The New Canon C500 Mark II Camera

Its no secret that 2019 has been the year of the camera. It feels like a new camera has been either announced or released almost every month this year, and Canon looks like it is going to cap it all off this December by releasing the new C500 Mark II.

With the bevy of new DSLM cameras that have blurred the line between pro-sumer stills camera and professional video camera Canon’s Cinema EOS line has been given an increasingly intense run for its money.  Canon looks to be re-asserting it’s status as King of the Heap by releasing the C500 Mark II. The new camera offers some truly impressive specs and a high degree of modularity at a very competitive price point (compared to other similarly capable and similarly modular camera systems).

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Here is a list of official features that Canon has announced for the camera:

  • 5.9K Full Frame CMOS Sensor, with support for Super 35mm and Super 16mm crop modes
  • User Changeable Lens Mounts which gives users freedom to use the lenses they desire
  • Newly developed DIGIC DV 7 Image Processor, which powerfully processes high-resolution image data
  • Canon RAW Light and XF-AVC Recording
  • Proxy Recording
  • Compatibility with EF and PL* Lenses
  • Anamorphic Lens Support
  • Electronic Image Stabilization
  • Modular Design with three available Expansion Units allows a high level of connectivity and interoperability
  • 3” LCD Touch screen Monitor LM-V2
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF with support for Touch AF and Face Detection AF
  • Canon Log 2 and 3 Support
  • 4 Channel Audio Recording
  • Support for Custom User LUTs
  • 15 stops dynamic range
  • Cinema RAW light internal
  • Drone and gimbal size and weight

Let’s break down what some of these features mean.

  • 5.9K Full Frame CMOS Sensor, with support for Super 35mm and Super 16mm crop modes
  • User Changeable Lens Mounts which gives users freedom to use the lenses they desire
  • Compatibility with EF and PL* Lenses
  • Anamorphic Lens Support
 
These features taken together point to Canon’s effort to make this camera just as comfortable shooting high budget narrative films as it is shooting run and gun docs and commercial work. The drone/gimbal sizing means that you with the right drone you can send this 100ft in the air while still maintaining all the advantages of the full frame sensor and advanced video codecs. The crop modes, user swap-able lens mounts, anamorphic lens support and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) make this camera truly lens agnostic.  As Canon’s own literature states, this camera can take anything from old servo zoom B4 lenses to vintage stills glass to PL cinema glass (especially their own Sumire Prime Cinema lenses, because y’know, synergy).
 
With Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel AF, EIS system, and support for custom user LUTs the C500 Mark II is a big boy cinema camera that still provides exceptional user assistance. The camera supports Continuous, Face Detect, and One-shot AF modes when using appropriate lenses. The EIS system is basically just Canon’s way of saying this camera has 5 axis IBIS, so you can use any non-OIS lens with impunity. 
  • Newly developed DIGIC DV 7 Image Processor, which powerfully processes high-resolution image data
  • Canon RAW Light and XF-AVC Recording
  • Proxy Recording
  • Canon Log 2 and 3 Support
  • 15 stops dynamic range
  • Cinema RAW light internal
 
The C500 Mark II is a lean, mean, media recording machine. The new DIGIC DV 7 Image processor allows you to record in a variety of frame rates, resolutions, bitrates, and codecs depending how much color flexibility you need in post or how much space you have on your hard drive. The ability to record 2K 8bit proxies to standard SD cards lets you streamline your transition into post-production and make your editor’s life just a little bit easier. With 15 stops of dynamic range and Cinema RAW light internal this camera is capable of producing footage that will make the hardest part of color grading be deciding what ‘film look’ best fits your quirky indie dramady about deconstructing the manic pixie dream-girl trope.
  • Modular Design with three available Expansion Units allows a high level of connectivity and interoperability
  • 3” LCD Touch screen Monitor LM-V2
  • 4 Channel Audio Recording
 
This one goes out to all you multi-cam users out there. The C500 Mark II system features a variety of expansion units that enable features to make the C500 Mark II a capable broadcast camera. The stand-outs in this section are the EU-V1 expansion unit and the EU-V2 expander. The studio-centric EU-V1 adds Ethernet ports for live-streaming, RS244 remote camera control, and genlock/sync-out. If the EU-V1 is the nerdy indoor kid little brother, the EU-V2 is the beefy, out on the football field big brother expansion unit. The EU-V2 adds a V-Mount battery plate, two additional XLR audio inputs for 4-channel recording, a lens control port, 24V and D-tap power outputs, Genlock, an additional RS422 port and an Ethernet port. 

Oh! and also this camera supports IP streaming. You can pair the camera with a separately available transmitter or stream to your computer via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to allow an off-set producer or a nosy client to view your capture at rates of up to 1080p XF-AVC at 9 or 4 Mb/s.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, the Canon Cinema C500 Mark II is scheduled to be available in December 2019 for an estimated retail price of $15,999.00. 

