The Panasonic AU-EVA1 has just started shipping and here at Newsshooter, we’ve been lucky enough to have an exclusive opportunity to put the camera through its paces.

There has been a lot of hype and build-up with the EVA1 ever since a mystery camera under a sheet was shown at NAB. In some ways, I think the build-up has put a lot of pressure on Panasonic and probably created high expectations that the camera now has to live up to.

Panasonic EVA1 Overview and Footage



This review won’t be nearly as detailed as I would have liked, because I only had access to the camera for a few days. It is impossible to fully review a camera in a short period of time as you really do need to spend significant time with it over many weeks, if not months, to fully appreciate its strengths and weaknesses. I am, however, going to give you as much information and detail as I was able to get with my time with the camera. My review is based on using the camera in a news, documentary environment, but most of what I say is going to be relevant to anyone else using the camera for other purposes.

On the last day I had the camera I went out and shot a proper story, as it was important for me to see just how well the EVA1 performed in a real-world shooting scenario. Testing a camera under completely controlled conditions is never going to show its true strengths and weaknesses.

I had no idea what the location was going to look like or what I would be able to film before I headed out for the shoot. In a documentary or news situation this is often the case, and you need a camera that can adapt to any type of lighting conditions. When you are working by yourself you need to be able to work quickly and efficiently. You can’t waste time trying to light up every room you walk into.

The location I was shooting in was a mixture of natural light, tungsten bulbs, and fluorescent LEDs. Not only was the mixed lighting going to test the EVA1, but most of the areas I was filming in would also push the cameras low-light abilities, as well as dynamic range.

Above is the finished piece. It was all done as a one man band and everything was captured under available light, except for the interview, all in 3 hours. I shot in the 800 and 2500 native ISO settings in 4K DCI at 25p in V-Log. All I have done is add a LUT and do a couple of minor adjustments to a few shots. It was important for me to see how the EVA1 performed if I had to turn the material around quickly. If you have any particular questions about my shoot please feel free to ask in the comments section at the bottom of the review. If you prefer to watch it on YouTube then you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCNn_QNan_g

Before I tell you how I found the camera to use on a real job, you are going to have to read the rest of the review. I can’t give everything away right at the top of the article! I will warn you in advance that it’s long, so feel free to skip over any sections that you aren’t interested in. A lot of the topics covered are also accompanied by a video with example footage. Below is some extra footage I managed to take on the first afternoon I had the camera.

Panasonic EVA1 Basic Specs



The EVA1 uses an all-new 5.7K Super 35mm sensor that downsamples to 4K, UHD, 2K and even 720p. Having a large sensor increases the amount of color information and results in a finer, more accurate image. We have seen this in action on other cameras and it’s a proven way to deliver a more detailed image overall as well as increase the camera’s sensitivity.

The camera can record in 4K, UHD and HD at up to 60p in a 4:2:2 10-bit codec and up to 240 frames per second in 2K and HD (with a sensor crop). It has a native EF-mount, Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), built-in ND with 2, 4, and 6 stops plus an IR filter, and a dual native ISO of 800 and 2500. V-Log/V-Gamut capture are also on board to deliver high dynamic range.

In a future update, the EVA1 will be able to output 5.7K external RAW recording along with ALL Intra compression (400Mbps) for in-camera recording.

Who is the Panasonic EVA1 aimed at?



At $7,345.00US the EVA1 is being squarely targeted at the same shooters who are looking at cameras such as the Sony FS5, FS7, Canon C200, C300 Mark II, and the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro. The sub-$10,000 (USD) market is where the majority of sales are for companies trying to sell professional digital cinema cameras. The EVA1 sits squarely in this realm, and I can see it being used by a vast range of shooters covering everything from documentary, run and gun news, events and weddings, all the way up to indie and short films. The EVA1 also looks to be a good option to use along with either the GH5 or Varicam LT if you already own one of those cameras.

For documentary and news shooters the EVA1 ticks a lot of boxes, but it does have some caveats that I will go into later in my review. Its small weight and size make it ideal for a lot of shooting scenarios, and most importantly it shoots in a broadcast friendly 4:2:2 10-bit codec in HD, 2K, UHD, and 4K. This is a big deal if you work in broadcast or for any production that requires deliverables to be in 4:2:2 10-bit. Unlike the Canon C200 you don’t need an external recorder to provide broadcast quality deliverables. In my opinion, there is zero point to adding a large external recorder to a small camera, especially for run and gun news gathering or documentary work. Whether 4:2:2 10-bit or 4:2:0 8-bit images look the same is a pointless argument if you are working for a production or broadcaster that requires 4:2:2 10-bit.

