Clint Milby & Jake Fruia
Panasonic’s EVA1 camera has lit a fire in the industry, inspiring a response we haven’t seen since the beginning of the DSLR revolution. Since it’s tease at last year’s NAB under a mysterious white cloth, we’ve covered the EVA1’s development from concept to game changer over the past year. So it’s only fitting we stopped to speak again with Panasonic’s Mitch Gross to see how far the EVA1 has come in such a short time, and what the future of the camera holds.
With the release of the EVA1 2.0 firmware just under a year after its mysterious announcement, Panasonic’s latest update has just about “re-birthed” the camera as Gross states. The 2.0 update expanded the camera’s recording capabilities to include ALL-Intra frame recording formats, RAW data output, timelapse recording, HD 4:2:2 interlaced formats and brought it into a more “all in one” camera that caters to numerous different types of production. It also brought with it the ability to record the new ProRes RAW, a codec released by Apple just days before the show.
ProRes RAW was a big buzzword at NAB 2018, with Panasonic helping lead the charge with the 2.0 update. It is a VERY new format, with Gross proclaiming “This is all new, but it all works”, which is better than many other new additions to the pro video industry. ProRes RAW combines the flexibility of RAW video with the performance of ProRes, with a file size that’s still easily handled on even laptop editing stations. The EVA1 will continue to support the format, keeping it on the forefront of technology and hopefully helping to future proof the camera.
One aspect of the EVA1’s creation has been the wellspring of support gear that has risen to meet it, with companies such as Shape, Wooden Camera, Tilta and more providing plates, handgrips and more. One of the most interesting creations we saw at the show, however, was the upcoming Nauticam EVA1 underwater housing, allowing you to submerge your EVA1. With under a year on the market, we can only imagine what will continue to be developed for the EVA1.
Mitch Gross is most assuredly the expert to get all your EVA1 information, so be sure to check out our great interview above. The EVA1 is available now for approximately $7,345 and is available through dealers across the country.
For more information on the EVA1 2.0 firmware update, you can check out our story at INDIEShooter.com/EVA-2-0-Release
For more information on the EVA1, be sure to go to NA.Panasonic.com
