Today on The Slanted Lens, we’re going to be looking at the Canon C200 and the Panasonic EVA 1 to see which one is right for you.
Usability
How easy is it to use the camera? Is it difficult to handle for extended periods of time? Is the record button in an accessible location? These are all factors to consider when looking at a camera. We found the C200 had a really great ergonomic design that just felt right.
The EVA has a built-in sun shade for viewing things on the monitor, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype when we tested it out in the field. We recommend buying a separate EVF, but getting something good would set you back about $1,000 so keep that in mind. It might be a deal breaker for you if you’re a shooter that likes using an EVF a lot.
Button Layout
The EVA has a nice button layout design and we liked that the audio control dials were easy to access and not flat!! Some of us don’t have long fingernails.
Both of the cameras have a grip handle. It might be slightly uncomfortable to hold in this position for extended periods of time, but a nice option for some run-and-gun documentary shooting. The EVA has a nice button on the side that lets you quickly rotate the grip handle. Although some people have complained this can be easily knocked around when you don’t want it to.
Menu System
We found the menu system of the EVA to be not as user friendly as the Canon model. We had to dig around a bit to find the right setting to change to slow motion recording.
Image Quality
For this test, we shot both cameras at 150/mbs codecs. There should be an update available soon that will have the EVA equipped with a 400/mbs codec and 10-bit. Upgrade!! The Canon update will be 200/mbs 8-bit. So spec wise, theoretically the EVA has the upper leg here.
For our first C200 test, we noticed that the camera was pushing more towards magenta. With the EVA, we had the opposite problem of our image being too yellow. The C200 felt a little more ‘color accurate’ in terms of what we were seeing in real life while we shot it, but the EVA seemed to have a wider spectrum of color.
Comparing the images side to side with a grade applied, it seems like the Canon looks more ‘accurate’ in terms of what we were actually seeing out in the field.
Both seemed to be on par with roll-off and highlight retention. There were more noticeable differences on the images that were underexposed. The Panasonic seemed to add more saturation to the images. And the Canon seemed to lose saturation while underexposed. At -4 underexposed, both cameras struggled to keep shadows and blacks separated. The Canon looked a little block-y, while the Panasonic seemed a bit muddy with the blacks.
After comparing the graded footage side-by-side it seemed like both cameras had similar dynamic ranges, even though the Panasonic appears to be much flatter in log.
ISO
The EVA has two native ISOs. One at 800, the other at 2,500. So theoretically image quality should be the same on both sides. However, we found that the EVA image started to fall a part faster than the C200 did. The Canon preserved more of the shadows and had less noise at higher ISOs. So Canon wins here for low-light performance.
Rolling Shutter
Didn’t have any issues here. Both were negligible in terms of a real difference, but in comparison to other cameras, the rolling shutter on the Canon C200 and the Panasonic EVA-1 were great.
Slow Motion
Really great image quality on both cameras. A lot of times you lose detail in your shot when you shoot in slow motion. Nothing too noticeable here. Both were great. Getting to the slow motion menus on the Panasonic was a bit more work, but you’ll learn to navigate it without a problem.
The Verdict
It seems like these are both comparable in image quality with a slight edge going to the C200 for low-light photography. Really though, the images don’t start breaking down until you hit 20,000 ISO, and you shouldn’t be in a situation to be shooting that high anyway. Unless you do event videography, or are chasing people down dark alleyways. As we mentioned before, the C200 feels more magenta and the EVA pushes more yellow. It just comes down to what you think looks better. Keep in mind though that the EVA has a supposedly better codec coming out soon that might make this showdown have more of a clear winner.
So what are your thoughts?
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Keep those cameras rollin’ and keep on clickin’!
– Jay P.