Initial thoughts on the Canon EOS C100

Edit: Philip here. Just arrived in Helsinki and reading the specs, but one thing jumps out at me like a flasher in the bushes…there appears to be no slow motion feature at all! Not even 720p. Surely this is an omission in the specs. I will check it out and report back. If they have done this,it’s a huge mistake. I don’t use it often, but even a DSLR does 720p slow motion and of course its competition the Sony FS100 does 1080p 50p/ 60 and the FS700 does its super high speed 240FPS at 1080p…not having any form of slow motion in-camera is going to hurt this camera, which would be a huge shame as it looks lovely and priced at just over £4100 plus VAT. It’s very attractive as the form factor and log out of the C300 are killer and they are both in this camera.

For the record, my C300 is easily the best camera I own. Its images always blow me away and its handling and form factor are just superb. I’m currently finishing off my Olly Knights doco shot on it, and the clarity and detail in the image are epic! (pun intended!) Really hoping the lack of high speed is a mistake in the specs, as it would make a very strong B camera for my documentaries. Having C log would mean my images would match my c300 and Premiere CS6 wouldn’t care about the different codecs. Fingers crossed

James here, just going through my initial thoughts so far on the announced Canon EOS C100. I will endeavour to update this page as and when more details come online. But for now…

 

Its been called the baby brother to the Canon C300. Standing 15% smaller than the already very handhold-able C300, actually very slightly wider though. The body weighs just 1020g (410g lighter than the EOS C300)
It uses the same pistol side grip as C300, and this is such a welcome feature and gives a very solid feel.
If you’re using on a rig, Zacuto make a Pistol Grip relocator that may be very useful. http://store.zacuto.com/C300-grip-relocator.html Just going off the beauty shots and the C300 as reference, you know it’s a camera that is very sturdy and well built.

 

 

Quick specs as pulled from the official Canon page.

Super 35mm CMOS Sensor, running at 24,25,30,50i,60i FPS at a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Its codec is H.264 under an AVCHD wrapper. Bitrates are up to 24 Mbps in 1920 x 1080 or 7 Mbps (1440 x 1080).

As with the C300, the C100 has built in Glass ND filters giving you 2, 4 and 6 stops of ND. Note that the ND filters are now on a manual wheel rather than two buttons with the c300. This is a helpful amendment in situations where you need a fast change.

ISO range is 320 to 20,000.

Colour space is listed at 4:2:0 – this is a limitation for AVCHD.

Size:
Dimensions (W x H x D)
C100 (Body plus Thumb Rest):
Approx. 5.3 x 6.7 x 5.1 in (135 x 170 x 129 mm)

Compared to the C300:
Dimensions (W x H x D)
EOS C300 + Thumb Rest: 5.2 x 7.0 x 6.7 in / 133 x 179 x 171mm

 

To me being a Sony NEX FS100 shooter, I have to look at how this compares to the FS100 & also the newer FS700. At the moment they are pitched at the same price (Sony website), but I’m sure that price will drop to be under that of the Sony FS700. CVP in the UK have it listed at £4,162.50 – http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/index.php?t=product/canon_eos_c100 so that’s a great start and puts it just above the cracking little Sony NEX FS100.

I have shot with the C300 a few times and always loved using the eye piece viewfinder rather than the LCD screen that swung from the top handle. I felt more connected to the camera filming handheld with no support.

The C100 has the same viewfinder and LCD Screen as the C300, but it’s mounted on the rear. At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss the position as a bad location but I think I’ll like it. I really love to be connected to a camera when filming and have always loved the 5D with a simple Zacuto Z-finder glued to the rear LCD screen. The LCD on the C100 is on the same plane as the sensor and I always like this. When folded open the screen is slightly offset to the left, and I’m sure a suitable eyepiece adapter can made by Zacuto to cater for its needs. I’m left eye dominant so either way I can never see where I’m walking, so using the cameras screen at the same viewpoint is important for me.

The LCD flip out/over screen is 3.5-inch (8.8cm), 920,000-dot panel and can be moved upwards by up to 100 degrees for low angles.

I use the Z-finder on the Sony FS100, connected via a small magic arm. It does not cover the entire screen as it’s not as wide, but it is such an improvement over the Plastic optics offered by Sony.

 

So would I buy a Canon C100 over the FS700? Well if it does ship at the £4,000 mark, it should be compared more to the FS100.

I’ve not seen any footage from the C100 yet and would love to try one. The C100 will use AVCHD (H.264 in a wrapper) as does the Sony FS100, FS700, and they do a very good job with that so I’m not that worried about the codec. I also think it’s great that it has available a ‘Log Gamma’ pushing some 12-stop dynamic range, something Sony never included on the FS cameras.

The C100 does not have an SDI port unlike the FS700, so capturing using the Atomos Samaria is not possible. You would have to use the HDMI Atomos Ninja2 like you do with the FS100, but that has its own issues with interlaced flagging. But the non-compressed HDMI signals from the C100 can be processed as SDI video signals (comparable to HD-SDI).

Although I love the fact that the FS700 does 240FPS bursts, I find the 50/60fps at 1080p on the FS100 suitable for most editorials. The C100 only manages 50/60i. This is a real shame and something that I though AVCHD would allow on this camera, but not even a 720p option for 50/60p. Fingers crossed they will pull something out of the bag on this one.

It also features a Pre REC function and starts recording video about three seconds ahead of time to ensure that you don’t miss a shot.

Of course it’s lovely to have built-in glass ND filters, something the FS100 does not have. The FS700 does have ND filters, if a little clunky in operation.

