A Super 35 CMOS sensor
Forgoing this time the micro 4/3 format, Panasonic offers a super 35 sensor inherited from its top of the range models, the Varicam and Varicam LT. Good news for all those who demanded more performance in low light, especially since the EVA1 also benefits from the DUAL ISO 800/2500 system that made the success of its predecessors. This means that you can set the camera to ISO 2500 in native and push it higher without fearing the appearance of unsightly video noise. A godsend for anyone who likes to film in the dark!
14 Latitude stops
This is the kind of information that should be taken with a grain of salt, as the manufacturers’ marketing departments tend to embellish the situation. But if the measurement is correct, the EVA1 could face the competition without blushing since the FS7 is not better and you have to look at the very high end cameras (meaning: more than 20,000 euros) to exceed this figure. Even if we are far from the 21 stops claimed by the RED Weapon, we have to admit that 14 stops is very comfortable and it should allow to face any light situation without being obliged to overexpose or underexpose a part of the image.
4K recording on SD cards
That’s great news! No need to buy expensive media to record with the EVA1. It uses a 5.7K sensor to render 4K video. The advantage? With downsampling, the moiré effects are reduced and the image is generally sharper. Note the presence of two SD slots, allowing a backup of data on the fly or to turn two cards in a row for a longer duration of capture. Possibilities of recording on external hard disk are planned via SDI connectors and Panasonic has already announced that the Raw was in the program.
An EF mount
By displaying its camera with the star lens of the small budgets, I named the sigma 18-35mm, Panasonic sets the tone. No more micro 4/3 and welcome to the EF mount from Canon. On the other hand, no PL mount is announced, which blocks the possibility of mounting classic cinema lenses and proves that the target audience is indeed the freelance cameraman. Don’t panic though, as the EF mount is becoming a well-established standard even on high-end cameras, the choice in terms of optics is far from being limited.
Image stabilizer and ND filters
Panasonic announces a stabilizer of type E.I.S. without giving more precision. Only electronic, there should be no sensor stabilization as on the GH5. But it is assumed that with the experience gained, stabilization should not be a problem. As for the built-in ND filters, this is good news and should be standard on all cameras.
4K 60P and 240FPS in 2K
By tackling the FS7, Panasonic had to offer consistent slow motion features. The contract is fulfilled on paper and even if the specifications are not revolutionary in these times, they will be more than enough for most users and will offer great possibilities in terms of creativity.
Listed price: $7,495
We are therefore in the intermediate price range for all those who want to equip themselves with a versatile camera that offers a good comfort of use. Of course, you’ll have to test the beast, but Panasonic has the good habit of proposing successful and well-designed hardware from the start, not to mention frequent firmware updates that will offer new features over time.
