C300: C300 must haves.

iijohnkeatingii

iijohnkeatingii

Member
I'm getting ready to buy a c300. I am looking for the items that I absolutely can't or shouldn't go without. I realize this can be subjective but I need somewhere to start.

Edit: What I am interested in knowing are the things that you have purchased in addition to the c300 body that you consider to be an item you cant go without. Thanks for the great leads already.



John
 
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Depends on the type of shooting you're gonna be doing. I've shot with it striped down 'bare' up to 'looks like it's on a film set'. I wanted to be able to shoot with mine as close to an ENG camera as possible, so I went with the Redrock Ultracage and other accessories to get as close as I can when I need it like that. Unfortunately, it weighs at least as much as one of my ENG cameras(20-25lbs+) when it's decked out like one. If you want a S35 cam that can function almost "naked" and be very lightweight and inconspicuous, the C300 is it. If you want something that you can put on your shoulder, it sucks. The F5/55 wins that one hands down.

Redrock Ultracage Studio Black
Anton Bauer battery mount to power C300 and accessories
Alphatron EVF
Solid Camera mount for VF
Tilta BS-T03 shoulder mount
Arri Grip Relocator
Element Technica 15mm rail bridge w/Arri rosettes

I also have a manual Arri FF, the Redrock micro remote FF, and a set of the Canon cine primes.

Out of all of that, I would say that some type of cage system is the only "must have", because it's the only way that you can put accessories on and build around the camera.
 
Run&Gun said:
Redrock Ultracage Studio Black
Anton Bauer battery mount to power C300 and accessories
Alphatron EVF
Solid Camera mount for VF
Tilta BS-T03 shoulder mount
Arri Grip Relocator
Element Technica 15mm rail bridge w/Arri rosettes
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R&G, how do you like the Alphatron, would you get it again? And the Solid mount?
 
I have the Tilta C300 cage & dovetail shoulder mount. I find it much easier to swap from one to another. Love it.
Battery mount not really necessary. Get the BP-975 batteries. Last 250+ minutes. I have 2 of them plus a BP-955. Lasts all day.

:eek: The Arri Grip Relocator (Arri HGA-1 Handgrip Adapter) has a rosette mount?! OMG. I've been looking for one with rosettes for ever. Everything I've seen is either a 15mm lw rod clap or some other weird attachment for zacuto accessories.
But its expensive. I totally want this for my Tilta shoulder mount. But thinking about it, kinda a pain if switching from shoulder to tripod. Ugh.
 
I run my C300 without a rig 90% of the time but if I do need handheld I use my Zacuto Recoil. Review in this link. This rig is the best I have ever used and it goes from shoulder to tripod in seconds by just removing the shoulder pad. A must is a quick release system that works with all your support. The Kessler Quick Release is perfect. Zacuto also has a dovetail system that is compatible with Kessler's. I use the Zacuto camera plate with Kessler QR clamps. The Tornado and Z-Drive combo are brilliant. Take the Tornado off when on sticks and you have a very good follow focus with no backlash. You don't have to buy the whole rig if you feel it's to much but the baseplate and Z-Drive is a good start then work your way into a shoulder rig if you need one. The Axis is also very useful on sticks with an EVF since moving it is so simple and the horizon stays nice and straight.

An external monitor is also something can't live without. My SmallHD DP6 was great but it died and I need to send it in for repair. Not sure how much it's going to cost to fix, but i miss having it. The LCD on the C300 is very good however it is on top of the camera and even flipped down it seems a little far away for it's size.

USB3 card reader. If you have USB3 get a new card reader. The C300 files are big and a full card can take over 45 minutes to copy over with USB2. It took 15MIN with USB 3.
 
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Yes, I like the Alphatron and Solid Camera mount system. It's about as close to an "ENG" VF system as you're going to get since Canon doesn't make a native ENG VF for the Cxxx series. The image is't quite as good as my Panny CVF15G or the Sony's, but it is nice, large and has lot's of built-in features(color peaking, B&W, waveform, etc.). And it has SDI and HDMI IN & OUT.

Also, the reason I went with the Tilta BS-T03 is because it basically turns the bottom of the camera into the bottom of an ENG camera which means shoulder mount AND it works on Sony (VCT type) tripod plates, which for me was a non-negotiable MUST HAVE. I didn't want to have to take off or put on anything when going from shoulder to tripod. I've spent my entire career shooting with ENG bodies and that's how they work and that's how I wanted to continue to work.

The Zacuto grip relocators are not ideal and not cheap. The Arri isn't cheap either, but is much more adjustable, at least for the way that I wanted to mount the grip. You can basically rotate/position it on the rosette side 360 degrees(actually whatever the rosette indentions are) and then the same on the grip side. And then in conjunction with the 15mm bridge move it fore and aft, you can put it almost anywhere you want it.
 
