Hard to know where to begin to parse all of this, so I'll just take the simple route.
- People really like the VariCam look. DPs and Colorists tell us all the time and cite it as a primary reason they use the camera. So we're gonna believe them.
- The engineering team at Panasonic have specifically formulated the EVA1 to match the look of the VariCam. In fact LUTs used on one will also apply to the other.
- Therefore the EVA1 will have the look that many people have stated they really like.
- End.
You may choose to believe what I write or not, but there are some established baselines. Rain is wet. Nazis are bad (to most of us). Chocolate is delicious. The VariCam makes an attractive image.
OK. You chose to focus on the single sentence in my whole post where I mentioned the Varicam. The post was about easy to use and easy to get great results cameras. Not about the Varicam. ;-)
But ok. If you want to make it about the Varicam, my point was choosing the Varicam as reference will have different meanings to different people and it's also subjective. That's it. This is all I meant and it's a fact. I was not putting the Varicam down. The camera doesn't need defending because of what I said.
If you say the EVA1 will look like the Varicam somebody who likes the Alexa look for example won't be excited. Somebody who likes the EVA1 features but is more fan of the Red look won't be excited. After all that this is also subjective. Look like the Varicam how? For sure it won't be exact. Or it would be a Varicam for $7K. It doesn't even use the same sensor. So what part will be like the Varicam? So far it's clear the Varicam image is superior to the EVA1. So looks like Varicam by how much? This was my point. I was not putting the Varicam down. Just saying that this reference is more useful for marketing than as a real way to gauge anything.
Sure the Varicam makes good images. I agree. Sure DPs will like it. It has a lot to like about it. But just because of that doesn't mean a DP will choose it all the time. Or choose to own it. Varicam is mostly a rental item. The LT is more affordable but still. As a DP I don't mind using it at all. If the job calls for its features I would use it. But I chose not to own one. So it doesn't mean the person who says he likes it wants to buy one. It's very different when you're choosing a camera but not paying the bills. The EVA1 is an owner operator camera. Different considerations play a role. A DP can use a Varicam today, an Alexa tomorrow and a F65 day after tomorrow. He is not tied to a single camera. This changes things when you are choosing only one camera to be YOUR camera. So I'm not sure DPs saying they like the Varicam say anything about the EVA1.
But back to point the Varicam reference will mean different things to different people.
Since you like car analogies. The Camaro is an attractive car to most people. But Chevy saying they are releasing a car which looks like the Camaro might not excite Mustang fans. Even if they think the Camaro is cool. Then when the car comes out even Camaro hardcore fans might be disappointed because the car has Camaro wheels, the same engine and even uses the same tail lights. But to them doesn't really look like a Camaro. Not as much as they thought it would when Chevy said it was going to look like a Camaro.
So saying the EVA1 will look like a Varicam might even be setting yourself up. Because we know it won't be exact and then people will complain it doesn't look like a Varicam. Because there is no hard science telling people what to expect or how much Varicam it will be. This is why I think the Varicam reference is useless and I totally ignore it as any indication of the EVA1's qualities.