Canon is trying to launch itself as a major player in the digital cinema field, with its 1080p C300 and 4K C500 video cameras lining up alongside its 4K-shooting DSLR, the EOS-1D C. Follow the story as the company attempts to take a chunk out of companies like RED.
Aug 29, 2012
Canon C500 out in October for $30,000, budget C100 coming November for $7,999
Canon announced its 4K-capable EOS C500 digital cinema camera back in April, but we haven't heard much about it since testing it out a few days later. Today, though, we now know that it'll be available in October for the somewhat eye-watering list price of $30,000. While the new flagship EOS C camera was always going to be in the "if you have to ask, it's too expensive" range, for the rest of us it's considerably more expensive than competing 4K cameras from the likes of RED and (eventually) Sony.
Read Article >That must be why Canon's used the occasion to announce details of the considerably more affordable C100 as well. While the C100 is only capable of capturing 1080p video, like the C300, it'll still let you use Canon's extensive range of EF, EF-S, and EF Cinema lenses in a package around 85 percent of the size. No PL-mount version will be available, however. It ships in November for $7,999.
Apr 12, 2012
Canon introduces the EOS-1D C DSLR with 4K video capture, $15k price tag
Canon has just announced the latest addition to its line of DSLRs, the EOS-1D C — this camera features an 18.1-megapixel full frame sensor, and is also the first Canon DSLR that can record video at 4K resolution (4096 x 2160). There's no word yet on when this camera will be available beyond sometime in 2012; it'll retail for $15,000 when it does hit store shelves.
Read Article >While the camera's sensor can be used for capturing still images (with the same megapixel count as the recently-launched EOS-1D X), video is clearly this camera's main focus. It records 8-bit 4:2:2 Motion JPEG 4K at 24FPS and can also fall back to "standard" 1920 x 1080 HD at rates between 24FPS and 60FPS. ISO sensitivity for video ranges up to 25,600 in extended mode, and uncompressed 1080p video can be output from the camera's HDMI port to an external recording. The body design appears to be nearly identical to that of the 1D X — remember the prototype rig? — and it also contains the earlier camera's dual CF slots.
Jan 24, 2012
Canon EOS C300 set for January 31st release in Japan
Read Article >We didn't have much detail on when the Canon EOS C300 would be made available, beyond B&H Photo letting us know it'd be "sometime after January 30th." It turns out the retailer was pretty much on the money, though, as the 1080p-shooting cinema camcorder will go on sale in Japan the very next day along with its 14.5-60mm T2.6L lens. Chances are the US release will follow shortly after, as we were told to expect a staggered global launch. If you just can't wait, though, you should know that while it'll go for a pre-tax price of $15,999 in the US, Canon expects Japanese retailers to sell the C300 for a cool 1.5 million yen. That's over $19,000, inclusive of 5% sales tax — but if you can afford the camera in the first place, it may be a small premium to pay for the bragging rights.
Nov 4, 2011
Canon EOS C300: an interview with Canon's Chuck Westfall
Yesterday, Canon introduced the EOS C300, a $20,000 camera that shoots at 1080p. Mere hours later, RED announced the Scarlet X, which captures 4K footage — far larger — for just $9,750. Now, if we were to pretend that price and resolution were the only important factors in a camera, we'd be doing something rather silly. Still, it does make you wonder: why 1080p? We spoke to Canon technical advisor Chuck Westfall at the company's Paramount Studios unveiling yesterday evening, and he told us that 1080p was a complex function of the professional market that Canon is addressing.
Read Article >The Cinema EOS C300 project began two and a half years ago, Westfall said, shortly after the launch of Canon's 5D Mark II, the DSLR which famously attracted the interest of cinematographers and generated a lot of feedback from the Hollywood community. "That gave us a lot of incentive to keep going and developing something that was more appropriate for their needs," he said, "but we realized right away that instead of trying to modify a still camera for motion, it made sense to create a purpose-built camera." So, the form factor of the C300 was designed with Hollywood workflows, rigs and accessories in mind, and Canon also decided to go with the Super 35mm sensor size. 1080p was a decision — "We wanted to address the needs of the 1080p market" — but also a limitation of that sensor, in a manner of speaking. "Coming from the gigantic environment of film capture which is based on Super 35, it made more sense for us to start off with an image sensor that matched that, and then when we tried to get the most image quality out of that sensor size, 1080p came through." We also have to wonder if Canon's software workflow might have something to do with it. It didn't come up during our conversation, but the C300 shares battery packs, accessories, viewfinders and even its processor with the company's XF-series camcorders, which also happen to shoot 50Mbps 4:2:2 video at 1080p resolution using Canon's MPEG-2 codec.
Nov 4, 2011
Canon Cinema EOS C300 first hands-on pictures and video
Canon's digital cinema revolution — if in fact that's what it is — is right here in all its photographic glory. We grabbed one immediately after the on-stage unveil, and while we don't have the cinematographic chops to tell you how it compares to an Alexa or RED, we can safely say the 3.2-pound rig looks and feels fantastic. As you'd expect, the EOS C300 is a fairly modular system with multiple EVF options and plenty of ways to grip. Even the standard side mounted handle is adjustable for multiple angles of attack; simply unscrew it, pull it away from the camera on its tether, then stick it back on at the angle you like and screw it in again. You wouldn't want to hold it with a single hand for shooting, of course, but it's light enough with a body and an EF prime to do just that, while still feeling rugged enough to take a short drop... though of course we didn't try it on the Paramount Studios cement. We'll be going back for more, but for right now find pictures after the break.
Read Article >Update: Video below! Also, take a second peek at the gallery to see the C300's sensor and some comparison shots.
Nov 3, 2011
Canon Cinema EOS C300 official: the company's $20K answer to RED video gear
Want to see what you're doing? There are a couple options: a 0.52-inch 16:9 electronic viewfinder with 100 percent coverage or a detachable 4-inch display; they're roughly 1.5-megapixel and 1.2-megapixel, respectively. The body clocks in at 3.2 pounds and would fit in a 7-inch cube with room to spare — slightly heavy, yes, but not too bulky, and we're talking about some serious gear. Think it might be your next rig? You'll pay approximately $20,000 in late January for the EF model, and Canon's shooting for a late March launch for PL lens users. That's a body-only price, but a few things come standard: the main grip, a top carrying handle with microphone mount, and that external 4-inch monitor to accompany your built-in EVF.
Read Article >Video is stored on two CF card slots with output via HD-SDI, and Canon claims it can shoot at a very high ISO with no issue. During the presentation, a short sword-heavy piece, apparently shot at night, seemed to agree; there's definitely noticeable noise in this high-definition footage, but only in the darkest shots is it easily distinguishable from film grain. Earlier, a gangster drama showed off the clarity and depth of field possible in good light -- beautiful footage, to our untrained eye. There's a sci-fi dystopia, Exit, on display, too, laden with CG, but also plenty of human face to face time, showing off both the perfect pores of our future femme fatale and her gritty and at times beautiful surroundings. We've got a few pics of that footage in the gallery below. The last, Mobius, showed off the camera's rugged qualities in capturing desert cinema of a man who witnesses a horrific execution in the middle of nowhere -- dust and rocks and grains of dirt and sand, and a very shiny silver Colt .45 captured beautifully.