Canon goes to the movies - Canon Cinema EOS

[Chris Dodkin]

This is going to shake things up a bit!

Said Martin Scorsese at the Hollywood launch: “I really believe these new tools that Canon has created allow for a much closer, more intimate relationship between the filmmakers and the world they are filming than every before."

Canon Say:

"Built from the ground up for the serious filmmaker. Every detail, from sensor design to lens mount to I/O and codec is inspired by and created for the industry. We interviewed hundreds of people in the business to truly understand their wants and needs. They spoke; we listened. The result - the Canon Cinema EOS system.

Leveraging decades of Canon experience delivering imaging technology and services, Cinema EOS is more than the sum of its parts - camera body, lenses, service and support; it's a definitive HD motion picture system, conceived as an extension of the cinematographer. And this is just the beginning. Expect many more announcements in the months to come - all part of Canon's commitment to provide professionals with the tools and support they need to tell their stories."

Canon Cinema EOS

The EOS C300 - a movie camera that is designed to take the legendary L series lenses from Canon

Throw in some new 'movie' lenses and an option to have the new PL mount instead of EF...

Canon U.S.A. : Professional Imaging Products : EF Cinema Lenses (EF Mount)

The new Canon camera technology will list for roughly $20,000.

 

[Davie Hudson]

that is a thing of beauty, almost makes me want to make movies

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Chris.

This might be of interest also.

My thoughts on the Canon C300 and the new RED Scarlet (oh and a whole new 4k video shooting Canon DSLR!) | Philip Bloom

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/canon-c300-cinema-camera-hands-on-video/

 

[Hamish Gill]

That thing looks quite awesome!
So talk me through this Chris, if you can?
What sort size sensor is this thing?
how does it relate to the eos line bar mount?
I thought there were already canon movie cams that took eos lenses?
or have i been woefully misinformed?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

You are correct Hamish - Canon have been heading down the track for a while now, using EF lenses for video - but what's different here is the sensor size, and what that does for DOF.

Most video cameras use small cropped sensors - this was great for standard video work, but meant that shallow DOF 'movie' style shooting was not possible.

So you needed a hugely expensive movie camera for that.

Then the 5D and 5D2 came along - and introduced HD video with a large FF 35mm sensor - and all of a sudden you could get that lovely shallow DOF you were after, and HD quality, and selectable frame rates to emulate traditional film cameras for the 'look'.

All at a price point of a few grand.

This really blew open the 'pro' video market - but the DSLR body wasn't ideal for real film use - you had to adapt it a whole lot.

To fill the gap - Canon have taken the idea and put it in a dedicated movie camera body.

They have enabled you to continue to use the full EF lens range - and added new 'movie' lenses to the mix - designed specifically for the task.

This is a whole new ballgame - potentially a new market segment for Canon.

The sensor is 'super 35mm' (16:9) - and is 24.6 x 13.8mm and 8 MP

It has high sensitivity and low noise, and some new technology that does away with the need to use deBayering software to extract RGB from the single chip (Older video cams had separate Red green and Blue chips). ISO goes from 320 to 20,000!

Recording Options:

50Mbps (CBR) 4:2:2 422P@HL
1920x1080: 59.94i/29.97p/23.98p; 50i/25p; True 24 (24.00)
1280x720: 59.94i/29.97p/23.98p; 50p/25p; True 24 (24.00)

35Mbps (VBR) 4:2:0 MP@HL
1920x1080: 59.94i/29.97p/23.98p; 50i/25p
1280x720: 59.94p/29.97p/23.98p; 50p/25p

25Mbps (CBR) 4:2:0 MP@H14
1440x1080: 59.94i/29.97p/23.98p; 50i/25p

The only downside I can see so far is the price - it's too expensive at $20,000 list - but I expect that will change as competition comes into play.

There's a nice PDF brochure you can download here: http://downloads.canon.com/cinemaeos/cinemaeos.pdf

 

[Pete Askew]

It's a Super 35 sensor Hamish which is smaller than a stills full frame and a fraction larger than 35mm moving film. So you get the look of 35mm film (don't forget you need to crop the top and bottom of a FF sensor to give you cinema widescreen format) and similar DoF.

The main thing about the body is that it has important features like internal ND filters to control exposure, professional outputs (SDI) and a clean DVI stream (ie you can connect an external recorder to it and not get a record symbol on you final footage - CF 5D MKII). It also has pro audio on board and buttons for the main functions so you don't have to go through loads of menus. It obviously has an EVF and things like peaking etc (for focus) and zebra striping (for highlights) built in plus a modular format so you can add stuff / remove bits as necessary. It comes in two flavours EOS and PL mount and is MF as I far as I understand it (as many movie cameras are) so it can be used by photographers with a load of Canon lenses or film makers with Arri style lenses (and others I guess using a converter).

You are right that Canon make other video cameras that can take the EOS lenses but they are all single or multi-chip using small sensors so you get the classic video look but don't get cinema-like shallow depth of field. And a big up-scale of focal length of course.

