EVA1: Quirks or issues, anyone?

G

Galleddrim

Active member
Hello to all EVA1 owners and/or users. I am about to pull the trigger on this camera. Everything I've seen from it looks like it's unbeatable for the price range. I am well versed in all the specs and the pros and cons of things like no viewfinder and push button AF.

I am wondering if anyone has any quirks or issues that have come up that were unexpected. The most important thing to me is to have a reliable camera (this coming from a BMPC 4K owner). I can work around the limitations, but its gotta be rock solid. I'm also aware of the handgrip issue that Panasonic has taken steps to fix. So other than that, anyone have anything else? Thanks!
 
Reliability is solid - a few work around issues to deal with like assigning buttons to functions that reset every time you turn off the camera - focus peaking, brighter (Power LCD) function, center exposure marker, waveform. Other then that you are good.

Galleddrim said:
Hello to all EVA1 owners and/or users. I am about to pull the trigger on this camera. Everything I've seen from it looks like it's unbeatable for the price range. I am well versed in all the specs and the pros and cons of things like no viewfinder and push button AF.

I am wondering if anyone has any quirks or issues that have come up that were unexpected. The most important thing to me is to have a reliable camera (this coming from a BMPC 4K owner). I can work around the limitations, but its gotta be rock solid. I'm also aware of the handgrip issue that Panasonic has taken steps to fix. So other than that, anyone have anything else? Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
The grip is still an issue. After some short shootings mine has shown some kind of movement. It should be less then 1.5 degrees. But how to measure that? And they ask me to send them the total camera instead of simply exchanging the grip.

And if you want to rig heavier parts like a Shogun - well you must not use the plastic parts of the camera to build up connections, because you will not end up with enough mechanical stability. So the built quality is a clear issue, while the picture quality is similar to the C200.

And reserve the money for an additional Eyeviewer like the Gratical or the Zactuco Z-Finder - both not cheap. The LCD cannot be used in sunlight really.
 
It's funny; back in the BMCC days, there was a fast and always engaged community of users always talking about the best way to do things and finding issues and workarounds. I think because all the cameras are pretty solid now and we're all busy just working with them, there's just not as much to talk about and that's why a thread like this isn't getting a ton of replies. Same over on the C200 forum, and these two cameras are the two biggest releases for their respective companies in years (probably even more so for Panasonic).

Everyone already knows about the lack of a broadcast codec on the C200 and the lack of an EVF on the EVA1, and beyond that people are shutting up and just happily shooting away...
 
Fahnon said:
It's funny; back in the BMCC days, there was a fast and always engaged community of users always talking about the best way to do things and finding issues and workarounds. I think because all the cameras are pretty solid now and we're all busy just working with them, there's just not as much to talk about and that's why a thread like this isn't getting a ton of replies. Same over on the C200 forum, and these two cameras are the two biggest releases for their respective companies in years (probably even more so for Panasonic).

Everyone already knows about the lack of a broadcast codec on the C200 and the lack of an EVF on the EVA1, and beyond that people are shutting up and just happily shooting away...
Click to expand...
That seems to take place on Facebook by now. There are a lot of people complaining about some of the mentioned points like EVF or the mechanical stability.
 
Another problem, which I've mentioned elsewhere, is the tendency for very comment, positive or negative, to turn into an argument (often voiced by people who don't actually own the camera). I always give up on forums when that s__t happens.

In my case I already owned several EF lenses, SD cards and a Gratical X. My only additional expenses were for an additional battery and a SHAPE grip extension.

I think it's a terrific camera. I like the fact that it can be built on, or left alone. My one and only gripe so far, mentioned elsewhere, is the fact that the variable frame rate feature is menu dependent. Otherwise it's the camera I've been waiting for.
 
Incorrect. You can assign the VFR to the user button which is middle position on the ISO / WB selector and click in the wheel. That will toggle FPS on or off which is VFR. Granted it won't switch from 10bit to 8bit automatically like a GH5.

Mac said:
Another problem, which I've mentioned elsewhere, is the tendency for very comment, positive or negative, to turn into an argument (often voiced by people who don't actually own the camera). I always give up on forums when that s__t happens.

In my case I already owned several EF lenses, SD cards and a Gratical X. My only additional expenses were for an additional battery and a SHAPE grip extension.

I think it's a terrific camera. I like the fact that it can be built on, or left alone. My one and only gripe so far, mentioned elsewhere, is the fact that the variable frame rate feature is menu dependent. Otherwise it's the camera I've been waiting for.
Click to expand...
 
IN VFR 2k 120, the iris wheel stutters, and gets hung up. In other words, changes don't happen immediately in exposure, and it comes in increments that take a second or two. This has to be some sort of glitch that is hopefully addressed in firmware updates.
 
soarprod said:
Incorrect. You can assign the VFR to the user button which is middle position on the ISO / WB selector and click in the wheel. .
Click to expand...

Yeah, I discovered that five minutes after I wrote that. Hey, I’d only had the camera for two days.

I like it more every day I use it. For my work, documentaries mostly handheld, it’s nearly perfect. And the dynamic range is stunning compared to my V1 C100... with the V-Log LUT in FCPX it’s very fast in post, which is often important...
 
Should be receiving mine tomorrow, will update once I have it - anything's gotta be an improvement over the provided mirror ;)
 
Two unexpected bugs/quirks I've found so far (that may have not been mentioned):

One is that as you start to pick up even the slightest noise in the higher ISOs (higher relative to respective BASE ISO), PEAKING becomes practically useless. This is to be expected with any camera at some point, really, but the EVA1's PEAKING really seems to be quite a bit more sensitive to noise than I am used to. Or, it could be just that the camera itself (shooting VLog with V709 on LCD) is just sending a particularly noisy signal through the Peaking circuit? Nonetheless, the PEAKING has a much lower threshold for noise than I do, lol.

