Canon EOS C100 and C300 videographers who have been pining for a new digital cinema camera from Canon – your wait is over. The Canon EOS C200 and C200B are designed to combine entry-level ease of use with high-end features, 4K video, and a new image processing system. The new camera is well-suited for wedding, corporate and independent cinema video work.
Canon C200 Key Features
- 4K UHD and DCI video
- Cinema RAW Light at 4K 60/50p at 10 bit, 30/25/24p at 12 bit
- Full dynamic range at 4K
- Innovative Focus Control
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF
- Over Sampling HD Processing
- Wide DR Gamma
- ISO range 100-102,400
- In-Camera ND Filter
- ACESproxy Support
- Dual SD card slots, one CFast internal card
- Improved Grip
- Supports Canon Cine-Servo, EF Cinema lenses
The C200 is the first sub-$10,000 4K video camera from Canon, mixing both low and high-end features such as the Canon Dual Pixel Autofocus as well as a highly-compressed 4:2:0 8-bit MP4 codec. The inclusion of Cinema Raw Light is a first for a major Japanese camera maker in a camera at this price.
The Canon EOS C200 and Canon EOS C200B Digital Cinema Cameras offer two 4K video formats, Canon’s new Cinema RAW Light, and MP4, optimized for those interested in recording HDR video. Alongside a newly developed dual DIGIC DV6 image processing system, Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system and improved operability for professionals, these new products are capable of capturing stunning 4K video across a variety of production applications.
The C200 will be available in two configurations. The Canon EOS C200 Digital Cinema Camera is a production-ready solution that can be used right out of the box, fitted with an LCD Monitor, LCD Attachment, Camera Grip and Handle Unit. The camera also features a 1.77 million dot OLED Electronic View Finder (EVF). The Canon EOS C200B Digital Cinema Camera offers cinematographers the same camera without these accessories. Both cameras are identical inside.
What’s new?
The Canon EOS C200 and Canon EOS C200B Digital Cinema Cameras sport the same 8.85MP CMOS sensor, working in tandem with a newly-developed dual DIGIC DV6 image processing system to help process high-resolution image data and record video from Full HD (1920×1080) and 2K (2048×1080) to 4K UHD (3840×2160) and 4K DCI (4096×2160). Canon claims this new processing platform offers wide-ranging expressive capabilities and improved operation when capturing high-quality HDR video.
The camera supports two new 4K file formats designed to help optimize workflow and make 4K and HDR recording more accessible to filmmakers. Cinema RAW Light, available in 4K 60p/50p at 10 bit and 30p/25p/24p at 12 bit, allows users to record data internally to a CFast card by cutting data size to about one-third to one-fifth of a Cinema RAW file, without losing grading flexibility. Due to the reduced file size, users will appreciate rich dynamic range and easier post processing without sacrificing true 4K quality. Alongside recording to a CFastTM card, proxy data (MP4) can also be simultaneously recorded to an SD card for offline editing.
Users can export 4K in MP4 format on SD media cards at 60/50/30/25/24P at 8 bit. Support for UHD recording allows for use in cinema and broadcasting applications or scenarios where long recording times are needed while still maintaining top image quality. The digital cinema cameras also offer slow motion Full HD recording support at up to 120fps.
The Innovative Focus Control helps assist with 4K shooting that demands precise focusing, whether from single or remote operation. Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology is designed to expand the distance of the subject area to enable faster focus during 4K video recording. This also allows for highly accurate continuous AF and face detection AF when using EF lenses. For 4K video opportunities that call for precise focus accuracy that can’t be checked on an HD monitor, users can also take advantage of the LCD Monitor LM-V1 (supplied with the EOS C200 camera), which provides intuitive touch focusing support to help filmmakers achieve sophisticated focusing even as a single operator.
Editing and grading of Cinema RAW Light video format will be supported in DaVinci Resolve of Blackmagic Design. Editing will also 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.
Compared: Canon C100, C200 and C300
Compared to the Canon C100, The Canon C200 offers significantly expanded ISO range (100-102,400 vs. the C100’s 320-80,000) and a major performance improvement via the dual Digic DV 6 processors (by contrast, the C100 offered a single Digic DV 3 processor). While the C100 offered MPEG-4 and AVC/H.264 HD video, the C200 offers 4K in Cinema Raw, MP4, and MP4 (Proxy). The C200 added slow/fast motion and longer recording time capabilities.
The C200 comes close to what the C300 Mark II can do. Compared to the C300 II, the C200’s processor is the next generation up from the C300’s dual Digic DV5. While the C300’s ISO range is natively 160-25,600 but can be boosted to 100-102,400, the C200 offers the wider range as its native ISO range. The C200 records 12-bit internal DCI 4K 60p RAW, while the C300 shoots 10-bit 4K at 30p internally. The C200 offers a Innovative Focus Control is claimed to enhance the Dual Pixel CMOS found on the the C300. The C300 also offers dual slots for CFast cards, and a slot for a single SD card. The C200 has dual SD card slots and an internal CFast card. There’s touchscreen autofocus, which isn’t available on the C300.
The biggest difference and possible deciding factor for those who are considering both cameras is the recording codec. The Canon C200 records 4K 12-bit RAW at 1Gbps or 8-bit MP4’s at 100 or 150 Mbps. The 4K can result in high-quality footage but will require post-processing muscle. The Canon C300 II records XF-AVC 10-bit at 410Mbps, which may work better for the fast turnaround time required for broadcast.
Pricing and Availability
The Canon C200B (body only) can be pre-ordered now for from Adorama. The Canon C200 (with touch screen LCD, handle and grip) can be pre-ordered now for from Adorama. The Canon C200 is also available packaged with a 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens for at Adorama.
