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Posts Tagged "C300":
Hi all!
As you may have spotted on our homepage we can now offer bundle pricing and a FREE Petrol bag on Canons C100 and C300. The accessories have been chosen with these specific cameras in mind and will allow you to get shooting right away.
Canon Eos C100: £4,800.00 (+ VAT)
Bundle includes: Canon EOS C100 (body only), Shape Composite Offset Rig – Prokit Special, 2 x Canon BP-975 Batteries, 2 x Sandisk 32GB SD Cards and a FREE Petrol PD221!
Canon EOS C300 EF/PL: £9,800.00 (+ VAT)
Bundle includes: Canon EOS C300 EF/PL (body only), Shape Composite Offset Rig – Prokit Special, 2 x Canon BP-975 Batteries, 2 x Sandisk 32GB CF Cards and a FREE Petrol PD620!
These offers are AVAILABLE NOW so give one of our helpful staff a call on 0208 995 4664 or visit our Chiswick Showroom for more information.
Finance is now available for these bundles:
Further information is available at www.photolease.co.uk or call 020 7613 0633
Or you can apply now at: http://www.photolease.co.uk/offers/photolease_prokit.html
It’s been a busy time at Prokit these last couple of weeks but now it is time to talk about the coolest new products we saw at the IBC Exhibition in Amsterdam. Read on for the latest Canon camcorder and 4K capable external recorder news…
The DSLR Step Up: Canon C100
We have already written our reaction to the news of Canon’s C100 camcorder but IBC was our chance to get our hands on it. As you can see from the photo it looks similar to the C300 but significantly smaller. It’s designed for those stepping up from DSLR and the small size should come in handy for anyone still wanting a similar sized form factor. We can’t wait to get these into stock at the end of this year.
The 4K-ers: Canon C500 and Canon 1DC
I’m a little bit more in love with the C500 every time I see 4K footage from it. I was lucky enough to go a 4K screening of two movies shot with Canon 4K capable cameras at IBC. “Man and Beast” (Director: Dante Ariola, DoP: Jeff Cronenweth ASC) is the story of a man overcoming a boyhood stutter through talking to animals. I’d seen some of the movie without any sound at the NAB exhibition earlier this year on some 4K monitors and it looked very pretty good even then, so seeing it on a massive screen with a 4K projector was a chance to make an accurate assessment of the C500′s cinema credentials. The quality of the image from the 4K projection was stunning (the Vimeo link is sharp, but not 4K sharp of course) and the short is very well made. The C500 is very exciting and further down the page you can read about the recording options that will hit the market soon that get the best out of the C500.
Our Canon 4K adventure didn’t stop at the C500 screening. Also shown via the 4K projector was a short made on the upcoming Canon 1DC camera. “The Ticket” (Director: P Chan, DoP: Shane Hurlbut) is the first short made on the 1DC, and shot primarily with the 4K Motion JPEG compression. The short itself has much more in the style of other short movies you find on Vimeo (slightly wistful storyline/iris wide open for bokey light….you know the sort) but the quality of the 4K image was brilliant and didn’t look highly compressed at all.
I’ve grown excited by the 1DC. Previously I couldn’t figure out how it fit the Cinema EOS range, or even if anyone would be into the DSLR form factor anymore now that well priced alternatives exist. Having seen the 4K, found out that the HDMI output is uncompressed and that the HD recorded on board can lay down at 140mbps, I’m a convert. It’s my 30th birthday next month: I’d like a Canon 1DC please.
External Recorder Options for the Canon C500
Recording 4K ProRes
AJA are following up the popular Ki Pro Mini ProRes recorder with a 4K capable version that will be ideal for the Canon C500. Although the Ki Pro Quad is not capable of recording 4K RAW from the C500, it can record a 10bit 4K resolution file in Pro Res. Combine that 4K ProRes with the flat Canon C-Log profile on the C500 and you’ll have footage in phenomenal 4K resolution with huge dynamic range.
