Canon has revealed two new professional 4K-toting cameras in the form of the C300 Mark II and the XC10. The EOS C300 M2 is designed for film makers and broadcast producers with its Super 35-mm CMOS sensor and internal 4K recording, while the XC10 is a smaller hybrid camera with a built-in 27-273-mm equivalent lens aimed at indie film makers and multimedia journalists.
Canon EOS C300 Mark II
A follow-up to the EOS C300, the new Mark II boasts a newly-designed effective 8.85-megapixel Super 35 CMOS sensor which is paired with dual DIGIC DV5 image processors. This gives a boost in performance and means the camera can offer 15 stops of dynamic range. It also has an ISO range which reaches all the way up to ISO 102,400 for shooting in the lowest of lighting conditions.
However, the headline upgrade to the C300 M2 is undoubtedly the ability to shoot 10-bit 4K video internally at up to 410 Mbps thanks to new professional codec and dual CFast 2.0 card slots. 4K footage in broadcast (3840 x 2160) and DCI cinematic (4096 x 2160) resolutions can be recorded on the cards at up to 30 fps, while there's also the option to simultaneously record 4K RAW files to an external recorder.
2K/FullHD footage can also be recorded at the same time to an internal SD card, with frame-rates up to 120 fps for producing slow motion footage. As you would expect from a Canon Cinema EOS camera, the various available codecs also mean it will be easy to integrate the C300 Mark II into a current professional workflows.
The C300 M2 can be used in manual or automatic shooting modes, and Dual Pixel CMOS AF now covers 80 percent (vertical and horizontal) of the sensor. This allows features such as Face Detection AF, setting the speed of the continuous AF, and adjusting the sensitivity of subject tracking. This will no doubt be of use to news gatherers and documentary makers who shoot on the go.
Physically, the C300 M2 features a die-cast construction, is drip and dust proof, and has the array of buttons that you would expect of such a high-end camera, including 22 which can be assigned to specific functions. It measures 190 x 183 x 187 mm (7.5 x 7.2 x 7.4 in) with a grip, and will be available with an EF, EF Lock, or PL lens mount.
The Canon EOS C300 Mark II will be available from September and is due to cost around US$20,000.
Canon XC10
The XC10 is a new hybrid camera from Canon which is being marketed at indie film makers and multimedia shooters, and can record 4K video as well as shoot and share still image files. Built around a 12-megapixel 1-inch-type (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS sensor, the camera also has a DIGIC DV5 image processor and a 27-273-mm equivalent F2.8-F5.6 lens. It boasts an ISO range of 160 to 20,000 for use in a variety of lighting conditions.
The 4K video from this camera is its biggest selling point, and with good reason. It is capable of recording UHDTV (3840 x 2160) 4K footage at up to 30 fps to an internal CFast 2.0 card slot, at up to 305 Mbps. There's also the option to record Full HD 1080p footage to an SD card slot at 50 Mbps.
There are two ways of getting stills from the XC10 – a frame grab or a dedicated still image mode. In-camera frame grabs can be taken direct from 4K or Full HD videos and saved as a JPEG file, with a 4K grab giving an 8.3-megapixel still. In still image mode the camera can capture 12-megapixel JPEG files with a top continuous shooting of 3.8 fps.
Design-wise, this is not your Grandad's camcorder. The XC10 features an integrated grip which can be angled independently from the main lens and camera unit, and includes DSLR-like controls, including a shutter button used for shooting stills or starting a video recording. Around the lens barrel on the main body of the camera there are the manual focus and zoom rings you would expect.
Meanwhile, on the rear there's a three-inch touchscreen monitor which can be tilted up or down to make shooting easier in otherwise awkward situations. An included viewfinder can also be attached over the monitor to provide an eye-level finder which is better for shooting outdoors or in bright light. Built-in Wi-Fi means it's simple to share content from the XC10, or to control it remotely via a smartphone or tablet.
The Canon XC10 will be available from June priced at $2,500.
Product pages: Canon EOS C300 M2, Canon XC10
