Shooting with Panasonic AU-EVA1 5.7K cinema cameras, Director of Photography Joe Callahan has completed principal photography on a feature-length documentary about wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in India. The documentary, aiming for premium festival berths, profiles the pioneering work of Wildlife SOS, a worldwide organization dedicated to protecting and conserving India’s natural heritage, forest and wildlife wealth.
Having purchased the EVA1s specifically for the wildlife project, Callahan has gone on to utilize the cameras for many high-profile commercial spots for GEICO, Alfa Romeo, Tide, Black & Decker, LensCrafters and Alaska Airlines, among others. “When producer Erik Oberholtzer and I met with Nikki Sharp, who heads up Wildlife SOS’ U.S. office, and discussed the organization’s plans for upcoming animal rescues, we both felt this was a story that had to be told,” Callahan said.
“I needed exactly the right cameras for what I knew would be an incredibly taxing shoot,” the DP continued. “What I look for in a camera is reliability, usability and image quality. The EVA1 is one of the top cameras I’ve ever evaluated in terms of color science and dynamic range, and I chose it over much more expensive options.
“In terms of usability, the form factor is so versatile. I can rig it up at will (for instance, on car rigs and gimbals in India) or break it down quickly and work handheld, as I did to sneak around and get shots while tracking tiger poachers.”
The DP said he shot in 4K, recording ProRes HQ externally to an Atomos Shogun Inferno, with internal back-up to the EVA1’s SD cards. (ProRes HQ was chosen to avoid transcoding and make the footage direct-to-edit.) For lensing, he chose Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 G2 zooms, as well as a set of primes.
Callahan said he usually shot at ISO800, with occasional use of ISO2500. “There were times in India where ISO2500 saved me a bunch, letting me use much smaller LED lights, realizing significant cost-efficiencies.”
The EVA1 is now the DP’s camera of choice for his extensive commercial work. He said he typically shoots in 4K, again outboard recording to a Shogun Inferno and backing-up on the EVA1’s SD cards. “The EVA1 is beautifully complemented by vintage lenses, and I’ve used a range of them—Leica Rs, Super-Takumar and older Zeiss models, for instance,” he noted. “The images consistently look great.”
The AU-EVA1
The AU-EVA1 5.7K handheld cinema camera is distinguished by a pixel count of 5720 H x 3016 V (17.25 million), Dual Native ISO ratings of 800 and 2,500, and 14-stops of dynamic range. The newly-designed EVA1 sensor is Super-35 sized (24.60mm x 12.97mm) with 5.7K resolution. With an active resolution of 5720 x 3016, the EVA1 delivers more than 17.25 million photosites, nearly double the 8.8 million for 4K DCI (4096 x 2160). Weighing only 2.65-lbs (1.2Kg, body-only) with a compact form factor (6.69” H x 5.31” W x 5.23” D) and a removable handgrip, the EVA1 can be used for efficient handheld shooting applications. Because of its compact form factor, it can also be mounted on a drone, gimbal rig or jib arm for complex yet smooth camera moves.
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