Canon Announces New Cine Lens Range

On Monday Canon announced two Cinema lens in their new Flex Zoom series. The first lenses in the series are the CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP wide-angle zoom lens and the CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP telephoto zoom lens. Both lenses are available in EF and PL mount.

With the introduction of these two new lenses Canon has managed to cover the entire focal range of their existing six cinema prime lenses with just zoom offerings. Canon’s new zoom lenses will offer greater efficiency for production workflows.

The Lenses feature Canon’s data transmission EF mount and are also compatible with /i Technology3 from Cooke Optics, allowing them to transmit metadata such as focus, zoom, aperture, and lens model to the camera itself.

The optical design of the lenses (including a large-aperture aspherical lens and an anomalous dispersion glass lens) are optimized to reduce the potential for color smudging and chromatic aberrations, which maintains high optical performance corner to corner even on 8K sensors. The lenses’ constant T2.4 aperture allows for proper exposure in natural light and darker environments.

Some more features of the Flex Zoom lenses:

• 8K Optical Performance with Canon Cinema EOS Color Science
• Constant T2.4 throughout the zoom range
• Designed for Full Frame Cameras
• Advanced Lens Metadata Support
• Available in EF Mount or Cooke/i Technology PL Mount Options
• Cinema Style Operability
• 11-blade iris for beautiful bokeh
• Available in 20-50mm and 45-135mm focal lengths

The Canon CN-E20-50mm T2.4 L F/FP wide-angle zoom lens and Canon CN-E45-135mm T2.4 L F/FP telephoto zoom lens are scheduled to be available in early June 2022 and early September 2022 respectively. Both lenses are set to be available in both EF mount and PL mount. Each lens is estimated to retail for $21,999.00.

Internal 4K RAW recording comes to the Canon C70

Canon’s new firmware update for the Cinema EOS C70 will allow the camera to record 4K RAW footage internally at up to 59.94P (60 FPS if you’re cool) as well as adding a few other features, including recording XF-AVC proxies simultaneously. 

The graphic above shows what resolutions you can record in Canon’s cinema RAW Light, I’ll avoid the redundancy of listing out all the different options, but the data rates are fairly reasonable for recording in both RAW ST and LT. 

The above graphic shows the types of proxies available when simultaneously recording internal RAW. The graphic below shows what ISO/Gain settings are available when using internal RAW.  

Internal raw on the C70 requires a reasonably fast SD card to keep up with the 4K RAW data rates (V90 is a must). TMS recommends the Delkin Devices 256GB BLACK V90 UHS-II SDXC Memory Card for the C70. Below you can see the recommended speed class of card for different video recording configurations.

You can download the new firmware here. Be sure to swing by the shop side of our site to pick up a Canon EOS C70, Canon EOS C70 + 24-105 F4 Kit, or a Canon EOS C70 Triple Lens kit. 

Full Firmware Details

Firmware Version 1.0.3.1 incorporates the following fix and enhancements:

Adds support for the Cinema RAW Light recording modes
Resolution: 4096 x 2160, 2048 x 1080
Bit Depth: 12 bit
Frame rate: 59.94P, 50.00P, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25.00P, 24.00P

Adds [Frame Recording] modes

Adds [Interval Recording] modes

For further information, please refer to the latest version of the camera’s Instruction Manual that is released with the firmware update.

Caution:

  • Firmware version 1.0.3.1 is for updating EOS C70 cameras running firmware version 1.0.0.1 – 1.0.2.1. If your camera’s firmware is already version 1.0.3.1, it is not necessary to update the firmware. Once the camera is updated to the latest version, it cannot be restored to a previous version.
  • Please refrain from loading menu settings generated using the most recent firmware version to a product running an old firmware version, as doing so may affect camera operations.

Preparations for a firmware update:

  • Please use a commercially available SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card that is 512MB or greater to perform the firmware update.
  • After the firmware update has been performed, the camera’s menu settings will be reset. It is recommended that, prior to starting update operations, users save their menu settings as settings data to an SD card, separate from the one that will be used to carry out the update, before starting update operations. This saved data can be loaded into the camera and the settings can be changed after the update has been completed. For further information on this, please refer to the section in the unit’s Instruction Manual titled “Saving and Loading Camera Settings.”
  • The downloaded folder contains the firmware (file name: VQB3.FIR / file size: 62,578,240byte), and instructions on the firmware update procedures (a PDF file in five languages: Japanese, English, French, Spanish and Simplified Chinese). Before starting the firmware update operations, please be sure to carefully confirm your understanding of these instructions.