Something Canon have though of is the ability to combine files greater than 2GB together into one seamless file using their new Data import utility. Something you had to do by hand using clipwrap on the FS100 footage. Really makes a difference if filming speeches or long interviews and you have to hand over the rushes.

So really I find my self comparing the C100 to the FS100 if those lower prices advertised by CVP are accurate.

This really is the next progressive move from Canon DSLR’s. A small package easy codec with whats going likely to be a very attractive image and price.

 

 

References:
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/product/cinema_eos/canon_eos_c100.do

Canon C100:-
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/cinema_eos_cameras/eos_c100#Specifications

Canon C300:-
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/cinema_eos_cameras/eos_c300#Specifications

 

Written by James Miller
http://www.millerandmiller.co.uk
https://twitter.com/millerandmiller

103 comments

  1. One thing I didn’t see mentioned above but which will probably be asked is: Does this camera use a “4K” sensor just like the C300? The answer, from Canon’s site, appears to be “yes.” This is good news. I wouldn’t mind the AVCHD codec so much if they’d offered *any* 60p modes, but the (apparent) fact that the camera lacks even 720p60 is… CRAZY! What are they thinking?! This is a clear step backwards, and is doubly frustrating as there have now been fantastically details 1080p60 images coming from consumer AVCHD camcorders for years. Very disappointed in Canon on this point.

    The LCD placement is ok with me, but the mechanics of it seem pretty bizarre. Given that handholding the thing likely means opening the LCD, rotating it 180 degrees, and folding it back, I would be inclined to leave it open for as long as possible. Honestly, I’d rather have seen them hinge it on the side like so many DSLR screens are. You could still turn it around and fold it back if you wanted to, but you wouldn’t have to. Less mechanical wear and covering up of buttons is a good thing! D’oh!

    1. This thread is quite old but I just wanted to point out that the camera actually CAN shoot slow motion, in an akward way… You can shoot 1920i60 and slow it down. The result should be quite similar to shooting 720p: you will have 33% lower vertical resolution (540 lines instead of 720) but 50% greater horizontal resolution (1920 lines instead of 1280). Not ideal but a viable work-around, I think.

      1. The c300 is amazing as mentioned above. This will record a very similar image. Don’t be fooled by numbers. The 8 bit rocks on the c300. The lack of slow motion on the c100 does not rock at all. Terrible omission!

        1. oh dear! No slo mo. Given the price, I wonder if Black magic will see the light and give us slow mo. I think the FS100 or even the AG-AF 102 with 4/3s which has great features is better value

          Just a thought from a chap ( me ) who admits to not being as knowledgeable technically as he’d like to be

  2. Canon has for years trying to find a way to sell their grossly over priced EF L lenses (chromatic aberrations et al) and here they go, introducing the C100 8-bit 1080i camcorder (1080P only @24fps) … Not even 720P 60?

    “8 bits. That’s what the pros are using and that is all you need. You don’t need 60P”

    That’s Canon Marketing for you. Just wait for their lame “Imagine what you can do…” marketing campaign to hit your screen – Canon loves to spend tons of money paying established professionals to say good things about their cameras because Canon has a really, really hard time getting established professionals to actually purchase their products on their own – without asking for promotional compensation. EXAMPLE: Look at the professional DP’s who had Press Releases, Promotional Materials/ Images and Articles already written by the time Canon announced the C100 to the public… They literally have to pay these professionals to use their products. That is part of the reason their products are always over priced.

    Do you really think Ron Howard thought in his head “Finally, now I can craft the image Iv’e always wanted!” when the C300 hit the market? Hello??? Canon paid Howard a sweet sum of money and promised to promote Ron Howard’s daughter and her film if he promoted the C300…

    8 bits… No 60P. HDMI color space. No SDI… AVCHD… Over priced…

    Who do you think will be the C100 poster boy this time around?

    1. Dude. You need to seriously tone down the vitriol. It’s not needed and way over the top. It’s a bloody camera, nobody has kidnapped your first born! If you don’t like it vote with your wallet!

      No haters on my site. Thanks

      P

      1. Agree Philip… why put dung on Canon… they have done so much for the industry and what’s wrong with making Canon Canon making money???

        Lets wait till we have one in our hand before we bag this unit.

        Thanks for sharing your thoughts Philip

        Cheers

      2. This is why I love you Philip. You don’t argue with your posters like “some” bloggers. You just in a gentlemanly way tell them to go pound sand. You Sir have class.

        To the poster DP though. Dude, what do you want? All those specs you list are in lots of cameras already on the market. Like Phil said, they are not kidnapping your first born. Can you step back for a second and imagine the many applications this C100 can and WILL be used for? ENG, event, corporate, music vids, Doc. Not every camera has to have Lord of the Rings specs! Especially for $5000-$7000. If your filming feature movies that people are watching, then $30,000 shouldn’t be a problem to dish out on a camera. SOME PEOPLE like working with AVCHD for quick turnaround and low volume storage. Want a better image, connect an external recorder. AND YES, the c300’s xf 422 8/bit IS enough and is QUITE nice! Canon didn’t say this camera IS for Lord of the Rings productions, but you are! Maybe some people just want a nice image to film events with.

        I like the C100. The price is not a big concern for me. I might even buy it even though I have the BMDC on order. I need more write offs.

        Thanks Phil for the class you have and the info you provide. Keep up the cheery self that you are.

        1. Hi Dustylense: Speaking of ENG, corporate, event, etc. shooters and the cams they typically use: It’ll be interesting to see how this new Canon compares in terms of sensitivity & S/N compared to the many excellent 1/3″ & 1/2″ camcorders currently popular with those users.

          Cheers.

