C300: Canon C300 mkII

I'm not a buyer for this camera, but as a C100 Mark II owner, the updated focusing system gets be excited. I expect a paid firmware upgrade to the C100 Mark II allowing for the same selective focusing options and larger focusing area. Perhaps we will also see a paid firmware upgrade to allow 10 bit 2k recording. I don't expect the 4k upgrade like many are hoping for.
 
I hate that they made it taller than the C300 MKI, which was already too tall. It weighs 1.5 lbs more than the C300 MKI. Also, with all of the technology advancement in this new camera, how did it come to be that the engineers couldn't internally route the audio and video signals from handle to camera?!? Not exactly a huge engineering challenge, it does seem a bit backwards that the newest state of the art Canon digital cinema camera has to still have big, clunky, dorky cables hanging out all over the place, doesn't it? It's going to be a great camera, I will be renting it I am sure but just looking at the big picture, sometimes they give us a bunch of crap we don't always care about, yet they overlook something huge and obvious. At least they are replaceable but what an inelegant solution. I mean they could have at least put in 90 degree connectors and some metal retaining clips on the body, would that have been so difficult? I had that technology on my Betacam 20 years ago. Having cables with big loops is lame.
 
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kylemorgan8 said:
I'm not a buyer for this camera, but as a C100 Mark II owner, the updated focusing system gets be excited. I expect a paid firmware upgrade to the C100 Mark II allowing for the same selective focusing options and larger focusing area. Perhaps we will also see a paid firmware upgrade to allow 10 bit 2k recording. I don't expect the 4k upgrade like many are hoping for.
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I don't count on the 2K paid update, but AF update with selective area would be nice.
also, I want to ask, does the C100 MKII has the new magnification feature with 8x zoom ? that would be nice as well.
 
puredrifting said:
I hate that they made it taller than the C300 MKI, which was already too tall. It weighs 1.5 lbs more than the C300 MKI. Also, with all of the technology advancement in this new camera, how did it come to be that the engineers couldn't internally route the audio and video signals from body to camera?!? Not exactly a huge engineering challenge, it does seem a bit backwards that the newest state of the art Canon digital cinema camera has to still have big, clunky, dorky cables hanging out all over the place, doesn't it? It's going to be a great camera, I will be renting it I am sure but just looking at the big picture, sometimes they give us a bunch of crap we don't always care about, yet they overlook something huge and obvious. At least they are replaceable but what an inelegant solution. I mean they could have at least put in 90 degree connectors and some metal retaining clips on the body, would that have been so difficult? I had that technology on my Betacam 20 years ago. Having cables with big loops is lame.
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the cables are here so you can remove the handle and have different configurations regarding if you're shooting TV or fiction...
the ability to remove them (or one of them) now is quite appreciable though.
 
The handle being separable from the "helmet" looks like an easy route to make one's own custom handle/rod setup for lower profile, like the Vice shooters do.

Decisions. The FS7 is the camera I really want. Panasonic may yet come up with a magnificent little cinema cam that will work flawlessly with my GH4 and m43 glass. But this may make more sense to purchase simply because it says "Canon" and will be spec'd in more freelance work, and might pay for itself quicker.

Damn choices.
 
steve phillipps said:
What???? The FS7 beats it on spec in many areas and is less than half the price - I just don't understand how you can come to that conclusion.

I own no cameras and have no bias.

Steve
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Based on specs - C300 MK II will have a greater color gamut with Rec2020, a faster sensor readout and thus an improved rolling shutter effect, a somewhat better low light performance, a far superior auto focus with face detect, an ability to record ProRes 444 to an external recorder straight out of the camera via HDMI 2.0 and a less expensive off-the-shelf media in CFast vs. the QXD.

It may have an advantage in the dynamic range but that's yet to be verified.

The compatibility with a wide variety Canon glass, from mere pro to cinema, is a given.

FrameFarmMedia said:
Image quality is subjective but what about the workflow would separate the C300II from the FS7?
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I'd say the Dual Pixel AF covering 80% of the frame is very important for a lot of the one-man operators and, once explored, by the high end users as well.

There also may be some personal preferences in terms of the FS7 menu, button layout, grips, handles, cables, etc.

As they say, YMMV.
 
coutard said:
the cables are here so you can remove the handle and have different configurations regarding if you're shooting TV or fiction...
the ability to remove them (or one of them) now is quite appreciable though.
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Oh, I know, I own a C100 and rent the C300 periodically. I agree, detachable cables are a step up from the hard wired on the C300 MKI, but overall, it's a poor design. They should have the XLRs where they are but some sort of contacts or very short, "L" shaped plug connections from the handle to the body. The big, stiff looped cables can easily become snagged on anything on set.
 
puredrifting said:
Oh, I know, I own a C100 and rent the C300 periodically. I agree, detachable cables are a step up from the hard wired on the C300 MKI, but overall, it's a poor design. They should have the XLRs where they are but some sort of contacts or very short, "L" shaped plug connections from the handle to the body. The big, stiff looped cables can easily become snagged on anything on set.
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I'm sure the detachable cables will mean 3rd party cables will soon be offered that might be less obtrusive.
That being said, as clumsy the C's cable construction might be, I never had any problems with it.
 