The following items are required to perform this firmware update:

  • Camera Body EOS C70
  • A computer (OS requirements: macOS 11, 10.15 – 10.12)
  • SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card with a capacity of 512MB or more (commercially available)
  • An SD card reader/writer (commercially available) or an SD card slot built into the computer
  • A fully charged battery pack for the camera
  • The firmware (the downloaded file)

You can download the new firmware here.

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Canon EOS R3 Announced

With the mirrorless arms race heating up Canon has introduced a new competitor by announcing the EOS R3.

Canon looks to be introducing a juggernaut into its EOS R line of of mirrorless cameras. Canon literature is positioning the new EOS R3 squarely between its EOS R5 and flagship 1DX Mark III models. Specifically, they allude to “great emphasis on superb AF performance and speed, with fast-moving subjects” and “being designed to meet the reliability and durability demands of professionals.” It’s not hard to infer with this new model that they are trying to entice more professional sports and news photographers over to their mirrorless line. 

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the bevy of features that they’ve mentioned in their press release. 

Sensor Step Up

The center of the EOS R3’s is it’s new Canon-developed,  back-illuminated, full-frame,  stacked, CMOS sensor. This buzz-word jumble should provide the camera with faster readout speeds while taking stills. It should also produce less rolling shutter distortion when using the Electronic Shutter, and be able to operate with Electronic Shutter still image shooting at up to 30 fps (with Dual Pixel CMOS AF and auto exposure1 no less!) Not to mention 30 fps is a staggering 10 fps more than even Canon’s own 1DX Mark III. 

Echoes of AF Past

The EOS R3 will benefit from the advanced AF systems introduced in the R6 and R5 cameras as well as employing deep learning technology to enhance the eye and body detection. Currently the Canon AF system has options for Eye and Head detect, but will be introducing a new Torso Detect function as well. (Presumably useful for any sports photographers who’s subjects wear helmets or masks of any sort.)

The camera also introduces a new system of Eye Control AF through the electronic viewfinder. Eye control AF was introduced in Canon Cameras way back in the early 90’s, but with the technological advancements in the intervening 30 odd years the EOS R3’s new Eye Control system promises to be more reliable while also incorporating more features overall. (Coincidentally the last camera to carry this Eye Control AF was the EOS 3, which was also the last EOS camera to carry the ‘3’ moniker until the EOS R3 as well.)

According to Canon, the EOS R3’s EVF will offer the ability to set “the initial area for AF tracking by simply looking directly at the viewfinder location where they (the photographer) want to begin AF.” The camera will then focus on and track subjects in that location of the frame automatically, as long as Eye Control AF2 and Servo AF are active.  

It is unclear if the Eye Control AF will work continuously in video mode, but it will likely be useful to sports or wildlife photographers where milliseconds can be the difference between a great shot and missing the picture.  

Tough New Body

The EOS R3 will feature a new body with better weather and dust resistance. The new body is the first in the EOS R line to feature an integrated vertical grip section for easier shooting in portrait orientation. Canon refers to the body being a one-piece design similar to other professional cameras who’s chassis are machined from a solid block of material. The one-piece body will give the camera greater durability and weather sealing, equivalent to EOS 1D class cameras. 

Canon also makes mention of a Mobile File Transmitter application for iOS and Android as well. This sort of app is great for stream lining modern photographic workflows, whether its getting a shot to social media or sending proofs to a client. 

Final Thoughts

Canon’s press release heavily touts the camera’s utility to sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers, but makes little mention of it’s video capabilities. As such its hard to say if this new camera will offer much for video shooters over the EOS R5 or Cinema EOS C70, but if nothing else the improved body and weather sealing over the rest of the EOS R line may make it a solid choice for any videographers in need of a truly bullet proof camera. 

New Delkin Type B CFexpress Cards

Delkin has released a new CFexpress card in their BLACK series. These new cards should be great for Canon R5, C300 MarkIII, C500 MarkII shooters. Press Release from Delkin Follows:

Delkin’s New BLACK CFexpressTM Type B Cards Deliver Up to 1700 MB/s Sustained Speeds

POWAY, CA, MARCH 30, 2021 – Delkin Devices, a manufacturer of flash storage solutions and camera accessories,
announced today the newest addition to their top-selling line of memory cards: BLACK CFexpressTM Type B memory cards. Specially designed to meet the ever-growing demands of today’s broadcast, cinema and photography industries, Delkin’s BLACK CFexpressTM cards leverage today’s latest technology in order to provide the fastest speeds on the market. 