RAW Recording from the C500
If you want the widest dynamic range and highest bitrate from the C500, then you’ll want to record RAW onto a RAW capable recorder. The Convergent Design Gemini RAW is the most compact solution for this, offering 4K RAW recording from the Canon C500 and 2K RAW from the Arri Alexa. It is due early 2013. Another option is the latest Codex Onboard S Recorder, which will handle the RAW stream from the Canon C500 on a removable SSD capture drive.
New Canon Cine and Prime Zoom Lenses
So you’ve got your Canon Cinema EOS C100/300/500/1DC. Now you need some glass for them! IBC this year displayed not only the already-announced Prime Lens kit (which Prokit have just taken stock of for demonstration) but some new primes (a 14mm and a 135mm prototype) and also two new T2.8 constant aperture zooms. The 15.5-47mm T2.8 is an ideal short zoom and the 30m-105mm T2.8 is the slightly longer, less wide option. Just like the whole Canon Cine Lens range they have been designed for 4K production, hold focus through the zooming range and are beautifully made.
Canon 4K Monitor Display and our December 6th Canon Cinema EOS Open Day….
Have you ever seen a 30”4K resolution monitor? If you haven’t then try to see these from Canon. We saw them briefly at NAB and then again at IBC…they are just beautiful. The photo above does not do it justice!
You’ll be able to see a selection of the above products during a Canon Cinema EOS open day here at Prokit on Thursday 6th December. More information on the full line up closer to the date!
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
Well this is exciting. Very exciting, in fact.
Canon have today announced the EOS C100, which is the AVCHD recording baby brother of the ubiquitous EOS C300.
When DSLR shooting went nuclear over the last few years, there has been a clamour for Canon to take the large sensor of DSLR and optimise it for video shooters. The C300 was the first answer to this, but with its 50 mega bit per second recording and £9K price tag it was squarely aimed at shooters working for broadcasters. There was a sense within the DSLR community that the camcorder wasn’t quite the low price/large sensor camcorder that would allow them to progress to a fully-fledged video camera.
Well, DSLR people…your time has come. The Canon C100 is slated for release in mid-late November and represents the ideal step up from DSLR shooting. Here are the key features:
- Same Super 35mm Sensor as the C300 with EOS mount
- AVCHD recording at 24mbps 4:2:0, 25/24P and 50i/60i, to SD card
- Uncompressed output from HDMI
- 2 x XLR Inputs
- Canon Log Gamma for widest possible dynamic range
- New Auto Functions…this is interesting, in 2013 support will be added for “continuous, automatic focus and iris adjustment”. It is clear from this that Canon feel the C100 will be used by self-shooters as these functions will certainly make things easier for those working mostly by themselves without the benefit of a crew.
So those are the features: What of the design and ergonomics? Well, it looks like a condensed C300 body with the LCD screen incorporated into the body itself rather than being a separate module. The handle incorporates the XLR inputs which then connect to the body just like the C300. I’m a fan: It makes the whole package nice and compact whilst still maintaining the modular nature of the rest of the Cinema EOS range.
Speaking of “the range”…the Cinema EOS range feels complete with this new addition. You have the C100 now right at the beginning of the range and designed for the post-DSLR shooter, the C300 is for the broadcast crowd who need the higher bitrate, and then you have the upcoming C500 for the commercial and cinema sector. Add to this the curious full-frame/4K motion JPEG 1DC and you have quite an arsenal now from Canon. And to think this all started with adding video to a DSLR!
We now have the C100 on our website with some preliminary pricing. We hope to get our hands on a pre-production model at the IBC Exhibition next week!
Today’s blog by Stuart
Want to get to grips with the C300′s menu system before you buy? The EOS C300 Menu simulator is an interactive tool to help familiarise yourself with the cameras main and picture profile menus.
Not quite as fun as Angry Birds, but it could be a useful tool!
