Comments on: Is the Canon C100 Currently the Best Fully-Featured Budget Filmmaking Camera?

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:36:24 +0000

The C100 paired with a Ninja 2 is a killer combination for a great price. It cannot be compared to a 5DMKIII…

By: Patrick M

Patrick M — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:27:24 +0000

I would love to see a comparison between the Nikon D800 with the Canon C100 with an external recorder for both. I love the look of the Canon C100 but the Nikon D800 is definitely better than the Canon 5Dm3. I wonder how much of a difference there is in the dynamic range and resolution. I can’t find any videos on the internet comparing the two. From looking at Sekonic dynamic range profiles, it seems the two cameras are evenly matched (but I have to see practical tests to verify that).

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By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:01:28 +0000

Does the C100 + Atomos Ninja 2 record a 10-bit image? Only the images recorded internally get downgraded to 8-bit. This means the signal (via HDMI) comes directly from the chip, right?

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:10:24 +0000

I have the BMCC (after waiting a year for it) and I do love it…. the image quality is far superior to my c100 with a Ninja attached. Being able to drop an SSD drive from the BMCC into my computer’s SSD port and grade immediately in DaVinci is huge. That said, by no means is the BMCC a 3K camera. First off you need, at minimum, an $8K workstation (like an HP Z820 b/c even a top end Mac Pro tricked out by OWC won’t cut it. I tried to stay with Mac but ended up having to go with the worst OS in the world…but PC’s have the power to render RAW in real time). You also need a massive amount of storage to even be able to handle the RAW footage you’ll quickly accumulate. My 20 TB external chassis is filling up fast. Add $2K there for the chassis. So we’re at $10K now just for the computer(haven’t even included dual monitors: 2K each likely for a decent one). Then, to get the BMCC itself camera up to snuff for serious filmmaking, you need a battery, variable ND filter, mattebox (optional but I’d get one) pre-amp with dual XLRs, an HD monitor with SDI inputs that has built-in focus peakin, audio monitoring etc…(perhaps they will add this to the BMCC camera in a future update), lots of external 480GB+ SSDs ($500+ each) a thunderbolt to firewire adapter if you don’t have thunderbolt on your computer, a rig or camera cage of some sort, follow focus is really needed for this camera etc…(if you use strictly manual lenses or have the MFT model, you will have to spend even more on your rig). And if you’re serious about making films with this camera, you have to drop at least a grand on a decent pre-amp(don’t buy juicedLink despite the hype)…sound is paramount and the last place to skimp. Skimp on the lenses before you skimp on audio. You need a great mic/many greats mics if you don’t have any(3K at least if you take sound seriously) ..but that goes for any camera so I won’t include that. You’re going to end up paying for books and tutorials on the BMCC as well. The list of gear required to pimp out your BMCC is endless. For some, this is fun and what they love to do. For others, this will be a nightmare. A Sony FS700 with everything basically included already will make much more sense. Bare minimum, to make the BMCC worth your while, will run you 3K + 1.5K for a decent monitor + 1K for a preamp + 500 for battery pack, connectors and variable ND + 1K for 2x 480GB SSD(you need at least two b/c these things, amazingly, die on you = around 7K just to get going. But don’t forget that the entire point of this camera is the ridiculous dynamic range(no need to worry about white balance with this thing), a 2K workflow, and DaVinci Resolve($1000 you’re paying right there so I hope you plan on using it). Do you have a computer with multiple GPUs and 12 -16 core processing that can even use DaVinci? If not, you’re going to need to drop another $10K on a supercomputer. Check the Blackmagic website. They tell you exactly what you need to run a 2K workflow on DaVinci. $8K was the cheapest I could find without having to build my own computer. So, in reality, the BMCC is a $17K camera(haven’t even talked about lenses) if you’re serous about filmmaking and taking advantage of what this camera can offer. If you can afford all that, this camera will blow anything out there away…including RED. The footage I’m getting reminds me of what you get from an Arri Alexa. I’m not using super expensive lenses either. All my lenses are $1K and you’d be hardpressed to noticed much difference between them and Brawley’s $20K lenses. But what’s the point of being able shoot Arri quality footage if you don’t have a machine that can handle it. Something worth thinking about before buying the BMCC. Like the RED cameras, you’re really just getting a brain. Albeit, this brain is a lot cheaper and I actually think the footage i’m getting is better(or at least more cinematic-looking thanks to massive dynamic range and Resolve) which is strange b/c the sensor is so small. But don’t expect to shoot with this camera and for your footage to like cinema-like straight out of tube. It will look flat and dull. Hence, why you need to be able to grade in Resolve. I’d go with the C100 and even the new AF100A which is 10bit 4:2:2(and only 3300 I think) if you’re computer is weak and you don’t need 2K+ workflow. They don’t talk about this part of camera. All I know is that it’s not 3K when used as intended to be used.

