Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 9, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
C300 Mark II with 4K Recording (Internal)
Anyone who has already worn out their C300 can look forward to the successor, which is nipping directly at the throne of the C500: The C300 Mark II offers internal 4K recording on CFast memory cards at a maximum of 30 fps. The camera is available from the 3rd quarter of 2015 at a price of 14,676 euros (net).
But then there are the costs for the memory cards – Cfast are the fastest, but also the most expensive (two slots are available). Recording then takes place in 10 bit (4:2:2) at up to 410 Mbps (in 3840 x 2160 or 4,096 x 2,160), or, if you still want it for retro reasons, in 2K/Full HD material in 10/12 bit (4:4:4) at 120 FPS. For the dynamics of the C300II, Canon speaks of up to 15 stops, which we will of course test as early as possible. The S35 CMOS is intended to offer ISO up to 102,400, with an integrated glass ND filter in front of it. In front of that is an EF mount, but specialist dealers or the service center can presumably convert it to an EF bayonet with Cinema Look, or to a PL mount.
Among other things, recording uses the new Canon codec: an H.264-based XF-AVC Intra codec for 4K and XF-AVC Long GOP codec and proxies for 2K/HD. Color spaces definitely include BT.2020, Canon Cinema Gamut and DCI-P3.
Canon XC10: 4K for 2000 Euros
If that price is too steep: The Canon XC10, first shown several weeks ago and now official, floats at considerably more affordable price levels but still offers quite a bit: The camera, weighing only e 1KG, with a 1-inch sensor (and DIGIC DV5 image processor), also an integrated ND filter and fixed optics (10x zoom, optical and electronic stabilization and f2.8 aperture – a 35mm-equivalent range of 24.1–241 mm for photos and 27.3–273 mm for video. Behind that, the XC10 records with C-Log, in 4K – 3,840 x 2,160 25p at a maximum of 305 Mbps on CFast 2.0 memory cards, plus FullHD (1,920 x 1,080 / 50p/50i) on SD cards at 8 bit (4:2:2). For recording, as with the C300Mk II, the new XF-AVC H.264 format comes into play, ISO goes up to 20,000, and there are also 12 stops of dynamic range.
There is also a tilting 3-inch LCD touchscreen and integrated Wi-Fi for control via smartphone, tablet or browser. Interfaces include HDMI (for UHD at 25p), USB and a 3.5mm mini-jack audio input. Atomos’ Shogun is intended to support the XC10 and record directly in ProRes or DNxHR 4K. The XC10 is expected to be available from June 2015 at a price of around 2000 euros.
The first test footage is already available:
Look: DP-V2410, the 24-Inch 4K Reference Monitor
The cameras naturally need a suitable monitor – and here Canon presents the DP-V2410. This is intended for on-set work and is the little brother of the already presented DP-V3010. It displays at 4096 x 2160 resolution, and a new HDR mode is intended to make details in shadows and highlights recognizably visible. The color space is also designed for the DCI-P3 cinema standard, ITU-R BT.2020 and ACES Proxy (ACES Ver. 1.0).
Physically, the IPS panel with RGB backlight brings 2000:1 contrast, 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI connections, as well as an already integrated debayer. Wave Form Monitor and vectorscopes are available for confirming the signal, along with multiple 1D/3D LUTs for monitoring and an audio level meter. And the whole thing weighs just 12 kilograms and requires 24 volts of power. We have no price information yet.
* We apologize for this weak pun.