          1. You’d be surprised if you knew what camera’s footage you are looking at when you watch television.
            Me being a professional, know that colleagues and myself included, use a lot of these cameras…
            Fs100/700, 700 for slomo, C300 is very common, most facility houses own one ore more already.
            To big surprise of canon, because the camera was never developed as a broadcast camera.
            It was more developed for the high end consumer /prosumer for holidays and wedding movies .
            (quote from a canon spokesperson yesterday on the ibc)
            Nothing wrong with 8 bit and no slomo, as for the price, very challenging!, 5000 euros is a very good price for a camera with these specs. I can predict you that a lot of company’s will buy it!

      3. You know. Even through his rage, this guy has a point. For some of us lowly filmmakers with a 5D, we want something better from life. We log onto our favorite filmmakers blog, see a post about a c100, and think, OMG we are gonna get in on some c300 action. Then we read through the specs, and say this overpriced piece of s***. Honestly, its like someone stole our firstborn. This camera is proabably a beautiful camera that makes amazing images, but when it doesn’t even record 60p, it seems like we can’t even afford the lowest of the canon line. Give this guy some room, and feel sorry for him. LOL

    2. @DP. I’m both a Canon camera owner and a Canon stock owner. Unfortunately Canon is not a charity, they have concerns like R&D, margins, future projections – yes they’re in the business of making badass cameras, but they’re also in the business of making money (as hopefully you are too). I wish the c100 had 60P and 4:2:2, but oh yeah there’s the c300 for sale. And I wish the c300 shot 60P at 1080 and 4k, but oh yeah there’s the c500.

      In the end it’s pretty simple – the cost of cameras should influence the rates you charge (aka a marketplace). When you’re making videos that you can charge more money and you can sell to your clients the value of 4k or 60P, then you can buy a c300 or c500. Until then, don’t blame your inability to afford particular cameras on “grossly over priced” cameras. There’s cameras out there that make even the c500 look cheap. Just sayin.

  3. I’m excited about this camera. 60p or not. I’ll be keeping my 60D which shoots (admittedly low res) 60p even if I get this in November. I’ve rented the C300 before and fell in love instantly. The picture and form factor are phenomenal.

    One thing I’m curious about is if the handle could be mounted in the opposite direction so that I could rest it slightly on my shoulder for further ease with handheld shooting.

    I’m often a run-and-gunner so form factor and lack of ND’s is what has kept me away from Sony’s offerings. The Fs700 is appealing and would be my obvious preference if it had the form factor of the Canon Cinema line.

    1. Ha, I just called Canon’s Cinema EOS line and was asking about this handle mounting alternative. The rep tried to tell me that the C100 doesn’t exist. Embarrassing for him. So I just had him check on the C300 instead. According to him, on the C300, the handle cannot be mounted in the opposite direction.

  4. I was waiting for this camera to be announced at NAB. BMCC was announced instead. It was obvious then that I probably wouldn’t buy another Canon. What could they possibly do to compete? I have zero interest in this camera.

    I think buying camera gear now is like buying computer gear used to be: buy only what you need right now because a new one will come out that’s twice as good at half the price. It will not come from Canon. It probably won’t come from Sony. They are playing established unconverged markets. For them, there are stills and moving images. And film and video. And pros and consumers. Digital technology (computers) tend to erase all these differences.

    Back in the present – there is room for smaller guys like Blackmagic to do the disruptive, digital thing and begin employing digital economics – as they have. (It’s not like you need to devise a tape threading mechanism.)

    And beyond this there is room for something much more disruptive that could never come from Canon: a proper camera that can be networked, monitored, controlled, and programmed. This can only come from software people like Apple (who have iOS for a development platform and remote interface) or Blackmagic (who also know something about software and smart enough to leverage existing OSes) – or any any other new player. It won’t come from Canon or Sony.

    Although it’s impossible to imagine a Canon Cinema camera with software intelligence, it’s easy to imagine a BMCC with WiFi and software hooks into iOS, for example. The back of the camera controls appear on mobile device, which is also a viewfinder and optional controller. Program and control 4 cameras at once ala GoPro. Use GPS data. You could program it to respond with the last used settings at any location as determined by GPS. For example. There would be an orgy of functionality, flexibility, efficiency. Conceptually, it’s easy, easy innovation. Are Canon thinking this? That’s why I can’t imagine buying another camera from them.

    My 2p. Technology incumbents are unfailingly the obstacles in the path of innovation.

    1. C300 already has some of wifi remote functions that you mentioned, when paired with Canon WFT add-on (any Canon DSLR with WFT for that matter). You can control camera and change settings from iOS devices.

      https://vimeo.com/46071417

      You probably mean much tighter integration than that, but, nonetheless all base technologies and concepts are already there on Canon cameras (in fact for years…). It’s not perfect and its usefulness is somewhat limited, but i believe Canon has been thinking about the possibilities for a while for sure.

    2. Very smart post. The BMCC has its set of advantages and disadvantages vs. the C100, but it’s cheap enough any serious pro ought to have one if they don’t have something better already.

      I was wondering if our hosts would explain this Ninja 2 issue they mention in the article above, I was unable to find anything about it on Google:
      “You would have to use the HDMI Atomos Ninja2 like you do with the FS100, but that has its own issues with interlaced flagging.”

      There is a question about whether the color space of the C100 HDMI output would be 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. Perhaps our hosts could get a definitive answer from Canon on this?

      The Ninja 2 or Hyperdeck would seem able to take the C100 into territory even better than the C300 for far less money if the output is uncompressed 4:2:2, and there are no issues as alluded to. Those are my only remaining questions on this camera.

