C200: The new Canon C200 with 4K

Matt Turner said:
Never say never again ;-)

OK serious question: what could they add to a C300 MKIII other than 4k60p+ that people really need. Sure some nice to haves, but in all other respects the C200 or C300 MKII are far ahead of what needs to be delivered for the next decade or more.
Click to expand...

-120 fps full sensor at 1080 at the minimum. Just look at Sony's FS7II frame rates. 240 fps would be better than 120 fps.
-touch screen auto focus
-integrated wifi/ blue screen control/ monitoring (instead of WTF E6A)(yes I switched the T and F intentionally)
-Pro EF mount standard- like PL. Mounting, unmounting the 18-80 w/ lens support and rods is a PITA.
-internal RAW recording
-body mounted audio XLR inputs- forget that module.
-AUX power ports. Lemo I suppose.
-OR body mounted battery plate (AB or V-mount)
-ergo in the direction of C700.
-non proprietory LCD/EVF connector, ala BM UrsaMiniPro.
-daylight viewable LCD

Do you want me to continue?

There is no perfect camera. If I had the money the absolute best camera to buy is the Alexa Mini. Not because it is so amazing- it is the best because you can use it from anything from a Facebook live webcast to the biggest Hollywood production. Now you may need at least $60K to build a functional camera (sans glass and other goodies), but you can literally use it on any production at any budget level and the producers/people involved would be very happy. That is my definition of best/ most versatile.

If you don't have $60-120K the C200 does look mighty interesting for "all those other shoots." where you wouldn't hire an Alexa Mini.

And the Alexa Mini doesn't have DPAF with face detection + motion tracking which is a game changer if you're willing to try it/ test it/ and use it. And only Canon has it. Today at least.
 
Last edited:
klk said:
Do you want me to continue?
Click to expand...

Yes but you don't NEED any of that crap :-)

(and the MKIII will have a bunch of items on your list)

Interesting the C200 supports the SG-1 Shoulder Mount - as far as I know that is only supported by the C700 and not the C300 MKII?
 
Matt Turner said:
Yes but you don't NEED any of that crap :-)

(and the MKIII will have a bunch of items on your list)

Interesting the C200 supports the SG-1 Shoulder Mount - as far as I know that is only supported by the C700 and not the C300 MKII?
Click to expand...

I found it interesting that in the Brett Ramsey Canon video, he is showing the C200 sitting on the Zacuto VCT Pro Baseplate and NOT the SG-1 Shoulder Mount, which like all of Canon's accessories, is grossly overpriced.
 
I know it is early days but I am curious how the grip relocaters like my Zacuto and Wooden Camera relocaters are going to work? It appears the new grip mounts to an Arri rosette but the cable comes out the bottom of the grip fitting, not out the center of the grip handle thread mechanism as the current cameras do.

1. So if you own a current grip relocater, does it look as if you are hosed as far as using it with the C200?
2. Assuming this is true, any idea how long it will be until Wooden and Zacuto come out with a grip relocater solution?
3. Is it logical to think perhaps if you already have a handle or builit in Arri rosette like my Zacuto VCT Pro Baseplate has, could you attach the new handle to it and just plug the Cano handle into the existing C200 grip input, using an extension cable?

Screen Shot 2017-06-01 at 11.19.25 AM June 1.jpg
 
Last edited:
After reading/watching every review possible today I have a few thoughts on why I think this will be a great camera that I will probably replace my C100MK2 with (still keeping my C500 & Odyssey 7q kit to fill in the codec gaps when needed and/or for 2-cam shoots that require 4K)

-Feb. 2018 is not that far away for the "missing" codec gap that I will probably use 75% of the time once it's out. That's only 8 months from release date to unlock what could easily be a workhorse camera that I own and use for many years to come (I'm not jumping on the 8K silliness, so at minimum 4K Raw should be "future proof" for as long as I have an imagination for and at maximum the new codec should be "good enough" for the majority of my work for several years.)

