C100: Yeesh maaaan

[cyvideo]

If 'The Africas' could've somehow been shot on any of the latest gen BM cameras, it'd be an even better looking project - this IS (edited typo from is not to is) a pretty vanilla statement. But the BMs simply couldn't have been used in the same way. What good is absolute IQ if the camera can't keep up with a schedule? The fx6 is one of the GOAT video cameras, but a lot of its IQ comes from all the things you mention, not directly from the sensor. If someone said they loved shooting with their fx6 but wish it had a better image, and someone else said they loved the image from their BM, but wish it had better usability, those would be fair statements. I'm not arguing over which company makes the best cameras, but to me BM footage looks better than the sony fx6 footage, all else being equal.

Understand exactly what you are saying. I've been tempted by the BM URSA Mini Pro 12K. But then I start sobering up when I start thinking lenses, post and codecs and camera mixing. I've found in the last few years even the least initiated in the production business, i.e. clients, hangers on and even agency folk etc. just don't seem to query anything when they see a Sony branded camera unpacked. For TV sports production, that is very much the case. Turn up with anything else and it's, "What's that? Can we match that for the production switch?" Most TV production I work in is almost exclusively Sony or Grass Valley.

I'm way past wasting my energy trying to convince anyone that what I am using on the shoot is perfectly suited to the job. As far as post goes, almost no one these days queries XAVC. In fact, I get asked for it. And in the final analysis, since the introduction of HD basically I've not had a client, even knowledgeable ones, say they prefer the look of one camera over another. It's KISS for me. Today, the UJC's (Universal Japanese Cameras) of the world cover most ares competently. And generally with pretty dependable reliability. Reliability rates very high for me. Nothing more do I hate than knowing one of my cameras has had to go into the hospital. Invoice is in the mail, than you!. See 'ya next time.

Chris Young

 

[Barry1908]

Along with the c100 I also picked up an XF200. I’ve never used one before but feature-wise it seemed like it would be a good fit for use on my other doc project because of it’s customizable automatic options and IS.

Today I shot the same exposure tests that I’ve been doing with the c100 just to familiarize myself with the controls….and wow.

The beefier 8 bit 422 codec kind of makes me think I should have waited for a gently used c300 to show up on eBay. It’s a fair bit noisier at medium gain settings, but there’s no macro blocking or posterization in the shadows, and I really really tried to make it happen. I think once I have the automatic gain setting dialed in so it doesn’t swing so wide it will be perfectly serviceable.

It’s the first ENG style camera I’ve used since high school, and I have to say I am smitten.

Agree about that beefy codec. I was always impressed with the solid look of the Xf100 footage, and it annoyed me that I cost half the price of my c100 but had a far superior codec…

 

[Peter C.]

Agree about that beefy codec. I was always impressed with the solid look of the Xf100 footage, and it annoyed me that I cost half the price of my c100 but had a far superior codec…

I looked up the specs and the codecs are similar.
While XF100 has a higher bitrate 50mbs that's 10bit color, while the C100 35mbs it's 8bit color. I'd rather have it's larger sensor. There is a common misconception higher bitrate is better but past a certain threshold it isn't perceivable. Generally the manufacture will give the optimal bitrate.

 

[JustinBrown]

I looked up the specs and the codecs are similar.
While XF100 has a higher bitrate 50mbs that's 10bit color, while the C100 35mbs it's 8bit color. I'd rather have it's larger sensor. There is a common misconception higher bitrate is better but past a certain threshold it isn't perceivable. Generally the manufacture will give the optimal bitrate.

XF100 and XF200 are 8bit 422 in stead of 420. What I meant about the beefier codec was more related to the literal compression. The XF200 I'm testing out is waaaay noisier than the C100, but the noise doesn't appear to exhibit macro-blocking in the shadows, and light/shadow doesn't seem to show posterization as obviously as the C100 footage. Also, I'm unsure how much sensor size is effecting this, if at all.

The stuff I'm testing is just dumb pixel peeping so I can get an idea about the range of optimal exposure settings both are capable of before I start using them.

 

[Barry1908]

C100 mk1 is 24mb/s

 

[JustinBrown]

C100 mk1 is 24mb/s

Yep. I don't know what I was expecting performance-wise, but I was hoping it would be better than it turned out to be.

 

[Charles Teton]

Canon C300 MK I is a very good buy, seen them for £250-£350 UKP at the minute. 50Mbps CBR (4:2:2) 10bit. Shot a series/70 min feature on it, in REC709, Shakespeare's King Lear.

 

[JustinBrown]

Canon C300 MK I is a very good buy, seen them for £250-£350 UKP at the minute. 50Mbps CBR (4:2:2) 10bit. Shot a series/70 min feature on it, in REC709, Shakespeare's King Lear.

I had been checking them out, but none of the ones on eBay when I looked were in very good shape. I ended up finding a near mint XF200 complete kit with nice back pack case, batteries, and a light for next to nothing. Decided to jump at that, and then in the same sitting saw a C100 MKII that was also near mint condition with really low hours and decided to snag it as well.

So far the XF200 has been a perfect match for me and how I like to shoot stuff. The C100 is really cool, but it feels like a really specific tool for very specific shooting conditions, which is fine. I just don't know if that's what I'm after.

 

[Peter C.]

People on the internet like to over think the numbers and specs but often it comes down to whether a camera matches what you need to do.

 

[NorBro]

Time to post the famous C300 Blue Ruin example...heavily shared back in the day and we were all impressed. I know it's dated now for people who are watching the latest and greatest on YouTube in 4K on a 4K monitor, but the camera held its own.

Still today with all of the compressed ads and content people are watching on their phones in 720p, 1080p, it could easily be used in a lot of niche work (like many other older cameras).

 

[JustinBrown]

Time to post the famous C300 Blue Ruin example...heavily shared back in the day and we were all impressed. I know it's dated now for people who are watching the latest and greatest on YouTube in 4K on a 4K monitor, but the camera held its own.

Still today with all of the compressed ads and content people are watching on their phones in 720p, 1080p, it could easily be used in a lot of niche work (like many other older cameras).

I loved this film when it came out. Also, if you're a fan of Brainscan...it has Amy Hargreaves in it!