EVA1: Panasonic AU-EVA1! Announcement and latest updates

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Osslund said:
I for one have a hard time moving anywhere from the FS7 and its great feature set.
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The FS7 is awesome, especially the Mark II. As a single owner/operator, the weight of the EVA-1 is a huge draw. I also appreciate the colors and menus of Panasonic more. If the FS7 Mk II weighed the same as the EVA-1 (perhaps an FS5 Mark II will?) then this would be a VERY heated battle for me.

If you don't care about the extra weight of the FS7 as some don't, it's even tougher: Dual ISO vs Electronic Variable ND? 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 at 60p VS better EVA-1 HD slow motion options? etc.

Re: the 4K discussion, Arri will have to go 4K soon on all offerings (I know a number of them do but I don't follow Arri super close because I am not rich enough ;)). Upscaling only goes so far. A lot of HD content just doesn't look compelling on my 32" 4K monitor (probably because I am sitting closer than you sit for a TV), but so many people view content from their computer monitors and smart devices now, and resolutions on desktop, laptop, and even phone screens are now well exceeding HD. The end is in sight of the days of 2K/Full HD being enough... a couple years will go fast. I would be wary of any sub-4K investments in acquisition gear if you are a single owner/operator in late 2017...

(One reason I really wish the EVA-1 could find a way to squeeze 10-bit 4:2:2 from the 4K 60p signal internally. At least it can output it to a recorder. Hopeful to see a smaller/lighter weight Odyssey and/or Atomos recorder soon. Also wish external recorders could interpret the VFR modes properly because this currently prohibits 36fps or 48fps modes if going external).
 
filmguy123 said:
The FS7 is awesome, especially the Mark II. As a single owner/operator, the weight of the EVA-1 is a huge draw. I also appreciate the colors and menus of Panasonic more. If the FS7 Mk II weighed the same as the EVA-1 (perhaps an FS5 Mark II will?) then this would be a VERY heated battle for me.

If you don't care about the extra weight of the FS7 as some don't, it's even tougher: Dual ISO vs Electronic Variable ND? 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 at 60p VS better EVA-1 HD slow motion options? etc.

Re: the 4K discussion, Arri will have to go 4K soon on all offerings (I know a number of them do but I don't follow Arri super close because I am not rich enough ;)). Upscaling only goes so far. A lot of HD content just doesn't look compelling on my 32" 4K monitor (probably because I am sitting closer than you sit for a TV), but so many people view content from their computer monitors and smart devices now, and resolutions on desktop, laptop, and even phone screens are now well exceeding HD. The end is in sight of the days of 2K/Full HD being enough... a couple years will go fast. I would be wary of any sub-4K investments in acquisition gear if you are a single owner/operator in late 2017...

(One reason I really wish the EVA-1 could find a way to squeeze 10-bit 4:2:2 from the 4K 60p signal internally. At least it can output it to a recorder. Hopeful to see a smaller/lighter weight Odyssey and/or Atomos recorder soon. Also wish external recorders could interpret the VFR modes properly because this currently prohibits 36fps or 48fps modes if going external).
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I'm in the same boat as you. a 5" Odyssey/Atomos would be killer.
 
Barry_Green said:
I only modified the approach to accommodate the request that someone would want to know it's coming out so they don't buy a competitor's product and have regrets.

If you want the tease, reduce it to a couple weeks. Make the big announcement early so your big corporate clients can get their budgets in line. Then, two weeks prior to release, tease the actual shape under the veil, along with a hard, firm delivery date. Engage and tease all you want, but announce final.details, price, and availability all at once in a big orchestrated event.

Learn from Apple. That's how they do it, and it certainly seems to work.
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Clearly Panasonic decided to do it the way they did it. Apple is a unique product; millions have drank the kool-aid and will buy anything with an apple on it.

I think the big difference is that Panasonic has frozen a lot of people who would be the market for this camera. They have not purchased an Ursa, a C200, an FS7, etc. They represent sales that Panasonic can hope to get with their product.

Classic example: literally the day I was going to purchase a Zoom F8, I perused the web a bit. Saw that Sound Devices were going to release their MixPre6. Bingo. Watched the reviews, the footage from NAB, etc. Put in a preorder. I would have purchased the Zoom it I had not seen the announcement from Sound Devices that very day. The MixPre6 was shipped a few months later.

Exactly what Panasonic hoped to do re: cameras.
 
Also, it's sort of an inaccurate comparison. Apple certainly announces things way, way ahead of time. iPhone was months; Apple Watch was demoed in September 2014 and didn't come out until April 2015. iPhone X is going to be 1-2 months behind. The upcoming iMac Pro is going to be about 6 months after announcement, and the new Mac Pro has been announced but a complete mystery without even a timeline.