Hello Everybody,
Welcome to the first of our post-NAB reports! We saw so much it’s hard to know where to start, but we may as well start with the product type that got the most attention: The small matter of new cameras…
The Large Sensor Camcorders
In the large-sensor arena, this year’s NAB saw the genesis of low-cost 4K acquisition in the shape of new models from Sony and Canon, and the curious 2.5K resolution debut of Blackmagic’s Cinema Camera. Let’s deal with these one by one…
Sony FS700
Sony’s latest large sensor camcorder has been designed around the body chassis, layout and lens mount of their FS100 model, but the similarity really ends there: The internal specifications of FS700 make this a different beast altogether.
First of all we have totally new sensor capable of delivering 4K resolution via the 3G-SDI output when using an external recorder. The 4K output will not be active straight away, and will become usable with a future firmware upgrade. Although there is potentially a 4K recorder coming from Sony in the future, this NAB saw the launch of some third-party 4K capable external recorders which I shall cover in more detail next week.
So if 4K for the FS700 is a “future” capability, then what of the specifications on release? Well, as you may have read in previous blogs, the FS700 is set apart from closely priced rivals by its unique framerate capabilities. To quote the marketing blurb from Sony: “The camcorder delivers Full-HD quality images at 120 and 240 frames per second in an 8 or 16 seconds burst mode respectively. The NEX-FS700’s high sensitivity and low noise shooting capability makes super slow motion shooting more convenient without additional equipment. 480 fps and 960 fps rates at reduced resolution are available for faster frame rate recording.”
We saw some slow motion footage of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas shot by Alister Chapman, which you can see for yourself by clicking here. The YouTube footage doesn’t really do it justice: We saw it on Full HD OLED monitors on the Sony stand and it looked brilliant. There really isn’t another camera even remotely in this price range that has this kind of capability when it comes to frame rates and scalable resolution. Another nice touch is the inclusion of ND filters built into the front of the camera. Yes, that does mean increased girth at the lens mount end but it’s worth it if it means being able to knock down light at the flick of a switch.
All sounding good? Well, it gets better because the handgrip incorporates a zoom rocker. We all know what that means: Sony are planning a motorised servo zoom lens, meaning that the FS700 isn’t just for prime lenses and other fast optics. With the addition of a zoom controlled by the rocker, you’ll be able to use the camcorder in much the same way as a standard small sensor camcorder but with all the added benefits of the FS700’s impressive specification and capabilities (great low light performance, high framerates etc).
All in all the FS700 excites us. It’s scalable in terms of resolution, offers unique features at an excellent price and the eventual introduction of a powered zoom lens make it a great all round camcorder that will be ideal for accomplishing both cinematic and televisual aesthetics. And we’re taking pre-orders now…
Canon C500
Canon’s follow up to the wildly popular C300 gets their 4K ball rolling in a similar way to the Sony FS700 by equipping the camcorder with a sensor capable of 4K and a 3G-SDI output that will send out the 4K stream. So – like the Sony – no 4K on board but instead you’ll able to get that huge resolution onto the imminent range of 4K capable external recorders.
The C500 differs to the C300 in other ways as well. The 3G-SDI output will be capable of 10bit output, allowing you to go to recorder capable of that bit depth and technically extending the limits of what is possible in the post production grading process. Moreover, on-board you’ll be able to record up to 120FPS, making it a powerful slow-motion camcorder that will likely be broadcast legal due to the 50MBPS bitrate. In a necessary chassis design change from the C300, the C500 foregoes the side grip found on the C300 in order to make space for what looks like a heat sync/vent. One imagines that when in 4K mode, it gets a little hotter inside than its 8 bit/1080P relation.
Just like the C300, the camera will be available in the choice of EOS or PL mount. We’d love to know what you guys would put on the front: Would you be inclined to use feature and commercial level PL glass on a camera capable of such a resolution? Or would you stick it out using EOS glass from your DSLR days? It’s an interesting question, and we’d like to know your answers.
