Canon EOS C700 Announced: 4.5K Sensor, 4K ProRes Recording & 120fps

News

by Nino LeitnerSeptember 1^st, 2016

The Canon EOS C700 has just been announced, a new flagship camera model for their Cinema line that will likely replace the C500, which dropped in price by $3000 earlier today.

With the C700, Canon has moved on to a different form factor for the first time in quite a while. The Canon EOS C700 is reminiscent of competitor cameras such as the Panasonic Varicam, Arri Amira or the Sony F55/F5, and its features and pricing clearly target it at the higher end of filmmaking.

Like with the C300 Mark II, Canon claims 15 stops of usable dynamic range in the standard rolling-shutter CMOS version of the C700. There is a Global Shutter version of the C700 available, which comes at a loss of 1 stop of dynamic range, for a total at a claimed 14 stops of usable DR.

Like with their C300 and C500 line, there will be separate EF and PL versions of the camera.

The Canon EOS C700 camera offers internal 4K recording to CFast 2.0 cards at up to 59.94p in XF-AVC (10-bit 4K, which we already know from the C300 Mark II) and also in ProRes (even in 4K 10-bit 422HQ, or 2K in ProRes 4444 at 12 bit).

Sampling from a 4.5K sensor and using the optional, specifically-developed Codex CDX-36150 recorder for which there is no pricing or availability yet, the Canon EOS C700 provides 120fps 4K RAW recording, which is probably its most mind-blowing feature. 4.5K RAW recording at up to 100fps is said to be coming at a later point via a Firmware upgrade.

When it comes to higher internal frame rates, the  Canon EOS C700 can record the following:

• 4K internally to the CFast 2.0 cards at up to 60fps in XF-AVC format.
• Apple 4K ProRes up to 30fps.
• Up to 180 fps using the 10-bit 4:2:2 combined with the 2K centre crop.
• Ability to record a 4:2:0 proxy onto an SD card in XF-AVC in 2K in 1080p, which is very useful for rushes

Other highlights of this new camera:

• Dual Pixel CMOS AF (with compatible EF lenses), which is quite brilliant and easily the most innovative feature in Canon cameras these days, as seen already in many other cameras from Canon lately (5D Mark IV, C300 Mark II, 1DX Mark II …)
• Dual Pixel Focus Guide (for manual focus confirmation).
• Canon Log 2 and Canon Log 3 including all the color science that sets Canon cameras still apart from Sony and others for many users
• B4 Lens Support (for traditional 2/3″ ENG lenses).
• Built-in ND Filters.
• Anamorphic De-Squeeze (when outputting to EVF or monitor outputs, the image is stretched to 2.39:1 after de-squeezing. The magnification factor can be set to OFF/2x/1.33x to match the anamorphic optics in use).
• Detachable remote panel, a’ la Panasonic Varicam (it mirrors the camera controls, so an assistant can adjust settings easily).
• 12V and 24V power outputs that enable users to power all kinds of professional accessories through the camera
• High resolution EVF with proprietary Canon connection like on the C300 mkII.
• Optional servo control grip for most lens functions, allowing ENG-like functionality.

What’s in the box

Optional accessories:

• 1080p viewfinder EVF-V70, a new dedicated viewfinder clearly priced as high as other high-end viewfinders from Arri and Sony, and like them only works with the dedicated cameras (C700 and C300 Mark II)
• Baseplate with Sony VCT Quick Release and what seem to be 15mm rods
• Control grip is now optional too, looks similar to other control grips on large Canon ENG lenses and makes it an ENG-style camera
• B4 Mount optical adapter to use 2/3 inch broadcast lenses on the camera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MeEKCYvApM

Above, footage by Canon marketing Japan.

It is yet to be seen how this new line of camera and accessories will be received by rental houses and high end professional users, but for now, one thing is sure: Canon just made a clear declaration of wanting to be a part of a handful of camera manufacturers who are aiming to the top.