A Tough Sell



One of the biggest hurdles Panasonic has had to overcome is that they haven’t had an “affordable” digital cinema camera since the AF101. This creates a problem because unlike Sony, Canon, and Blackmagic, there hasn’t been anything to upgrade from. For instance, if you were a Sony FS700 owner you may have upgraded to an FS7, if you were a Canon C100 user you might have upgraded to a C300, and so on. These companies have always had a camera you could upgrade to as you potentially evolve in your career. With Panasonic it’s almost like they have had to start from scratch. You could argue that they have had the GH4 and GH5, but realistically upgrading to an EVA1 is a massive step up when it comes to price.

Panasonic’s big dilemma is not just how to attract new buyers but also how to lure away loyal users of Canon, Sony, and Blackmagic cameras. When you start talking about cameras in the EVA1 price range, shooters generally are not likely to replace their camera every time a new model comes out (especially with the rate at which Sony releases new models!). If you are an owner/operator you want to try and get the most out of your investment as possible, especially if you are spending significant money. If you have bought a camera in the last two years you are unlikely to be upgrading to something new unless that camera offers key features you didn’t previously have, and now need.

For the EVA1 to gain traction in the market it really can’t just be another camera that is as good as its competition, it needs to be better. This is the harsh reality because you need to convince potential buyers that the camera is either substantially better than what they already have or better than the existing competition. In the case of the C200, Canon already had a substantial base of C100 and C300 owners who were looking to upgrade. Introducing a new camera in the Cinema EOS series that is already familiar to your customer base is a far easier sell.

The other problem Panasonic faces is potentially from its own GH5. With good onboard recording options and a 6K anamorphic mode, the GH5 is a very capable camera. Trying to convince GH5 owners that they should upgrade to the EVA1 given the massive price difference may also be an uphill battle.

EVA1 Size and Weight



The first thing that strikes you about the EVA1 is its small size and weight. Without any of the accessories the camera weighs in at 1.2kg (2.6 lb), that’s only 475g (0.93lb) heavier than a GH5 with battery and memory card. With all of the accessories on, the EVA1 weighs 2.1kg (4.5lb).

To put those figures in perspective here is what some of the direct competition weighs (body only):

Sony FS5 – 827.8g (1.82lb)

Sony FS7 – 2.0kg (4.4lb)

Canon C200 – 1.5 kg (3.2 lb)

Canon C300 Mark II – 1.77kg (3.9lb)

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro – 2.3kg (5.1lb)

The compact size and weight of the EVA1 make it a very portable and convenient camera for those shooters who travel a lot and like to operate with a camera package that is as small as possible.

For me personally, small sized cameras can be both a blessing and a curse. The positive aspect is you can just hand-hold the camera by supporting it against your chest in front of you and use the LCD screen. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, if you aren’t particularly tall you will find yourself having to angle the camera up to shoot anyone who happens to be standing. The other downside is if you are using the camera outdoors in bright sunny conditions you are going to struggle to see the screen.

Everyone’s shooting style is different, but for me, I like to be able to put a camera on my shoulder and use an EVF. Unfortunately just like a lot of other modern day cameras, if you want to do this with the EVA1, you need to add some sort of shoulder support system and EVF. The stock EVA1 handle doesn’t move backward or forwards, and the mount that supports the LCD screen doesn’t have much in the way of movement, so if you just want to put the camera on your shoulder and not use an EVF you are going to struggle. Third-party vendors have already made accessories for the EVA1 that include ways of pushing the LCD screen, or an EVF further away from the camera body for handheld use.

The other positive aspect of the camera being so light is it’s easy to switch it from a tripod to a gimbal or even a drone (but you will need a large drone). This flexibility is what a lot of shooters are looking for in a camera, and it’s why we are now seeing so many cameras coming to market that have been designed with this in mind.

EVA1 Build quality



To me, the EVA1 looks like a cross between a Sony FS5 and a Panasonic DVX200. Like a lot of other cameras, it is basically a box with buttons on it. As I mentioned earlier, it’s incredibly lightweight and a lot of this has to do with the materials used to construct the camera. For Panasonic to make the camera this light they obviously had to make some compromises. It does feel a little on the plastic side and it doesn’t have anywhere near the build quality of say a Varicam LT. In saying that, everything such as the top handle and LCD bracket mounts all lock-off securely and feel solid enough. The quality of the buttons and dials are ok, but again they don’t have the feel of a Varicam LT.

