C300: C300 Mk III Coming Soon

[Andy Turner]

I just want a c100 m3 with the same specs as the sony fs5 but with the canon colors...for 5000usd

I second that. I really wanted to love the FS5 but the low light and colors of the Canon beg me to wait. I have a c100 and purchased the mark II recently instead of the FS5 but I see this as a stop gap move until the mark III or c200 comes out. I really hope they can include the SDI connection on there as well. I occasionally use my C100 for live events and would really like to have better connectivity to a mixer.

 

[Josh Bass]

you can get an hdmi-sdi converter...would that not work?

another poster in this thread speculated a c100m3 would be priced quite a bit higher than $5000

 

[Andy Turner]

you can get an hdmi-sdi converter...would that not work?

another poster in this thread speculated a c100m3 would be priced quite a bit higher than $5000

HDMI is finicky with mixers sometimes and I desire the more robust connection that can't be accidentally removed. I would expect a mark III to be around $6000-$6500 but I would love it if it was $5000

 

[DLD]

Im not sure if anyone else would consider the z150 as a "high end" it's an nx100 with 4K. A low end camera.

Z150 is the high end for the consumer run-and-gun tier, which is probably what C200/100III will end up being. S35 sensor, 100 Mbps 4K (analogous to XAVC L), XLR, maybe electronic ND filters. 4K with the 305 Mbps XF is likely to remain with the C300 MKII.

 

[Josh Bass]

You're saying even HDMI converted to SDI is finicky? I didn't know that. That kinda blows. I do those kind of gigs too every now and then. I was counting on a black magic box or similar making it all work out on those occasions.

 

[EIREHotspur]

It is a long held view that Canon are stubborn and not driven by what Sony does.....if they were they would at least have the relase cycle a lot closer than it is.

Being stubborn is one thing.......being Stupid is quiet another so I got to believe if they don't want to bleed more hard core people over to the FS5 from their C100 range then they have to get a C100 III out as soon as possible....

 

[Eric Coughlin]

Quick product cycles are bad for business. It means your camera becomes outdated quicker meaning you need to buy a new camera more often, which costs money, and makes it more difficult to get a return on your investment.

Buying a C300 Mark II I know I have about three years to make a (sizable) profit off of it since three years is Canon's typical product cycle, which should be plenty of time. If I had to make a profit off of it in a one year cycle such as the product cycle of Black Magic Cameras and or a year or two for Sony cameras, that would make it more difficult to justify buying from a profit standpoint. Thus, Sony's quick product cycles are harder to make a profit off of the investment before it becomes outdated, even though they are generally cheaper cameras than Canon in the short run.

 

[EIREHotspur]

Yes I get you....but we are soon reaching the point where features they can offer isn't going to make that much difference.....a lot of C100 shoot straight to Youtube...so who is actually going to use 4K as it is meant to be used?

I have just read a CR2 on CR that there will be a 5D4 4K version...which I think means the next C100 will have to shoot 4K too...

 

[jcs]

Viewing habits are changing- YouTube (and Vimeo etc.) are currently the best place to watch 4K content (not much 4K Netflix etc.). 4K monitors are now very affordable ($600 for the Dell P2715Q is a nice deal for 4K and decent color, and $1349 for their top of the line 'Premiere Color' UP3216Q monitor (the 3214Q was a dud; avoid it new or used)). Watching 4K on a monitor is really the best way to appreciate 4K material, as most people sit too far away from a 4K TV to see much if any difference vs. 1080. Even when delivering 1080, 4K is useful for crop-in (or zooming in post) as well as stabilization (provided you didn't shoot the subject too tightly! ).

 

[Josh Bass]

We're forgetting that just cause a new cam with better specs comes out doesn't mean clients care or want those better specs. Some do, sure, but some maybe happy with HD for years to come. So product cycle is inequal to actual camera obsolescence. Or i should say just 'cause a cam is "obsolete" doesn't mean it isn't useful or profitable. All down to client base.

 

[DLD]

Quick product cycles are bad for business...

This sort of depends on whether you're pre-plateau or post-plateau. Let's say Manufacturer A releases a 4K/HDR/HFPS/Compressed Raw camera before everyone else. He can wait until other catch up (sometimes) to offer a significant improvement from his next model. Let's say you're Manufacturer B fighting for the same market niche. If the 4K/HDR/HFPS plateau has been hit already, it behooves you not to wait because you then risk being considered a company not interested in offering the latest tech and all the associated implications coming off that.

To use an auto analogy - let's say there are three compacts in the $18,000 range - Corolla, Focus and Civic. Focus and Civic release their new models with ~ 160-175 HP engines. Corolla's still 140. Horsepower, obviously, isn't the only variable involved in making a car purchase but most buyers still prefer more to less (more powerful engine, more pixels, higher frame rate or dynamic range, faster codec, etc). If Corolla doesn't have a more powerful engine, it'll have to lower its price or face dire consequences. Car manufacturers live in a far more competitive world than the camera cartel and this is one of the reasons many finest names of the yesteryear are no longer around while other brands have almost miraculous resurrections. But even major photo-video players of today have no guarantees for tomorrow.

