Canon C200 vs Panasonic EVA1 – Zacuto Camera Shootout 2018 – Conclusions

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by Yossy MendelovichMarch 16^th, 2018

The result of the “Camera Shootout 2018 – Canon C200 vs Panasonic EVA1” hosted by Zacuto is now available to watch on YouTube. During this shootout, Zacuto put the Panasonic EVA1 and Canon C200 through a series of tests in order to try and declare a “winner”. After watching this battle carefully, here are my thoughts.

The tests were performed in order to push the Canon C200 and the Panasonic EVA1 beyond their limits. The cameras were forced to perform in challenging environments, in order to explore which camera will “break” under the pressure. 

As opposed to previous shootouts like the “Great Camera Shootout 2011” which demonstrated a side by side comparisons between DSLRs vs. very pricey high-end cinema cameras, this shootout was meant to compare two popular cameras that share a similar price tag, form factor and functions. More on preparing this shootout (including BTS pics) can be found here. 

Canon C200 vs Panasonic EVA1 – Zacuto Camera Shootout 2018:

Watch the full show:

Tests performed:

• Day Time Interior
• Night Time Interior
• Day Time Exterior
• Night Time Exterior
• Motion Blur/Rolling Shutter
• Slow Motion

The panel: 

Bruce Logan, ASC designed and administered a series of tests in Chicago with Mitch Gross from Panasonic and Ken Rowe from Canon. 

The process: 

1. Shooting in various formats (raw, log, mov, mp4). 
2. Applying LUTs. 
3. Color grading at Canon’s facility in Burbank, LA — with all parties present. 

Camera Shootout 2018 Full Test Footage 4k – Panasonic EVA1 vs Canon C200:

How to examine the results? 

Of course the best way would be to download the files, but this is not possible yet. All we have is the YouTube video. EDIT: Now you can  download raw files and more here! The most logical observation would be through targeting the “flat” looking images (RAW and Log) and trying to see differences in the dynamic range, highlights, shadows and noise. Then, look at the graded images as those offer a possible feel and look. The LUT versions are nice to have, but less important for the comparison. 

Regarding the graded versions, please remember that the colorist has a crucial role in defining and creating the final look, and it is possible that a different colorist would come up with a whole different color approach! In spite of that, this is a good reference and you should check it out. 

Rolling shutter

Don’t forget to check out the rolling shutter test in the last minute of the YouTube video. Surprisingly, both cameras have some serious issues with rolling shutter. 

Digital cameras are like film stocks

Bruce Logan, ASC said something very interesting here. Bruce compared the two cameras to film stocks – meaning, there is no good or bad here, just a different look and style. In my opinion, this statement is very true. Every camera has its own style. Both of them are capable of processing a huge amount of information and thus grant respected results in preserving highlights, shadows and colors. But again, in a different style. 

Final thoughts 

Canon has two recording format options – MP4 and RAW. As stated in the discussion, the RAW output from the EVA1 will be available sometime “before NAB”. As recording in RAW is much tougher and will not “break” easily in post, I find that not being able to compare the two is the main mismatch here. Maybe a thing to consider for the next camera shootout…

When it comes to sharing the visual results, I have decided not to post screenshots from the YouTube 4K comparison, since they don’t seem too accurate. I can see some resolution and/or compression issues in the YouTube video, although the files were exported to YouTube in ProRes 422. Somehow, it doesn’t look accurate enough for examination. Of course, this is my personal opinion.

EDIT: The YouTube link above has been replaced by a 4K link, means that now the quality is high and good enough for examination. 

This was a tough test. Both cameras did well! There is no winner here. Just a different look – like using a different film stock. 

What do you think of this shootout? Can it help you to come up with a decision regarding which camera to purchase? Share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.