My quick EVA1 mini review

[Oliver Daniel]

Recently got the EVA1 because it’s Christmas and cameras rule the world. 

Took it out for a spin first time on a major project in Amsterdam and Iceland. My entire kit was a right heavy bugger to carry around, silly me. GH5 came too. 

But will it service my creativity / ability or is this just a symptom of the camera “want, need” sickness? 

 

BRIEF GOOD THINGS

- Body is nice overall. I’d look twice ? 

- 4k image is super lovely. I could marry it.

- 2K 120fps better than competing cameras. Doesn’t look like an infected toe.

- Codecs. Lots. Same as GH5. Woo. Party! 

 

BRIEF BAD THINGS

- The LCD makes a good mirror. As a monitor? Get a hammer and smash it. 

- Switching sensor modes and HFR could make you feel unwell quickly. Slow. 

- The hand grip moves a bit when locked. Makes you sigh a lot and say “f*****g hell” under your breath. 

- More user error, but I had my IBIS hands on while shooting. Sort of forgot I’d be back to wobble club. 

 

Overall, it was robust and performed well. Images look lovely. Matches GH5 nicely. Looking forward to shooting more and not throwing it in the bin. 

Extra note - I used the new SWIT 55C as the Monitor which I also want to marry. Great deal! 

Here’s a photo from the shoot.... 

 

[HockeyFan12]

Looks nice. I love how foliage looks with this camera and greens and blues (and yellow) in general.

How did you find it compared with the C200? Most sample footage I've seen from the EVA1 looks nicer, even if technical performance seems similar. Seems like they really have something good going here.

[webrunner5]

You should have just bought a GH5s and been done with it LoL.  ?

[thebrothersthre3]

Does the Dynamic range blow the GH5 away? Can it do 120fps RAW or in 10 bit? 

[IronFilm]

5 hours ago, Oliver Daniel said:

- The hand grip moves a bit when locked. Makes you sigh a lot and say “f*****g hell” under your breath. 

Could the handgrip be swapped out for a different third party one which stays in place firmer?

 

[webrunner5]

1 hour ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Does the Dynamic range blow the GH5 away? Can it do 120fps RAW or in 10 bit? 

Opening up that screen grab he shows shows a Lot of DR. I have never owned a GH5, but I would be amazed if you could get that much data from one. Just my observation.

[IronFilm]

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

How did you find it compared with the C200? Most sample footage I've seen from the EVA1 looks nicer, even if technical performance seems similar. Seems like they really have something good going here.

C200 and EVA1 are quite different in my eyes.

The C200 is a 4K C100 with "raw" thrown in. But like the C100, the C200 lacks any of the higher end stuff you might expect. 
(such as timecode, or a wide range of codec options. But sure, the C200 has one single SDI output, but it is very crippled. For instance you can't use both the HDMI and SDI at the same time!)
 

[mercer]

12 hours ago, IronFilm said:

C200 and EVA1 are quite different in my eyes.

The C200 is a 4K C100 with "raw" thrown in. But like the C100, the C200 lacks any of the higher end stuff you might expect. 
(such as timecode, or a wide range of codec options. But sure, the C200 has one single SDI output, but it is very crippled. For instance you can't use both the HDMI and SDI at the same time!)
 

It’s funny how perspective plays into gear opinions. Being a Raw shooter, I see the C200 as a Raw cinema camera that has some 8bit proxies thrown in.

[Django]

True. Furthermore, EVA1 needs external recorder to shoot RAW. C200 needs external recorder to shoot 10-bit 4:2:2.

Going beyond that, C200 has native EF lens support, dual pixel AF, EVF, nice big usable touch LCD.

EVA1 has dual native ISO, a higher res 5.7K sensor, better DR.

I'd be happy with either tbh hehe.. 

[thebrothersthre3]

2 hours ago, Django said:

True. Furthermore, EVA1 needs external recorder to shoot RAW. C200 needs external recorder to shoot 10-bit 4:2:2.

Going beyond that, C200 has native EF lens support, dual pixel AF, EVF, nice big usable touch LCD.

EVA1 has dual native ISO, a higher res 5.7K sensor, better DR.

I'd be happy with either tbh hehe.. 

I'd probably favor the EVA1 simply for the internal 10bit and DR

[mercer]

I thought the C200 had comparable DR? Regardless, I think if you’re in the category of shooter where you are using an EVA1 or C200, you probably can make gorgeous images with either. 

[Oliver Daniel]

On 12/25/2018 at 9:43 PM, HockeyFan12 said:

Looks nice. I love how foliage looks with this camera and greens and blues (and yellow) in general.

How did you find it compared with the C200? Most sample footage I've seen from the EVA1 looks nicer, even if technical performance seems similar. Seems like they really have something good going here.

Can’t give an opinion of the C200 due to experience. 

From what I’ve seen I’d say I prefer the C200 image but not much to go off. 

On 12/25/2018 at 10:12 PM, webrunner5 said:

You should have just bought a GH5s and been done with it LoL.  ?