All this may sound a bit harsh towards Panasonic, but in terms of build quality the EVA1 is not too different from say a Sony FS5 or Canon C100.

Detachable & Rotatable Handgrip

The handgrip that comes with the EVA1 is very reminiscent of other handgrips on cameras from Sony and Canon. It is rotatable and detachable and it allows you to control record start/stop, the iris or menu, as well as the ability to program two other USER buttons. It is very ergonomically designed and nice to hold onto.

In a nice touch, you can use your thumb to slide across a lock/unlock lever that allows you to rotate the grip into a variety of positions. Once you get it in the position you like you just release the switch and it locks back into place. It’s a much better design in many ways than the competition, as it’s adjustable on the fly. This adjustability allows you to go from chest height to knees or high overhead, and adjust the handgrip to the correct position. There are eight positions for rotation.

The handgrip mount isn’t an Arri rosette but a proprietary Panasonic design. You can release it with another switch and take it off the camera very quickly. The standard remote cable that comes with the camera is very short and there is no other place to relocate the handgrip to. When using the camera in a shoulder mount position, the handgrip is totally in the wrong position. To relocate the handgrip you are going to have to use a third party accessory to do so. A standard LANC extension cable will allow you to extend the remote cable.

The buttons are fairly easy to reach, except for the USER button 8, and if you are looking for USER button 9 it’s on the backside of the handgrip. The handgrip isn’t the same as the one that comes with the Varicam LT, but is very similar.

I found the handgrip nice to use and it’s easy to do your focus punch in, adjust your iris and quickly go into the menu to make changes. If you are just hand-holding the camera without a shoulder rig the handgrip works really well.

Canon EF mount on a Panasonic Camera



Panasonic’s choice to go with a Canon EF mount is a little limiting in my opinion. While not as versatile as the Micro 4/3 or Sony E-mount, Canon EF lenses have proven to be very popular with a lot of shooters. There are a vast amount of lenses in EF mount to choose from, and you can easily get EF mount cine lenses like the Canon CN-E Primes and Zeiss CP.2 or CP.3 lenses, just to name a few. This is great if you already own EF mount glass, but if you don’t, it may be enough of a reason for you to look at say a Sony FS5 or FS7.

Again this is just my personal opinion, but I think Panasonic have played slightly into Canon’s hands by making the mount EF. Canon has a big advantage when it comes to integrating their own lenses with their cameras. If you are tossing up between a Canon C200 and the EVA1, the Dual Pixel Autofocus and autofocus tracking abilities of the C200 may well be enough to sway you in that direction. Unfortunately, unlike the Varicam 35 and LT, other lens mounts aren’t available.

From Panasonic’s viewpoint, I can see why going with an EF mount was probably Panasonic’s only real option. Sony isn’t exactly going to start licensing out their E-mount to the competition, and using a Micro 4/3 mount on a Super 35mm sensor would have provided other problems. I would have preferred to have seen an interchangeable mount system, so at least you would have given owners the ability to choose what sort of lens they wanted to use.

EVA1 Autofocus

The camera doesn’t have continuous autofocus capabilities like the Canon C200, it only has a one-push autofocus button. If you are looking for a camera that has continuous autofocus and face and object tracking then this most likely isn’t the camera for you. I tried using the autofocus with quite a few different Canon EF lenses and the performance was average at best. It does have a tendency to hunt around and if you are trying to use it when your scene is not particularly bright it really struggles. There is also no way of adjusting where the camera autofocuses – it looks to be center-based only.

Autofocus is not one of Panasonic’s strengths, and it is certainly a major weakness on the EVA1. If you rely on autofocus for documentary, event or wedding shooting, this camera is likely going to disappoint you.

As far as manual focusing goes, there are your normal peaking and focus magnification options available. Panasonic also has a Focus Box Assist mode that when activated, brings up a series of green boxes that change size as your focus is turned. Once the box, or boxes reach their biggest size, that point in your image is in focus. This works pretty well, but you do end up with a lot of green boxes on the screen that obscure your image. Unlike the manual focus assist on some of the Canon cameras, you don’t get an indication of whether you have gone past your focus point or if you are in front of it.

