C500 MKII Leaked on Canon Rumors

Run&Gun said:
And to be a downer on the hilarious ALEXA 65 discussion(being semi-serious), because I had a friend go through unknowingly buying stolen equipment on eBay, it doesn’t matter if you are aware it’s stolen or not. They can take it back and you can/will be out of whatever money you paid for it.
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I just talked to the district attorney a couple days ago as they recently apprehended the second person involved in the robbery of my house last September, so he's currently in prison with a $20,000 bail set awaiting a hearing (or whatever it's called). Insurance covered most of what was stolen. As I'd mentioned at one point, they found the thieves after the thieves sold my C300 Mark II on Ebay (thanks to a DVXuser finding that Ebay listing). Upon searching the house of one of the thieves, a third of my equipment was recovered. I asked the D.A. when I was on the phone a couple days ago if the C300 Mark II that had been sold on Ebay could be recovered, and her basic answer was no. They had subpoenaed Ebay to get the information of the thieves, so I assume they have the information of the buyer as well, but apparently they are not pursuing getting the equipment returned.
 
^After everything in this thread, you may have to tell people you're actually not joking about that (especially for those who missed your original story a few months ago).
 
Run&Gun said:
I’ve heard Dan talk about it getting harder out in CA. I actually have a client that, we’re all pretty sure is in the wrong based on discussions with CPA’s and lawyers, limits most of us to only working for them 100 days a year and using health insurance and benefits as the argument, even though most of us are incorporated, provide our own health insurance and are paid through our companies. Without getting political, it was originally claimed that they were implementing this because of the ACA and it’s regulations. I personally think that it’s either misinterpretation of the law and regulations or there is an ulterior motive and they are covering it with that.
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I thought it might have been due to the new tax laws and what counts as a write off. I am pretty sure there has been a change in what counts as a capital expenditure and who can write off purchases. I still need to look into that. The answer will probably determine if I purchase the C500 II this year.
 
Eric Coughlin said:
I just talked to the district attorney a couple days ago as they recently apprehended the second person involved in the robbery of my house last September, so he's currently in prison with a $20,000 bail set awaiting a hearing (or whatever it's called). Insurance covered most of what was stolen. As I'd mentioned at one point, they found the thieves after the thieves sold my C300 Mark II on Ebay (thanks to a DVXuser finding that Ebay listing). Upon searching the house of one of the thieves, a third of my equipment was recovered. I asked the D.A. when I was on the phone a couple days ago if the C300 Mark II that had been sold on Ebay could be recovered, and her basic answer was no. They had subpoenaed Ebay to get the information of the thieves, so I assume they have the information of the buyer as well, but apparently they are not pursuing getting the equipment returned.
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I'm really glad to hear that. Really.

Usually after insurance pays out on a claim, they take ownership of anything that is recovered and you no longer have a claim/ownership of it. But I think, if you want, you can buy it back from them, usually for what they paid out.

Some of you may know, as I've talked about it on here before, I had a large theft occur in Atlanta years ago, as well. But to my knowledge, the thieves were never caught.

Regarding the eBay story and my friend, it was years ago, as well(probably early 00's). It actually had a semi-happy ending. He had purchased a small HMI from a seller and at some point ended up needing service(he had rigged it upside down on a shoot and fried some stuff). He sent it back to the manufacturer and the serial number came back stolen. So he ended up telling his side of the story and provided all documentation and information he had on the seller and signed a sworn affidavit stating as much. The manufacturer* decided, because they believed his story and he provided information so that they could attempt to go after them, that he could keep the fixture, but had they wanted to, they could have kept it and he would have been out of an HMI and the money.



*It was a demo unit that had gone missing while out in the field and was still owned by the manufacturer.
 
cpreston said:
I thought it might have been due to the new tax laws and what counts as a write off. I am pretty sure there has been a change in what counts as a capital expenditure and who can write off purchases. I still need to look into that. The answer will probably determine if I purchase the C500 II this year.
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A 2018 ruling has made it difficult to work as a contractor in CA, https://firemark.com/2018/05/07/new-california-ruling-changes-test-for-independent-contractors/

New Supreme Court Ruling

But earlier this week, that changed. On April 30, 2018, California Supreme Court rendered its decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, and clarified the standard for determining whether workers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. The Court held that there is a presumption in favor of treating workers as employees, and that an independent contractor classification places a burden on the company to establish that it is proper under the so-called “ABC test”, which has been adopted in some other jurisdictions.

The ABC Test

Under this ABC test, the hiring entity must establish all of the following:

A. That the worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract, and in fact; and

B. That the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business; and

C. That the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed.

What it means

This can mean trouble for folks in entertainment, since workers in the production business are typically working under the direction of the producer and doing work that is within the usual course of work (i.e., production). So, if you've operated using independent contractors as crew, cast, etc., you'll want to look harder at this issue in the future.

