Canon Cinema EOS C100 hands-on (video)

Posted on 17/09/2012 by Zach Honig

Late last month, Canon added yet another model to its Cinema EOS line -- the C100 captures 1080p video, rather than the 4K clips enabled with the C500, but it also costs a heck of a lot less, at just shy of eight grand. It also offers some other nifty features, such as a pair of built-in mics and a duo of XLR inputs at the front of the top handle, SD card slots on the rear and a new autofocus button -- it's not a continuous solution, offering only single-shot, but it sure beats not having the feature at all.

The camera is surprisingly lightweight, given its size and capability, and can be held quite comfortably with a single hand, as we did during our hands-on at Photokina earlier today. With a modular design, the camera featured a 3.5-inch 920k-dot LCD in its current configuration, and offers the standard suite of ports, including HDMI output with embedded time code. It also includes an ISO range of 3200 to 20,000, a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 second and a built-in ND filter. The C100 is expected to hit stores in November for $7,999, but you can take a closer look right now in our gallery below and the hands-on video just past the break.

Gallery: Canon Cinema EOS C100 hands-on

Continue reading Canon Cinema EOS C100 hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cameras

Canon Cinema EOS C100 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon Cinema EOS C500 camera hands-on (video)

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Zach Honig

The familiar EOS-1D C isn't the only Canon camera to make its public debut ahead of NAB. The Cinema EOS series welcomes a third model to the collection this week, with looks that nearly match last year's C300. Unlike that model, which you can already pick up through e-tailers and at specialty shops, the C500 has a long way to go before it gets a shipping nod -- it may not even make it to market in 2012. The $30,000 price tag may pose an even greater barrier to entry than its to-be-announced availability date, however, and may in need of some tweaking before it's ready to compete with already established models, like the much less expensive RED Scarlet. Like the 1D C, the C500 can shoot 4K video -- the most apparent upgrade from the $16,000 C300. To that end, boosting its price tag may be the only way for Canon to avoid cannibalizing that less-abled flavor, since many cinematographers would otherwise pay little attention to the C300, due in part to its 1080p-limited shooting capabilities.

It's been a few months since we've last seen Canon's first Cinema EOS model, but the C500 has a look and feel that seems to be only subtly different from the C300. It is noticeably heavier, likely due to the additional cooling gear on board to accommodate 4K shooting. Both flavors include dual CF card slots, which you'll only be able to use for snapping 1080p video -- 4K is fed to an external recorder through the dual 3G-SDI ports, which for obvious reasons you won't find on the C300. There's also a larger grip on board, now a permanent fixture on the C500, which should aid with bare-bones handheld shoots -- but if you're dropping 30 grand on a digital body, some sticks and a dolly shouldn't be far behind. Like its sibling, this year's model ships with either a Canon EOS or industry standard PL mount, so if you have a need for both, you'll need two cameras. Overall, you're looking at the same sleek, albeit slightly unconventional body design, with a price tag that's likely to make amateurs weep and pros run for the rental house. As always, there's a hands-on video waiting just past the break.

Gallery: Canon Cinema EOS C500 hands-on

Continue reading Canon Cinema EOS C500 camera hands-on (video)

Canon Cinema EOS C500 camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon Cinema EOS-1D C 4K camera hands-on (video)

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Zach Honig

It's been but half a year since Canon first entered the motion picture market, and the company is already back with its second and third professional video rigs. The Cinema EOS-1D C marks the most drastic departure from the C300, which launched last November at an elaborate Hollywood event at Paramount Studios. It was at this spectacle that we were first introduced to the 1D C, which was then but a glass-protected prototype. Now, far sooner than expected, the (relatively) compact camera is making its return to the spotlight, in more polished form. Like the 1D series bodies that bear similar monikers and appearances, including the yet-to-ship EOS- 1D X, the C model is a very capable still shooter, offering the same core functionality of the $6,800 X. It also brings 4K capture to the table, however, prompting Canon to price the camera far above its less-abled counterpart. At $15,000, we don't expect to see red C logos popping up in many a photojournalist's gear bag, but for deep-pocketed professionals with a need to capture 4K clips, this may be a worthwhile acquisition.

We took a closer look at the 1D C at Canon's pre-NAB event in Las Vegas. As the pictures and spec sheet imply, it's the 1D X's clone in nearly every way. In fact, beyond the headphone jack and C logo, there's not much distinguishing the pair externally. You'll need to hop into the menu before you'll really notice a difference, in the form of several unique 4K shooting modes, including 8-bit 4:2:2 24fps captures to a CF card or 8-bit 4:2:2 clips in an uncompressed format over HDMI. Otherwise, the C looks and feels just like the X -- a model pro snapper that we've already managed to fondle on three continents under Canon's watchful eye, but still has yet to ship. Both cameras are gorgeous externally, with slight design tweaks yet no drastic overhaul, dating back to the very first EOS-1D. If you haven't had a chance to gawk at either model, you'll at very least be able to check out the 1D C at Canon's booth this week at NAB . We're hoping to see both cameras hit the market sometime in 2012, and who knows -- this Cinema EOS could even be the first next-gen 1D to ship. Take a closer look in the gallery below, and in our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Canon Cinema EOS-1D C hands-on

Continue reading Canon Cinema EOS-1D C 4K camera hands-on (video)

Canon Cinema EOS-1D C 4K camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon unveils EOS-1D C and C500 4K Cinema cameras, two new lenses ahead of NAB (updated)

Posted on 12/04/2012 by Zach Honig

In a departure from its last introduction as dramatic as the C300's Hollywood launch itself, Canon has quietly announced two additional cameras to sit alongside the company's former lone flagship. You may have caught a glimpse of the EOS-1D C at the C300 launch, but what six months ago was a mere mock-up has actually become a reality, likely to ship sometime this year. More out of left field, however, is the C500 -- a higher-end version of the C300 that adds several shooting modes, dual 3G-SDI ports and a larger, permanent grip. Both cameras can capture 4K video, but in substantially different ways.

Canon teases 'exclusive screening' in Las Vegas, new Cinema EOS products coming at NAB?

Canon has a new 'EOS Movies' DSLR on the way too: 4K video, 35mm full frame sensor

Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video)

The $15,000 1D C, which has the same chassis and still shooting features of its less-abled cousin, the EOS-1D X, pipes 4096 x 2160 8-bit 4:2:2 video to a CF card at 24 fps. Unlike the X, however, the C swaps a headphone jack for the X's PC socket, that's usually used for hooking up strobes. The higher-end C500 requires a dedicated external recorder, but offers two full-RAW output options: 4096 x 2960, that will be better suited for motion picture capture, and 3840 x 2160 for 4K TV. Both of these modes offer 10-bit 4:4:4 at 60 frames-per-second. There's also a half-RAW option, at 4096 x 1080 or 3840 x 1080 resolutions, also 10-bit 4:4:4, but at 120 fps. The C500 also includes dual CF slots, but that recording option is only available for 1080p (which can be captured to CF concurrently). Both cameras support Canon Log Gamma, empowering colorists to correct color in post production with more versatility by capturing additional information and a higher dynamic range.

Gallery: Canon Cinema EOS-1D C and C500