    3. quote

      ” It probably won’t come from Sony. They are playing established unconverged markets. For them, there are stills and moving images ”

      You don’t get much more sensible than that

  5. Hm… approximate AF100 price and features for folks who already own a ton of EF glass. Not a terrible idea. All it’s really (paper) lacking to kill the AF outright are VFR, HD-SDI, and the ability to use Voigtlander lenses.

    1. ack… hate to respond to myself, but internally confusing the price from pounds to dollars made me think it was a AF100/FS100 rival… $8K? Seriously? And at the risk of daftness, what exactly is the practical use of a “log matrix” on an AVCHD camera?

      Interesting concept, likely a smashing picture, but all the same I think I’ll continue enjoying my Voigtlanders for another year or so.

    2. the AF-100 is a great camera. Look at all those features. If I remember rightly, it has SDI out, and ND filters. The 4/3 format is excellent and 4/3 format is getting more influential

      It may look like a Volvo from the 70s, but it’s a competent vid cam that takes a variety of glass with adapters and made by a company experienced historically in pro cine cameras

  6. Philip while i always love your enthusiasm for new gear i am disappointed in canon once again and i own 3 canon’s myself. $8000 is not a reasonable price, we are not all living in countries where we make pounds or dollars and to have to invest in a body that costs that much is just not feasible. Myself a promotional film and wedding videographer the price is simply out of reach, 3-4 years ago the $4-5000 dollar mark got you a great HDV market camera. the equivalent today of great cameras is now at $8k this is a big difference and its only giving 60i (ichh).

    The facts remain that these big companies only care about market share and it seems pretty obvious that if they wanted to they could build a camera that does all the things we want and at a cheaper price.

    I will be sticking with my dslr’s for now…

      1. I am wondering what you are filming, if a camera that costs 5000 euros is too expensive for you…
        By the way don’t forget you need a better viewfinder/monitor, 64Gb flashcards, tripod, rig… Camera mic.
        If your clients aren’t willing to pay for this, you’d better stick with a dslr, that shoots nice stlls on your holidays as well 🙂
        Nice upgrade for the MK2 is the MK3, wonderful picture, and you can use all the accessories you have for your MK2

    1. to get market share they must be competively priced, and they have a legal duty to shareholders. I see your point, though

      Really, most of us a better off renting a proper dedicated camcorder for pro work. Wedding guys need to buy I guess!

  7. I have been waiting for a camera like this for quite some times.
    I just spent almost $6k ( between the metabone adapter and the 128GB flash drive)on the fs100 and should get it next week.
    If it will retail for $6.5k I am returning the fs100 and waiting.
    Hopefully we will see some footage and solid price from this camera sometimes soon.

  8. I can’t help but think Canon have lost a bit of their mojo. The Mark ii was transformative (even if it was an accident.) The new 500 and 100 are both solid camera’s and provide some interesting incremental improvements to a very busy market place. But as Brad pointed out real change is going to come from a company who doesn’t have to worry about disrupting product lines. And that company will most likely be a company with a strong software background… which is why I am keen to hear your review of the Black Magic Philip. Version 1.0 will likely underwhelm but if they keep at it and keep the camera largely ‘open’ they could well be the next one to transform the industry.

  9. Slightly off-topic but how do you cope with being left eye dominant whilst right-handed (looks like)?
    I am too and find it virtually impossible to go hand-held without contorting and thus looking more like Norman Wisdom
    than a cameraman especially when tracking backwards.
    Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

    1. I actually find it helpful as I’m centred to the camera. I think thats why lenswhacking is slightly easier as I’m all lined up. Easy to walk into things above a 50mm handheld though. Doesn’t really help on ENG cameras unless you have VF thats slides lots.

      You could always retrain your right eye by wearing a patch on the left 🙂

      1. Then you can’t be shooting on an ENG such as the EX3 where the VF is stuck by design on the
        left causing all manner of restrictions and limitations when hand-held.

  10. If the C100 had come before the C300 last november, the words would be different, I think Canon should have launched the C100 in november with all the hoopla and followed by the C300 later the reactions had been positive, I’m missing the 60p just because ALL the other cameras have it, from the most basic T3i, Canon just took it out because of the C300, shame on you Canon.

    I don’t mind the 24mb because if I’m serious about quality I’ll hook with an external device and get 422, basically if it is the same sensor without the sdi it picture would be awesome

  11. I think this is great that Canon is releasing a low end version of the C300, i’d been hoping for such a camera. However, I’m starting to get very cynical about the whole camera market, it seems we are flooded with cameras that do **almost** what everyone is looking for at the right price, but not quite it, when the answer is so clear. It’s become very depressing to keep reading the headlines “Canon announces new camera!” and before I read the article I hope that it might be the one, that it might have what we want, and it’s always a huge downer.

    To me this seems so simple but they keep over complicating things. Why can’t they simply combine the ergonomics and features of a simple and cheap camcorder like the XF100 or 105, with a C300 sensor and EF mount. Throw in some 1080p slow motion, and with the broadcast friendly bitrate and color space of the XF100 we should be good to go. All this should cost no more than $7,000 for certain I would think. I’m no engineer but it has to be possible, Sony has almost done it.

    Is it really a money issue, is it the video vs stills divisions of Canon not wanting to lose customers or overlap each others technology? There has to be a way to get through to them.

  12. Hi Philip, I’ve got to ask — you say it will record a very similar image to the C300. What would it take to record the same image? Is there an external recorder that you could recommend, for instance?

  13. I really don’t think the backmounted monitor is smart choice.
    You won’t be able to flip it any forward at the left side. The place where i use the c300 monitor most.
    So the only way to operate the c100 with stock parts is from straight behind.

    A similar button layout like the c300 would have been also nice, so fast switching to a possible b cam would have been even easier.