The issue most often comes to a head after a worker seeks unemployment compensation after a job ends. That application can trigger an audit. The same can occur when a worker is injured and seeks Worker Compensation coverage.

Care should be taken to properly classify workers and thus avoid fines, penalties which can range from $5,000 to as much as $25,000 per violation.

If you're a worker and you prefer to be classified as an independent contractor, the best way to handle things is by forming a loan-out corporation
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This also affected my work in the tech industry: item B is pretty much impossible to get around if doing software work for a software company. Currently doing W2 for tech work until the rules change again (fully independent creative & tech work still goes through S-Corp).

See also:

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-contract-workers-20180806-story.html
http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.co...-decision-in-dynamex/?slreturn=20190807162048
 
jcs said:
A 2018 ruling has made it difficult to work as a contractor in CA, https://firemark.com/2018/05/07/new-california-ruling-changes-test-for-independent-contractors/



This also affected my work in the tech industry: item B is pretty much impossible to get around if doing software work for a software company. Currently doing W2 for tech work until the rules change again (fully independent creative & tech work still goes through S-Corp).

See also:

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-contract-workers-20180806-story.html
http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.co...-decision-in-dynamex/?slreturn=20190807162048
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The 'ABC Test' criteria are impossibly high barriers as pretty much anyone doing anything for anyone falls within these boundaries. If I hire a general contractor to put an addition on my house they are falling under my direction as to what to do and when. Basically ANYONE that is hired to do ANYTHING can be considered an employee of whomever is doing the hiring.
 
Run&Gun said:
The 'ABC Test' criteria are impossibly high barriers as pretty much anyone doing anything for anyone falls within these boundaries. If I hire a general contractor to put an addition on my house they are falling under my direction as to what to do and when. Basically ANYONE that is hired to do ANYTHING can be considered an employee of whomever is doing the hiring.
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Typical California moronic regulation. This is the only state I've ever heard of that actively drives business to relocate out of state through stupid greed like this.
 
puredrifting said:
Typical California moronic regulation. This is the only state I've ever heard of that actively drives business to relocate out of state through stupid greed like this.
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At first I was puzzled why all the gigs had gone W2 only. When I found out about the new ruling, it all made sense. That said, there's major changes happening in the world and I'm confident things will change for the better in the near future.
 
puredrifting said:
Typical California moronic regulation. This is the only state I've ever heard of that actively drives business to relocate out of state through stupid greed like this.
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In their minds(lawmakers), they're trying to help "the little guy/working man". But then the corporations just adjust their practices and we ended up getting hosed.
 
Eric Coughlin said:
Okay, fair enough. But hear me out. What if the camera actually was stolen, but not by me. See, I film a short film in the hood, but PAs are expensive and as a one-man-band Alexa 65 shooter, I need to go to the bathroom. We're talking diarrhea, so it's going to take awhile. Unfortunately I was also acting in this movie, so it's truly a one-man-band show. Meanwhile, I've left the Alexa 65 out in the alley way in the hood, and once I emerge from the bathroom a long while later, I mean, if someone who I have nothing to do with stole it, how have I committed a crime?

Okay, so I pay Arri $200k or whatever agreement was made to them in order to rent the camera. Most rental companies require insurance, but many also accept a deposit to cover the full cost of what is being rented. Now, Arri and the police may dedicate some resources to finding the camera, but me, I've got more at stake. So, I hire two thousand private detectives at a cost of one million dollars, and with some good fortune, likely recover the stolen camera. But, I tell the private detectives to not inform me if the camera is recovered. Instead, I say that whoever finds the camera could be best off to just sell it, but this is more of citing an idea than me telling them to do it. So meanwhile I just happen to be looking for Alexa 65 cameras on Ebay and Craigslist, and low and behold, I find one. Wow, what a coincidence, officer. Okay, so I put in a $200,000 offer, win it, and now have an Alexa 65. The serial number is scratched off, so, I really have no way of knowing if it's the same one I rented, but it's not really my problem at this point as I'm not aware of there being a law against buying stolen goods on Ebay if you have no way to know for sure that it was stolen.

So, I'm home free, yeah? Great plan?
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Did you hire 10,000 monkeys, 10,000 typewriters and a buttload of bananas to work out that plan?
 
laverdir said:
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And the position is perfect to operate it with a nose.
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If you’re a left eye viewer like me it’s ok once you flip the eyecup, otherwise yeah, it’s pretty lousy. Why not next to the rotary knob or on the bottom where your thumb could reach it while you held onto a grip or front rod?
 
indiawilds said:
How many of you are planning to buy the C500 Mark II?
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It is a temptation.

The thing that it does not show is true modern design - its basically my FS7 but a heap better .. but not a 'gamechanger'
AF is a huge boost to me beyond the FS7 (main draw)

The Sony FX6 (rumoured) might be a better option for me in my 'real' (minimum crew) world if it delivers 10bit 4k
Mass is my main obsession and Its not lighter than my FS7.
I dont know if it can be remote controlled properly

It is too tall for my Movi Pro with out some painful mods.
 
indiawilds said:
How many of you are planning to buy the C500 Mark II?
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I won’t be.