A Cinema Camera with No Viewfinder



One thing that is missing is an EVF. Panasonic says it’s decision to not have a rear viewfinder is because users don’t generally like or use them. I have to agree to a certain extent. A rear, fixed-mounted viewfinder is normally only suitable if you have the camera pressed up against your eye and you are hand holding it. Apart from that, rear-mounted viewfinders are pretty much useless. By not having one it saves on cost, battery life and weight. To overcome not having a viewfinder the LCD is relocatable to a number of mounting points on the handle and body.

The unfortunate problem is that the LCD screen borders on being unusable outdoors in bright conditions. The first time I used the camera for this review I was on a rooftop out in the sun and I wanted to see if I could get away with just using the LCD and not having to resort to a third party EVF or monitor. It was so reflective it made it almost impossible to see. I ended up putting a sweater over my head to try and cover up not only the LCD screen but the area around it as well. Subsequently, some of the material I shot was either out of focus or not exposed correctly.

It’s slightly ironic that a lot of the Panasonic release films for the EVA1 showed somebody using a third party EVF, but realistically this is what most shooters are going to end up doing, including me.

I still think you need a dedicated viewfinder on any camera because using an LCD screen outdoors is just not entirely practical. Between glare, direct sunlight and not being able to see the screen correctly because it is either too close or too far away from you, there is a myriad of problems it can create. Yes, you can use Panasonic’s viewfinder that is available for the VariCam LT, but it’s $5,400US. If a company like Zacuto can make a Gratical Eye EVF for just under $2,000US, then you think a big company like Panasonic would be able to make a similar solution for the same sort of money. I’m not just having a dig at Panasonic here because this applies to other manufacturers such as Sony and Canon as well. At least Blackmagic made an affordable EVF for their cameras, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s at least reasonably affordable.

EVA1 LCD screen



The EVA1 has a 3.5″ LCD monitor (approx. 1,150,000 dots) that is also a touchscreen. From here you can control all of the cameras menu settings and functionality. The touchscreen aspect works well, but it’s reflective and not easy to see. If you are using it in dark conditions it looks fine, but anywhere that is even mildly bright or where a light will reflect onto it and you are going to run into problems. In my opinion, the LCD screen shouldn’t be used for anything more than seeing a reference image and for controlling the menu. Even indoors under regular lighting, I found it attracts far too much glare and the built-in sun hood that opens up just tends to get in the way. As I mentioned earlier, outdoors it borders on being unusable. I could not see myself using this camera without a high-bright monitor or EVF. No matter how great a camera may or may not be, if you can’t see your image clearly and judge accurate exposure and focus, then your results are going to be less than stellar. The LCD screen is definitely the EVA1’s Achilles heel.

Built-in ND filters



The EVA1 uses electrically driven ND filters. You can choose between Clear, 0.6ND, 1.2ND, and 1.8ND. These work well, but only having a maximum ND of 1.8 can be limiting if you want to shoot with a shallow depth of field in bright, sunny conditions. I found that in a lot of cases when shooting in bright conditions I couldn’t dial in enough ND and I was forced to both lower my ISO and stop the camera down to an aperture you don’t want to be shooting at. In comparison, the Canon C200 offers 0.6ND, 1.2ND, 1.8ND, 2.4ND, and 3.0ND.

Batteries



The EVA uses a 7.28v 5800mah/43 Wh battery. The charging time for this battery according to Panasonic is a rather long 3 hours and 20 minutes, but I found the battery charged a lot quicker than this. Panasonic doesn’t state how long these batteries will last, but given the camera only draws 19W (with LCD/HDMI/SDI ON), I found a single battery lasted quite a long time. I think having three batteries would get you through a long shooting day. Other optional Panasonic batteries are also available.

I would have liked to have seen Panasonic make a battery that has a built-in power tap port so you could power an EVF or monitor. Hopefully, a third party manufacturer will come up with a solution.

Recording media



Unlike with some cameras from Canon and Blackmagic, Panasonic has chosen to stick with relatively affordable SD cards instead of using more expensive CFast 2.0 cards. The camera has two SD slots with various recording modes. Simultaneous recording, relay recording, loop recording*1, or background recording*. The EVA1 does require different SD cards depending on what codec flavour you decide to record in. Below you can see a chart that tells you what cards are required depending on what codec choice you go with.

As you can see you will need to use SDXC cards with a Video Class Speed of V60 or greater to record in the 422Intra 400Mbps codec, or in the 2K/FHD VFR Mode. These cards are still relatively expensive and not a lot of them are currently available. Hopefully prices will start to come down by the time the firmware that enables these recording modes is released. Please be aware that according to Panasonic you are limited to using SDXC cards up to 128GB in capacity.

