57
PANASONIC EVA1 USER REVIEW
camera settings on one page, and allowing limited set-up by prodding a finger at the relevant display (frame rate, colour settings, shutter angle, ISO, audio inputs and white balance). The LCD plugs into a custom connector on the rear of the camera, where it’s joined by a two analogue audio XLRs, SDI out, Timecode In (excellent – you have to pay extra to get this on an FS7, and it’s missing from the C200), HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as external power in. The camera uses standard Panasonic Li-ion camcorder batteries – I was impressed by the low power consumption of the camera. It means that you don’t need a giant V-Lock or GoldMount battery on the back on the camera (unlike the URSA Mini Pro), and the airline restriction on Li-ion batteries is no worry.
signal. No need for further off-chip amplification. In front of the sensor is an IR filter which you can move out of the way, allowing for IR illuminated night vision, and an ND filter wheel. This has a standard, but slightly disappointing range of two, four or six stops – Canon’s new C200 can manage ten stops. The camera comes with a detachable top handle and a high-resolution, 3.5” touch-screen monitor. There’s no loupe for this monitor; you’ll need to buy a separate EVF if you want one. The LCD has a handy hood built into the cover, though is still proved a little hard to see on a sunny day. The touch sensitivity of the LCD works well – there is a nice ‘Home’ screen, very reminiscent of the ALEXA/AMIRA and URSA Mini Pro, showing the major
With the current CODECs, the camera will record 4k at up to 59.94fps, and 2k/HD at up to 120fps (full sensor) or 240fps with the sensor cropped. The sensor has two native ISO ratings – 800 and 2500. This basically means that there are two gain structures on the sensor chip, so you would expect this to perform better than, for instance, an 800 ISO sensor with the gain turned up to 2500. Think of it this way, if your pixel signal is amplified on-chip to produce the ‘ISO 800’ signal, then amplified again to produce ISO 2500, the second amplifier also amplifies the noise produced by the first amplifier (as well as the noise inherent in the pixel). The Panasonic solution is to have another amplifier on-chip, connected directly to the pixel, in parallel with the ISO 800 amp, to producing the ‘ISO 2500’
PANASONIC HAS A TRACK RECORD OF MAKING SMALL, HIGH- QUALITY CAMCORDERS
@DEFINITIONMAGAZINE |
@DEFINITIONMAGS |
@DEFINITIONMAGS
JANUARY 2018 DEFINITION
Powered by FlippingBook