By: Jackson

Jackson — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:59:16 +0000

Does it solve rolling shutter issue though, as per original comment? Does sensor overheat?

By: Is the Canon C100 Currently the Best Fully-Featured Budget Filmmaking Camera? By Joe Marine (5 videos) « jaymagdotme

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:53:04 +0000

[...] on nofilmschool.com Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Mi piaceBe the first to like this. Categorie Senza [...]

By: Is the Canon C100 Currently the Best Fully-Featured Budget Filmmaking Camera? By Joe Marine (5 videos) | JAY! style | Scoop.it

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:51:23 +0000

[...] Posted by Joe Marine on December 24, 2012 • "The Canon C100 is an interesting addition to the Cinema EOS line. Available for about a month now, the camera spec-wise falls right in line with the Sony FS100, except it has ND filters and isn’t capable of anything higher than 30fps. It’s designed to be a budget camera from Canon — as it’s basically a shrunken C300with a different internal codec — but it’s more than twice as expensive as the nearest somewhat-affordable and high-quality DSLRs, the Canon 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800. Many have now gotten their hands on one, so let’s take a look at some of the results, and check out some more real-world footage examples."… NoFilmSchool.com [...]

By: Is the Canon C100 Currently the Best Fully-Featured Budget Filmmaking Camera? By Joe Marine (5 videos) | Digital Cinema Tools | Scoop.it

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:57:15 +0000

By: Jacques E. Bouchard

Jacques E. Bouchard — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:15:12 +0000

That is an excellent point. I only buy/keep the equipment that allows me to go out and shoot at a moment’s notice, or to produce my pet projects with little to no money. Everything else I either rent or hire with the operator and work into the budget. It’s just not economically feasible to try and buy every toy, not unless you won the lottery or married into money.

By: Jacques E. Bouchard

Jacques E. Bouchard — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:06:26 +0000

Yes, we’re all blubbering masses of gratitude. But I think you’re confusing “limited budget” with “stinginess”. Doesn’t matter how inexpensive a camera is if you can’t afford to buy it. Most of us aren’t dedicated cameramen, we also have to purchase – and upgrade! – other production equipment (sound, lightning, studio accessories, backdrops, computer, software, etc.). So if we’re spending $10k on equipment in a year, it can’t all be on a camera.

By: Is Canon Producing a Truly Budget Cinema EOS Camera in a 7D Sized Body? - NoFilmSchool

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 03:23:40 +0000

[...] can hold up on the big screen from Canon, there currently aren’t any options under $6,500. While I think the Canon C100 is actually a better deal than one might think at first glance, it’s still well above the [...]

By: Augusto Alves da SIlva

Augusto Alves da SIlva — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:38:30 +0000

I think most people are either new to the business or have lapses of memory… ;-) A few years ago a Sony Betacam SP camera recorder(BVV-5) cost over 10k….a Sony D-30 (camera head) was easily with a fujinon budget zoom lens at least 25k. Now we have a full HD camera that records digital files (no tape) and people think 6.5k is not budget??? A Sony Digibeta recorder/player still used in broadcast standards all over the world was priced at 50k a few years ago!!! Come on guys is your work cheap? I am sorry but mine isn´t…I make good money but it is Canon, Sony, Panasonic etc…that supply us with the tools. A balance is required, I know manufacturers could give us the perfect camera today but in reality they have been funding their own R&D due to the fact we now can make better quality movies than ever before with a 1k photo camera….Is this not enough? People comparing film dynamic range with 10k cameras? If the market was like this 25 years ago when I started I would have already fulfilled almost all my professional/artistic dreams. Please be grateful and enjoy what is given to you in these exciting times.

