Ryan Zimmer shares his GH5 XLR grip idea…

Ryan Zimmermann sent me this:

Not a rumor but a quick mock-up I did of a different idea for a way to provide professional XLR audio connections to the new Panasonic GH5! The drawbacks with the DMW-XLR1 is that 1) Connecting via hot shoe is not a truly durable and reliable place to mount an accessory like this where one accidental tug on the XLR cord may end up snapping the unit off and breaking and 2) the placement may get in the way of many rigging solutions people use on these types of small cameras. I’ve proposed a design that is roughly the same size as the battery grip they plan to release and provides manual audio controls/meters on the back as well as 1-2 XLR inputs on the side of the unit. If only 1 XLR input can fit in the space it would still be highly useful and a more rugged connection as it would screw into the bottom of the camera, being almost an extension of the body. They could still sell the DMW-XLR1 that attaches above camera as that may work better for some. But from my experience filmmaking and rigging the GH2,3,4 for production use, I would find this idea to be a far more durable and functional solution for the GH5. With this accessory attached, it would only make the GH5 an even closer competitor to other professional bodies such as the FS5/7, with the only major body feature lacking a built-in ND. Who knows, with the base that you reach with 43rumors maybe Panasonic will see this post and consider being the first in the industry to offer a solution like this for hybrid cameras!

Preorders (use these links to support my work thanks!):
GH5 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama and Panasonic US. In EU at Amazon.de, Cyberport.de and ParkCamera.
Battery Grip for DC-GH5 at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
Leica 12-60mm at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
12-35mm F/2.8 II Asph at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
35-100mm f/2.8 II ASPH at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
45-200mm f/4-5.6 II POWER OIS at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 II POWER OIS at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
Panasonic DMW-XLR1 XLR Microphone Adapter at Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.
DMW-DCC15A DC Coupler at BHphoto and Adorama.

Panasonic announces the new AU-EVA1 camcorder

Panasonic announced the new AU-EVA1 camcorder. And our rumors were spot on. This is an EF-mount camera with S35 sensor. Key specs:

  • Super 35mm 5.7K Sensor
  • Dual Native ISO
  • EF Lens Mount
  • Records 4K up to 60 fps
  • Records 2K up to 240 fps
  • 10-Bit, 4:2:2 Processing
  • Records to SD Cards
  • V-Log and V-Gamut Capture
  • SDI and HDMI Video Outputs

Press Release:

Panasonic has previewed the AU-EVA1, at Cine Gear Expo 2017 in Los Angeles, USA, a new 5.7K cinema camera positioned between the Panasonic Lumix GH5 4K mirrorless camera and the VariCam LT 4K cinema camera. Compact and lightweight, the AU-EVA1 is tailor-made for handheld shooting, but also well suited for documentaries, commercials, and music videos.

“For cinema-style acquisition, we realised there was a space between the GH5 and the VariCam LT,” said EMEA Marketing Manager Nela Pertl. “With its compact size and new 5.7K sensor, the EVA1 fills that gap for a variety of filmmaking applications.”

The EVA1 contains a newly designed 5.7K Super 35mm-sized sensor for capturing true cinematic images. By starting at a higher native resolution, the 5.7K sensor yields a higher resolving image when down sampled to 4K, UHD, 2K, and even 720p. The increased colour information results in a finer, more accurate finished image.

One of the key features of the VariCam 35, VariCam LT, and VariCam Pure is dual native ISO. Utilising a process that allows the sensor to be read in a fundamentally different way, dual native ISO extracts more information from the sensor without degrading the image. This results in a camera that can switch from a standard sensitivity to a high sensitivity without an increase in noise, or other artifacts.

“On the VariCams, dual native ISO has allowed cinematographers to use less light on set, saving time and money, as well as allowing for a great variety of artistic choices. The EVA1 will include dual native ISO, but the camera is currently being tested to determine final ISO specifications,” added Nela Pertl.

The ability to capture accurate colours and rich skin tones is a must for any filmmaker. Like the VariCam lineup of cinema cameras, the EVA1 contains V-Log/V-Gamut capture to deliver high dynamic range and broad colours. V-Log has log curve characteristics that are somewhat reminiscent of negative film and V-Gamut delivers a colour space even larger than film. The EVA1 will also import the celebrated colourimetry of the VariCam line.

Weighing only 1.2Kg (body-only) with a compact form factor (17cm x 13.5cm x 13.3cm) and a removable handgrip, EVA1 can be used for efficient handheld shooting applications and can also be mounted on a drone, gimbal rig, or jib arm for complex yet smooth camera moves. There will also be numerous mounting points and Panasonic is currently working with top accessory makers to allow further customisation with the EVA1.

Ideal for indie filmmakers, the EVA1 records to readily-available, lower-cost SD cards. The camera can record in several formats and compression rates, and offers up to 10-bit 422, even in 4K. A complete breakdown of recording formats will be available at the time of the EVA1’s release.

The camera utilises a native EF-mount, giving shooters access to the broad EF lens ecosystem, including dozens of cinema-style prime and zoom lenses from numerous manufacturers. Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is employed to compensate for camera shake and blurring, which will help smooth out handheld or shoulder-mount shots on documentary or run-and-gun projects. Behind the lens mount, an integrated ND filter wheel in 2, 4, and 6 stops allows for precise exposure control. The EVA1 also allows the IR Cut filter to be swung out of the path to the sensor at the push of a button. Unique photographic effects and night vision imagery are possible with this control over infrared.

As a professional video production tool, the EVA1 offers dual balanced XLR audio inputs and 4K-capable video outputs in both HDMI and SDI. In a future firmware upgrade, EVA1 will offer 5.7K RAW output to 3rd party recorders.

The EVA1 will ship this autumn for under €8,000 (body only).

For more information on Panasonic Broadcast & ProAV, please visit http://business.panasonic.eu/broadcast-and-proav

Mirrorless system camera sales finally booming? +90% in sales compared to April 2016!

CIPA released the shipment data for April 2017. And we have two good news:

  1. The camera market is doing better than in 2016
  2. In April 2017 mirrorless camera shipments were up +90% compared to April 2016. At the same time DSLR shipments went down by 11%

One reason could be also the good sales of the Panasonic Gh5. Panasonic stated multiple times the Gh5 sales were much higher than expected.

Panasonic announced a new High Dynamic Range Organic sensor

Image Sensor World reports:

Panasonic publishes a paper in Japanese “Development of Simultaneous Capture Wide Dynamic Range Technology and Global Shutter Technology for Organic Photoconductive Film Image Sensor” describing, essentially, a way to control sensitivity on per pixel basis. It’s quite similar to the sensor presented at ISSCC 2017, but without the IR sensitivity.

It’s years now that Panasonic is developing the organic sensor technology with Fuji. I don’t think we will see this tech on MFT camera any time soon…

a bit of everything…


Panasonic GH5 Battery Test. Old vs New batteries recording time

Switching from Full-Frame to Micro Four-Thirds (Photofocus).
Karl’s bevorzugte OM-D/PEN-F Einstellungen zum downloaden
Leica 12-60mm review at Photographyblog.
Go “normal” with your Life with the Olympus M. Zuiko 25mm F1.8 (Photo Daniel M).
Color matching the GH5 and Canon C300 MKI: can it be done? (Newsshooter).
Atomos Ninja Inferno Pro Video Monitor Captures 10-Bit HDR (ALC).
E-M10 Mark II – Huge Lens Variety (Olympus UK).

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group and the GH5 group.

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