-Most of my work is handheld short-doc work, gimbal work, and controlled environment/studio work that almost all goes to web distribution (where people are probably finding my work embedded in their Facebook feeds or watching a Vimeo or YouTube link on their iPhones). My C500 will still work great for studio stuff & now with a C200 I'd have a perfect cam for handheld/gimbal work. With no need for adittional external monitors/recorder and therefore no additional external power supply needed, I can get back to stripping the cam down to nothing, ditch the Easyrig for my back, and be light and simple. I can shoot Raw when needed, otherwise 4K 150mbs .mp4 can easily float me by for 8 months. Plus I now have 60fps in 4K and 120fps in 1080. (Compared to my C100mk2 spec-wise and to my C500+Odyssey7q+Anton Bauer ergonomic-wise this is a great upgrade)

-The few times a year that I land a "big" commercial gig, I would have an incredibly powerful camera that could produce all the quality I'd ever need. I could rent a few extra CFast cards if needed and shoot the entire project in Raw and if the project really required high speed more than 60fps (I've had exactly ONE of those projects in the past 8 years) I can rent another camera for those specialty shots.

-I'd probably buy the 200B to have better odds at using it on my Ronin-M since it has no viewfinder to get in the way. (I never use the viewfinder on my C100mk2 because I can't pull accurate focus with it & I took the viewfinder off the C500 from day one and never looked back & as a result the C500 works better than the C100 on my Ronin-M because of it). If the monitor can attach directly to the C200 (and from pictures it looks like it can) I'd probably ditch the handle as well to keep the profile even smaller for handheld/doc work.

-Being able to use the C200 monitor by repositioning on top the gimbal would be amazing. Again, no more need for an external monitor w/batteries, which would make gimbal work even lighter and simpler. Also, having awesome face recognition autofocus will make it even better since I only use Canon still glass with image stabilization for gimbal work anyways.

-This all goes without mentioning that Canon's images look great straight out of the camera.

I am hoping to attend Cinegear this weekend, so I'll let you know if that drastically changes my opinion one way or the other.
 
chris f said:
-Being able to use the C200 monitor by repositioning on top the gimbal would be amazing. Again, no more need for an external monitor w/batteries, which would make gimbal work even lighter and simpler. Also, having awesome face recognition autofocus will make it even better since I only use Canon still glass with image stabilization for gimbal work anyways.
Click to expand...

Based upon my limited gimbal experience, I predict doing this will be difficult to impossible. The cable from the C200 to the LCD monitor is the same as the C300 audio and video cables, fairly thick and heavy duty. Based upon my Letus Helix Jr., that cable would definitely interfere with the smooth and steady movement of the gimbal. At least on my gimbal, I couldn't even mount and use the Wooden Camera Grip Relocator, the cable was too thick and stiff and impeded the movement and the balancing of the gimbal. I had to switch to the Zacuto Grip Relocator and even it, with it's smaller and more compliant cable barely works, it still slightly messes with the balance. Perhaps on a larger or more powerful gimbal, the resistance and tension of that C200 monitor cable might be overcome but I can tell you it would never work on the Helix Jr.
 
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but Canon seems to think it would at least work on the Ronin-MX (the irony of which that it totally looks like the cable would catch on the extra top battery arm of the MX):

vs_styles-v1.jpg


Also, flying a C300 on a Letus Helix Jr. sounds like that would already be more than pushing the limits of those motors wouldn't it?
 
Last edited:
chris f said:
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but Canon seems to think it would at least work on the Ronin-MX (the irony of which that it totally looks like the cable would catch on the extra top battery arm of the MX):

View attachment 123929


Also, flying a C300 on a Letus Helix Jr. sounds like that would already be more than pushing the limits of those motors wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I fly the C100 on the Helix Jr. The C300 MKII is fine on the Helix (non Jr.) In the image above, how would the C200 be able to tilt way up or way down? Doesn't it look as if that cable might be a bit too short? Who knows? Maybe it works great?
 
