Canon C100 is definately looking much more competitive for a beginner filmmaker than a DSLR

Zachadoodle

Zachadoodle

Well-known member
Looking at this price now, Canon Cinema Camcorders are definitely looking much more a viable option for a beginner filmmaker than a DSLR. You get everything you could have gotten in a DSLR for much cheaper with a more practical treatment given to you say as opposed to had you spent so much money rigging out a DSLR to get the same result.

If I had my pick between this and a 5D Mark III I'd go with this camera now. It is definitely the option to go for if you are a film school student. I'm still going to keep my T2i, but if it was way back then in 2011 and I could get a C100 at that price, I'd pick it up instead.

Given the circumstances of this setup in a camera it is much more cheaper than spending an extra 500 on a 200 dollar camera with magiclantern to get it to its place as of now.
 

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You have to do more research...most people stopped using Magic Lantern 6-8 years ago after mirrorless cameras became better.

There are $1000 mirrorless' that look amazing out of the box with so many more features than older cameras.

If you don't use AF or IS, a Blackmagic Pocket is the camera to get for filmmaking.
 
NorBro said:
You have to do more research...most people stopped using Magic Lantern 6-8 years ago after mirrorless cameras became better.

There are $1000 mirrorless' that look amazing out of the box with so many more features than older cameras.

If you don't use AF or IS, a Blackmagic Pocket is the camera to get for filmmaking.
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Yes but now we are able to get a practical camcorder for cheap. Imagine the people who are extremely preventive on the camcorder vs DSLR debate. Imagine having a client who acts strange like, "you're taking photos?" now is able to recognize you have a camcorder now.
 
That's the old world...anyone calling anything a camcorder or shooting video on a DSLR (and not a mirrorless) is probably retired by now or just doing it for fun.

People are used to newer, smaller hybrid tech and if you (anyone) are working on any kind of level where the camera choice matters then it's likely with cameras in the $30,000 range and above.

Sometimes you'll get a preference for a FX6 over a C300 Mark III (or whatever and vice-versa) but it's not as common as it once was.

A content creator person with 1M subs on social media will get hired with an iPhone any day of the week. (Of course not for everything but it's a different time now.)
 
You won't have anyone say their son can do it with a professional looking camcorder though.

But again, gear is not important.
 
It's obvious that Cxxx series cameras have better ergonomics and more video oriented features than DSLRs, but you're overlooking a couple important specifications, a VistaVision sized sensor on the 5D, and RAW video with Magic Lantern.

On release in 2012, the C100 was $8K MSRP; we all would have gladly paid $600 for an $8K camera.

Those Mark 1 C100s don't have DPAF, so you'll need a follow focus, and it's difficult to pull focus off a 3.5" screen, so you'll still need a 7" field monitor. I think one of the Canon Cxxx cameras had either a weak IR cut filter or pronounced color cast in the built-in ND filters, can't remember if it was the C100 or not, but the point is you still may need an external IR cut filter or external IRNDs to avoid IR contamination or filter color cast.

A smaller & lighter DSLR might be preferred when operating a Glidecam without a vest, although less mass = less inertia, which affects stability.

While the C100 has more video features and better ergonomics than DSLRs, it still isn't ideal.
Cons:
Bad XLR placement in the top handle
Top heavy
Low bitrate AVCHD codec

Pros:
Zebras
Focus peaking
C-Log
Dual card slots
1080P super sampled from a 4k sensor, which increases detail, and makes it less susceptible to moiré artifacts than the pixel-binned 5D III.

In 2010, I considered buying a Panasonic AF100, which is basically a GH2 with a camcorder body, but I knew I was going to do a lot of photography, and the MFT 2x crop was unappealing, as Speed Boosters didn't exist for cameras back then, so I opted for a DSLR which I could use by itself for photography or rig for video projects.
You should choose the right tool for the job, but when you're just starting out, and can only afford one camera, it makes sense to go with the most versatile camera to take on different types of jobs.

Rigging my DSLR, I spent $690 for a cage w top handle, baseplate & rails, LCD-VF, follow focus, VND, Field monitor, and XLR audio recorder, but only $460 of that should count, since I needed the baseplate, follow focus, and field monitor either way.