So enough of the tech talk on the Canon C500, onto what the footage looked like…
We saw a demonstration film played on Canon’s insanely impressive 30” 4K monitor (yes, I did say 30” and 4K in the same sentence) and put simply: It was quite beautiful. It probably helped that it had clearly been shot by a very talented crew, but what was striking was how sharp and “filmic” it was. I’m not normally one for the occasionally vague language employed by some of the online production community, and I would never say “filmic” unless I was attempting to convey the textural quality of celluloid itself, but in this case I can’t really find another adjective that really nails the feel of the C500 footage. Even then, it wasn’t so much texture on its own in a tactile sense, but more the way it interacted with the movement, colour and latitude around it. It was a type of aesthetic I hadn’t seen since I first looked at a Red R3D file with the RedSpace setting switched on: Full of detail, colour and punch, but without ever feeling like the OLPF-compensated sharpness of other camcorder footage. Of course, a demo real made to look brilliant through talented crew, high level grading and then displayed on a 4K monitor was always going to look great, but even if you’ve taken all that into account and the hairs on your neck still stand up…then surely you’ve just seen something that is just a little bit special.
The camera will be arriving sometime in the last quarter of this year. I can’t wait.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera
At a broadcast exhibition, always expect the unexpected. The unexpected can come in various forms: At last year’s IBC exhibition in Amsterdam, a man in a gorilla costume demonstrating a very strange piece of camera suspension kit casually sped past me with the aid of rollerblades. This year at I saw a middle-aged businessman singing “My Way” at a dedicated Karaoke tent (yes, really) outside the North hall. His audience? Nobody in particular, just exhibition attendee’s walking past.
Of course, the unexpected can also come in the form of a new product…
This year’s unexpected product was the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which judging by its pricing, ergonomics and capabilities is directly aimed at the DSLR filmmaking community.
It’s intriguing, curious, it looks seriously weird…but boy could it be a neat little B-camera if it does what the specification says. We’ve blogged this already but I’ll run the important specs past you one more time: a 16mm (or ½”) sized sensor/EOS lens mount/touch screen interface/big range of recording options including uncompressed, Avid DNX and Pro Res/records to removable SSD drives. And the cost? About £2,000.
I have seen no footage to wax lyrical about like the aforementioned Sony and Canon cameras, and my experience so far has been limited to peering at this strange, silver, miniature monolith through the glass cabinet you can see in the picture above (which, in a way is kind of apt: the camera looks a little like a science project or an experiment). It essentially feels like a recorder with a sensor and lens mount installed, and of course the 16mm sized sensor will mean a 2x crop over 35mm. Still, the planned capabilities are impressive, and it will be interesting to see a company more famed for converters and recorders make their debut in the world of large sensor camcorders.
The camera is due for release in June.
The Small Sensor Camcorders
Sony expanded their range of small sensor camcorders with the introduction of two new models. They are actually covered in detail in a previous blog which you can read here. Suffice to say we saw them in action on the (enormous) Sony stand and they both look good.
The first model is the NXR-NX30, which is a like a cross between the MC50 and NX70. That means small and neat, recording onto internal memory or onto SD card in the NXCAM format.
The second model is the 50MBPS recording PMW-100 camcorder, which uses SxS cards. Think of this as a 1/3” sensor sidekick to the larger, shoulder mounted PDW-500 camcorder.
GoPro
Pumping bass. A racing car. Lots and lots of people. It could only be the Go Pro stand.
Last year GoPro acquired a company called Cineform, who create RAW codecs for high end recorders. It may have seemed an odd choice for an up and coming point-of-view camera company primarily concerned with extreme sports, but our visit to the Go Pro at NAB 2012 pushed a little logic our way and now we get it.
The result of the partnership is threefold: An upcoming flat/LOG picture profile to get the most dynamic range possible out the GoPro 2, the ability to shoot at a datarate of 35mbps (just under double the existing data rate) and their new “Protune Software” (basic version is free, fully spec version you need to pay for) which allows manipulation of footage, application of simple LUTs and some 3D manipulation when having shot stereoscopically.
The introduction of a higher data rate and flat picture profiles will make the GoPro 2 a more flexible and powerful tool than it already is, and make it easier to match the footage from the diminutive shooter to other high end camcorders.
So folks, that all for today. This week we’ll have blogs on camera grip, lighting and the latest on external recorders.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
If last week’s Sony 4K announcement didn’t quite satisfy your appetite for higher-resolution-than-HD imaging then worry no more, because today Canon have also crashed the 4K party with the announcement of two very exciting and powerful new models.