The second is that the AUTO function for audio levels is not useable at all. The attack seems to be about right, but the release is incredibly delayed (and very obvious when the "room" levels suddenly pop back up about a half second too late). I would never use this setting for talent/interviews, etc. Maybe on a shotgun when picking up general NAT ambient sounds, but I hesitate even at that. As a one-man-band, I've always done fairly well (for the most part) using AUTO on Sony (ENG/Prosumer/Cinema) and older Panasonic ENG cameras. The rule of thumb for me (and most other shooters I know) is to keep it in AUTO unless you have a mixer feeding you the audio, else you will get hosed at some point. The one saving grace is that the EVA1 has a specific setting for the LIMITER (whereas, I believe, most cameras couple the LIMITER function with the AUTO setting?), so I am hoping that I can rely on that to save me from a sudden livening up of a conversation or an unexpected NAT pop, etc. Bummer though that I have to set the audio manually with the dials. I'm going to have to remember to keep a close eye on where I have them set throughout each shoot in case they accidentally get pushed around... the door on the audio section of the EVA1 does not protect from this potentially happening.
 
Mac said:
Yeah, I discovered that five minutes after I wrote that. Hey, I’d only had the camera for two days.

I like it more every day I use it. For my work, documentaries mostly handheld, it’s nearly perfect. And the dynamic range is stunning compared to my V1 C100... with the V-Log LUT in FCPX it’s very fast in post, which is often important...
Click to expand...


I understand you can change the vfr rate to the user scroll, but you cannot turn VFR on with a user button, is that correct? One of the great things on my DVX200 was being able to switch to VFR with the push of a button. It would be great to add that in future firmware.

Also, I can't seem to get my zebras to display on the LCD, no matter how many different settings I mess with or how high the exposure is set. Anyone else experienced this?
 
I don't think there is any situation where you can use AUTO audio levels for dialogue. You can set NAT sound from the on camera mic to auto but never incoming dialogue it can only screw you.


Seanik said:
Two unexpected bugs/quirks I've found so far (that may have not been mentioned):

One is that as you start to pick up even the slightest noise in the higher ISOs (higher relative to respective BASE ISO), PEAKING becomes practically useless. This is to be expected with any camera at some point, really, but the EVA1's PEAKING really seems to be quite a bit more sensitive to noise than I am used to. Or, it could be just that the camera itself (shooting VLog with V709 on LCD) is just sending a particularly noisy signal through the Peaking circuit? Nonetheless, the PEAKING has a much lower threshold for noise than I do, lol.

The second is that the AUTO function for audio levels is not useable at all. The attack seems to be about right, but the release is incredibly delayed (and very obvious when the "room" levels suddenly pop back up about a half second too late). I would never use this setting for talent/interviews, etc. Maybe on a shotgun when picking up general NAT ambient sounds, but I hesitate even at that. As a one-man-band, I've always done fairly well (for the most part) using AUTO on Sony (ENG/Prosumer/Cinema) and older Panasonic ENG cameras. The rule of thumb for me (and most other shooters I know) is to keep it in AUTO unless you have a mixer feeding you the audio, else you will get hosed at some point. The one saving grace is that the EVA1 has a specific setting for the LIMITER (whereas, I believe, most cameras couple the LIMITER function with the AUTO setting?), so I am hoping that I can rely on that to save me from a sudden livening up of a conversation or an unexpected NAT pop, etc. Bummer though that I have to set the audio manually with the dials. I'm going to have to remember to keep a close eye on where I have them set throughout each shoot in case they accidentally get pushed around... the door on the audio section of the EVA1 does not protect from this potentially happening.
Click to expand...
 
icarusfilm said:
I don't think there is any situation where you can use AUTO audio levels for dialogue. You can set NAT sound from the on camera mic to auto but never incoming dialogue it can only screw you.
Click to expand...

Like Seanik I've used auto plenty of times on a sony camera (fs7) and it's worked really well.
 
User scroll is also the button to activate

dtocco said:
I understand you can change the vfr rate to the user scroll, but you cannot turn VFR on with a user button, is that correct? One of the great things on my DVX200 was being able to switch to VFR with the push of a button. It would be great to add that in future firmware.

Also, I can't seem to get my zebras to display on the LCD, no matter how many different settings I mess with or how high the exposure is set. Anyone else experienced this?
Click to expand...
 
Well, I took the plunge and I'm in on the EVA1. Loving it so far. Working on getting a rig put together piece by piece.

On the audio . . . just pulled in audio from the XLR for the first time yesterday, and after adjusting the input to -40dB my Sennheiser MKE 600 performed great. I found that I can route Input 1 to both channels and still control the channel recording level independently, which means that I can record one channel slightly hot and then the second channel lower to insure against clipping. That's a pretty cool feature to have.

Quirks so far . . . just interface stuff. Would love for there to be a way to quickly switch between 800 and 2500 base ISO. Also a faster way to switch between system framerates. Oh, speaking of framerates, there was a panicky moment when I switched my system from 23.97fps to 29.97fps and my audio cut out. This was because when I changed the system framerate the shooting framerate did not switch to match, and so it was in VFR mode (since I keep the VFR mode on). I might turn that off, but we'll see how my shooting style dictates.
 
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