Panasonic AU-EVA1 Compact 5.7K Super 35mm Cinema Camera

Housing a high-resolution 5.7K image sensor capable of rendering smooth 4K images inside a compact body, Panasonic's AU-EVA1 Compact 5.7K Super 35mm Cinema Camera is a flexible camera system ready for documentary, cinema, and live event production.
The 5.7K sensor is used to super-sample internal recordings, resulting in higher resolving images with less noise and artifacting when compared to non-super-sampled recordings.

Panasonic's acclaimed Dual Native ISO technology is also incorporated into this sensor. Dual Native ISO uses alternative circuitry within the sensor, rather than adding gain or shifting the gamma of the original signal output, to increase sensitivity while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. The standard native ISO is 800, which works for most production situations. This can be switched to 2500 when working in dim scenarios.

An EF lens mount at the front of the body supports a wide-range of interchangeable lenses from popular manufacturers. Directly behind the mount is an electronically controlled ND filter wheel offering, 2, 4, and 6 stops of filtration for cutting down on excess light, letting you set your lens's aperture to fit the desired aesthetic of your production. For further flexibility, the IR-cut filter is defeatable for shooting in extreme low-light situations or for creative color effects.

On the back-end, videos are recorded using 10-bit, 4:2:2 sampling for smooth gradations in subtle shades and a reduction in banding artifacts over 8-bit sampling. Bit-rates of up to 150 Mbps are available for high image quality without an extreme memory penalty.

Infusing high-resolution recording into a small form-factor camera body gives DPs and camera operators the flexibility to achieve cinema-grade images in spaces normally restrictive of larger camera systems. Additionally, since tactile controls and I/O connections are available on the exterior of the camera, the overall design doesn't sacrifice conventional ergonomics for traditional shooting scenarios whether operating handheld or locked down atop a tripod.
 

5.7K Sensor

Panasonic's 5.7K sensor is at the heart of this camera. Its high resolution allows for oversampled 4K footage, resulting in sharp images with reduced aliasing and increased color fidelity over native 4K Bayer-pattern sensors. Video is recorded on widely available SD cards, providing high-quality recording on accessible, industry-standard media.

Dual Native ISO

Utilizing a process that allows the sensor to be read in a fundamentally different way, Dual Native ISO extracts more information from the sensor without affecting the image in the same way as increasing the gain or shifting the gamma. This results in the EVA1 being a camera that can switch from a standard sensitivity to a high sensitivity with minimal, if any, impact by way of image artifacting.

V-Log and V-Gamut Capture

Combining Panasonic-developed V-Log and V-Gamut, the EVA1 can capture a wide exposure latitude and represent a wide color palette. V-Log has exposure curve characteristics that are somewhat reminiscent of negative film while V-Gamut delivers a color space even larger than film. Having both of these tools enables the EVA1 to be used in production workflows for both HDR and SDR production.

Native EF Lens Mount

Panasonic chose the EF lens mount to enable shooters to natively use the broad EF lens ecosystem, encompassing many brands of lenses. The lens mount itself features electronic contacts for communication with compatible lenses as well as enabling one-push autofocus.

Electronic Image Stabilization

The EVA1 can electronically compensate for vibrations induced by shooting handheld or shoulder-mounted. This feature is especially useful for documentarians and other shooters that employ the run-and-gun style.

Integrated Motorized Filters

Available in 2, 4, and 6 stops, the built-in ND filter wheel enables the camera operator to have precise control over their image. If you wish to open up your lens while maintaining a set shutter speed, the ND filters can help reduce the exposure to retain your image's highlights. The IR-cut filter can also be actuated electronically, allowing for night-vision and unique photographic effects.

SD Card Recording

Proprietary media can be expensive, but the EVA1 uses relatively affordable SDXC memory to record video. V60-rated SD cards support all internal recording modes, including the 10-bit 4:2:2 4K modes. Dual card slots means you can continuously record from card to card, or record to both cards simultaneously for a backup.

Recording Modes

The EVA1 can record in several formats and compression rates, and offers up to 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling, even at 4K resolutions. For in camera recording, you can capture in 4K (4096 x 2160), UHD (3840 x 2160), 2K (2048 x 1080), Full-HD (1920 x 1080), and HD (1280 x 720). For high-speed capture, the EVA1 offers up to 59.94 fps for 4K, up to 120 fps for 2K and Full-HD, or 240 fps with an image sensor crop.

