Canon has dropped its bomb -- the EOS-1D C . The world's first 4K video shooting DSLR. Equipped with a full-frame 24mm X 36mm CMOS sensor that offers an APS-H sized area for video capture, and recording 8-bit 4:2:2 Motion JPEG 4K video to CF cards at 24fps, this camera packs a punch. Both in terms of its features -- and the $15,000 price tag:
On the one hand, this is incredible news -- who would have thought a year ago that we'd be discussing a DSLR camera with an ISO range up to 25,600 that could output 4K (4096 X 2160-pixel) video? And to CF cards no less? The camera can do a couple of other neat things, like record Full HD (1920 X 1080-pixel) at the full sensor width or cropped down to Super 35; and of course, it can shoot great stills just like its brother, the EOS-1D X.
On the other hand -- this is a $15,000 camera. For $15,000, we are throwing out the cost advantages of DSLRs vs dedicated video cameras, and are now speaking strictly in terms of what kind of video features it offers. At $15,000 dollars you expect XLR inputs and more than an HDMI output, and frankly, with other cameras like the RED Scarlet and the FS700 right in that price range (with accessories), this camera is going to have to go through the paces to prove it's a tool that high end video shooters want to invest in.
At the same time, it's a DSLR. It still offers the advantages of a small form factor, and a shooting flexibility that many other cameras don't -- and as many filmmakers have found out, that can be quite a liberating feature.
For those of us who were hoping for something as disruptive as the Canon 5DmkII, well, it's looking like we'll have to wait for the next round of innovation to provide us lower budget options.
For more details, check out the full press release here, and for images of the camera, just keep on scrolling.
Is this the 4K DSLR you were hoping for? Will this cannibalize the C-300? If you had $15k what camera would you buy and why?
[via EOSHD]