If you are are in the market for a camera system that can do everything from low budget docs to real cinema work and have a spare $16k burning a hole in your pocket the new Canon Cinema C500 Mark II is a pretty solid value proposition. 

 For more information, including accessory prices and availability, call or email us today!

Blackmagic Design Pocket 4K Cinema Camera

Introducing the next generation handheld 4K digital film camera!

The revolutionary new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is the camera you’ve been asking for! It features an all new handheld design that puts the latest advanced digital film technology into the palm of your hand! The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has a 4/3 size sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range and dual native ISO up to 25,600. That means you get stunning HDR images and incredible low light performance! The external controls give you quick access to essential functions, while the large 5 inch touchscreen makesit easy to frame shots, focus accurately and changecamera settings. Images are recorded ontostandard SD/UHS-II or CFast 2.0 cards in Blackmagic RAW and ProRes at up to 120 frames per second! In addition, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has an MFT lens mount, built-in microphones, mini XLR input, full sized HDMI, 3D LUT support, Bluetooth, USB-C Expansion Port and more!

 

Blackmagic RAW added to Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

The new Blackmagic Camera 6.2 update adds support for Blackmagic RAW to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, giving you the quality of full, visually lossless camera RAW images, with the size and speed of traditional video file formats! Because the files are so small, you’ll be able to record much longer programs on the media you already own. You’ll also be able to change parameters such as exposure, saturation, midtone detail, and more. Best of all, just like traditional RAW formats, these changes are completely non-destructive! You’ll be able to choose between 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1 constant bit-rate recording or between constant quality Q0 and Q5 recording. With Blackmagic RAW 12:1, you can record more than 2 hours of 4K DCI footage to a single 256GB SD UHS-II card, giving you stunning cinematic quality images on incredibly small, inexpensive cards!

Elegant Modern Design

The portable handheld design of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K gives you incredible mobility without sacrificing features. The highly compact form factor features a carbon fiber reinforced composite body that makes it extremely durable and lightweight so you can take it anywhere. You get a super bright 5” screen, 4 built in microphones, built in recorders and external buttons and dials that give you fast access to the most important functions. That means you can quickly check framing and focus, capture audio andrecord your files without having to carry around extra monitors, microphones, recorders and cables. You also get lots of mounting points, a mini XLR input with phantom power, Bluetooth control and more. With the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K you get a fully featured portable digital film camera that’s flexible and expandable!

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Bundles / Kits In Stock!

Now you can shoot anything in 4K!

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K gives you the professional features you need, all in a portable and affordable design that can be used anywhere. It’s perfect for shooting independent films and documentaries, fashion shows, travel blogs, web videos, weddings, corporate video, sports and more. The incredible image quality, advanced Blackmagic Design color science and Blackmagic RAW recording features let you shoot images that rival professional digital film cameras costing tens of thousands more. That means you get the image quality youneed to seamlessly mix footage from the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with other types of cameras used on high end Hollywood feature films and episodic television shows!

Canon Announces C200 & C200B Cinema EOS Cameras

Canon USA announced an expansion to their Cinema EOS Line in a press release this morning, the EOS C200 and EOS C200B. We had a chance to get our hands on this camera before the announcement and made this video breaking down the major features and innovations:

The EOS C200 Digital Cinema Camera is a “ready-to- go” production camera that comes with a built-in electronic viewfinder and an array of accessories including a 4-inch touch screen LCD monitor, a versatile handle and ergonomic handgrip. The camera can record internal 4K RAW to a CFast™ 2.0 card in our new Cinema RAW Light format without compromising detail, as well as 4K UHD and Full HD in MP4 format to SD cards. The 8.85 Megapixel Super 35mm CMOS sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, full compatibility with Canon EF-mount lenses, and HDR capability help make the EOS C200 ideal for film, documentary and television production, corporate and event videography, and newsgathering.

The EOS C200B version comes as a standalone camera body, excluding the built-in electronic viewfinder, LCD monitor, handle and handgrip. This will allow the user the flexibility to customize the camera with a wide range of accessories to fit their specific needs. The EOS C200B’s smaller form factor allows it to be used in tighter spaces, and more easily attached to a gimbal or drone.

The back of the C200 compared to the C200B
The back of the C200 compared to the C200B

Canon’s announcement included the pricelist of $7,499.00 for the C200 and $5,999.00 for the EOS C200B models. Though Canon’s popular 0% Financing Promotion for its Cinema EOS Line has not yet been extended to include the C200 or C200B, even with standard financing you should be able to own one for under $200/month (either model). You can join our waitlist on each individual product page, or check out the press release or on the Canon website. Below is a video shot on the C200: From Dock to Dish.