Control layout

I’m a stickler for wanting to use cameras that are easy to control and operate. There is nothing worse on a camera than confusing menus and badly labeled or placed buttons and switches. So how does the EVA1 fair? The majority of the EVA1’s buttons and controls are located on the operator side of the camera and the key buttons for changing the iris, ND, white balance, and ISO (although this is a combined function switch that you have to go between) are all positioned in an easy to access position.

There are nine USER assignable buttons that you can set to a variety of functions. There is also an INFO button as well as a HOME button which when pressed, brings up a nice display screen that shows you all the key operational aspects of your camera. This is a nice screen to use as you can easily see your shutter speed, ISO, frame rate, colour settings, timecode, audio, WB setting, and recording codec and resolution. The HOME screen is not just a status display, it’s also a shorthand menu that allows quick access to some of the cameras controls as well.

The Toggle switch (located under Iris Wheel) has a center position marked USER. In this position you can preselect it to control shutter, variable frame rate or monitor out (headphone level).

Unlike the Varicam LT, the EVA1 has physical audio controls on the side of the camera, but in somewhat of a strange move, they haven’t included physical switches for changing between MIC/LINE or for turning on or off +48V phantom power. All you can physically do with the controls is set CH1 and CH2 to be in auto or manual modes and adjust the levels. To set the channels to MIC/LINE or turn on/off +48 phantom power you need to go into the menu. You have a choice to monitor through the headphone jack of CH1 or CH2, both CH1 and CH2 and also a STEREO setting.

Menu system



The menu system is fairly easy to understand, and the touchscreen functionality of the LCD screen allows you to go through it pretty easily. There is also a menu button on the hand control grip, which once pressed, allows you to use the scroll dial to make changes. Like most cameras these days there is a tendency where you have to go into one menu, select another menu and then into yet another menu to make changes. In saying this I found after a couple of days I was able to get familiar with the system and made changes quickly without having to go searching.

One thing you really need to be vigil about is when you make changes to USER buttons in the menu. If for instance you have USER button 2 set to EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) and you have it turned on, if you don’t turn it off, and you then change that USER button function to something else, the EIS will stay on and you won’t be able to turn it off without going through the menu.

EVA1 Picture Profiles

The EVA1 can shoot in V-LOG/V-Gammut and there are also 5 different scene files you can use. These scene files can also be customised if need be by making changes to the Gamma, Detail, Black Point etc. The Scene files are just labeled Scene 1-5, but they can be renamed. Scene files can be saved to and loaded from an SD card. Panasonic also allows you to do a complete reset back to the factory presets.

Scene 5 is for HDR, and it is full HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) in the REC2020 colour space.

Internal 4:2:2 10-bit recording



Let’s face it, Panasonic gets it when it comes to codecs. They know people want to record in a good colour space at a decent bitrate, so they put codecs in cameras that people want. Just like the GH5, the EVA1 will be able to record 10-bit 422 at up to 400Mbps, even in 4K, to affordable SDXC cards. In my opinion internal recording is where Canon missed the boat with the C200. In 2017 there is absolutely no reason why camera companies can’t offer 4:2:2 10-bit internal recording in their cameras. Panasonic sell a lot of cameras to television stations and they understand the importance of having codecs in their cameras that meet broadcast specifications. Not having to use an external recorder to record to a broadcast-friendly codec is a big deal, especially when you want to keep your camera light and compact.

The other nice thing about the EVA1 is you can get a lot of footage on a relatively small card. For example, if you want to record in HD 422LongGOP 50M (a broadcast acceptable standard) you can record 5 hours and 20 minutes on a 128GB card. Because the camera has two card slots you could record in this codec for more than 10 hours without having to change cards.

The option to have full 4K and UHD at 10-bit 4:2:2 in 29.97, 24p and 23.976 with a VBR of 400Mbps is impressive. Unfortunately, this codec won’t be available until a later date with a firmware update.

The camera can record in the following codecs and bitrates:

In S35 Mode 4096 x 2160 (4K) .MOV

422 Intra 400 Mbps (VBR) 29.97p, 24p, 25p, 23.98p (Firmware Update)

422 LongGOP 150Mbps (VBR) 29.97p, 24p, 25p, 23.98p

420 LongGOP 150M (VBR) 59.94p, 50p

420 LongGOP 100M (VBR) 29.97p, 25p, 23.98p