    They could also have added a addition cold shoe easily on the hand grip, so adding a mic receiver and a small light would work at the same time too.

    I like the included stereo mic. Always nice to have a easy way to get some reference sound.

    It will also be interesting to see if the new auto iris and focus option will be available in an upcoming firmware update for the c300. You can already set focus by using the WFT-E6A wireless modul. So i don’t see a reason why it couldn’t be done. Not that i would use always, but sometimes it could be a handy feature just to have on board.

  14. Philip, ever since reading your Canon 1DX Review (and the wonderful footage you shot with it) that’s the camera I’ve been contemplating purchasing.

    However, with rumors of a new lower cost Canon Full Frame DSLR on the horizon, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera about to ship and today’s announcement of the C100, I’m back in limbo land. Personally, I’m not including the Sony FS700 in my decision making equation because …

    … am I the only one who doesn’t like the 24FPS imagery from the Sony FS700? The Slow Motion footage is fantastic and mind boggling in an $8K camera, but I have yet to see a single frame shot at 24FPS that I like. It just doesn’t look filmic and there’s something about its color space that is off. People complain about Canon but …

    … if I were to review all of the footage you’ve shot over the years on the 5D MK II and other Canon DSLRs – regardless of Moire/Aliasing issues – it all looks fantastic – filmic – with wonderful coloration. That’s why I’m afraid to go “Non-Canon” because even if Canon omits certain features, they always seem to manufacture cameras that can produce wonderful imagery – when in the right hands such as yours.

    So Philip, based upon your 1DX and C300 experience (and speaking solely about video), do you think the 1DX might have advantages over the C100 since the 1DX has a full frame sensor and also offers a higher bitrate codec for video?

    1. I agree with you ANDYGLA – that 1DX footage Philip posted the other day is the most cinematic I’ve seen out of all these new cameras. If the C100 looks anything like the C300, I’d go with the 1DX. That thing just looks like a feature film, of course with Philip’s grading.

  15. Ron Howard’s kids and mine went to the same school years ago. I don’t know him well but what I do know is he’s exactly what you’d guess. Really smart, really dedicated to his art and family and really….um…..immune from financial worries. The thought of him endorsing something he doesn’t believe in because Canon waved a check in front of him just made me snort my latte.

  16. I’m disappointed it doesn’t have 4:2:2 colorspace. The $3000 XF100 does, but this camera doesn’t. I’ve seen figures online stating the price is going to be around $7000 US. It’s so frustrating… As Philip says, going to vote with my wallet. I’ll just keep my FS100 and maybe purchase the Black Magic Camera.

  17. Do you all realize how much Sony would charge for S long implementation on the FS 100 or even the 700, just saying don’t poo Canon just yet wait till it comes out wait to see it see what it can do, and not Poo on a Camera that’s not even out yet just saying some people might be overlooking what Canon is offering and could offer any firmware update plus can’t you just turn 60i. Into 60 P in ur nle. Plus I love the straight out-of-the-box shooting with no rolling shutter, people are spending at least four grand and an extra four grand just to make a 5D Mark III a video camera…

  18. I get excited about any camera that comes out these days – and i know i’ll shoot with them all at some point or another, and thoroughly enjoy doing so! The thing that bugs me the most is not what’s going on inside the camera, but what’s going on on the outside. There are so many controls and features in impractical places! The C300 is a classic example, and I remember reading somewhere that Sony really consulted DP’s when developing the FS700, yet the LCD is in the worst place ever! Small details i guess, but so easy to get right! Maybe i’m alone in thinking that though!

  19. It sure does seem like the amateur videographer gear market is getting cloudy these days. I’ve got a 60D because 2 years ago those were all the rage you know. Limitations-a-go-go, but cool none the less. Now we have the BM Camera, the FS700, the C100, the C300 and to the little guy (that would be me) its uber confusing on if you stay DSLR or make a leap of faith into video land. It seems like in 2 years there has been a near revolutionary gear evolution (thats alot of ‘tions’) 🙂

    Its so hard to know what a side by side comparison would yield. I think alot of folks find themselves in the ‘I have enough brownie points with the spouse to buy one camera with which to fulfill my photographic and video obsession’ place. It’ll be interesting to see who adopts what and if another couple wrenches are thrown in during Photokina. Wild Wild stuff. BTW … love the vids and the info PB. Wonderful 5D Mark III review.

  20. Canon lenses & cameras are awesome, but I think they’re shooting themselves in the foot with their Cinema EOS pricing structure.

    The Canon XF105, which is more camera than a C100 — in camera 4:2:2 color space, XF codec, zoom lens with IS, 60p, HD/SDI output lists for $4,000. If S35 sensors were that expensive to manufacture, then a Rebel T4i would list for a lot more than it does.

    I wish Canon would lower their prices, take a hit on per unit profit, but empower more of us to “leave no story untold.”

    Ah well, there’s always something to complain about. That’s what makes the world go ’round, right?

  21. The Canon site says the C100 sensor is 8.3 megapixel, which is obviously 4k. But it also says the sensor is “new”.

    Here’s hoping it’s the same as the C300, and that they fix the slow motion issue. If so, this will be the perfect upgrade for me from my 7D.

  22. I’m sure that there is 720 60p. Maybe they just thought it was a gown so they didn’t include it. Otherwise, I’m sure that is a firmware fixable thing if enough people complain. That AVC HD wrapper is an odd one though. I think this is a first for Canon.

  23. We recently shot a music video for song that was really slow, atmospheric and meandering. We used my FS700 and it was mainly shot in 60fps (with a few shots at 120 and 240) with Cinegamma 1 and it looked GREAT because the song was so slow and mellow that the slow motion just complimented it so well.