 

[indiawilds]

It is a long held view that Canon are stubborn and not driven by what Sony does.....if they were they would at least have the relase cycle a lot closer than it is.

Being stubborn is one thing.......being Stupid is quiet another so I got to believe if they don't want to bleed more hard core people over to the FS5 from their C100 range then they have to get a C100 III out as soon as possible....

Canon executives say that the existing product life cycles help make the people recover their investment and make money. They don't agree with the Sony method of obsoleting their product next year by launching a new one. Personally I believe in this. Producers often ask me if the camera I am using is the latest and I say yes. If I would have been using Sony then the answer would have been no. Ofcourse international broadcasters don't ask that way. They just ask me which camera I am using and see if it is in the approved list.

I am happy that the price of Canon is not rockbottom else new college kids would have picked up the camera and offering their service for free the way they are doing with the 5D

 

[Chiskon]

Way too early for a C100 Mk III and any specs for a c300 MKIII would better fit a C500 MKII. I'm thinking C500 MKII with 6k and then 4k HFR.
Maybe they'll make a C200 to cover entry level 4k specs.

 

[FrameFarmMedia]

Canon executives say that the existing product life cycles help make the people recover their investment and make money. They don't agree with the Sony method of obsoleting their product next year by launching a new one.

Launching a new product doesn't make the old one obsolete unless the old one doesn't offer something considered essential on new models.

The Sony F5 has already been out for 2 years. The Sony Fs7 has already been out for over a year. Both of these products offer more capabilities in 4K recording than the C300II. Please explain how the Sony F camera owners will not be able to recover their investment and make money? Most FS7/F5 owners have made their money back before Canon was even able to offer a comparable product. If your worried about new models making other obsolete I'd worry about a company launching cameras lacking in established features for the price bracket (4k60p). Lack of client demanded features make cameras obsolete not newer models.

 

[alohype]

Exactly! Lack of 4K60fps is a main flop with C300II in my opinion and the very reason people switched to fs7. If not 4K60fps they could at least match or go beyond fs7 in full hd high frame rates.

 

[DLD]

F5 and F55 were announced in October, 2012, which should mean an update in 2016-17. Sony's, at least, offering huge discounts on F5 to bring it closer to C300 MKII. FS7, to state the obvious, has been a runaway bestseller. C300 MKII seems to be selling well also.

 

[alohype]

One more thing, Sony is doing the VERY good job with F5/55 (to a certain extent with FS7 - last 3.0 firmware). Giving substantial firmware and hardware upgrades. Compare that to C500 - few small upgrades and now it's completely forgotten.

 

[indiawilds]

Launching a new product doesn't make the old one obsolete unless the old one doesn't offer something considered essential on new models.

The Sony F5 has already been out for 2 years. The Sony Fs7 has already been out for over a year. Both of these products offer more capabilities in 4K recording than the C300II. Please explain how the Sony F camera owners will not be able to recover their investment and make money? Most FS7/F5 owners have made their money back before Canon was even able to offer a comparable product. If your worried about new models making other obsolete I'd worry about a company launching cameras lacking in established features for the price bracket (4k60p). Lack of client demanded features make cameras obsolete not newer models.

The obsolete word may have been inappropriate in the strict sense as we continue to use our cameras even after a new one has been launched. I still use my C300 Mark I even though the Mark II is in the market. Having said that, the demand for the older camera goes down, way down. A careful reading of my previous post would reveal that I had said producers often ask for new models. And if you dont have the current one then you are not in the game (atleast for some productions). So obviously your camera in that sense is "obsolete". And you have mentioned that in your response when you wrote "Lack of client demanded features make cameras obsolete not newer models".

The resale value of the older camera goes down very fast when a new model has been launched. Even though the camera works fine, people expect that we have to sell the camera at a massive low price at times even lower than 50%.

PS: selectively quoting to prove someone wrong can often lead to unnecessary arguments which doesn't add value to a discussion.

 

[KenFTW]

The obsolete word may have been inappropriate in the strict sense as we continue to use our cameras even after a new one has been launched. I still use my C300 Mark I even though the Mark II is in the market. Having said that, the demand for the older camera goes down, way down. A careful reading of my previous post would reveal that I had said producers often ask for new models. And if you dont have the current one then you are not in the game (atleast for some productions). So obviously your camera in that sense is "obsolete". And you have mentioned that in your response when you wrote "Lack of client demanded features make cameras obsolete not newer models".

The resale value of the older camera goes down very fast when a new model has been launched. Even though the camera works fine, people expect that we have to sell the camera at a massive low price at times even lower than 50%.

PS: selectively quoting to prove someone wrong can often lead to unnecessary arguments which doesn't add value to a discussion.

I love banter... you win this round.

 

[coutard]

Way too early for a C100 Mk III and any specs for a c300 MKIII would better fit a C500 MKII. I'm thinking C500 MKII with 6k and then 4k HFR.
Maybe they'll make a C200 to cover entry level 4k specs.

c100 was out in summer 2012
c100 mkII late 2014
so an announcement for c100 mkIII late 2016 seems quite in time to me.