Canon Announces EOS C200 – Internal 4K Raw at Affordable Price

News

by Sebastian WöberMay 31^st, 2017

Canon just announced the launch of the Canon EOS C200, which marks not only a new addition to the famous Cinema EOS line of cameras, but also a bold step by Canon, introducing internal 4K raw at a relatively affordable price. Check out all the details of the new camera below.

Canon EOS C200 – Internal Raw Recording & More

The Canon EOS C200 is here and it shoots raw! In fact, this is a camera for documentary style shooters that is laid out to record raw as a main codec. To make shooting raw feasible, the camera supports a new recording format called “Cinema RAW Light” which, according to Canon, provides the same flexibility in colour grading as Cinema RAW but at a smaller file size, making it possible to record internally to CFast 2.0 media.

This is big news for many cinema camera enthusiasts, especially considering the comparatively low price point (see at the bottom). Raw and higher bit-rate recordings have always been a format filmmakers of all niches craved in order to achieve high-quality results, but for many it has been out of reach, so having a sub-$10k Canon EOS camera with internal 4K RAW recording is very big news.

Recording Formats

But that’s not all. The newly-developed Dual DIGIC DV6 processor of the C200 enables internal recordings in 4K UHD/50P MP4, 4K DCI raw 50P (!) and continuous 120fps High Frame Rate (HFR) in Full HD without cropping the sensor.

As an alternative to the Cinema RAW Light format, the C200 can also record 4K UHD at 150Mbps and 2K or Full HD at 35Mbps to an SD card in the MP4 format.

This highlights another interesting fact about this camera: at this time there is no “410Mbps All-I codec” as on other EOS cameras like the C300 Mark II. While it offers 4K raw recordings at 50P, which is great, we see that the only alternative is 150Mbps MP4 – a rather low bit-rate codec that is not ideal for professional productions. This could be a deal breaker for some documentary and TV productions aiming for good-quality recordings, but who don’t necessarily want the extensive and hard disk space-consuming workflow that come with shooting raw.

The good news, however, is that according to the press release, Canon’s XF-AVC video format will be available via a future firmware upgrade. The upgrade will be free of charge and is planned to be available from Q1 2018.

Advanced Auto Focus

The Canon EOS C200 has Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus (AF) technology as well as a new touch-screen LCD monitor that allows users to select their subject and provide smooth AF operation and tracking. There is Face Detection with Face Priority and Face-Only options to assist users with focus control.

Canon’s cameras with Dual Pixel technology has been delivering some of the best large-sensor AF. It’s great to have even better and more intelligent auto focus options on a camera like the C200.

Low Light & ND

Canon EOS cameras are famous for very good low-light performance. This is surely one reason for their popularity. The C200 will be no exception, and will sport a similar ISO range as its predecessors up to 102,400. Canon claims the camera delivers “excellent performance, even in difficult lighting conditions”.

According to Canon, the C200 supports up to 15-stops of dynamic range with Cinema RAW Light, similar to the claimed dynamic range of other EOS cameras, and up to 13-stops in MP4 with Canon Log / Log 3.

There are built-in ND filters with up to 10 stops of density.

Ergonomics

The new Canon EOS C200 weighs 1.4kg. In comparison, the C300 mark II weighs about 1.8kg and the C100 mark II weighs 1.1kg. Considering that this camera shoots raw, a weight of 1.4kg is a good start, especially as applications like handheld gimbals or drones become more and more popular.

There is also built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity that allows users to remote control the camera and there is even an option to transfer files via FTP.

Canon will also be introducing a way to attach and connect the Canon EVF-V70 EVF that was originally designed for the C700.

Canon EOS C200 with V70 EVF

Cinema RAW Light Workflow

Canon has worked with several partners to ensure Cinema RAW Light is integrated with various software programs. As a result, editing and grading of the Cinema RAW Light video format will be supported in DaVinci Resolve of Blackmagic Design. Editing will be possible in Media Composer from Avid Technology, using Canon RAW Plugin for Avid Media Access. This format can also be processed using a Canon application, Cinema RAW Development.
Support for Cinema RAW Light is also scheduled for EDIUS Pro, Grass Valley’s editing software, Cinema RAW Light, using Canon RAW Plugin for Final Cut Pro X.

It seems like Adobe Premiere is not on the list of apps supporting the new camera format at this time.

EOS C200 Key Features

• Internal 4K recording with Cinema RAW Light or MP4 format
• Continuous 120fps (maximum) High Frame Rate with no cropping at Full HD
• Up to 15-stops dynamic range (Cinema RAW Light)
• Professional high-quality image and audio
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with touch control and extensive shooting functions
• Easy operation and flexible configuration

Price and Availability

The Canon EOS C200 is available for pre-order now in Europe and will start shipping in July 2017. The fully equipped camera body is $7,499 (€7,348 exc. tax).

If you go for the body-only version (without LCD, handle and grip), the camera only costs $5,999. You can find links to recommended retailers below.

As I’ve pointed out before, this is a very interesting product that could likely be seen as a come back by a company that has been “playing it safe” for the past few years, losing a lot of customers to other brands in the process.

There are many things to like about this camera and we’re looking forward to reviewing it in the course of the next month. We will get our first hands-on at Cine Gear in LA in a couple of days, so stay tuned.