The Panasonic AU-EVA1 compact, S35 camera has been officially added to the Netflix approved camera list. Congratulations to Mitch Gross, and everyone at Panasonic’s Cinema Camera division as this is kind of a big deal for them as Netflix, Amazon and soon to be released platforms are set to dominate the way you consume long-form narrative content in the next 1,000 years.
It is great to see the EVA1 added to this prestigious list, right next to my Canon C300 II which has been there for two years, despite all the haters, Canon makes incredible imaging tools and the professionals behind Netflix’s camera testing have long realized that. But this is not about Canon. This is about the EVA1, and I am happy they received this coveted recognition as it enables hundreds and thousands of creators to assure their producers that their content is 1000% Future-Proof.
The illustrious Netflix Approved stamp also recently extended to the ARRI ALEXA LF and Sony Venice. Two digital cinema camera behemoths also deserving huge props for their imaging chops.
NETFLIX 4K Approved Camera List – April 2018
- Canon:
- C700
- C300 Mark II
- Canon C500
- Panasonic
- VariCam 35
- VariCam LT
- AU-EVA1
- Varicam PURE
- RED:
- Weapon (Dragon) 6K
- Weapon 8K
- Weapon 8K S35 (Helium/”Stormtrooper“)
- 8K Monstro
- Panavision DXL
- Sony
- VENICE
- F65
- PMW-F55
- Sony FS7
- Sony F5
- HDC-4300
- PXW-Z450
- ARRI Alexa 65
- ARRI ALEXA LF
- Blackmagic Design
- URSA Mini 4.6K
- URSA Mini Pro 4.6K
From Netflix’s Production Requirements for Cameras & Image Capture:
4K Resolution:
- Camera must have a true 4K sensor (equal to or greater than 3840 photosites wide).
Recording Format:
- Minimum of 16-bit Linear or 10-bit Log processing
- Bitrate of at least 240 Mbps (at 23.98/24 fps) recording
- Recording format must be set to either:
- RAW (uncompressed or lightly compressed sensor data)
- COMPRESSED (Log Gamma – i.e. S-Log3, V-Log, CanonLog3, REDLogFilm, BMDLog, LogC, etc.)
- No looks or color corrections should be baked into the original camera files.
- Files must maintain all metadata (i.e. Tape Name, Timecode, Frame Rate, ISO, WB, etc.) – Note: not sure how the EVA1 does all this, maybe Mitch Gross can chime in.
Black Balancing:
- If applicable, black balancing of camera sensors should be done daily, when the camera is at normal operating temperature. See specific black balancing instructions in the camera operating manual.
Aspect Ratio / Framing:
- Aspect ratios greater than 2.00:1 must be evaluated and discussed with Netflix for approval.
- Framing chart must be shot before principal photography begins, and processed through the dailies pipeline which will be shared with editorial, post-production, and VFX.
Secondary Cameras:
- Any cameras other than the primary camera (crash, POV, drone, underwater, etc.) must be approved by Netflix.
- Test footage should be shot and provided to dailies and post-production to ensure compatibility with primary camera.
Approved Cameras
The cameras listed below meet the minimum resolution and recording requirements listed above. This list is not exhaustive; additional approved cameras may be available.
Head over to this link for a more sobering thought on the delivery requirements for Original Content for Netflix. The requirements above are from their broader – production requirements whatever that means.
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