C100: Which C100 would you buy now??

Currently I'm shooting with the BMPCC. I shot a feature last summer with the rig and don't have a single complaint of the image quality of the camera. This was the first film I shot with a dedicated "cinema" style camera. I've shot several features on DVX100 and HMC150. I'm leaning towards the mk2 just for the grab and go shooting style I've been missing with the Pocket. It seems like I'm shooting less personal stuff to just for the fact I need to rig the camera for proper use. Anyone go from BM cams to C100 have any regrets doing so?
 
tom1 said:
Folks you do not think that color science in c100 is much better ?
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The general consensus is that Canon has the best color science for skin tones. I agree. Love the look of my C100 footage. Shooting raw with another camera you can push it all over the place in theory, but in practice it's really nice to be able to pull a card at the end of the shoot day and just hand it to the producer without worrying too much about how they're going to color it. or not color it.
 
Yes I think original C100 has much better color than mk2. Main problem I have with mk2 is I can't get correct WB. Even I used grey card, tried fix it with kelvin or preset. I can get correct WB when I shoot with c-log.
And R is over saturated then it lost details, but if you see as a total it's very cold color. Very vivid color but seems cold, it really seems like a sonny color science. WDR with original C100 was very useful but tried it with mk2 but nothing good.
I really regret upgrade to mk2 and sold original c100.
Now I really don't use C100 mk2 but back to 5D3. Because 5D3 has much better color than C100 mk2. When I do interview, I'm using mk2 as a Audio recorder. Don't you think it's crazy? But I'm doing so because color from mk2 is solo bad.

So from my experience, I really strongly recommend buy original C100 and good monitor like a SmallHD 502. This combination is perfect I think. Of course need more info about SmallHD 502 if you think buy it.

So just go to original C100.
Yes mk2 has some nice features like a 60P, OLED panel etc.. But I found OLED of mk2 is not so useful. It doesn't show correct color and brightness and contrast. Yes you can adjust it in menu but you could not adjust it correct NEVER. So you need good monitor for mk2 but not for only original C100.
So I feel advantage from mk2 is only about 60P.
 
Hikari, You might want to get your camera checked out if it's as bad as you're saying here. I've heard that there was a slight, as in very slight shift in the WB on the mkII, but nothing that couldn't be corrected with a small adjustment. Maybe finding someone else with a C100 II to compare with?
 
Andrius, thank you for your advise. I also think I have to rent mk2 from someone or rental house and have to check that my mk2 is OK or not.
I hope my mk2 has some trouble and real potential from mk2 is more better. Otherwise I have to use my mk2 as a audio recorder when I shoot with 5d3. It's crazy...
 
Hikari i have a C100 mark I and yes the C100 Mk2 its 200-400 Kevin colder, but came on...mk2 its way way better than 5D Mk3 for sure. You have to check your camera or your eyes.:D
QUOTE "Otherwise I have to use my mk2 as a audio recorder when I shoot with 5d3. It's crazy..." this its a joke...??? or a true workflow?
 
Pedro, Now I'm using C100 mk2 as a audio recorder which is $6K, and shoot with 5D3 when I do interview shoot. This is not a joke.
I owned original C100 as well and ofcourse I didn't use it as a audio recorder but used as a main camera.
The problem from C100 mk2 what I have is, I can't get correct white balance.
When I'm shooting with mk2, I feel I'm shooting correct. But when I back to home and checked it, I noticed that color is a bit strange. Also not good skin tone. So now I'm using mk2 for audio recoder and shoot with 5D3 for compare which color is correct. And every time I can get correct color with 5D3.

So my question is bellows:
1. How do you set white balance? sometimes I used grey card, and sometimes adjust with kelvin, sometimes used preset. sometimes used AWB.
In my experience, I could best result with AWB.
Mostly I don't have this issue when I'm filming outdoor. I have problem when I shoot indoor.

2. Do you think color on OLED is correct? mine is really not correct. So it's impossible to decide WB and adjsut hue with monitor from C100 mk2. I have to give correct color to editor so I'm using 5D3. I think I can adjust OLED color is menu. But impossible to adjust it with only B-R adjustment which menu has.

Thank you for reply.
 
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It took me quite awhile to figure out how to get good WB and then I fried my motherboard and had to start all over again. Basically, all the complaints about WB are really about your settings. The viewer wants pleasing flesh tones and if you don't want to spend a lot of time in post correcting you need to tweak your picture profile settings. The best way to do this is to dedicate a hour or two and go through all the old posts on this board by people (you can see the ones who are the gurus) and write down their settings and see who agrees. The camera, as with most cameras, will not look pleasing right out of the box. It takes a LOT of tweaking. But putting up posts that complain suggest you have not gone through all the earlier posts.