Other competing CFexpressTM Type B cards may state a maximum write speed, but BLACK takes things further with sustained sequential write speeds of at least 1400 MB/s (higher depending on capacity). This sustained speed versus potential write speeds is what guarantees flawless cinema-quality video capture, including DCI 8K RAW 12-Bit @30fps (2600 Mbps) in the Canon R5. This is especially valuable during events like weddings, sport meets, concerts and other situations you cannot redo. The cards are also capable of offloading data at speeds reaching up to 1730 MB/s, ensuring the quickest, most efficient data transfer from card to computer for immediate file access and sooner post-production. 

“With more camera manufacturers deciding to integrate support for CFexpressTM Type B memory cards into their new camera models, we felt the need to provide camera owners with a card that they could trust to protect and preserve their precious memories” says Jenn Sherry, Delkin’s Retail Sales & Marketing Manager, “As cameras continue to advance and new data-heavy modes are introduced, it has become even more important for storage mediums to be able to keep up. We believe that BLACK CFexpressTM is the solution for complete video capture, just as the creator envisioned.” 

Each BLACK CFexpressTM Type B memory card has undergone extensive testing to ensure full functionality and performance in today’s high-end cinematic hosts, including ones from Canon® (C300 Mark III, C500 Mark II, 1D X Mark III & R5) and Nikon® (D6, Z6 II & Z7 II). Select hosts originally designed with native support for XQD cards can also accept CFexpressTM Type B cards via firmware upgrade. In addition to their “Lifetime Warranty” policy, Delkin continues to offer a unique built-in insurance policy for their BLACK memory cards, known as the “48 Hour Replacement Guarantee”. Delkin will replace any non-working BLACK card within 48 hours or less (not including weekends – in the US and UK), prior to receiving the non-working card. Cards can also be replaced over-the-counter at any authorized Delkin BLACK reseller. Additional information on Delkin BLACK can be found here:
www.delkindevices.com/delkin-black/.

Canon R5 Firmware Update

Canon recently released a batch of firmware updates for a few different cameras. 

The main one us in the video world are concerned with though are the new features this will add to the R5. 

Here’s a list of the highlights of the new firmware as compiled by Canon Rumors. 

  1. Added Canon Log 3 to Canon Log settings, a log gamma curve that possesses largely the same characteristics with Canon Log 1 but with a wider dynamic range. It is also found in our professional line of cameras, the Cinema EOS Series, allowing easier post-production camera matching work between the EOS R5 with Cinema EOS cameras.
  2. Added Low Bitrate recording option, allowing users to shoot smaller file size footage with lower image details. This is very useful for longer recordings that do not require the best possible image quality or when storage space is a concern.
  3. Added 120p Full HD video recording, allowing users to have the flexibility to select the desired resolution for slow-motion content thus allowing more convenience during post-processing.
  4. Electronic Full-time Manual Focus
  5. LCD Backlight OFF option
  6. FTP Transfer Status Display
  7. Protect Image Transfer
  8. Save/Load Settings on Card
  9. Fixes a phenomenon, in rare cases where the camera does not function normally when using certain CFexpress cards.
  10. Fixes a phenomenon, in rare cases where the camera does not function normally when the drive mode is set to “High-speed continuous shooting” to shoot still images continuously.

You can download the update and view all the technical details here

You can see a summary of other recently released Canon firmware here

The Canon C70 is Here!

It may have taken them a while to join the mirrorless party, but with the release of the Canon EOS C70 you’d be hard pressed to argue that it wasn’t worth the wait. 

The new camera is another strong addition to Canon’s already legendary Cinema EOS line, and represents an interesting synthesis of features from the Cinema EOS line and its newer EOS R mirrorless cameras. 

To call a spade a spade here, the EOS C70 looks a bit like an EOS R body with Cinema EOS parts Frankenstein-ed onto it. It’s not until you look at the features that you realize ‘Yeah that’s pretty much exactly what it is’; A small and compact body with a plethora of pro level video features packed into it.  

The camera features: 

  • Canon Super 35mm Dual Gain Output (DGO) Sensor, 16+ stops of TotalDynamic Range
  • DIG!C DV7 Image Processor
  • Canon Log 2, 3,PQ, HLGRecording
  • Built inND filtersystem(2/4/6/8/10 stops)
  • Time Code Terminal(BNC)
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF, EOS iTRAF X,Dual Pixel Focus Guide
  • Electronic Image Stabilization with Combination IS
  • Auto ISO/Gain Control
  • RC-V100 Remote Control Support
  • Dual SD Card Slotswith Various RecordingOptions
  • AND MORE, but we’ll get into those in more detail later. 