I/O

On the body of the camera you'll find dual balanced XLR audio inputs for professional shotgun microhpones, lavalier microphones, and line outputs. The HDMI and SDI video outputs are both 4K-capable and each can be adjusted separately, allowing HD to be fed to a viewfinder or other third-party monitor while 4K is sent to an outboard recorder or monitor. The camera is also equipped with standard Timecode functionality.

Included Battery and Charger

Bundled with the EVA1 is the AG-VBR59 battery, which should give approximately an hour and a half of continuous operating time and a charge time of approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes. Optional separately available VBR batteries can extend the runtime of this camera.

Built-In Monitoring Tools

As a professional video production tool, the EVA1 contains several professional imaging tools, including Peaking, Expand (Image Zoom), Waveform, Zebras, and Spotmeter (Y-Get). The EVA1 also utilizes Focus Squares, a feature originally found in the Varicam line which displays an array of green squares that grow in size when their local area appears to be sharp, to enable shooters to achieve critical focus.
 

Size	Super 35 Note: 4/3"-type size crop for 200/240 fps shooting
Resolution	5.7K Total Pixels: 6340 x 3232 (approx 20.49 MP) Effective: 5720 x 3016 (approx 17.25 MP)
Exposure Latitude	14 stops
Sensitivity	ISO: 200-2000 (base 800), 1000-25,600 (base 2500) dB: -12 to 8 (normal sensitivity), -8 to 20 (high sensitivity)
Shutter Speed	Degrees: 1-358° (0.5° steps) Seconds: 1/24.1 sec to 1/8000 sec (at 23.98p)
Colour Temperature	2000-15,000K

Lens System

Lens Mount	EF
Built-In ND Filters	2, 4, 6 stops
IR Filter	Defeatable IR-cut

Video

Recording Resolution	4096 x 2160 3840 x 2160 2048 x 1080 1080p 1080i 720p
Processing	MOV: 10-bit, 4:2:2 MOV/AVCHD: 8-bit, 4:2:0 Compression: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Bit-Rate: Up to 150 Mbps
Recording Media	SD card (V60 rating required for all frame-rates and resolutions)
System Frequency Solution	59.94p, 59.94i (AVCHD only), 50p, 50i (AVCHD only), 29.97p, 25p, 24p, 23.98p
SDI Output	1 x BNC, HD/3G/6G-SDI (record start/stop supported) Format: 10-bit, 4:2:2 4096 x 2160 23.98/24/25/29.97 3840 x 2160 23.98/24/25/29.97 1080p 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 1080PsF 23.98/24/25/29.97 1080i 50/59.94 720p 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94
HDMI Output	1 x HDMI Type A (record start/stop supported) Format:: 10-bit, 4:2:2 4096 x 2160 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 3840 x 2160 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 1080p 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 1080i 50/59.94 720p 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 576p 50 480p 59.94

Audio

Recording Format	MOV: 24-bit, 48kHz LPCM AVCHD: 16-bit, 48kHz Dolby Audio
Headroom	18/20 dB (menu switchable)

General

Other I/O	1 x BNC, timecode in/out 1 x 40-pin, LCD connector 1 x 2.5mm, remote 1 x USB 2.0 Type A, wireless module (AJ-WM50)
LCD Monitor	Size: 3.5" / 8.9 cm Type: Touchscreen LCD Dots: 1,150,000
Stabilization	Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS)
I/O	HDMI video output SDI video output XLR audio inputs
Power Input	Battery: 7.28 VDC Power Supply: 12 VDC
Power Consumption	19 W (typical)
Environmental	Operating Temperature: 32 to 104°F / 0 to 40°C Storage Temperature: -4 to 140°F / -20 to 60°C Operating Humidity: 10-85% RH
Dimensions	6.7 x 5.3 x 5.2" / 17 x 13.5 x 13.3" (excluding protrusions and accessories)
Weight	2.6 lb / 1.2 kg (without accessories) 4.5 lb / 2.1 kg (with accessories)