Amazing camera, i am a newbie in filmmaking but 18 years in professional photography.
I went to the cinema line not because i am "married" with L canon glass, but no other camera give me in this price range so beautiful color engine like canon c100 c300 line. Yes in the paper all the sonys fs7, a7s, etc have great specs...but the colors engine in the greens, skin tones...Canon a Arri got it ! (personal taste, not scientific)...
(and very important too...the line are relative new but bugs free and great materials builds like workstations
 
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puredrifting said:
I hate that they made it taller than the C300 MKI, which was already too tall. It weighs 1.5 lbs more than the C300 MKI. Also, with all of the technology advancement in this new camera, how did it come to be that the engineers couldn't internally route the audio and video signals from handle to camera?!? Not exactly a huge engineering challenge, it does seem a bit backwards that the newest state of the art Canon digital cinema camera has to still have big, clunky, dorky cables hanging out all over the place, doesn't it? It's going to be a great camera, I will be renting it I am sure but just looking at the big picture, sometimes they give us a bunch of crap we don't always care about, yet they overlook something huge and obvious. At least they are replaceable but what an inelegant solution. I mean they could have at least put in 90 degree connectors and some metal retaining clips on the body, would that have been so difficult? I had that technology on my Betacam 20 years ago. Having cables with big loops is lame.
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The whole design from the hot-shoe on the body and up is an unmitigated disaster.
 
FrameFarmMedia said:
Why is that? What about this camera puts it in a diff league then FS7 or F5?
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Honestly? Nothing. Both the FS7 and the F5 have better ergonomics, a real viewfinder in a useful position, higher frame rates, option for Prores recording and the F5 has SR for HD which is great and records 16 bit RAW using an integrated recorder that becomes part of the camera. No need for an external recorder piled up and all the cables dangling.

The claimed 15 stops of dynamic range is the only thing half impressive, if it turns out to be real. But 15 stops is not that much extra over 14 stops. The rest is run of the mill and bellow both FS7 and F5. It's just normal euphoria that comes with every new camera. Same thing happened when the FS7 was announced. People were loosing it over it. Just DVXuser being DVXuser I guess.
 
DLD said:
Some people will say, "The image quality". Others will also add, "The workflow". And, as with most Canon cameras, there's a lot of legacy built in.

Plus, this will probably create an own niche - anything from the theatrical releases in ProRes 444 on the high end to docs/ENG on the lower - if it can reasonably deliver on the promised specs. And that's a huge percentage of jobs for which it can be deemed perfectly suitable.

This doesn't mean people won't be making a living with other cameras, obviously but others will have to offer something more in order to compete. Red, at least, tries it with a 6K Dragon. If Sony doesn't do something similar - which, in my opinion, should include migrating its F65 sensor down its lineup - then it'll find it hard to compete on the same turf.

This is one man's opinion, obviously, but --- much like Alexa that seized the TV and digital film market from ~ 2011 onward, C300 MK II can do that and more.
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Are we looking at the same camera? All this talk of Alexa. The C300 is basically a handycam. It doesn't even have a real viewfinder and has one of those prosumer viefwinders glued to the back. It has the ergonomics of a DSLR or consumer camera. I understand DVXuser gets euphoric when new cameras are announced but come on. Alexa and C300 are totally different cameras made for different people.
 
Sttratos said:
Are we looking at the same camera? All this talk of Alexa. The C300 is basically a handycam. It doesn't even have a real viewfinder and has one of those prosumer viefwinders glued to the back. It has the ergonomics of a DSLR or consumer camera. I understand DVXuser gets euphoric when new cameras are announced but come on. Alexa and C300 are totally different cameras made for different people.
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I think that everyone is constantly comparing it to the FS7 is a huge compliment to the FS7. It's half the price and by the time the C300 ships, it will be a year old.

The real FS7 competitor is the C100 Mark II since they're much, much closer in price.
 
We were very interested in grabbing this cam for commercial and doc work, but the cost seems off-base. It feels like an extra $4K of pure vanity pricing. I am personally willing to pay a bit more for canon, but this cam is creeping toward $20k once you factor in cfast media and accessories. That just doesn't make much sense when you look at the rest of the landscape. Don't get me wrong, this camera will earn its cost back. Just at half the speed of an fs7. $$$$$$$.
 
dmpsk8 said:
Don't get me wrong, this camera will earn its cost back. Just at half the speed of an fs7. $$$$$$$.
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Don't underestimate the brand following the C300 has built with producers. If I had to grab a camera under $20k today and even if you let me keep whatever is left over, I don't really think there is another option.

It will go out on every shoot with you and rent all the other days.
 
Spartacus said:
I'm sure the detachable cables will mean 3rd party cables will soon be offered that might be less obtrusive.
That being said, as clumsy the C's cable construction might be, I never had any problems with it.
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A camera without cables attached? I havent seen one of them yet! :-D
 
William_Robinette said:
Don't underestimate the brand following the C300 has built with producers. If I had to grab a camera under $20k today and even if you let me keep whatever is left over, I don't really think there is another option.

It will go out on every shoot with you and rent all the other days.
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I don't disagree with that at all, but we're looking for a cam for our production company, not others'. No external rentals, just a workhorse that can pay itself off. The financials on this camera stress that need a bit. Hopefully the street price is more in line. Only time will tell.
 
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