C500: C500 and The Atomos Shogun

RED has great fan control, but those things point straight up and I would always be afraid of something falling out of the sky and straight into the camera. Unlike the C500, the DSMC2 cameras have no fan covers either (the internals are all exposed to the elements) so I would have to worry about dust here in SoCAL.

Also, just ask anyone who has used a DSMC2 camera near the beach or ocean what they think about the fan design and the possibility for sand and water particles getting into the camera or causing corrosion.

Canon and Sony design cameras for longevity, reliability and all weather conditions. RED designs flashy sports cars that require constant maintenance and have no regard for the elements.
 
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Not your 1DX II, which you returned unfortunately! I hope Canon decides to release a 1DC II because it is definitely needed.
 
haha...it gets into the buttons, viewfinder...sand just sticks to everything.

Looking back, I actually regret returning it, but it just wouldn't have received the frequent use it should have.
 
So I post this fan noise issue on another website and got this response from Shane Hurlbut ASC, DOP for Need for Speed and Fathers and Daughters.

The fan was a major problem. On Need for Speed which was the first feature shot with this camera we had Canon re work their firmware so that it would give us about 8 minutes. But this all depends on the heat in the room. Many takes on the film were compromised because the fans came on and we had to cut. You take the good with the bad sometimes. I would not suggest this camera ever for an docu/interview camera.
 
You're right about that NorBro. I leased the C500 with the 0% two year plan from Canon, I'm getting on the blower and talking with my dealer and Canon to see if I can get this swapped to a C300 Mark II, I bought the C500 to be able two shoot 2K and 4K when needed by my clients, and as a selling point! A fan coming on that is audible for the sound recordist isn't going to work for the client or me!

I'm feeling a little bait and switch here, I really sold myself on the picture the C500 produces, thinking from reading an advertisement Canon put out about their latest firmware fixing the fan noise problem I pulled the trigger on the C500.
 
You (everyone) really have to rent cameras before buying them...it's too much money to risk IMO.
 
You're right about using the camera before you buy! I only used the C300 and the C100, I never used the C500 and the research I did had me confident the fan noise wouldn't be an issue, lesson learned here! I can't believe Canon sold a camera for as much as it originally cost that had these sound problems? I was happy to find one of these C500 EF mount cameras new for $6,999 and it was the last one my dealer had so I pulled the trigger.
 
Canon forgot to mention it was a MUSIC VIDEO Cinema Camera, haha. I'll let you know how it sounds with the Inferno (doubt there is a difference though).
 
On these forums several of us over the years have complained about the C500 fan noise when recording out with the camera. It was always a problem and killed the camera from being more than an expensive C300 for many shoots. Epics and Scarlets also had that problem- heat was always an issue.

Hope the C300 Mk2 DOESN'T have that problem of fan noise. Anybody with extensive C300 Mk2 experience want to chime in?
 
It's amazing how many features and documentaries have been shot with this camera all the same. This particular one made use of RAW 4K up to 120P:

[video]https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whyweride[/video]


This doc shows why I would not give up the C500's 4K HFR modes. Also, note that many of the Musicbed artist interviews available to view on Vimeo (from before a year ago) were shot in 4K with the mic going directly into the C500 XLRs. You will hear nothing but great audio on all of these. For long-take interviews, you will just have to observe the necessary precautions that we listed above.
 
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Patience is the word when dealing with the fan noise on interviews and dialogue with the C500. On features and indie docs you can wait it out and work around it. When interviewing Fortune 500 CEOs on a tight schedule- it's simply not the camera to bring to the shoot.

Having said that, the $7K price can certainly buy a lot of patience...
 
I was still working at AbelCine back when Matt Porwoll requested the fan solution. The Chief Rental Tech David Knappenberger came up with the mounted fans, one blowing in ad one blowing out. Those fans are effectively silent, yet created enough circulation that the camera's internal fan rarely ever would turn on. The solution worked so well that when we showed Canon USA they commissioned a bunch from us!
 
Thanks Mitch. The fan mod is probably the way to go if you need to shoot all day without the internal fans turning on. My blimp idea might work or it might just go down like the Hindenburg.
 
99% of interviews are usually going to be on sticks with the talent sitting in one place...do you think a small and gentle battery-powered fan on a c-stand next to the camera would work?

Sometimes just the slightest bit of air/circulation makes all the difference.
 
I dunno, I'd try to get the Abel solution, or replicate that. My guess is you'll need that forced internal airflow- in and out fans.

My guess is a blimp would exacerbate the problem of heat.

No comments on C300 Mk2 fan problems, or other real life production induced problems?
 
Okidoki, These were two replies I got from Shane Hurlbut ASC, on the fan noise issue, shooting 4K and 2K. The last comment by Shane, was on shooting Fathers and Daughters ( shot in 2K )

The fan was a major problem. On Need for Speed which was the first feature shot with this camera we had Canon re work their firmware so that it would give us about 8 minutes. But this all depends on the heat in the room. Many takes on the film were compromised because the fans came on and we had to cut. You take the good with the bad sometimes. I would not suggest this camera ever for an docu/interview camera.

In 2K we did not seem to have a problem at all. But it was the winter in Pittsburgh. Very cold
 
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I think a lot of people here own the C300 Mark II and will chime in if they see this. I've never seen anyone mention anything about it, and I've never heard the fan the times I used the camera, but I also don't really record long interviews.
 
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