When a new camera comes out like the C100 did over a year ago, everyone who just bought it compares notes, so go back to the earliest posts about WB when the C100 came out and you'll see this was discussed ad nauseam. The C100 looks great outdoors but tweaking for indoor flesh tones has been a journey. Since I fried the camera I haven't been 100% happy with my indoor WB balances on Caucasians but I know IT'S MY FAULT, since I once had the camera set up perfectly. I am still tweaking.

The C100 will give the best flesh tones for interviews if you key with a daylight light source. I don't know why. If you are not happy with the look you can not blame the camera, it is reacting to the settings. In fact, the C100 as with all cameras the last 10 years, is not really a camera. It is merely a computer that has a lens stuck on the front. After I do a ABB I will white balance on a white card that fills 100% of the frame as per the manual. Then I look to see what it says the Kelvin temperature is and I have to ask myself if I think that is accurate, especially since I often am in a mixed light situation. I then look at my Small HD AC7 OLED monitor, which I paid an expert to set up so it is WYSIWYG, and decide if the flesh tone is off.

So in sum, go back to the first WB posts on this forum when the C100 came out, take lots of notes, then experiment. It isn't the camera, it is HOW YOU SET IT UP.

Good luck,
 
For me, I would get the C100 mk1, not the mk2.

C100 mk2 isn't worth the added cost. The screen is better, but I really didn't feel it was that much better. The EVF is certainly way better, but in both circumstances, the A7s has the screen and EVF beat (EVF by a long shot).

You can pick up a C100 mki for $3400 new in Toronto (likely under $3000 used) -> C100mk2 .. $5,800?!?!
You can buy and A7s and a C100 mki for the cost of the C100 mkii.... I can't see how the added cost is worth it.

I never use autofocus, and the A7s does 60p and 120 (@720), as well as way better low light, and I can have both for cheaper than a mk2.
 
nedcam, thank you for your kindly reply.
I checked about WB issue thread ago. But yes I have to check it again and read more seriously. Thank you for remind it to me.
But in my opinion, original C100 could have correct WB than mk2 more easily I feel. That's why I thought it's very strange but yes anyway I will check WB thread again.

Now I need SmallHD502 monitor for get correct color. OLED from mk2 is not enough.
I paid for upgrade but now I have to buy good monitor. That's scraching my head. But there is no choice.

I checked C300 mk2 info and I heard WB from c300 mk2 is more better. So maybe I buy C300 mk2! haha
In this thread, I will say original C100 and smallHD502 is cool combination I think.

Thank you for your reply.
 
I am trying to find this thread and I do not know where it is , I tried in panel :advanced search , nothing . I thought c100 color is perfect , straight out from the box . Is there any more issue with c100 which I should know before I get one ?
https://vimeo.com/79559472
This one scare me
 
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I've been on the used market patiently for the mk1 before the price drop. Then I was patient for an even lower price, but the last few days I hit up all surrounding Authorized vendors and they are all out. Yay me
 
tom1 said:
I am trying to find this thread and I do not know where it is , I tried in panel :advanced search , nothing . I thought c100 color is perfect , straight out from the box . Is there any more issue with c100 which I should know before I get one ?
https://vimeo.com/79559472
This one scare me
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on my MK I I had a slight issue of that kind. But really less important than that.
 
coutard said:
on my MK I I had a slight issue of that kind. But really less important than that.
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So I do not know what to think . Has some of c100 defects,more or less ? I have never seen something like that before with any other camera .
 
It is nice , any way do you know how many people work to make it , c100 was the cheapest toy in this production :smile:
 
tom1 said:
It is nice , any way do you know how many people work to make it , c100 was the cheapest toy in this production :smile:
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Most everything was rented or loaned so no larger purchases than the camera itself. For the concept, the C100 MKii was the right camera especially considering the other costs for crew and extras needed to sell it. I worked as a grip on the project and it was a great shoot!
 
Still using the HPX 170 for projects that mostly end up as web video. Seriously considering moving on to C100. Anybody else out there still making money with the HPX 170? Even after all these years this camera surprises me. And of course, I have those expensive P2 cards. C100 seems like a logical move for the projects I do. I would really miss XLR inputs and ND filters if I went mirrorless or DSLR.
 
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