Yeah, Apple ships a lot of stuff day of announcement, but it's just as common for them to have really long lead times, especially with brand new product lines. There's not a big lesson to be learned there.
 
filmguy123 said:
I'll play! :D

4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 internal (the FS7 has this, actually... but I don't want the FS7 for other reasons)
IBIS on S35-sized sensor (the EVA-1's EIS might be the next best thing)
More ISO, of course. It's not about lazy-ness (unless you're a DP working on set), it's about creative flexibiltiy: natural light in lower light, live event indoors, etc. (pending firmware, EVA-1 might be best bet for this today - but I was hoping for at least Dual ISO at 3200 personally, but hey! it's all good).
Smoother more organic images (the promise I was/am hoping for on the EVA-1 - this topic has been beat to death - moving on...)
In-body Electronic variable ND filter (like the Sony models - wish the EVA-1 had this to smoothly scale ND up/down on a wider scale).
Pushing DR to 15 useable stops, consistent across the ISO range (let's avoid a DR discussion - 14 is already really great - just saying)
Global shutter, great (still very technically difficult)
More/better slow-motion (Minimal cropping, maximum bit depth and data rate, internal - I wish the EVA-1 had a 400mbps LongGop Codec custom suited for Super slow motion modes internally. EVA-1 does a great job here overall.).
Lightweight (this is a very distinguishing factor of the EVA-1 in my eyes)
Built in, flip-out iPhone X quality touch screen (not needing to be added - using lightweight camera body for simplicity, excellent touch screen, large, super high res, super bright, all manufacturer features built in seamlessly. EVA-1 sorely lacks here. But I get it, it's for cost. Just saying, I'd gladly pay more as an add-on feature to avoid the complexities, weight, and awkwardness of further kitting out a lightweight camera)
In-camera pre-amps as good as Sound Devices (120db range, etc.)
Canon's AF system in a non-Canon camera (solo op gimbal work)

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As it is, the EVA-1 ticks most of these boxes better than most competitors.
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Hmmmm... I'd agree that maybe there isn't one killer feature that'll do it from now on; like film cameras, image quality will be a given and it'll be about combination of features and ease of use (ergonomics and menus).

I'd also add (in addition to your list) a good EVF on my dream camera.
 
Fahnon said:
Begs the question: What camera feature or image "thing" would get you to take notice in 2018? Global shutter? Super high (240fps+at full res) frame rates? A7s II ISO performance?
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Beyond what EVA1 is providing already, I've got a rather short list. Call it an EVA2 wishlist.

Internal compressed RAW recording
Global shutter or very fast sensor refresh
Useable continuous AF for gimbal work
Electronic focus control for powered lenses
120-240 fps at 10bit 4:2:2
240+ fps in burst at 8bit
 
filmguy123 said:
Thoughts on the Zacuto Z-Finder for attaching to the LCD screen?

https://store.zacuto.com/eva1-z-finder/

Or is the LCD screen too low res, and it will look like crap?

The Gractical Eye looks great, but I don't want to have to add a giant battery and wiring....
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I read some reviews and watched some youtube videos for the FS5 version of the Z-Finder (which is very similar to the EVA1 version) and concluded that I'd much rather pay four times as much for a Gratical. The Z-Finder is bulkier and heavier than the Gratical HD, image quality is (obviously) dependent on the LCD screen and reports are that it isnt that great. So I've decided I'll mount the EVA1 monitor toward the back so i can use it to navigate menus, and add a Gratical for monitoring/framing/focus/etc.
 
IMG_0858.jpg

Thats what I do with the FS7:



Zak Forsman said:
I read some reviews and watched some youtube videos for the FS5 version of the Z-Finder (which is very similar to the EVA1 version) and concluded that I'd much rather pay four times as much for a Gratical. The Z-Finder is bulkier and heavier than the Gratical HD, image quality is (obviously) dependent on the LCD screen and reports are that it isnt that great. So I've decided I'll mount the EVA1 monitor toward the back so i can use it to navigate menus, and add a Gratical for monitoring/framing/focus/etc.
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Good to know, I will avoid the z-finder. Thank you.

I want the Gractical Eye, I just don't want the power-brick... defeats the point of the EVA-1 for me.

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned a special battery rumor that could use standard EVA-1 batteries and power the Gractical Eye?
 
There are battery pinches that use two Sony NP batteries. Much lighter than a V-mount setup. They come with 15mm rail mounts. I have a no-name brand. There were some legit versions with 5v, 7.2v, 12v, and USB outputs that were talked about on DVXUser a few years back, but I can't find a link for them. They could do the same thing with one or two EVA batteries.

Here is the cheap version I have without USB. But there are better ones. https://www.amazon.com/SOONWELL-NP-...38&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+np+battery+7.2+5v+12v
 
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I also looked at the Atomos Powerstation to use with a rigged GH5, powering a Shogun and GH5..but opted for using Vmount as I already own them....it may be a much lighter option using the EVA....it takes smaller batteries (2) and they are hot swappable while you're rolling...may be an ideal situation for keeping the EVA setup light and powering the camera and Gratical Eye (probably my next EVF) at the same time.
 
BTW, I neglected to make sure a couple of our sample EVA1 cameras were loaded in to our setup packing for the show, so I simply tucked them both into my backpack to bring to the show tomorrow. That's right, an ordinary backpack that already had my computer and a bunch of other random stuff still had plenty of room to hold two complete EVA1 cameras, including handgrips, chargers, power supplies, LCDs, etc. Luckily the lenses are already there, but I could have squeezed them in as well. And I wore it all home on the train.

The camera's really small & light!
 
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