I've also been trying to figure out how the C200 would work as a shoulder mounted camera? I bet third party providers will come out with a loupe for the LCD screen but then you couldn't use the touchscreen to AF. Say you were using a Zacuto Recoil system with the Gratical Eye instead of the LCD screen with a loupe? If it doesn't allow the grip joystick, the C200, the DPAF/Face Tracking would be limited if you were using it shoulder mounted for run & gun documentary shooting. I wonder if you can still control the DPAF box with the joystick as you can with the C300 MKII? Fingers crossed on that one. If the C200 can only position the DPAF box using the touchscreen, that would mean any shoulder mounted shooting you would need to just turn on continuous AF and hope for the best or only manually focus?
 
Don't quote me on this but I swear in one of the released videos I saw someone moving around the focus box with the joystick.
 
Drones and gimbals are the future.... especially drones. Hearing people complain about the form factor is silly. You can't have it all.

Im not supposed to tell anyone, but DJI is working on an anti gravity drone that they say will support the C200.
 
Matt Turner said:
Yes but you don't NEED any of that crap :-)

(and the MKIII will have a bunch of items on your list)
Click to expand...

YOU may not need it, but some of us do as these camera builds can get ridiculous. I keep the C300 Mk2 much more streamlined than the pictured C500 (from a few years ago). The LCD is much better than the C500, the internal codec eliminates the need for the external recorder (Prores fm the O7Q was much better than the original internal codec) and so on.

The C700 is obviously a better match for feature work and the C200 looks like a very nice evolution from the C100.

Canon needs high frame rates to compete and stay relevant as an all around digital camera. Tomorrow we'll see what Panasonic introduces- but even their GH5 will do 180 fps in HD.
c500 build.jpg
 
puredrifting said:
Based upon my limited gimbal experience, I predict doing this will be difficult to impossible. The cable from the C200 to the LCD monitor is the same as the C300 audio and video cables, fairly thick and heavy duty. Based upon my Letus Helix Jr., that cable would definitely interfere with the smooth and steady movement of the gimbal.
Click to expand...

The Ronin MX is a tight fit with the C300ii, but we use it at work and run audio and video cables, so c200 should be no problem at all. You would need to do tests, but should be fine.

puredrifting said:
If the C200 can only position the DPAF box using the touchscreen, that would mean any shoulder mounted shooting you would need to just turn on continuous AF and hope for the best or only manually focus?
Click to expand...

I really doubt they would limit this to use with the touch screen.
 
Ben_Ericson said:
The Ronin MX is a tight fit with the C300ii, but we use it at work and run audio and video cables, so c200 should be no problem at all. You would need to do tests, but should be fine.



I really doubt they would limit this to use with the touch screen.
Click to expand...

You would think, but remember, this is from the company that covers the on-screen audio meters with the WFM on the C100 MKI. Most frustrating thing about that camera, cannot move the WFM unless you go to the long bottom placed display that looks lame. Canon gets 95% of the operational issues right but that 5% can make shooting a PITA under some circumstances.
 
puredrifting said:
Yes, but I fly the C100 on the Helix Jr. The C300 MKII is fine on the Helix (non Jr.) In the image above, how would the C200 be able to tilt way up or way down? Doesn't it look as if that cable might be a bit too short? Who knows? Maybe it works great?
Click to expand...

I can't tilt all the way up or down as is with the C100 or C500 on the Ronin-M, so personally I wouldn't be worried about it. Especially since 98% of my gimbal work is shooting straight forward with the occasional slight tilt or pan. I'm not filming extreme sports or anything, so most of my gimbal work is as subtle as possible.
 
What's interesting is that by adding RAW and having the same sensor as the C700, this camera is the perfect gimbal/B-Cam/steadycam on larger productions running the C700. You can match the quality of your main cam, but in a much smaller package.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top