C300: Is the C300 Mark II's 4k @ 60 fps / 1080p @ 120 fps enough image quality for photos?

Finnegan

Finnegan

Well-known member
Hey everyone! 5D Mark III / C300 Mark I / C100 Mark II user here. I'm looking into upgrading from my current cameras to the C300 Mark II because I'm faced with a unique situation in 2016: I'm in need of a camera that can shoot high quality video and high quality stills at the same time, and it needs to be able to do so internally -- without the use of an external recorder. I suppose I'd also settle for a camera that can alternate easily between photo/video mode and record to the same media, provided that the quality is there.

I produce cosplay videos like this one:


And slideshows like this one:

PAX South 2016 Cosplay Gallery on IGN

...but I do it at the same time. Currently, I use two cameras to do this: my trusty 5D Mark III, and a Canon C100 Mark II or sometimes a Sony A7SII if I need 120 fps video. The video example I've provided is actually shot on the A7SII, while all the stills were shot on the 5D Mark III.

Basically, I'm looking for an elegant (and cheap) way to unify the workflow for producing these two types of content alongside each other without sacrificing any of the quality. I've seen people do this with RED...since the footage is RAW and 4K (or higher) you can actually shoot video (even at high frame rates) and be able to export individual frames from that video and they'll be of high enough quality to do some post work on and publish as still photographs. But, RED is expensive and requires more support out of the box than do other cameras. As a single operator, I'm really interested in something thatworks out of the box and that I can operate easily by myself with only equipment that I can carry in a backpack. Plus, I'm not exactly thrilled with RED's low light capability, and if you saw the video I linked above, I face a lot unideal, low light situations on convention show floors -- hence my interest in the C300 Mark II. Theoretically the Canon 1DC is the ideal camera for this, but it's dated, expensive, and I actually am not sure that the video holds up all that well in adverse conditions. I also don't think it has a built in waveform monitor and it certainly doesn't have XLR in, which are two standard video functionalities that I'm so used to using and couldn't go without at this point.

So, to the experienced C300 Mark II users out there -- what do you guys think? Have you tried using the C300 Mark II to shoot video for photo delivery? Does it hold up for portrait photography? If you have done this, I'd really be interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions. Visual examples would be even more appreciated and, if it isn't too much to ask, it'd be really cool to have a few stills exported from 4K video to play with in Lightroom.

Thanks!
 
I can share the stills from the C300 Mark II 4K footage. Obviously the frame grabs were much better from C300 Mark II. I reduce the size by importing the shots into lightroom as well.

Personally I adding a 1DX II to my kit. For many projects the clients are asking files for using in calendars etc. So even if it is not pre-agreed for a project clicking stills is good. I can later on use it for coffee table book etc. So clicking higher resolution raw stills is good and I will be doing it in future projects.

For some of the wildlife parks when I am visiting for fun getting a 1DXII is better because for C300 Mark II, I need to take special permissions for the chief wildlife warden.

I go into assignments as two member team. My partner also shoot stills and does the B camera. So I can easily get the video and stills covered with both of us shooting and also from pulling stills. However, when there subject is moving fast ie runner/dancer and in wildlife, a higher shutter speed is required to arrest the subject movement. So pulling stills has its limitations.

Also, C300 Mark II doesn't have 4k 60p.

And in the 2k/1080p at 100/120p the Autofocus doesn't work. So wondering whether you were intending to ask about the 1DX II instead of C300 Mark II?
 
For me I've had issues with motion blur at 1/50 of a second when shooting at 180 degree rule. Pictures aren't sharp unless the subjects are standing still. Makes it tough to get a nice still frame grab. To counter it you would have to increase the shutter but then the video would have that staccato look.
 
Seems to me that a 1DX II would be a better fit for what you're shooting. You just have to flip a switch to move from stills to video and back. I'd still keep one of the C100's for when you really need all the video features like ND, XLR, etc. Having just a C300 II would be a little limiting in what you can get for the stills.
 
Erik Naso said:
For me I've had issues with motion blur at 1/50 of a second when shooting at 180 degree rule. Pictures aren't sharp unless the subjects are standing still. Makes it tough to get a nice still frame grab. To counter it you would have to increase the shutter but then the video would have that staccato look.
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This is EXACTLY the problem with trying to do both by yourself with one camera. I've had to explain this
to clients over and over as they thought they'd just use 4K 'frame grabs' and then wondered why they weren't
'super sharp'. Well, because when I'm shooting motion.....I'm usually following the 1/48 shutter speed rule
so that motion looks correct...and when anything is moving in the shot, it's not going to look sharp like shooting
at 1/500 or so will. Some things just work best with two operators......or two cameras set up differently at a minimum.
 
Just move the camera the same way your subject moves. Odds are one out of the 24 frames per second you capture will be useable with a 60th shutter .
 
The C300II doesn't even do 60p at 4k and if you watch the 120p 1080 footage, you'll notice two things right away. First, it's a forced 2X center crop which is going to severely limit your FOV and second, it's soft. Certainly not photo-quality.

So answer to both your questions is no.
 
Just wondering if the c300 mark ii can even do 4K 60p hardware wise? Maybe a possible future firmware update??
 
mraaron895 said:
Canon I believe admitted it was possible, but it didn't pass QC.
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You would think they would over build it a little so to speak and possibly unlock some features with firmware updates, like how the Sony f55 was built. Sony has unlocked certain features with the f55 because the hardware was capable of supporting features it was not shipped with.. We will see what actually happens ... I believe that a firmware will come down with the 4K 60p recording somewhere down the road.. That's what a lot of people have been saying would make the c300 mark ii stand out among the crowd.. But what do I know, I am just a hobbiest :) but I do own one. :thumbsup:
 
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FrameFarmMedia said:
You mean fit into the crowd that has been doing 4K 60p for over a year? 4K 60p isn't a stand out feature now and won't be by the time (if) it comes down via firmware.
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You are absolutely correct, I was just quoting what others were saying when the rumors were flying and when it got released.. But I totally agree with you 100%.. :thumbsup:
 
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