Canon C300 S35 EOS Cinema camcorder announced!

By November 3, 2011 News

Canon announced their first S35 EOS Cinema camcorder Canon C300! The keynote is still running, but I will update this blog in the following hours.

Some specs:

  • Single 8.3 megapixel 2160×3840 Super-35 CMOS sensor (4K resolution) with Digic DV III processor
  • Canon XF codec (50Mbps 4:2:2 1080p30 MPEG2 MXF) records to two Compact Flash card slots
  • Canon Log gamma, SDI, compact body, Custom Presets and menus similar to Canon XF series
  • Exposure and focus control are completely manual — there is no AE or AF on either camera
  • Sold as a system, incl. LCD monitor / XLR audio unit, side grip, top handle, batt. & charger
  • 10 bit 4:2:2 external, only single link HD-SDI
  • no 4:4:4 10 bit (only single link HD-SDI)
  • 4:2:2 8bit 50mb/s MXF wrapped Mpeg 2 to CF internal
  • 24P, 25P, 30P, 1080p
  • 60P at 720
  • 2 CF card slots
  • 4″ LCD monitor
  • XLR outputs on the handle
  • HDMI & HD/SDI out
  • SD card for stills
  • Time Code with Genlock
  • Availability: Jan. 2012; Price: appx. $16,000 USD update: $20,000 (for C300)

The camera has a 4K sensor, but which is limited to 1080p! That’s a bit odd! Also it’s only possible to shoot slow motion at 720p with 50 frames in Europe or 60 frames in the US.

First footage shot by Vincent LaForet online:

New prime lenses announced, which resolve up to 4K resolution (EF-Mount only):

  • Canon Prime Lens CTZ-029 (24mm)
  • Canon Prime Lens CTZ-030 (50mm)
  • Canon Prime Lens CTZ-031 (85mm)
  • Already announced earlier this year:

    • Canon Zoom Lens CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6 L S (wide zoom, EF version)
    • Canon Zoom Lens CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6 L SP (wide zoom, PL version)
    • Canon Zoom Lens CN-E30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L S (telephoto zoom, EF version)
    • dCanon Zoom Lens CN-E30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L SP (telephoto zoom, PL version)

    Here are the first photos by engadget:

    7 Comments

    • No auto focus, no auto iris 16000k, must be an error.

    • Jay Holben says:

      Sebastian –

      Appreciate the info. I was sick and unable to make the announcement – so I appreciate finding a site like yours that keeps me up to date with the info.

      I just wanted to address your comment “The camera has a 4K sensor, but which is limited to 1080p! That’s a bit odd!” It’s not odd at all. In fact, it’s very smart. With a single-sensor camera with a Bayer pattern color filter, you aren’t really getting full resolution when you’re using 100% of your photosites to make your pixel count. You’re relying on demosiacing algorithms to interpolate your color information and generate the picture. You’re sub-sampling and it’s an image compromise. 4K is NOT necessary, by any means, for ANY application – not even IMAX. What Canon is doing here by SUPERsampling is generating significantly more color fidelity by utilizing color information from three photosites per pixel – to get real RGB information in 1920×1080. This is the same thing that the Panavision Genesis and Arri Alexa does (although the Genesis is not Bayer pattern, it’s true RGB sripped). So the fact that they’re using a “4K” sensor to shoot 1920×1080 is very smart, it generates a much more sound color image and competes side-by-side with the real big boys. That was a very exciting piece of data for me to read!

      Thanks again for providing the real-time info! I’m getting it from you before I get it from Canon’s press reps!

      All the best,

      Jay Holben
      Technical Editor DV Magazine and DV.com

    • Sebastian Wiegärtner says:

      you are right jay! though 4k would be great to have. i don’t need it right now, but perhaps in the future. the camera is pricey too, $20,000!!

    • CameraRick says:

      You still don’t get 4K from a 4K Cam, simply because of the Debayering; so I think it isn’t odd to have a more color-precise 1080p Cam then a not-really-4K-color-less-precise Cam 🙂

    • Sebastian Wiegärtner says:

      yes rick, i think 4K is a huge hype, but all I want to say is, that the price point is simply too high! $20,000, no dual link sdi, no 4:4:4 10 bit…only a few facts what i would love to have in this camera.

    • CameraRick says:

      You are damn right, the rates are too damn high!
      The new Scarlet is better in it’s price, but some time ago they annouced it as “3K for 3000$”…

      It’s a pretty nice night, many products got annouced and are interesting and they push some Limits. Still, I can not pay any of these. Still, they don’t kill DSLRs, they don’t kill a Sony FS100, they don’t kill anything that’s interesting for us “small people” or students.
      I mean, even the Rental Houses will get them late – then they are expensive, or rented when I need one 😀

    • Tobi says:

      Great to know about Canon C300 S35. This is such an amazing camera. Line of new lenses that come with it is just phenomenal.

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