As commented elsewhere it is priced high and is obviously not aimed at those stepping up from DSLR's but intended to compete with the independent / commercial cinematographer that is using RED or the Super 35 equipped Sony's I suppose. Will be nice to see some more feedback from film makers.

 

[Pete Askew]

Too quick for me there Chris Be interesting to see how it does at those high ISO's.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Too quick for me there Chris Be interesting to see how it does at those high ISO's.

I believe Canon have some demo video shot at ISO 20,000 - and it was getting rave reviews from Vincent LaForet.

He has a sample video on Vimeo at 720p and 1080p

[video=vimeo;30215350]http://vimeo.com/30215350[/video]

Mobius - 1080p HQ on Vimeo

 

[Pete Askew]

Yes I saw that and there is a making-of in the link above too. Fascinating stuff indeed and it will intersting to see what else starts to come out over the next year. Video / digital cinema is really intersting at the moment I think although film takes some beating and is completely free of artifacts and I was watching something the otehr day about the way we are now 'programmed' to associate the frame rate etc of film to a cinematic experience. So while you can shoot at high 'frame rates' in digital it looks like a documentary and you need to down-scale / grade it to look like high quality film!!

 

[Larry Bolch]

Price is of little consequence. The initial price of the RED One "brain" was around $17,000US IIRC. However, buy the time it is on the set and in the hands of the camera crew, it could well be three times the price or more, depending on what is hanging off it. These cameras are hugely modular and owned primarily by movie supply rental agencies. If you are shooting in a studio set today and location shots outdoors tomorrow, the rental agency will configure the camera to your needs.

While a movie may be in production for two or three years, only a few weeks of that time will actually be spent filming. Pre-production may go on a year or more—writing and revising the screenplay, searching out the locations, hiring and bringing on board the production staff, selecting and negotiating contracts with the stars, contracting studio and office space, and above all, scheduling everyone for the actual filming. Post production means editing, screening for reaction, re-editing based upon viewer's response. Creating distribution media, and above all marketing.

Thus rentals. Next time you are viewing a movie, check the final credits. Every one there gets paid. Anyone in the opening credits could afford to buy the camera with the pay for an hour, and have loads of change left over. The daily cost of the camera is almost too small to calculate in comparison to the cost of cast and crew. On a movie set—everything—including the director's chair and the clap-board is rented. Movie production companies may not even own a chair or a desk.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Larry - I'm complaining about price purely from a personal standpoint.

I'd love to own kit of this quality - but at $20k, it's not something I'd consider

However, a cheaper version in the future - absolutely

 

[Chris Dodkin]

The accessory folks are ready to go - clearly been in development for some time

[video=vimeo;31405236]http://vimeo.com/31405236[/video]

Canon C300 - Recoil on Vimeo

 

[Chris Dodkin]

[video]http://vimeo.com/user8943175/review/31623615/c55b54fdb3?Nov4[/video]The Making of Cinema EOS: Sneak Peek

 

[Larry Bolch]

Larry - I'm complaining about price purely from a personal standpoint.

I'd love to own kit of this quality - but at $20k, it's not something I'd consider

However, a cheaper version in the future - absolutely

News departments will own this camera, along with film schools and perhaps some documentary makers. Pretty much the rest of the industry will rent when needed—as you can. For those who use them for industrials, commercials, and so on, it makes great sense, since most of the time on the project is in pre- and post-production. No point in letting a camera collect dust for months while you edit the footage. Even as a still photographer, I had basic equipment, but rented everything else—with my client paying. There simply was no justification for owning an 8×10 view-camera for the three or four shoots I had each year.

I checked the pro-video section of the B&H site, and there are many cameras—including Canon—from $1,200 up, including lens. For well under half the price of the Canon C300 body alone, one can get some very heavy-duty industrial-level hardware and they don't need a crew to operate them.

Of course, if it is about the acquisition of high-priced shiny objects for their own sake, that is a different story.

 

[Larry Bolch]

The accessory folks are ready to go - clearly been in development for some time

Actually only two years, if the Canon engineer interviewed on DPReview is to be believed. An all-new sensor, but they copped what they could from the dSLRs with video.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Larry - I wish I could afford to acquire this stuff just for the hell of it - but unfortunately, or fortunately, I have to make it all pay for itself!

I have a good buddy back in the UK who buys pretty much everything I buy, and never really uses it - so I get what you're saying

He seems happy enough though.

 

[Larry Bolch]

It has been said, "He who dies with the best stuff—wins!"

It has been said that "He who dies with the best stuff—is none the less dead!"

It takes all kinds. I appreciate good tools, but only if they empower me to create better work. A lens that is good enough—is good enough. If the image looks sharp on the screen or on the print, the lens is good enough, no matter what it looks like on my big monitor at 100%. Call it pragmatic perfectionism.

 

[Andy Boardman]

If it works it will be cheap for movie makers, a good friend of mine has used loads of 5Dmkii bodies for blow up shots & special effects in films & you can not spot the join in the film between that & the main film camera.I am talking big production films as well not run of the mill stuff. $20,000.00 will be a cheap camera compared to alternative makes.