The Canon EOS C70 is an absolute monster of a camera that offers exceptional image quality and professional video features in a compact and mobile form factor, perfect for documentary, newsgathering, and corporate videos. It’s new RF gives you access to a slew of new glass while still maintaining backwards compatibility and extra features through the use of an adaptor.  The dual gain output sensor and the DIG!C image processor enable a variety of features to make pumping out amazing footage in a a bevy of different formats out as easy as possible. Overall it looks to be a heavy hitting video camera priced to compete with a crossover DSLM cameras. 

Canon C300 Mark III or C500 Mark II R5 Lease Rates!

We have a couple of C300 Mark III/R5 and C500 Mark II/R5 Camera Bundles Available down here in Austin!

Whether you need the perfect A and B cam for a doc, you’re a DP who dabbles in stills on the side, or you just plain like good deals a C300 Mark III/ C500 Mark II and R5 bundle may be right for you! 

ETA on Canon R5 camera Body only orders is 30+ days.

0% 24m and 1.99% 36m Lease Promos are available on most of the Canon Cinema EOS Main Model Items.

If you bundle Canon Photo products, like the R5 Camera Body, Canon will offer the Cinema EOS promo rate on the bundled Canon Photo item or accessories.

Apply Online: https://texasmediasystems.com/leasing/

C300 Mark III/ R5 bundle

Canon C300 Mark III Camera $10,999
+
Canon EOS R5 Body $2899


= $14,898

$621 @ 0% 24m
$427 @1.99% 36m
$379 48m
$310 60m

C500 Mark II/ R5 Bundle

Canon C500 Mark II Body + Sandisk 512 GB CFexpress Card $15,999
+
Canon EOS R5 Body $3899

= $19898

$830 @ 0% 24m
$570 @ 1.99% 36m
$508 48m
$414 60m

*Estimated Monthly Payments Do Not Include Taxes or Insurance

New Battery Plate Brings Added Functionality to C500 Mark II and C300 Mark III Cameras

As any videographer will tell you, with the rate of technological advancement a new camera can become outdated within a year or two of its initial release, but good glass is a lifetime investment. One other long-term investment that gets its due much less frequently are batteries. 

A career’s worth of batteries can represent thousands of dollars. Thousands of dollars that can become valueless if you decide to switch to a different camera system. Because of this, many shooters turn to V-mount or Gold Mount batteries for a truly brand agnostic power solution. However powering off these batteries can sometimes entail kludge-y rigs with wires hanging every which way and nothing but Velcro and hope holding 3lbs battery bricks in place. 

Enter the Full Frame Camera Co V-mount Plate for C500 Mark II and C300 Mark III. A high quality way to bring your old collection of batteries to your brand new Cinema EOS camera. 

Our story begins with the founder of UK based Full Frame Camera Corporation: Alex Stone. Upon receiving his Canon C500 Mark II and realizing that the OEM solution to power the camera from V-Mounts, the EU-V2 Expansion Unit, was on back order he simply decided to make his own instead of waiting around.  

The V-mount plate is manufactured in small batches and is compatible with Canon C500 Mark II and C300 Mark III cameras. A Gold-mount option has been introduced as well, if that’s more your flavor. 

The Compact V-Mount plate is machined from aluminium (Ah-loo-mini-um if wish to pronounce it in the manufacture’s native tongue), attaches to the camera via two captive M4 bolts and powers the camera via a low profile right angle xlr connector. 

The plate features one D-tap port for supplying 10A to any other accessories on your rig. The port is located on the side of the plate at an angle so that all the rear buttons and SDI outputs are still accessible. 

An additional feature of the plate is that in its default mounting position the Canon A60 battery slot is unobstructed, which allows you to hot swap batteries. 

The plate is compatible with any V-mount battery and can be mounted in a lower position for a more streamlined setup (if you are using taller V-mount batteries). One drawback of this though is that in this position, the plate blocks the A60 slot making the aforementioned hot swapping impossible. 

If you are looking for robust and relatively inexpensive way to take all your old V-Mount batteries to your brand new Cinema EOS camera the Full Frame Camera Co. Compact V-Mount plate is the solution for you!

The plate has dimensions of 60 x 95.3 x 29.3mm (2.36″ x 3.75″ x  1.15″) and weighs 256g

Related Items

Compact V-Mount Plate

Canon C500 Mark II Camera

Canon C300 Mark III Camera

Update! If C500 MarkII bundled CFexpress has issues

Some SanDisk CFexpress card readers bundled with C500 MarkII kits have been experiencing issues properly seating cards, making transferring data impossible. Canon and SanDisk are aware of this problem and are working towards a solution.

Read this notice for more information from Canon

Read this notice for more information from SanDisk

If you are experiencing issues with your own card reader contact SanDisk customer support

Wrapping rubber bands around the reader to hold the card in the reader has been found to work in a pinch.