This is Why Canon's C70 is Heading in the Right Direction
Canon has launched a truly impressive combination of features in a tiny body with the C70, paying off a decade of expectations.
![Canon Gives the C70 Yet Another Update, Making Sure No Filmmaker Gets Left Behind](https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/canon-gives-the-c70-yet-another-update-making-sure-no-filmmaker-gets-left-behind.jpg?id=34050769&width=1245&height=700&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1)
As someone old enough to remember the original launch of the Canon EOS Cinema line, the current announcement of the EOS C70 brings up a lot of nostalgia, but also some relief. Nostalgia because it feels like Canon is finally giving us what we were hoping for with the original C-line launch, and relief, because it's exciting to finally see the platform coming to more filmmakers' hands.
After falling in love with the 5D Mark II, we dreamed of a Canon camera that had that kind of imagery but was designed for working with a film set. That would include professional audio connectors, timecode, genlock for working multi-camera (or 3D), proper SDI monitoring, better dynamic range, more bit-depth, wider color gamuts, and a touch more resolution, 2K. At the time, it seemed obvious. Beef up the 5D or 7D body, adapt the sensor, and you would have a winner for independent filmmakers. Thus, when rumblings came out about the C-line, we were excited.
C70Credit: Canon
Gimbals came out and were able to stabilize cameras, we got used to rigging up quick car mounts or sticking cameras at the end of boom poles. Small became the name of a certain game that made working in tight spaces or doing wild things easier. The C70 feels like Canon finally figured out how to cram all that cinema goodness into a small body.
C70Credit: Canon
Those cameras are monster hits among independent creators. Why? Because they provide the connectors we want (USB-C direct recording, XLR, SDI) in a small body that can shoot RAW. I'm still that one weirdo who thinks the Blackmagic bodies are too wide (you need an adapter to fit the Ronin-S, for instance), but otherwise, you can't argue with the package Blackmagic put together. By focusing on making a video camera in a still-sized body (without worrying about stills features at all), Blackmagic has truly forced others to keep up. At least when it comes to a certain price point.
If Canon was smart enough to realize that back then, those sales could've been theirs if they had put together the right combination. Blackmagic had to prove themselves in the camera market, while Canon already had the market share and the brand loyalty. They just didn't offer the right product to compete with what Blackmagic had to offer. While it's a bit late, Canon still has a shot at getting some of that market because of one key feature they have going for them that Blackmagic and RED are still trying to overcome: autofocus.
C70Credit: Canon
Most autofocus systems work best when using matching bodies and glass, and Canon has its own highly-evolved autofocus system working between its bodies and lenses. Blackmagic and RED don't make their own lens yet—though RED used to rehouse Sigma lenses as RED primes, they were never super popular—which leaves them out of the running. While Panasonic isn't a lens powerhouse, some options are pretty exciting, especially when Sigma lenses L-mount lenses are paired with the Panasonic S1H. This leaves the market largely open to Sony and Canon. While Sony has the a7S III priced around $3,500, you need a whole host of adapters to make it workable on a production set. The C70 seems to work straight out of the box.
C70Credit: Canon
One small thing to point out is the naming. The C70 somewhat implies that we might see a C50/C30/C20 following the C700/C500/C300 logic. But that might all depend on how good the response is to the C70. It might just be too late.
Canon EOS C70 Cinema Camera
- Super 35 Dual Gain Output (DGO) Sensor
- 4K 120p and 2K CROP 180p
- 16+ Stops of Total Dynamic Range
- DIGIC DV 7 Image Processor
- Canon Log 2, 3, PQ, HLG Recording
- RF Mount
- 2x Built-in Mini-XLRs, Time Code Terminal, Built-in ND Filter
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF, EOS iTR AF X, Dual Pixel Focus Guide
- Electronic Image Stabilization with Combination IS
- Dual SD Card Slots with Various Recording Options
What are your thoughts on the C70? Let us know in the comments below.