Buying a camera today, Blackmagic cameras are a good option for narrative filmmaking. Mirrorless cameras are a good hybrid photo/video option. For general video production, a Canon C200, Sony FS5 MK II or FS7 are good affordable options, although I recommend getting a newer camera if you can swing it.
 
I still have a few EOS M's (the original!) with magic lantern that I use for timelapses. With magic lantern, those cameras were an amazing value when Canon started dumping them for dirt cheap. I never bothered with figuring out the RAW video recording, though. It just seemed pointless when you had cameras like the C100 available that could make your life so much easier. If you doing online content and don't need 4K, the C100 MKII is easy to recommend. I don't quite understand the very low budget camera market right now, though. My primary concern is reducing my setup and shooting time rather than image quality, and I'm willing to pay to upgrade just for to shave a few minutes off the setup time. Canon's false color, face tracking, and AF features were enough to get me to upgrade from the C100 MKII. That's also why I wouldn't be considering an older DSLR.
 
Wish you the best on your upgrade preston.

I could buy 6 T2is for the price of that C100, but to get it setup equivalent to it. I'm like thinking if I was new to this it would be worth it more to get just the C100.

We're talking things like:
Audio recorder $100
VAF-TXi Filter $300
Visioncolor profile $25
Battery Pack for long recording $25
Variable ND Filter $50-$500
Monitor setup $250

And a vintage lens is $100

For $600 I don't have to worry about that. I get unlimited video recording on this camcorder too.
 
I still shoot with a couple C100 mk1 cameras. They still work great. They do have DPAF on them, and I just started using it after all these years. I don't know why I waited so long. Just using the one button AF. They had been upgraded by the previous owner.
Battery life is excellent even all these years latter. Certainly better than a DSLR or my GH4 or my GoPro.
Built in NDs are a must for me now. So great to have.
24Mbps 1080p is a plus for me. Saves a lot of file space.
Viewfinder still sucks and the LCD on the back has next to no movement, but I'm still able to get the job done.
XLR is great to have and I'm glad I do, but I honestly haven't used it in years. My audio is external.

I know that for some segments of the market the camera matters and people ask for certain kinds. The clients I'm working with don't usually know anything about cameras, they just want a nice looking HD image to put up on Youtube and other social media and project at conferences. Things like that.

They were old when I bought them in used 2018, but they have been some workhorses that continue to work. $599 is a killer price.

I also shot a short film on them at the end of 2021. Worked great. 2003 me that shot my first features on a Canon XL1 wold have ben so envious of these cameras. You don't need raw for filmmaking. It's nice to have, I guess. I don't know I've never used it. But you can make movies with whatever.
 
If a person for whatever reasons wants to avoid a mirrorless camera (which truly do offer the best bang for buck!) or an OG BMPCC or BMD P4K (also great value!) then there are tonnes of other sub $1K options I'd much rather go with than a Canon C100mk1, such as:

Panasonic AF100 / AF101 / AF105
Sony FS700R
Sony FS5
Sony FS7
Sony F3
Sony F5
JVC LS300
Canon C300mk1 (it costs so much little extra these days to get a C300mk1, so why get a C100??)
 
Blimey, long time since I've posted on here :) I still use my C100 Mark ii on a Ronin to capture a bit of b-roll and also behind a teleprompter - perfectly good footage for some of my clients, particularly outdoors. Staggering how cheap they are now, I think I paid about £3k back in 2018 for mine. I've been thinking about retiring it and getting a C70 but it's not a priority. I've got a lot of EF glass, most of the money has gone towards that over the years.
 
IronFilm said:
Sony FS5
Sony FS7
Canon C300mk1 (it costs so much little extra these days to get a C300mk1, so why get a C100??)
Click to expand...

I had no idea these were that cheap today. Wow. In which case I agree. If you're buying now, spring for one of these. I certainly would. I
I got a pretty good deal on my C100s back in 2018. At the time any one of the above would have been nearly twice the price I paid. Even a used C100 mkII was the same price as the two C100 MkI cameras that I got. I went with the two cams instead of the one, even though I had spent a few yeas shooting with the mkII at my old employer and loved it.
Again the C100s are still workhorses for me today, but I've owned them for six years now and they've paid for themselves on multiple shoots. But yeah, against the prices of the others, I'd go for those today too.
 
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