when Canon DSLRs were king, it seemed like everyone and their mother was making short films, and now that the gear has pretty much solidified into an equal playing field across the whole price range, it seems like no one is doing that anymore. So weird.

Just seems wishful thinking that narrative filmmakers are flocking to sub $10k cameras

Definitely, I mean, sure, the EVA1 may end up being used as a "crash cam" and then people will talk about it like it was the A-camera, but the GH5 is better for that use anyway. I like the idea of it, but, frankly, I give up DPAF (which gives me a leg up as a solo operator), 10-bit in HFR modes (if the EVA1 is like the GH5 in that regard), and noise levels if I use one over my C300 Mark II. However, if I needed to record anamorphic, it's clearly good for that.

Whereas documentary, corporate and event filmmakers are going to be the audience for this camera.

It's a massive problem that the EVA1 isn't getting the Intra codecs on launch considering the GH5 is getting those in 9-10 days. The LongG GH5 files are quite a burden on the system, *especially* in 4K.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

I thought her compositioning skills left a lot to be desired. First of all, 4:3 for 2x anamorphic is a feature of this camera, and she should have shot with that given the subject matter.

From what was said, because these were hot off of the press engineering models, not all of the features of the camera were enabled yet, no VFR, no anamorphic, etc. They get a pass from me on that, you can only shoot what the camera will allow you to.

I can also guarantee that if they would have shot Prores, there would have been caterwauling, the likes you have never heard of from the camera nerds on "why didn't you shoot natively in camera, what are you trying to hide or cover up?" I feel a little for Mitch and the filmmakers, they were damned if they did, damned if they didn't.

I agree, this releasing cameras that aren't finished thing is stupid, no different than the XF-AVC "update" on the C200 or that my C200 shipped with several bugs that still need to be addressed, which is unusual but not unprecedented for Canon. To me, it's a the triumph of marketing department over project management/engineering to release cameras without all of the basic features advertised in place. My personal opinion is that Panasonic may miss sales on the EVA 1 because they will possibly not have the 400 Mbps codec at launch, that feature, to me, was the biggest selling point of the camera when I first heard about it.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

because these were hot off of the press engineering models, not all of the features of the camera were enabled yet, no VFR, no anamorphic, etc.

Gotcha.

I feel a little for Mitch and the filmmakers, they were damned if they did, damned if they didn't.

Yeah, but this is a little rushed, hence why stuff already working in the GH5 is delayed in the EVA1. Probably due in part to the new sensor, dual ISO, and full Vlog.

[Brent Kaplan]

Does anyone know how well the gh5 matches to the eva1 and what features do they share ?

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

My biggest question is: are the HFR modes like on the GH5, namely that you have to switch out of 10-bit 4:2:2 to get any HFR. So if you want to do a shot on the GH5 at 48fps over 23.98, you do it in 8-bit 4:2:0. I wonder if the EVA1 is the same.

UPDATE: According to Mitch Gross on Twitter: "Yes, up to 120p available in 10-bit 422."