A firmware update for the AU-EVA1 cinema camera and the announcement of a new video contest for filmmakers using the Panasonic EVA1 will keep those who own the camera happy and busy. Update and participate!

The Share Your Vision contest is exclusively for EVA1 users, and they will have to submit proof that their project was shot with the EVA1 camera, through behind-the-scenes video or photos showing the camera in action on the submitted piece. As for videos sent in to the contest, anything from 25 seconds to five minutes in length is accepted, and has to be submitted until August 24th, 2018.

Panasonic says that a distinguished panel of judges including cinematographers William Wages, Elle Schneider, Johnny Derango, and Matthias Bolliger will select two winners, one in the Fiction and Nonfiction categories. The two winners will be announced on September 14, 2018 at the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) in Amsterdam. The winner from the United States will be awarded $6000 and the winner from Europe € 5000, respectively.

https://youtu.be/yTQnVNqoa6U

To participate, contestants should register at the Share Your Vision contest page. Videos must be uploaded in one of the following file formats: mp4, mov, avi (H264), The submission may previously have been publicly posted on YouTube, Vimeo or Dailymotion. Participants can submit multiple videos, but each entry must be submitted separately.

Participants must be at least 18 years old, be a professional end-user and reside in the United States or one of these EU countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece, Malta, Finland, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and Bulgaria. The Contest is not open to Panasonic employees, their family members or anyone professionally connected with the promotion.

https://youtu.be/GI3yuJ6Nsn4

If you intend to participate but have yet to shoot your video, then update the EVA1 first! Panasonic released this month the EVA 2.5 firmware update for the AU-EVA1 cinema camera, adding a new noise reduction mode, more lens support expansion and menu improvements. SMOOTH mode noise reduction is designed for capturing low noise images without need for additional post processing. The free firmware upgrade is now available for download from the Panasonic website.

The EVA1 received the major EVA 2.0 firmware update at the end of March 2018, adding All-I recording codecs, RAW output, time lapse recording, expanded lens support and more. Released in late 2017, the EF-mount EVA1 is a 5.7K cinema camera containing a Super-35mm sensor that features 14-stops of dynamic range, Dual Native ISO ratings of 800 and 2500, and the same colorimetry as the renowned VariCam camera system.

https://youtu.be/-SYvYj-UY_c

“The EVA1 is being used for all sorts of productions,” explained Mitch Gross, Cinema Product Manager, Panasonic System Solutions Company. “While some productions prefer to shoot in V-Log, do careful color grading in post and apply noise reduction to sensitive shots as necessary in the finished edit, other jobs simply do not have that post schedule available. They pick a Scene File, expose accordingly and wish to apply noise reduction in camera to avoid the time-consuming steps later.

“While the EVA1 already features two levels of noise reduction in its menu – along with an OFF position for no NR – the new SMOOTH mode is a more aggressive setting designed for use with higher ISO settings. Clients indicated that they would like it available at all times so it’s available in all resolutions and ISOs. One of the advantages of a 5.7K sensor is that even at ISOs such as 2500 or even 5000, with SMOOTH mode the EVA1 shows less noise and yet retains higher resolving power than competing 4K cameras.”

https://youtu.be/6Ao42Cus0Zk

EVA 2.5 firmware also expands EF lens support. Added to the compatible lens list are the Canon 24-105mm F4L IS II USM, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM, the Tamron SP 35mm F1.8 DI VC USD, and the Tamron SP 90mm F2.8 DI MACRO 1:1 VC USD. Panasonic continues to expand support of the two Canon CN Compact Cine Servo zooms (18-80 & 70-200), now adding One Push AutoFocus support. A programmable button on the lenses now mirrors one of the EVA1’s User Buttons, allowing from the lens’ servo handgrip on-demand One Push AutoFocus or any of 27 other additional functions available in the camera’s menu.

For more information about the AU-EVA1, in the U.S., visit business.panasonic.com