I want clients to think I’m incredible so EVA1 it is! ?

GH5s on the “probable list” if needed. 

8 hours ago, mercer said:

It’s funny how perspective plays into gear opinions. Being a Raw shooter, I see the C200 as a Raw cinema camera that has some 8bit proxies thrown in.

That’s why I didn’t get it. Really needed that “middle” codec. 

[ntblowz]

Haven't used RAW on the C200 yet, we really just treat it as C100 with 4K atm.

[Kisaha]

22 minutes ago, ntblowz said:

Haven't used RAW on the C200 yet, we really just treat it as C100 with 4K atm.

That is exactly the problem with that cam. It is way overpriced for a glorified C100mkIII.

[mercer]

How is it a glorified C100 Mark III? Rawlite is its primary feature. If you don’t need Rawlite, then use a different camera but to say it’s something other than it is because it isn’t what you want/need is a bit unfair. 

[Oliver Daniel]

20 minutes ago, mercer said:

How is it a glorified C100 Mark III? Rawlite is its primary feature. If you don’t need Rawlite, then use a different camera but to say it’s something other than it is because it isn’t what you want/need is a bit unfair. 

When you realise this camera is really 95% a RAW shooting camera with big amounts of data - it’s a fine line between being really stupid or a genius, on the basis you buy one. 

I didnt get it and it’s just not as versatile as the EVA1. I like the image better on the C200, but sometimes, logic needs to come before your emotions. 

[Kisaha]

28 minutes ago, mercer said:

How is it a glorified C100 Mark III? Rawlite is its primary feature. If you don’t need Rawlite, then use a different camera but to say it’s something other than it is because it isn’t what you want/need is a bit unfair. 

Have you ever used the camera? I have, and my opinion is that is a glorified C100mkIII camera. Note the III, and not the II. 

Quite honestly, all the times we rented it, was because now you rent it with similar money to the C10mkII, and the II has a very bad monitor included.

All the people I know that owns the camera have never shoot raw, they do not even own any CF cards. All of them.

If you want a cheap Canon C camera that shoots 4K, where do you go?  To the C200, which is not cheap at all.

My opinion is based in real market experiences and not hypothetical-forum-fairy tales.

Especially after the recent releases (and cheap raw cameras and recorders), C200 is the oddest of the oddballs, and quite overpriced too.

 

[Django]

To each his own but imo, internal Raw is nicer to have in a proper cine cam than 10-bit which is now available in a few hybrids cams including the $1500 Super35 sensor XT3.

Besides 8-bit Canon files are pretty robust color wise despite their limited codec specs.

Here is a long term C200 review that sums up nicely its strengths:

 

[mercer]

34 minutes ago, Oliver Daniel said:

When you realise this camera is really 95% a RAW shooting camera with big amounts of data - it’s a fine line between being really stupid or a genius, on the basis you buy one. 

I didnt get it and it’s just not as versatile as the EVA1. I like the image better on the C200, but sometimes, logic needs to come before your emotions. 

I personally think it’s genius but if it doesn’t suit your needs, then sure buying one would be insane. The EVA1 is an amazing camera, and from the looks of that grab, you made a wise choice. 

32 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

Have you ever used the camera? I have, and my opinion is that is a glorified C100mkIII camera. Note the III, and not the II. 

Quite honestly, all the times we rented it, was because now you rent it with similar money to the C10mkII, and the II has a very bad monitor included.

All the people I know that owns the camera have never shoot raw, they do not even own any CF cards. All of them.

If you want a cheap Canon C camera that shoots 4K, where do you go?  To the C200, which is not cheap at all.

My opinion is based in real market experiences and not hypothetical-forum-fairy tales.

Especially after the recent releases (and cheap raw cameras and recorders), C200 is the oddest of the oddballs, and quite overpriced too.

 

Oh God... sorry but it is replies like this that has kept me away from the forum lately.

You can use the camera all you want and I’d say it was a moronic decision to use this camera for event shooting or whatever work you do.

Forum fairy tales... haha... you’re the one who sits around here and argues the benefit of using a Raw cinema camera for jobs that don’t require Raw and then complains that it’s not a good camera...

Sorry... not sorry. 

[Kisaha]

33 minutes ago, mercer said:

I personally think it’s genius but if it doesn’t suit your needs, then sure buying one would be insane. The EVA1 is an amazing camera, and from the looks of that grab, you made a wise choice. 

Oh God... sorry but it is replies like this that has kept me away from the forum lately.

You can use the camera all you want and I’d say it was a moronic decision to use this camera for event shooting or whatever work you do.

Forum fairy tales... haha... you’re the one who sits around here and argues the benefit of using a Raw cinema camera for jobs that don’t require Raw and then complains that it’s not a good camera...

Sorry... not sorry. 

You haven't seen the camera, not even on a printed ad, if you love it so much why you do not own it?

Only this year I have worked in more than 120 TV episodes in various programs, guess what, we couldn't use the C200 because it isn't broadcast ready. Maybe it is more suited for event videography than you think.