A simple, inexpensive item that can make a big difference (especially if you don't go with an external viewfinder, something I haven't felt the need for) is a hood for the LCD: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/937222-REG/hoodman_hc300_hd_hood_for_canon.html

Also, make sure you buy CF cards that have been tested and verified to work with the C300 in all shooting modes (basically just go with SanDisk Extremes, or something brand new and fast...). See: http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/misc/cinemaEOS_faq.shtml - section on CF cards.

I'm using a Zacuto stinger rig - wouldn't recommend it particularly, but it does the job and is very solid. Doesn't see a lot of use though, handholding the camera with a taut shoulder strap is fine 90% of the time.

Was this also a plea for lens suggestions? I'm guessing you're going for an EF mount... Depends on what you are going to be shooting, but you are probably going to be needing a good allrounder for run-and-gun. Most people pick the canon 24-105 f4, probably your most versatile option (the new Sigma probably also a good choice if you want this range). Good as they are, I can't recommend a 24-70 f2.8, as the IS is just too good not to have (unless you go with a third-party lens). Personally I went with the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 EF-S - despite somewhat shoddy construction it has beautiful optics and I find that wide end very valuable - most of the time you can move closer to your subject, but you can't back up through a wall... ( I balance it out with a 70-200mm).

If you go with a f2.8 zoom, the internal NDs on the C300 are not quite strong enough to give you free range of f-stop on a sunny day. Personally I just keep a circular polariser on my 17-55mm almost all of the time during daytime, giving me an extra stop of ND, which is just about enough to go full-bokeh if I want + I love the polariser look, though that obviously comes down to aesthetic preference. The highlight rendering on the C300 isn't all that exceptional, but a polariser can really take that video-ish edge off, so for me a poli is an indispensable item.
 
DDirector said:
Battery mount not really necessary. Get the BP-975 batteries. Last 250+ minutes. I have 2 of them plus a BP-955. Lasts all day.
Click to expand...

A external battery is the better way to go if you have onboard accessories that require additional power. Plus it can add valuable counterweight to the rear of the camera for better handheld balance.
 
The only must have is the 24-105/4L.
Then there are a lot of nice options :-)

I recommend the Redrock Ultracage also.
 
CharlesPapert said:
A external battery is the better way to go if you have onboard accessories that require additional power. Plus it can add valuable counterweight to the rear of the camera for better handheld balance.
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This is so true! ... and it speeds up battery changes because you are only changing one battery for everything.
 
Well, lenses are such a vast subject. To begin with, your choice should take note of three things:

1. What will you be shooting (advertisements, interviews, nature, animals, produced narrative, unlit actuality, tone-poems, etc. ).
2. How will you be shooting it (Working fast, working slow, on your own, skeleton crew, full crew, what lighting equipment do you have, etc.).
3. Budget (there really is no upper limit...).

An attempt to answer these might make our suggestions a lot more meaningful.
 
A simple LCD hood, a strap, some batteries, lenses, and cards. This camera's biggest strength is being small, mobile, and reasonably self-contained.
 
You really should just use the camera for about a month and get used to it and find the limitations for how and what you shoot. Lenses with images
stabilization are always a good idea if you intend to shoot handheld. The 24-105 is a great first lens.
 
Erik Naso said:
You really should just use the camera for about a month and get used to it
stabilization are always a good idea if you intend to shoot handheld. The 24-105 is a great first lens.
Click to expand...

+1. Tempting though it is to buy lots of "stuff", these cameras are really quite sorted, out of the box. I've gone round the bay with rigs and EVFs etc and now just use a £20 Manfrotto hard plastic shoulder brace - well made, tough, adjustable with a brass quick-release spigot: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-361-Shoulder-Brace-Monopod/dp/B001AZQNNW

There are times when I tell myself an external monitor might have mitigated me missing a stray lav mic cable or hair that needs a comb - but it's more to store, carry and power etc. So, I always come back to the vanilla kit as the best compromise for my kind of work. It never feels as sorted as a proper ENG camera - but it's a fraction of the cost.

The only reason I didn't go for the 17-55, rather than the 24-105, is that I wanted lenses that work on a 5DIII for stills (ie not an APS-C lens.) However, in hindsight, I think a 17-55 is a probably a better combination with the 70-200 (2.8 my preference) for the C Cameras. I owned one a couple of years back with a 60D and it worked very well. That would have saved me carrying an additional Tokina 11-16 (only really used at 16mm) and Canon 16-35, which I barely use. It's a tough one, as the 24-105 also has that extra reach, making it a useful - if slow - all rounder.

The longer you hold off, the more you'll save... although I think I've just talked myself into buying another 17-55. Doh! :-)

Ben.
 
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