In the low end, i think i have the options i can put up with, for non commercial use. We finally got a 10bit option, and 12stops DR in 4K. That is a good start, and is the beginnings of a good image. (Has a long ways to go though)

In the high end, i would only consider something with Alexa or better dynamic range, in addition to some of the other specs that have become standard.

When it comes to C500mkII, it is a camera that is made for the current day professional. Someone who has regular clients that need a dynamic and flexible RnG camera package. Seems like a good addition to the work force.

At this time, i wouldn’t buy it, because it doesn’t fit my “business model”, and at the same time, it doesn’t live up to my aesthetic demands from a camera. So, i won’t be purchasing one.

Again, it seems like a good tool for the modern content maker with regular clients. The Sony Fx9 looks to lure people away based on specs, or even IBIS alone. While others will be happy to have a solidly mounted sensor, and good colors straight from capture. I believe Canon will do fine. They have a good fan base in certain pro circles, and allow for a good workflow requiring little finesse in post to get lovely images.

Canon Cine Primes now have the perfect Canon companion.

Canon has an established niche and fanbase, and this camera builds on that. The C500mkII seems to be the most realized version of the C series to date.
 
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indiawilds said:
How many of you are planning to buy the C500 Mark II?
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I'm feeling deeply, deeply tempted by it.

It does everything I need a camera to do. The size and weight are as good as the Alexa Mini, but in terms of rigging and ergonomics (the thing that irks me most about the Mini) it's miles ahead. The 5 steps of ND are the most convenient setup out there (outside of the Venice and the FS7ii's variable system). Being able to switch between 4k full-frame and 4k S35mm means I could hold on to my Zeiss CZ.2 zoom (which isn't really working for me on my S35mm cameras) whilst selling the Sigma 18-35mm I've been using to cover the wide-end. Which means that with the one compact zoom I'd have a 17-80mm range (in S35mm terms) without having to swing a lens (which would cover me for 99% of the shots I do). And the crazy high ISO performance means working off a T/2.9 zoom lens is no trouble at all.

Also, not taking the hit on selling my Zeiss - would cover probably half the cost of the C500ii just by itself.

It's a hugely appealing camera to me. With the image quality of the C700 FF, I can use it as an A-camera on the features, series and commercials I shoot. And with the compact size and comprehensive feature set built into the base body, it will work great for the few solo documentary-style shoots I do as well.

The only iffy issue is power distribution for accessories, but that's pretty easily solved with one of Wooden Camera's Pro v-mount plates with 3 DTAPs built in.

Also, it's the same price as a Sony F5! Less, when you factor in the need for the R5 or R7 for raw recording with the Sony!

I'm pondering it pretty seriously.
 
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puredrifting said:
Typical California moronic regulation. This is the only state I've ever heard of that actively drives business to relocate out of state through stupid greed like this.
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Dan,
Ab5's (administrative bill 5) intent as I understand it is to stop the intentional misclassification of workers who are clearly employees, as independent contractors. It was intended to protect "gig" workers like Uber, Lyft and Doordash to name a few, who have been classified as independent contractors and it's pretty clear they are under these companies' control. In theory, most independent filmmakers like us should be protected (that is free to work as independent contractors) based on part "C" of the bill because we're set up to do the kind of work we do independently of a particular company we may be working for at the time. Of course theory and practice are two different things, and there are many trades that have been exempted and more that wish to do so. So, we'll see how this unfolds... Good article https://qz.com/1703897/californias-ab5-will-rewrite-the-rules-of-the-gig-economy/
 
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There's a good chance I'll buy it, but I may wait a year or two as higher up on my list of things to buy are a house, Canon 17-120, and Canon CN-e primes. New camera purchases are always more fun to get though, so the temptation is there to move it up the list.

The C500 Mark II also doesn't offer a lot to me, as for high end shoots I already have Arris, and for mid-range corporate and doc shoots, I'm probably not going to shoot in 5.9K, RAW, or full-frame. But, if the 10 bit 4:2:2 4K image is actually sharper and better, and I gain things like camera IS, built-in audio, a slightly larger touch LCD, locking EF-mount, 4K 60p, ability to operator in three sensor modes (Super16, Super35, full-frame) to get different field of views (if that's the proper term) from lenses, then it could be worth the upgrade.

I feel like I'd have a difficult time being able to charge more for it, then again, I started my C300 Mark II rental rate at $600 when I first got it, then when the camera lowered in price, I changed it to $500, then I bought some higher end tripods and now always package them in with the camera so I put it back to $600, essentially what I was charging back when it was $16k, so $600 would still be a pretty decent rate for the C500 Mark II rental. So for me, the C500 Mark II would likely be more about using newer technology to make my job easier, which is good for retaining clients and attracting them by having the best gear available.
 
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