C300: Shooting travel show in north africa is c300 right camera?

H

Hanad

Member
Hey guys,

I will be shooting a travel show in north africa and wanted your advice on what camera I should take. I was thinking of the c300, but for budget reasons we may go with the c100. I have a few questions. how durable are the cameras? I will be filming in a desert as well as beaches, towns and night events. do you think it will cope with changing humidity and the sand? I was thinking to take the canon 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 lens and possibly a canon 16-35 f2.8 11-16 tokina and canon 24mm 1.4.

The second camera operator will be using his 5d mark 3, thats one of the reasons I chose the canon eos series over my f3 for this job, as Well as being light to carry (will be hiking on some segment)

Would they match quite well? and do I really need a shoulder rig and EVF for hand-held work? One last question, how easy is the eos series to use? I have used mainly sony and Panasonic cameras.

I have done some research but could not get many answers, so I thought I would ask here.

Thank you for your help guys
 
If you have the cash the C300 would be great because of the built in EVF. The C100 is a fantastic camera but some people have issues with the built in evf (not me). I really don't think you "have" to have a shoulder rig with either camera. But if you were to get a shoulder rig I would look at the Zacuto news shooter for the C series.

Your assignment is what the C300/100 were built for...
 
Hey Hanad

C300 is a great choice I think for what you're looking at - being a travel show you'll need a good mix of shots which the C300 will shoot nicely for you. In this instance I'll say the C300 over the C100 for direct to broadcast codec (your shooting for a network I assume) and the EVF - on that get yourself a few chamois for the EVF.
 
The C300 and C100 would match very well. The 5D III will be a bit harder to match to either the C100 or C300. If it is for broadcast and you have the budget I would take both the C300 and the C100. If not for broadcast the the C100 and the 5D III will work fine together. The cameras are tough and can take a lot with reasonable care. If you go with the C100 I would suggest getting the Zacuto Zfinder since it sounds like you will be outside a great deal. I would bypass the shoulder rig for a lightweight tripod. But it depends on the type of travel show.
 
Hello Hanad,
I shoot with a C300 in conditions similar to what you will encounter in Africa. Heat (even 50 deg centigrade), dust, rain, hail storm... C300 takes it all. I am not aware about the C100 dust sealings as I don't own that camera. C300 has got dust sealings. You can scroll down to see the dust sealing image in this review http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/review-canon-c300-for-wildlife-filming/

I also agree with Noel that if you are shooting for a network then the codec of the C300 is right. Also, the C300 works well barebones with the 70-200 f2.8 L IS II lens. While shooting stripped down, I feel using the EVF gives more stability. When shooting in the crowd, I feel comfortable shooting with the EVF and the LCD closed as people crowd around to see what I am shooting.

Familiarisation with the camera doesn't take much time. All the best.
 
Thank you very much guys. I am pushing for the c300, but for the budget we have I am not sure I will be able to purchase it. I will do my best to rent it, but we need 2 cameras to match. The links are really helpful and will discuss them with my line manager. So lens wise I was thinking a 24-70 f2.8 and if the budget allows a 70-200 f2.8, otherwise a 24-105 f4.

Thanks Jim for your blog, will have a read.
 
Have you considered the 70-200 f/4 L? The EOS cameras (300 & 100) are plenty fast enough to deal with f/4, the lens is lighter and much less expensive. the IS on the lens is really nice too. I was amazed at being able to handhold 100 - 200mm shots fairly well.
 
70-200mm F4 IS worked great for me on a recent trip. Plenty fast and lighter. I'd also recommend the 17-55mm F2.8 IS but not sure it's the best choice for dusty conditions.
 
wasn't there some issues with dust getting in on the sensor? I thought I read people sending in their cams to get cleaned. What about f3, that's a damn good cam as well, you can find them cheap as well.
 
I think you can still lease the C100 for 0 interest rate. That might be worth considering. I have a C100 and would also recommend the c300 for the trip if you can afford it. The 4:2:2 is really superb. And as mentioned the C300 is sealed. My C100 has a small fan on it, not sure if it's environmentally sealed, and I would worry a bit about it's handling the desert heat. But others here likely would disagree, and frankly, I would have no issue taking it into the desert on assignment. It seems to be a professional build, which means that it is built to take punishment.

I''ve got an xf305 and the C100,and I would be hard pressed to choose the xf305 over the C100 for what you describe, if I had only one to choose. As to the C300, that is a real step up in quality of image, so yes, I would choose that if you can.
 
You should definitely take a look at this thread http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...-Scenes-Afghanistan-Documentary-James-Longley

Longley uses the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS, and I remember an interview with him (can't locate the link) where he says he basically puts up with the somewhat lacklustre build quality, even in his dusty situation, because of the stellar optics, his need for the wide end (24mm is not very wide on the C300 sensor) and perhaps most importantly, the Image Stabilisation - if you intend to use the C300 really stripped down and without a rig, IS is a tremendous asset.

I have a C300 and the 24-70mm f/2.8 L, and I find it fairly hard to handhold with good results. If I'm not standing still, elbows at my ribs, I kind of have to put it on a shoulder rig. Now I have a 17-55mm on loan, and it's night and day with the IS. Yes, it's a bit short, but if you are careful about covering the long end with your B-camera (and then the short end, when you put the 70-200 on the C300, but beware that the 17-55mm will NOT work in the 5DmrkIII), then I would seriously consider the 17-55. I really like it, and it's such a shame that it's built like a dinky toy.

PS: I also think that the wide end really makes a difference - At 17mm you can sit opposite someone at a table and establish where they are, who's sitting next to them etc. At 24mm, you're stuck with a loose close-up. This goes double for the inside of a car. But if you're only shooting outdoors, then it's not really an issue.
 
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