Exclusive Interview: Canon Pro Market Specialist, Alexander Sax, Talks Canon C700
Steve Tobenkin, producer of “The Calling,” and Russell Carpenter, ASC
On November 3, Canon filled the ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood with Society members, cinematographers and other production professionals for the unveiling of their new flagship digital cinema camera, the EOS C700. It was exactly five years ago, on November 3, 2011, that Canon first unveiled their EOS C300 and pledged a commitment to the cinematography community to collaborate, listen and evolve new technology designed for filmmaking.
Canon Pro Market Specialist and a member of the IATSE Local 600, Alexander Sax, answered a few questions about the new C700.
PH: What are some of the most notable features of the C700?
Alexander Sax: Five years ago Canon introduced the EOS C300 and the Cinema EOS product line. The EOS C300 was a high-quality, low-cost cinema camera that produced beautiful HD using a 4K sensor. The EOS C700 camera is the newest top-of- the-line cinema product from Canon. The EOS C700 has a 4.5K CMOS Super 35 sensor and is made of magnesium alloy, which makes it incredibly light - weighing in at 7.6 lbs. The camera has (3) DIGIC DV5 processors, more than any other product in the cinema EOS family, minimizing rolling shutter, moire and aliasing. Canon will offer a global shutter version of the camera and various lens mounts including EF, PL and cine EF mount. The camera has internal ProRes and XF-AVC recording to a CFast card and 4K RAW up to 120 fps to a Codex recorder. An additional 1920x1080 OLED EVF is available as an accessory and optional shoulder pad and servo lens grip for added functionality. The camera can record 4K 60 fps to the CFast card and 240fps in a crop mode and 120 fps without a crop in 2K or HD. The C700 also offers Canon’s incredible Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus, with face and object tracking and manual focus guide.
PH: What is the native ISO? (The C100/C300/C500 have a native ISO of 850, will it share that as well?)
Alexander Sax: 800
PH: Which ProRes codecs will be available for internal recording for 4K, 2K, 1080, and at what frame rates & bit depths?
Alexander Sax: 4K ProRes 422 HQ up to 30 fps in 10 bit, 2K/HD ProRes 422 HQ up to 60 fps in 10 bit, 2K/HD ProRes 4444 up to 60 fps in 12 bit
PH: Will the sensor be upgradeable to a bigger format in the future? (Full Height S35 18×24 mm, Full Frame 24×36, or VistaVision)
Alexander Sax: We have no information about future sensor upgrades.
PH: Will it be possible to upgrade the stock CMOS sensor to a Global Shutter later on?
Alexander Sax: A customer will be able to change the shutter but it will have to be through a Canon repair facility.
PH: How is this camera different from the rest in the industry?
Alexander Sax: The C700 is the best Canon has to offer in a Cinema EOS camera. It is the first time Canon has offered a true RAW recording capability to a recorder that requires no additional cables and internal ProRes recording. The camera has a built in accelerometer, which is basically an in camera level. This offers valuable metadata stored in the file for VFX and composite artists. The C700 features false color outputs which is another first for Canon and a streamlined design that fits easily on a shoulder, tripod or stabilized camera rig.
