EVA1: New Master Information Thread for the EVA1

FYI:

My first actual doco shot day was without big issues.
I love this camera!

The display is still the weakest point.
Even on a cloudy day it's not possible to pull focus on a 4k production.
I added a Zacuto Z-Finder made for the BMPCC, which was still in my kit, today.

I'd rather loose the great home menu but have a chance to nail focus.
Another monitor is just not suitable for me. It adds to much weight, size and additional cables.

Sometimes, I wasn't able to activate the Zebra which I put on butzon 3. The thing is, that there is absolutely no sign for seing if it's actually active or not. That was another hit and miss today.

A nice surprise was the many markers that can be enabled on the LCD. I'm filming for a 2.35:1 production and the markers are just there. Great!
 
Thanks Erik! Agree on the zebras (and a bunch of other quirks I listed earlier in this thread). Mitch, if Panny is listening, please fix these workflow issues!

Erik - how did you find the Z-Finder? Did it work well on the stock panny screen, or do you feel even then it lacks?
 
I was filming with the old Z-Finder made for the BMPCC today.
It is a huge help for the focus, but the display of the EVA is still not great. It easily misses resolution to nail focus in 4k.

Then, the loupe was made for smaller displays, so you can't really see the whole display, especially on 2k/4k resolution.
I'm still uncertain how to upgrade the display without adding to much weight and size.
 
I tried them all.
While expanded focus is a good help sometimes, it's not really made for handheld doco shooting. I also have the impression that the resolution of the display does still not show 1:1 pixel, even with the highest magnification setting (4x).

The focus squares can be a good help to but are not perfect for following a moving talent. I need to test that more.
 
It's not resolution alone.

My old SmallHD DP4 is still a good focus aid, but lacks other features unfortunately. It's too dark for daylight use...
 
I tried the temporal b/w setting while peaking is activated.
That's a very interesting feature. Works great so far!
I will evaluate further...

But all these features are pretty useless in bright surroundings...
 
Did you try the power lcd function (has to be assigned to a FN button). Works much better for me outside. I prefer the Low peaking setting.

Erik Wittbusch said:
I tried the temporal b/w setting while peaking is activated.
That's a very interesting feature. Works great so far!
I will evaluate further...

But all these features are pretty useless in bright surroundings...
Click to expand...
 
Yeah. I used it already, but don't really understand why it can't be stay activated.
There are tons of focus aids, which are one of the best available.

Still, the LCD is not great.
 
With running-and-gunning most focus peaking gets in the way IMO, which is why I like to look at high-resolution screens if possible. For anything else, I find a black screen focus assist outline/edge type feature works the best. Works incredibly well on RED cameras...it's unbelievable. Basically turns the image black and the parts in focus scream at you as you pull.
 
Erik Wittbusch said:
I was filming with the old Z-Finder made for the BMPCC today.
It is a huge help for the focus, but the display of the EVA is still not great. It easily misses resolution to nail focus in 4k.

Then, the loupe was made for smaller displays, so you can't really see the whole display, especially on 2k/4k resolution.
I'm still uncertain how to upgrade the display without adding to much weight and size.
Click to expand...

You need the correctly sized Z-Finder. There is a model made specifically for the EVA1's LCD. The full screen is clearly visible.
 
But the "correct" Z-Finder is a huge and heavy construction.
It needs n additionala cheese plate and finder mount.
I like to keep the EVA1 light and clean.
 
Mitch, will it be possible to take RAW stills with the EVA1? Along the same lines, would it be possible to have it record a specific # of frames over a period time (essentially an intervalometer)? It seems to have all the capabilities needed for this kind functionality and given it's form factor, it could really work well for timelapses in situations where it isn't ideal to carry an additional camera body just for RAW time-lapsing.
 
No RAW with EVA1 only.

You'll need at least an external RAW-recorder plus a little hope for a firmware update for RAW support.
 
Eric - I use the Z-Finder, i have it mounted to the attachment on the top handle, only additional kit i needed was the Small Rig metal mount rather than using the supplied Panny one. No cheese plate required :)
 
Great to hear.

How do you find it?
Is it worth the price?

Alternatively, I'm testing my old SmallHD DP4 with the loupe.
It's 6 years old but so much better...
 
Works for me and I'm sure I don't need to tell you that its a HUGE improvement over the supplied mirror when shooting outdoors :)
I use Peaking/B+W and Punch In to assist and am getting sharp focus throughout my shots now.
Is it worth the price? I don't think so - its very expensive for what it is, but its well built and it makes the LCD usable plus its cheaper than an external monitor,

here's the Small Rig clamp I bought to replace the Panny one, it has a little play in it but doesn't cause any issues

SmallRig 1831 Camera Accessory 15mm Clamp Adapter for Sony PXW-FS5
 
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