We all knew it was coming at some point -- a Canon EOS Cinema camera under $10,000. Today Canon announced the C100, the cheaper sibling of the C300 (a lot cheaper at half the price). While it looks like this camera should be able to go head to head with the FS700 (considering the price), it's actually an FS100 for $3,000 more and with a less compatible mount. Either way it's just another option for filmmakers to consider when choosing their next camera. Check out the specs and analysis below.
Here are some basic specs at a glance (thanks to Sebastian at cinema5D for reporting):
- Super 35mm Sensor - EF/EF-S Mount Only
- 85% the Size of the C300
- EVF and 3.5 Inch LCD
- ND Filters
- Dual SD Card Slots
- ISO range of from 320 to 20,000
- 24p/25p/30p/50i/60i
- 4:2:0 MPEG-4 AVC/H.264: max of 24mbps
- Wide DR Gamma and Canon Log Gamma modes
- Uncompressed HDMI (probably 8-bit 4:2:2) with a locking mechanism
- Price $8,000
- Availability: November 30, 2012
There was no question that Canon was working on this camera, but the announcement came out of nowhere (at least for me, though I doubt I have any friends at Canon). While it's exciting that Canon is finally introducing the camera that many have been asking for, I'm sure they weren't looking for it at this price. Sony has continually beat Canon to the punch with models and features, and at $8,000, it would be extremely hard for me to recommend this camera over the FS700, which we know will be receiving an upgrade to 4K (price TBD).
While it would have upset quite a few people, this camera should really have been the C300. Canon has a more costly camera at every price point than Sony, and for the same money you can get a camera that does 240fps at 1080 -- instead of 60i at 1080. I think Canon is gambling on users buying or using this camera strictly for the white name etched into the front. There won't be any PL mount lenses on this camera, as Canon is only introducing an EF mount version.
Canon missed a perfect opportunity to introduce this camera at the same price point as the FS100, except with ND filters. They also missed out on putting their mirrorless mount on this camera. Maybe this is because Canon understands many people don't want to deal with adapters, but Sony's cameras have been extremely popular at the lower end specifically because of the ability to adapt almost any lens imaginable.
There's no question this camera will fly off the shelves just like the C300 did, but when I can get RAW and ProRes/DNxHD for $3,000, is paying another $5,000 for ND filters, a bigger sensor, and a little more light sensitivity really that enticing? At least not for me personally, but I'm sure this camera will perform admirably since it probably shares a similar, if not the same sensor as the C300.
I would expect pre-orders to begin soon, as the camera is already listed on B&H with a release date. Click on the images at the bottom for some wallpaper-sized views of the C100.
What do you guys think? Is this a camera that you would buy? If not, would it be more enticing if it was priced closer to the Sony FS100?
Links:
[via cinema5D]
'The Matrix'