Canon Camera-to-Cloud for EOS C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II via Firmware Upgrade

Firmware UpdateNAB 2022

by Olaf von VossApril 26^th, 2022

Canon has just announced a new firmware update for its popular EOS C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II cine cameras that will enable camera-to-cloud (C2C) workflows. For this, Canon has teamed up with Frame.io. The update will be available in late May.

Frame.io’s C2C workflow is quite neat. It lets you upload footage directly from the camera to the cloud within seconds of completing the take. This way, editors can immediately start working on a first rough cut without even having to be present on set. This works anywhere in the world where there’s an Internet connection.

To read all about the Frame.io C2C (Camera-To-Cloud) workflow, make sure to read our initial coverage here. Also, check out our review on the C300 Mark III here, the one on the C500 Mark II here and the accompanying Lab Tests here (C300 Mark III) and here (C500 Mark II).

Canon Camera-to-Cloud Workflow

The C2C workflow involves not only compatible cameras, but also some bits of hardware to make it happen. The first thing, compatibility, is what Canon is announcing here: A new firmware update, due late May, will make both the C300 Mk III and the C500 Mk II compatible to the Frame.io C2C workflow.

For the second half of the equation, you need hardware, such as the Teradek CUBE 655, which connects to the camera in question, takes the incoming video stream, encodes it into low-bandwidth proxies (up to 4K 10bit 4:2:2 H.265 HEVC) along with uncompressed audio and with matching timecode and filenames, and uploads them to the Frame.io cloud.

For this to work, you need a stable Internet connection on set or some kind of 5G connection. Of course, the transmission is securely encrypted. Once the clips are in the cloud, anyone with the proper privileges can review the footage, download the clips, and start editing. Later, these proxies can be swapped out for the original camera media (since the TC matches). But this way, the rough cut is already done when the original media arrives.

For productions with fast turnaround times or the need for quick review of dailies, this C2C process can be a real time saver! Please note that this firmware update for the Canon C300 Mk III and C500 Mk II does not enable these cameras to upload files on their own.

You will still need C2C compatible encoder hardware for this. The firmware only provides the missing link between camera and encoder/streamer.

Availability

The firmware will be available for free and is scheduled for the end of May, so check the Canon website when that time comes.

Link: Canon Pro Video | Frame.io

Do you use Frame.io and/or C2C already? What are your experiences with it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!