    I would NOT even consider the C100 just because it does not have slow motion (sorry, but 60i does not qualify). That is so bad to not have at least 60p in 2012. For the BMC, I can understand no slow motion because it’s only $3000 and it has RAW, but for Canon, no excuses. I think if you mainly shoot narrative and events, then 24fps only is fine and so is the C100. But for subjects like music videos, sports, B-Roll for documentaries, artistic projects or just the occasional tricked out shot; slow motion just adds so much drama to those typs of shots that 24fps just cannot do.

    Why, why, why no 60p? That is just crazy talk.

    1. I completely agree, of course my primary interest is nature documentary work, and slow-mo is the DREAM of a documentary filmmaker. I drooled for years over the Phantom work I saw on the Discovery Channel, but I cannot afford $2400 a day to RENT a Phantom. The Sony NEX FS700 is a dream come true for me and Canon has let me down, big time. I’ve been a Canon man for years, but no more. I suppose if you don’t need slo-mo, the Canons are nice. I need it though and it’s integral to my work.

  24. Hello guys,
    this is my first post on this site (even though I follow him since two years).
    For me the big question is:

    “is the c100 a step forward for those (like me) by two years and half are working with the 5D and feel the need to move to a better equipment?”

    Now between the 5d mkiii and the c300 there is no intermediate choice … of course, it would be nice to have the same spec. as the c300 to a third of the price…but is a tought with no sense. Probably if you have to buy a camera and do not have one you can orient yourself on other choices (like Sony for example), but If you already own Canon lenses, you got a feel with him, you’re are an independent filmaker who often works alone, travel a lot, can be this one the right choice?

    The c100 seems to me a great camera but I’ll wait to read and see more.

    Thank you Philip an thank you to the other posters!

  25. great review PB,
    a camera that is slightly affordable,
    Its early days yet for this camera, firmware should fix a few issues, but hopefully the guys down at ML can work their magic as usual, to turn something good to even better like they did with 5Ds and 60Ds etc

  26. Thanks Philip,

    What’s intriguing me about this camera is how it seems to be being compared predominantly with the FS700, not the FS100 as I’d have imagined…

    As long as the image quality holds up to expectations, this is a camera I’d use; the form, build quality, NDs and features make it a compelling choice. That said, I am bewildered by the absence of slo-mo and interval record. Slo-mo I rarely use but I love a bit of time lapse. Odd.

  27. Back in March when I was trying the 5D3 and 1DX prototypes, I was told both the C100 and C500 were coming at the end of the year. I was curious how Canon would downgrade the C100 so it wouldn’t undercut the C300. Now we know it.

    I personally consider the C300 overpriced (8bit, no 1080@60, no true Log, videoy-looking), but on the other hand I like the C100 very much at this price point of €6k. It’s a shame Canon Marketing had to downgrade its codec to protect the rest of the line. With 50Mbps 422 (as the XF300, PMW200 etc also under €6k), the C100 would have been the PERFECT run&gun camera. And an excellent companion to the BMD camera as well, which I think trashes every other camera below the ALEXA for narrative style.

    Speaking of which, at €1500/day (x3 for a week) for the aAlexa+oconnor sticks+FF+MB+5 UltraPrimes (!), it makes no sense IMHO to use anything else when working professionally.

    On the other hand, for Micro-budgets kind of stuff, the BMD is the one to go. Except for Run&Gun, where Canon, Sony and Panasonic still have a chance of survival.

    So glad some innovative company disrupted the video market and knocked the dinosaurs. Apple did the same to Nokia and Motorola some years ago. Look where all of them are today.

    Looks like Canon didn’t get the memo yet. But after BMD eats the entire 5D and C100 markets for breakfast, we’ll probably have a C100 with Broadcast 50Mbps 4:2:2 next year.

    Did I say how great the C100 is? Great price point, so small and light, great sensor, integrated XLRs, good viewfinder, TFT with waveforms….. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, but 4:2.0@24Mbps???? Why o why?

    1. Personally, I could shoot on the c300 for years. There’s essentially nothing wrong with it. Yes, there will be and are technically better cameras, but the c300 is simply solid… we’re at the point where it’s more a matter of what you do with the camera than what the camera can do.

      Also consider that the C300 is sampling from a 4K sensor. The image is almost perfectly resolved FULLHD, which can’t be said of the XF305, even though they have the same bit-rate. The sensor and its sensitivity is hugely important here, and at the moment the C300 has one of the best for shooting in super35 style. It’s also very flexible, which is a major plus for a filmmakers who shoot fiction films and documentaries… unlike the RED Cameras (thus far) and Black Magic need a studio lighting to cope with a lack of sensitivity in the sensor. I was just watching CHE the other day, and I have to admit… I thought the film was beautiful before, but the black levels are just ridiculously lossy in retrospect. You don’t get that with the c300.

  28. I’m shooting (professional) films for almost 20 years now and I never realy missed the Slow Motion option. Sure it will be usefull during some shoots but it’s not one of the most wanted features for me. So I don’t understand why people shoot off this C100 because of the lack of Slow Motion.

    Using the 5D for a long time now and still people asking me: you gonna use that photo camera for this film? Oh my brother has got the same camera.. let me see is it a Canon 5D?

    It sounds strange but the form factor is an important thing. This C100 looks good to me. The prize of the camera? buy a 7D add an external sound box (XLR), an EVF, ND filters and will see where you come. Sure camera’s can always be cheaper, I’m Dutch so I never want to pay for anything 🙂 I want it for free or at least (max) for 100 Euro.