Canon EOS C500
The first is a 4K update of the C300, called a C500 and essentially a 4K version of the aforementioned Super 35mm shooter. Here are the preliminary specs:
- 8.85MP Sensor
- 4K/2K output via 3G-SDI x 2 (this explains the large bulge on the right hand side)
- Same modular design and operation as the C300 camcorder
- Will be available in both Canon EF mount and PL mounts (just like the C300).
The Canon C500 is clearly designed to be a high resolution tool for top-end acquisition, and will be duking it out with the likes of the Red Scarlet, Red One MX , Sony FS700 and F65 in the world of 4K. No word on pricing yet but we can safely guess that it will be more than its older HD brother, the C300. Be aware that just like the Sony FS700, 4K recording is likely to be via the 3G-SDI and onto an external recorder (not supplied) and the onboard recording is likely to be HD resolution.
Canon EOS 1DC
The second camera announcement is a 4K recording, Full Frame sensor, DSLR-shaped camera called the EOS 1DC. The camera will record 4K onboard using the motion JPEG format, and looks a lot like the Canon 1DS, which also has a full frame sensor. In video mode the camera records in and image size equivalent APS-H, which is larger than Super 35mm (although presumably not as large as full frame).
Obviously these are all preliminary specifications, and when more info is available we will have a more comprehensive idea of the specific camera functions. Hopefully we will see both of these camcorders at the NAB Exhibition next week!
UPDATE:
Scheduled release date and RRP for EOS-C500: Q4 2012 – £16,666 + VAT
Scheduled release date and RRP for EOS 1-DC: Q4 2012 – £8,333 + VAT
Please be aware that as these prices are tentative and are subject to change.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
Canon today announces that the ground-breaking EOS C300, the first model from the new Cinema EOS System, has met the standards the BBC requires from cameras tested to the EBU recommendation EBU R118. The approval allows both internal and external BBC production teams to use the EOS C300 for the production of a variety of programmes to be broadcast on the BBC’s range of HD channels. The EOS C300 is the third professional camcorder from Canon to be approved by the BBC since the start of 2011, joining the XF305 and XF300 Full HD camcorders, which were approved for use in January last year.
“The EOS C300 has received a fantastic response since it launched in November last year, and we’re delighted it’s been approved for use by the BBC,” said Kieran Magee, Director of Professional Marketing at Canon Europe Ltd. “By utilising the expertise in our video, broadcast, DSLR and lens groups, we’ve created a unique product that offers exceptional creative scope for videographers of all kinds. Its quality and versatility make it ideal for a number of different shooting purposes, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the BBC puts it to use.”
We have a demo unit in our Chiswick showroom, so feel free to come over and play!
Dave.
Last week the Prokit team were on hand for advice and product demonstrations at the Prokit stand at the BVE Expo exhibition at Earls Court 2…
The BVE Expo exhibition takes in all aspects of video production: from cameras to lighting, from vision mixers to post production software and everything in between. It’s a great opportunity for you guys to get your hands on kit that you wouldn’t ordinarily have easy access to, and speak to a range of manufacturers and dealers about the latest equipment.
Our exhibition stand is always busy, and this year was no different. We had a comprehensive cross section of cameras and lighting on display…here are the highlights:
Our Canon C300 was the star camera of the show and gathered the most attention of anything on our stand. We had it set up with the popular 70-200mm L series Canon lens and the whole package sat proudly on the sturdy and lightweight Miller Compass 25 tripod. Next to that was the least-expensive BBC-approved handheld camcorder, the Panasonic HPX-250, which uses the popular P2 cards system and has a cracking 22x optical zoom. You currently get a Kata bag, long life battery and a book on the camcorder when buying a new Panasonic HPX-250 from Prokit.
