EVA1: Wooden Camera to offer PL mount modification kit for EVA1

Grug

Grug

Veteran
Well this is exciting (and unexpected), Wooden Camera are working on a PL mount modification kit for the EVA1.

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All my glass is PL, so I'd written off the EVA1 as option. Looks like I can start considering it again :)
 
rob norton said:
Awesome! Are you considering as a replacement for your F3-type jobs?
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That was my thinking. Though I've just read the camera doesn't do 4k at 60fps in 10 bit 4:2:2. That could be problematic precisely for those kinds of jobs.

At any rate, I don't actually think I'll need to retire the F3 anytime soon - mine's been flat out the past two months (far more so than my Arri).
 
Very excited about the option of going PL given that I only have PL glass. EVA1 is going to be my small body for water and movi work alongside my LT so the option to share glass is very appealing. Probably my only concern is warranty. Are we saying goodbye to it by using this mount given that it appears to involve removing the existing mount from the body?
 
looking at the EVA-1 it looks like the mount unscrews with 4 screws so it's probably possible to take it off and put it back on without causing any issues, but I doubt that this Mod is something the lawyers in Japan would be okay with
 
Mark Broadbent said:
Very excited about the option of going PL given that I only have PL glass. EVA1 is going to be my small body for water and movi work alongside my LT so the option to share glass is very appealing. Probably my only concern is warranty. Are we saying goodbye to it by using this mount given that it appears to involve removing the existing mount from the body?
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Here's the deal:

Panasonic is happy Wooden Camera is making this modification available to people. We like you to have choices. That said, if you take a screwdriver to your camera and mess something up installing this mount then that repair won't be under warranty. But if for some reason your SDI connector fails and you send in the camera with a PL mount attached we're not going to say "Hey there's a PL mount on this thing so we're not going to cover anything." Clearly one thing has nothing to do with the other. And if you send in a camera with a PL mount on it our service guys won't refuse to touch it, but they'll have to charge for the work.

Wooden Camera will offer to install the PL mount for an additional fee. Unless you're a rental house or some other facility with a collimator and other alignment tools I suggest you take up WC on that offer. It does mean you'll have to send your camera to Texas for the work.
 
It’s good to have you here, Mitch. This sort of open conversation is what helps a person exactly like myself be swayed from another company’s camera system to EVA1’s. Wooden Camera’s PL mount modification (and possible future ones from other third parties) doesn’t hurt, either.
 
Mitch Gross said:
Here's the deal:

Panasonic is happy Wooden Camera is making this modification available to people. We like you to have choices. That said, if you take a screwdriver to your camera and mess something up installing this mount then that repair won't be under warranty. But if for some reason your SDI connector fails and you send in the camera with a PL mount attached we're not going to say "Hey there's a PL mount on this thing so we're not going to cover anything." Clearly one thing has nothing to do with the other. And if you send in a camera with a PL mount on it our service guys won't refuse to touch it, but they'll have to charge for the work.
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That's great news Mitch. Glad to see Panasonic taking a common sense approach to it. Completely understand mount related issues not being covered however the reassurance that the rest of the camera will be assessed fairly is good to hear.
 
Mitch to clarify,
If the sdi board is fried and the camera is modded to PL
Does one have to pay for the board or just the servicing?
 
Here's a radical idea... How about Panasonic service providing the install as a part/upgrade? That way the customer knows it is installed correctly, and service knows it is installed correctly. Service can also give the camera a good checkout while it is there, and service makes a quick buck. Unless Panasonic has plans of making and selling mounts, you know this would be good for both companies.
 
dcloud said:
Mitch to clarify,
If the sdi board is fried and the camera is modded to PL
Does one have to pay for the board or just the servicing?
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Let's parse this one.

The SDI board (just a random example I chose here) has nothing to do with modding the lens mount, so let's take that one right off the table. It does not effect this situation in the least.

Now if the SDI board were to fail during the warranty period due to some defect from the manufacturer, then parts and labor would be covered. IBut if you hooked some jumper cables to it and plugged them into the washing machine outlet, then I'd venture to say not covered.

One has to use some common sense here, but also note that there are some specifics to various situations that must be taken into consideration.
 
Greg_E said:
Here's a radical idea... How about Panasonic service providing the install as a part/upgrade? That way the customer knows it is installed correctly, and service knows it is installed correctly. Service can also give the camera a good checkout while it is there, and service makes a quick buck. Unless Panasonic has plans of making and selling mounts, you know this would be good for both companies.
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Panasonic, at least in the US, really doesn't want to get involved. Our installing it would mean that we would need to vet the mount, putting it through a series of tests for our liability as an international manufacturing concern and a company with contracts with institutions such as medical and military concerns. That would mean a lot of overhead, and it therefore mean we'd have to bump up the cost of the product considerably. So it's probably best that we stay on the sidelines and encourage you to make your camera work the way you want.
 
Mitch Gross said:
Let's parse this one.

The SDI board (just a random example I chose here) has nothing to do with modding the lens mount, so let's take that one right off the table. It does not effect this situation in the least.

Now if the SDI board were to fail during the warranty period due to some defect from the manufacturer, then parts and labor would be covered. IBut if you hooked some jumper cables to it and plugged them into the washing machine outlet, then I'd venture to say not covered.

One has to use some common sense here, but also note that there are some specifics to various situations that must be taken into consideration.
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ok gotcha. so the PL Mod doesnt completely void the warranty except in the ef mount?
is this policy US only?
 
Again why Panasonic gets my money as a company...a kind of common sense wisdom/philosophy that ultimately considers the end use of the product and customer satisfaction over all else...I doubt any other company in this business would demonstrate such generosity....it's just so easy and convenient to negate a warranty due to any modification....Panny chooses the other path!
 
OK, maybe next time the camera should come with a neutral mounting surface and the user would be required to add a mount of their choice.

Is the EVA1 certified for medical use? Since it isn't a critical life saving device or specialized surgical instrument it shouldn't require any additional inspection to change a mount. That would be silly (but may still be required). Though I could see it needing a different FCC test, those people can be super strict about changes that normally mean nothing to the emitted noise from an electronic device, and this testing is not cheap.
 
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