    I’m excited about this camera, and this seems to be a better option for my work than the BMC : sensor size, form factor etc. People talking about the BMC RAW options… working with RAW you have to add so much extra production time. Sure that time is available for large professional shoots. But I only make short corporates, mini docu etc… don;t have the time to spend hours an hours extra in post.

    I thnk this C100 will replace my 5D.. sure the C300 is better but I need money to feed my daughter so the C100 seems to be the best option for my budget. Forget about that Slow Motion!!! How can you shoot off a camera on that?

  29. interesting review (as they all are). As a B Camera for the C300, I could see it’s uses, but I’d prefer to see some footage before jumping ahead, as other cameras do the same or more for the same dollar amount. I’ve worked on Canons in the past and have had good results, remains to be seen…
    does this mean you no longer love the AF100? ( a fleeting flirtation)…

  30. I think this would be a strong contender for my next camera if it had 60p (or 50p or even 48p). For music videos sometimes you just need to slow a shot down a bit!

  31. Do you have any thoughts on the Phantom Miro, their new entry level that can use PL or Canon mount? Would love to get your take on it since it has the high speed factor the company is famous for plus its supposed to hold its own as a straight up video camera.

  32. I don’t read it as ‘hate’, but as truth. I think there is a genuine frustration from some Canon users who bought 1080P products and got 600 lines of resolution, aliasing and moire, and unusable 720P. Canon made a beautiful product in the C300, which cruelly contrasts with the disappointment felt by those who bought their sub-£10,000 DSLRs. I like the idea of the C100, but the specification on paper falls surprisingly short of the existing and upcoming competition. Canon could do better and I think their existing customers deserve significant firmware updates to meet the expectations they had when they first invested in Canon cameras and lenses.

    1. i read it as anger…and remember it’s just a camera. Loads of GREAT options out there. If you feel the company isn’t being loyal to you don’t be loyal to them and vote with your wallet. Personally I am warming to it more and more BUT only as a B camera for my C300….

  33. Canon has been too little, too late with both the C300 and C100 for me. I waited patiently for a couple of years for them to introduce affordable video cams that would use my expensive Canon glass. No 60 fps? Are you kidding me? I’m thrilled with my Sony NEX FS700s doing 240 fps in FULL HD 1080p. Canon, you need to man up or completely loose the nature documentary market. You’ve certainly lost me already. I’m a Sony man now using Canon glass.

  34. Last week i had the chance to test the Blackmagic, the FS700 and the C100. In my opinion, its really what you want to do with the camera. For indipendent filmmakers who do acted films the blackmagic is really great i think.
    I want a camera for documentary work and i was totally blown away by the C100.
    The form factor is so great. You can do great handheld shooting WITHOUT a rig! And i hate the rig-shooting. I own a chrosziel rig with follow focus, zoom fluid and compendium for my 5D Mark II, but i have completely stopped using it. With the new magic lantern firmware i was shooting last week with just the camera naked – without viewfinder and rig. It was so great. The small form factor of these cameras can give you great angles in seconds. And people aren´t shocked by a big camera. Just the small camera on the tripod – its much more less “disturbing” people.
    And in my opinion the C100 is so great for handheld shooting. ND Filters. Lighweight, small, you can filp the display in every position i need. Handgrip is variable. Exposure and Magnify directly over the Handgrip – great.
    Plus: C-Log.
    The Canon man told me the sensor is EXACTLY the same than the one of the C300. So with my Nanoflash i will get a cheap C300 with same picture quality!
    Fs700 was great too, the slow motion is really great. But to be honest: For me it´s jus a effect. There are other things for me which are much more important. Especially as mentioned the form factor and i don´t like the form factor of the FS700. Also the picture in Hypergamma mode is really different to the one of the C100. For sure, it´s what you like more, for me it was definetely the picture of the C100.
    All the comments about the 8 Bit – you are right there. But there are so many other things that make a camera “good”. And for me the C100 was definitely so great that there is no question which camera i am going to buy…

    1. Yes, it does timelapse. However, the ‘slow shutter’ isn’t as extreme as the EX1/PMW200, and the FS100/700 will do 1 frame per second using a 1 second exposure (if you have the ND to do it). But the C100 has a proper ‘interval’ timer.

  35. Oh heck. I’ll come late to the party with a thought or two. I own a 7D, kitted for video, an xf105 and xf305. I would *love* to add the C300 to my cameras, mainly for DOF interviews, but $15k is out of the question at this point. I do not shoot theatrical acting films yet, where I see the 300 fitting best, but it would fit into my workflow (cf cards, mxf footage, but adding shallow DOF). However, the specs on the C100 leave me baffled. The AVCHD and SD cards just don’t fit my workflow, and I would be very hard pressed to change over at this stage. For DOF, I think I would be more likely (and am seriously in the market) for a 5d Mark iii. 29 minute run times, eventually HDMI clean out, my lenses pretty much all work, CF cards all swap out between cameras, and, as Phil has pointed out on his great video review, the picture quality is much better than the 5D ii and the 7D. I’ve even occassionally simply rewrapped the footage in mxf just to make all the workflow match.

    I have no interest in changing over to Sony workflow, AVCHD and lens adapters just for Slo-mo, as much as I would like it in the C100. Interested to see if interval exists, but to be sure, I just would shoot it on my xf305.(the 305 quality is outstanding, but very eng in it’s DOF issues.). But in my work, I have no need for it (music vids, docs and interviews).

    Lastly, I sometimes need stills on my shoots, and having the 7D/5D to grab super high quality stills is something I just feel I can’t afford not to have in my toolkit. I don’t mind using a Zacuto on the back end of my 7D.