We had a seriously pimped Sony FS100 on show (complete with mattebox, follow-focus, Sound Devices PIX 220 recorder etc), which was great as Sony were doing a cashback deal on new FS100’s for show attendees who registered on the Sony exhibition stand. Sony are currently running two pretty cool promotions on the FS100, whereby you can get £340 towards accessories until the 31st of march, and 24 month interest free finance on new FS100 camcorders until the 14st March.
Not to be overshadowed by the larger camcorders, the diminutive Sony NX70 also attracted attention, and in no small part because it sat on the super smooth and well-built SmartSlider 800 system. We have the SmartSlider system on demo here in our Chiswick showroom as well as in stock, so if you missed the opportunity to move it back and forth at the show then feel free to pop down to our offices and have a go.
At Prokit we are big on lighting, and at BVE we had a good selection of LED technology on display, including the Lowel lighting’s large LED debut, the Lowel Prime. We had the 400 and 200 tungsten models, and visitors were impressed by their rugged construction and high output. On our Litepanel 1×1 head, we had Chimera’s dedicated softbox, which diffuses the hard output of LED heads into a beautiful soft light. On top of all this we had some Shape rigs, Petrol Bags and Ikan lighting as well as much more on demo for anyone to come and play with.
Away from the cut and thrust of the Prokit stand, our dedication to top quality advice and guidance found a focused and amplified voice in the shape of our seminar “Fathoming The Fundamentals Of Formats”. Held in the Production Theatre on the Tuesday of the exhibition, the session focused on making sense of the large number of camera formats and indeed the camcorders themselves. The session was well attended and everyone walked back into the exhibition with a firm knowledge of the current camcorder line up from the major manufacturers. We’ll be doing something similar next year so look out for details on our website and the BVE Expo website in just under a year.
Further out into the exhibition a couple of things caught our eye. We particularly liked the graffiti art design of rental house Promotion’s exhibition stand as it was such a change from the usual stand designs you see at big exhibitions, the massive Technocrane at the back of the hall was pretty hard to miss, and spotted yet again was the upcoming LED Dedo head – this time dressed in Dedo black-and-yellow colours.
This year’s BVE Expo marked the end of the road for the exhibition at Earls Court 2 Exhibition Centre. Next year the exhibition is moving east to the Excel Exhibition Centre in the docklands, which although further away for some does promise to be a bigger and better venue for an exhibition that seems to grow larger each year.
The Prokit team always enjoys these exhibition and we hope you did too. Thanks for seeing us and remember to register for next year’s as well. For more info on any of the products you saw at our stand, give us a call or pop into our showroom.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
Renowned DoP and XDCAM EX guru Alister Chapman will be holding a class here at our showroom on March 6th covering grading the use of Log settings on camera and Curves in post. With the S-Log upgrade for Sony’s F3 having just come down in price and the new Canon C300 camcordershipping with a “Canon-Log” picture profile option, a session covering how to get the best out of these flat, gradable picture profiles has never been more relevant. The session is £100 + vat.
To book your place, simply click here.
Important: We cannot offer onsite parking on the day. If you are arriving by car please use the secure car park at the Moran Hotel, on the junction of Power Road and Chiswick High Road. The charge is £3 per hour. Alternatively please use public transport. Gunnersbury station is a 5 minute walk away, served by the District and London Overground lines. Buses 237, 267, 391, and H91 also stop at the top of Power Road.
- Is a #Slider not enough for you? Then the #WallyDolly #dolly kit might be for you! More info here: http://t.co/KAOsc5vVa8 1 day ago
- Continuing our #Slider showcase, we currently have @konova_usa's #K3 slider on demo in our showroom! More info here: http://t.co/Tg6HpjdnuB 1 day ago
- Cracking video from @smartsystemsrl showing off their #slider: http://t.co/1gObRCbEEb Want one? We have them! http://t.co/5cFrHjvcZP 1 day ago
- All 3 flavors of @Fotodiox #Sliders in stock! Come in for a demo or find more info here: http://t.co/LRnqiXHbda http://t.co/3bErQQPi2y 1 day ago
- AadynTech LED heads used on latest Sky 3D natural history production - http://t.co/Z38wC1TDjX 1 day ago
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