The versatility of Panasonic's new compact EVA 1 with Super-35 sensor captivates the IBC

At IBC, the multinational highlights its commitment to the audiovisual sector in the form of collaborations to create value-added solutions aimed at companies, live events and production.

Panasonic has announced several collaborative initiatives at IBC that will help it go beyond hardware to develop multi-technology connected solutions. Building on the success of its remote camera and studio camera products, Panasonic has collaborated with industry partners to create robotic systems, new protocols and tracking systems.

Among these collaborations, the initiative with Vislink and Videosys stands out to develop the first compatible wireless modules aimed at their range of studio cameras. These modules will allow you to remotely control the cameras and transmit video through the HF band through the use of an external system with simple and direct anchors to the camera's battery contacts.

Panasonic has also announced the HDR update to its studio range which includes support for this mode in both HD and 4K. HDR offers an enhanced experience thanks to high contrast images. Starting in October, the current HDR capabilities of the AK-UC3000 (4K) and AK-HC5000 (Full HD) studio cameras, as well as the AK-UB300 (4K) compact camera, will be updated. The update will offer 100% white clip, knee and black gamma adjustment, and an improved viewfinder that offers an optimal HDR recording experience.

Movicom

For live productions, Panasonic has partnered with Movicom, with the aim of developing a bespoke pan-tilt head for 4K, a companion to the UB300 compact camera. This module integrates a cutting-edge carbon fiber design, along with SDI, Ethernet and fiber connectivity, as well as a smooth pan and tilt head, essential for demanding broadcast applications.

Separately, Panasonic and Antelope have signed a European distribution agreement for Antelope's next-generation micro cameras. Showcasing the Antelope PICO, a miniature 2/3 type broadcast camera system that provides a permanent live feed and a slow motion feed at up to 340fps, is on display on the Panasonic booth, along with the Antelope ULTRA, a super-compact 4K camera, delivering up to 60fps over a single 12G SDI cable.

Additionally, Panasonic has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with AR+ that will allow it to offer and support unique robotic systems throughout Europe. Another of the agreements that the Japanese company has closed has been with Tecnopoint for rail camera systems, especially suitable for the AW-HE130 remote cameras. When combined with the corresponding PTZ control GUI interface, they offer an ideal system for reality shows and live events.

Panasonic has also strengthened its switcher range at the Amsterdam event, with the introduction of the AV-HLC100 live production centre, which natively supports NDI. This all-in-one software-based system is capable of combining IP and SDI sources, while recording, mixing audio, adding graphics, and sending streaming streams to the Internet using RTMP and NDI.

Mixers

At the top tier of its switcher range, Panasonic has introduced new high-end models, available from Spring/Summer 2018. The AV-HS7300 is a powerful and flexible switcher designed for 4K production needs. This device was demonstrated at Panasonic's booth alongside the company's 4K studio cameras, compact cameras and other 4K sources.

Also making its European debut at IBC was Panasonic's recently announced range of integrated professional cameras with proprietary Network Device Interface (NDI) support. The AW-HN40, AW-UN70 and AW-HN130 join Panasonic's current market-leading PTZ models. For its part, the AW-HN38 camera joins the PTZ range as a high-value premium quality model.

This camera includes a similar powerful feature set as the AW-HN/HE40, with 22x zoom, HDMI, and native IP connectivity. With fully integrated support for NDI version 3, it allows users to connect their Panasonic professional PTZ cameras directly to an NDI network.

An integration with Live U was also announced at IBC 2017. Live U Solo now offers support for Panasonic's full range of P2 cameras, enabling direct streaming to social media with one tap.

360 degrees

Panasonic has also announced a new memory card. The AJ-P2M064BG B-series microP2 card, scheduled to ship this month (September 2017), is compatible with SD cards, allowing it to be used as an SDXC memory card for Panasonic UX series, AVC camera recorders and LUMIX digital cameras.

Finally, Panasonic's 360-degree camera, which is scheduled to go on sale in the fall, is also present at the fair. The system consists of a camera head, a base unit and four cameras, which can generate 360-degree videos in uncompressed 4K resolution with a 2:1 image aspect ratio (equirectangular video). This model is the perfect choice for live applications thanks to ultra-low latency, highly accurate real-time active splicing, and automatic exposure and white balance control.

First shoot with the new AU-EVA1 compact camera

Filippo Chiesa has been in charge of shooting the first film with the new Panasonic EVA1 5.7K handheld film camera, which has been presented at the IBC in Amsterdam.

Shot and directed by the Italian cinematographer in Iceland, the demo video presents the advantages of shooting with the new Super-35 sensor, with a resolution of 5.7K, as well as the dual native ISOs of 800 and 2500. All of these features allowed the director to shoot in virtually any lighting environment.

Aimed at indie filmmakers, the EVA1 offers 14 stops of dynamic range that allows for tight gradation of exposure from whites to blacks, as well as capturing accurate colors and skin tones with great definition. The camera features a native EF mount giving filmmakers access to the wide range of EF lenses.

The EVA1 also supports high dynamic grade productions. The 14 stops of the V-Long curve more than meet the requirements of high-dynamic shooting and the V-Gamut curve exceeds the REC.2020 color space.

"It's not every day you have the opportunity to work with a long-awaited camera, and having Panasonic place such trust in you is a real privilege. The camera's performance far exceeded my expectations. Its color palette and the richness of its images offered me great material to work on. It is as exciting as the film community anticipates," concludes Filippo Chiesa, filmmaker and director of photography.

"We are delighted with the work done by Filippo. Iceland provided an extraordinary natural environment, but he and the camera have enhanced it in the video. The flexibility of the EVA1 was really put to the test and, thanks to the compact nature of the camera, we were able to take advantage of several different equipment, including a drone," explains Nela Pertl, EMEA marketing director for Panasonic.

Panasonic has launched a YouTube channel dedicated to footage from its range of digital cinema cameras, including the VariCam and EVA1 range. The new film shot with the EVA1 can be viewed here.

The camera is scheduled to go on sale at the end of October 2017.