    So I’ll likely pass on spending $6k for the C100, though I would have to think I’m a target market for Canon. If it had mxf alone I would likely buy it over the 5D. I would bet we will see upgrades on the firmware come fast and furious. There is enough difference between an ENG camera like the 305 to not cannabilize it for mxf in the 100. I see a market for both from Canon in that price range.

    My asks for changes to the 100 (though I don’t expect to see them)… CF card model, and some kind of slo mo.

    Al (ex-student of P.B at the Seattle seminar. Was a great time!).

  36. I really hope you’ll receive one to review for us! I’ve been a 5DII user for over a year now. As much as I love the big sensor on it, I’m beginning to feel the negatives of it over time. HDMI monitor use is almost pointless with 480 out. ISO performance, compared to whats out there now, feels a tad poor. h264 compression internally, I dislike immensely. And lastly, the inherit softness from the 5d, even with Canon L lenses.

    I’ve been eyeing the c100 as a replacement (as I’m not a photographer, purely DP work). However, the biggest thing holding me back from it will be AVCHD compression, no 60p even at 720p, and the price tag. But I absolutely love everything else I see from it. Has the benefits of my 5DII as well as my AGHMC 150 I used before, put together (and then some).

    Given the backlash that the non 60p has had, would it be possible for them to include 60p before distribution at this point, or is it set in stone you think?

    1. Hello,

      i saw this camera on photokina in cologne and played a while with it. the EVF and LCD are not from the Canon C 300. Instead of this the EVF is similar to this from canon fx 100! just 0,24 ” with very low resolution (260.000 pixel). its not possible to work professionel with this. The LCD is worse, too. so you will need a zacuto-styled viewfinder and this makes the camera much more expensive and bigger.

      Best, Marc

  37. Long ago, I was a Canon XL2 owner, who then upgraded to Canon XLH1. When Canon released the XF300/XF305 Cameras, I was most disappointed because I was expecting a large sensor camera with interchangeable lenses… So I waited and waited in vain while most blogs and forums would almost swear having “classified” info from Canon, saying they would never go into the Large Sensor camcorder market, as it would compete directly with other camcorder brands which used their lenses. Other people would say that it would go against their DSLR marketing, etc…

    Apparently all this was a bunch of baloney… But I took it for granted and with grief, I left my loyalty to Canon behind, and pre-ordered 2 Panasonic AG-AF101, back in September 2010…. Along with Micro 4/3 lenses, and other gear.

    You can imagine my frustration when I learned about the release of the Canon EOS C300 in the market. I felt like cutting my wrists… Because if I hadn’t made that investment in my Pannies, I could now go for these Canon. The C300 was what I had dreamed about all the time, but now… Making that investment in the current economy was out of the question.

    Now I hear about the Canon EOS C100 and my hope of getting back to Canon is reborn!.. I felt very excited to have the same image quality of the C300, with certain amount of wistles and bells less… Right?… Wrong!..
    I mean, I don’t really understand the AVCHD with 24Mbps 8 bit 4:2:0!
    Canon seemed to be striving for codec compatibility between all their HD cameras, by using the same XF Codec Mpeg2 50Mbps 4:2:2. Even the lower end XF100 camcorder has that codec, and it costs under €3000. Why a €6000 camera with such an inferior codec?.. How will it behave in chromakey, compared to a simple XF100 camcorder?.. I know that using Compact Flash cards would make the camera more expensive but… I think everyone would rather pay €500 more and have the XF codec.
    Now… I wanted to have one C100 and two XF305… But this way I have a serious codec difference!

    The lack of SDI out isn’t such an issue. I mean, even my Panasonic AG-AF101 has it, but ok… Since they say the HDMI signal is as good as the HD-SDI, I’m happy.

    The lack of Slo Mo is also impossible to understand, unless they really want to push as many people to buy the C300 as possible, restricting the C100 market to a minimum.

    I find the new position of the LCD excellent… But a fixed EVF is not much of a wise choice, IMHO. It doesn’t move at all and it’s half the size of the C300.

    I really want to sell both my AG-AF101 and lenses, and move to these C100. But if I was to choose a couple of changes in the final release version of the C100, it would have to be the XF Codec and the Slo Mo!.. Is it possible to have the XF Codec in SDXC cards???…

  38. I am in awe of all camera’s and dslr’s out in the last year and one’s coming out right now. Everything is so advanced compared to 4 years ago it just comes down to a good DP and great “STORY”..but…that being said: I really dig the images im seeing from this C100 cam..slo mo or not..I would definatly rent it according to budget specs on a project…. Let’s face it…even a 7D “LIKE CRAZY” (movie) WON sundance and sold for 4M to paramount and looked acceptable. So really it comes down to what you’re going for. I prefer Canon Camera’s and L Lenses for what I do. The C300 is amazing too! I think I would rent that camera with a PL mount and Zeiss Super Primes for next bigger feature. But this C100 would make a great docu cam, 2nd cam on a feature or main camera on a tight budget feature. Right now I’m trying to figure out if I should purchase the new 6D vs the mkIII? LOL. PS. Phillip..I thought your “screen capture” photography from the C300 was unique and very cool. Would like to see more of it please.

  39. If this thread still alive? I hope so, because I don’t know where else to ask this question: What is the big deal about “Broadcast Quality?”

    I see awful quality video on broadcast all the time. News shows use Skype interviews, cell phone footage, low-res YouTube clips, almost anything goes, but then online film forums obsess over so-called “Broadcast Quality” as if it excludes a C100 from consideration!

    Wasn’t there even a movie at Cannes that was shot entirely on a cell phone?

    So, is “Broadcast Quality” even relevant to anyone? Is anyone really going to turn down good footage or stories because it was shot on a C100 and is not “Broadcast Quality?”

    What am I not understanding here?

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