By: Is the Canon C100 Currently the Best Fully-Featured Budget Filmmaking Camera? | FilmMaking Hub | Scoop.it

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:10:04 +0000

[...] The Canon C100 is an interesting addition to the Cinema EOS line. Available for about a month now, the camera spec-wise falls right in line with the Sony FS100, except it has ND filters and isn’t capable of anything higher than 30fps. It’s designed to be a budget camera from Canon — as it’s basically a shrunkenC300 with a different internal codec — but it’s more than twice as expensive as the nearest somewhat-affordable and high-quality DSLRs, the Canon 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800. Many have now gotten their hands on one, so let’s take a look at some of the results, and check out some more real-world footage examples. [...]

By: Robin Schmidt

Robin Schmidt — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:17:13 +0000

You’re lucky you don’t shoot music videos, slow mo is our ‘trump’ card! Frank Glencairn’s G Log Ultimate pic profile really makes the fs100 sing and it’s really brought that camera on in terms of delivering a nice image. I’ll post a link to the music vid we just shot, fs700 side by side with 100, the 700 looks horrible in comparison, but the 100 was awesome. Go figure.

By: Paper_bag

Paper_bag — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 06:39:04 +0000

I think the basic answer to Joe’s question is “Yes”. Lots of qualifications to add, but, for features, it produces a nicer image, slowmo aside, than the FS700 and is far more practical than the BMC. Most people are heavily invested in EF glass, so that just makes the choice easier.

But Joe’s grudging tone through the article is also deserved. Everyone knows that this is a camera that will date fast. 8-bit, unwonderful codec, outmatched in resolution and DR by BMC, etc. Yes, there’s always something better 6 months or 12 months down the track, but some cameras are more future proof than others.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 04:08:34 +0000

Your external battery for the BMCC will be just as big and weighty and clumsy as the Ninja, but won’t double as a peaking monitor for the focus puller etc. And you’ll only be able to work briefly without it, while the Ninja records on its own power for a good six hours without being touched.

The first-gen BMCC will be obsolete and off the market long before the C100 is even taken down from the store windows. The C100 will still be the grab & go cam of choice for at least two years while a year from now BMD will either have a new product line or be out of the camera biz.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 23:40:53 +0000

I ran tests on cinelock with custom white balance. Yes subjectively it may look a bit green, but I checked on my scopes with saturation full up and middle gray is dead on the money.

I made a custom picture from CINEMA to play with so thanks for nudging me toward that, but I think in grab & go situations I’m still going to use cinelock because even if you think it’s off a touch, it’s going to be consistently off every shoot and you can have a standard treatment in place that’s going to be just as good as doing it in-camera in practice (because the difference is so small). And as that article points out the skin tones are always good on the Canons which is what matters most.

I haven’t played with sharpness control yet. I haven’t felt a need for sharpening in post, nor am I seeing haloing. This camera is so detailed already compared to DSLRs I’m still getting used to it…it can be very unforgiving to talent compared to a 5D3. There is a lot of latitude for exposure so if you want more shadow detail or highlight detail go ahead and expose accordingly. You can compensate with the LCD brightness setting for comfort.

I’ve been trying to rescue the use of my 5D3 with Cinestyle…I’ll update with what I find works if anything. That you need to underexpose fairly dramatically to get highlights out…it’s going to be a tradeoff. A C100 in cinelock with custom white balance and exposed to taste in View Assist wont provide quite as much latitude as RAW but I think it will be all I need without regrets.

Situations where I shoot with the camera completely mis-set you could argue that RAW would save the footage, but if I’m in such a situation most likely the camera won’t be set to RAW capture anyway when I grab it. Use green rectangle on a DSLR or an iPhone if you’re in that much of an emergency shoot. All the shots I’m going to do in practice I can custom white balance with one button and dial in a decent exposure (also with the one auto-iris button if all else fails, or one knob on a manual iris lens). So I don’t miss RAW nor do my hard drives.

By: Kholi

Kholi — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 22:02:18 +0000

Sometimes the mystery is much better… I actually thought at one point he might have been a genius filmmaker and a super troll, which is hard to fight.

=T Looks like everyone can really ignore him now. Sucks.

By: Raphael Wood

Raphael Wood — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 21:01:14 +0000

Think of it this way Kholi, before we merely though he was a fool, now he has removed all doubt.