Melville, NY—Canon USA will exhibit the EOS C700 FF, the company’s first full-frame cinema camera, at the 2018 NAB Show. Since the EOS 5D Mark II DSLR debuted in 2008, Canon has been a part of the full-frame video movement. The introduction of the C700 FF reinforces its commitment to this market. The camera will be shown publicly for the first time at the Canon booth, C4325, at the NAB Show. The show is held in Las Vegas, April 9–12.
At the heart of the C700 FF is a newly developed Canon CMOS image sensor with 5,952×3,140 photosites. Moreover, the sensor has a digital cinema 17:9 aspect ratio. As a result, it has the same image circle size as the full-frame EOS 5D camera series, to support a range of shooting options.
Available in both PL and EF mounts, the C700 FF provides users with the same performance, operation and modular design as the EOS C700 released in 2016.
“Since the launch of Canon’s Cinema EOS line of products in November 2011, the goal was to one day develop a cinema camera worthy of being the ‘A’ camera on major Hollywood productions. Canon met that goal with the introduction of the EOS C700,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon USA.
“After listening to our customers and closely monitoring market trends, Canon set forth a new goal. It was to launch a full-frame cinema camera. With this introduction, we are very excited to see the C700 FF in the hands of industry professionals as they shoot their latest projects.”
In addition, owners of the original EOS C700 cinema camera can have their Super 35mm sensor upgraded to the new full-frame sensor for a fee. Authorized Canon facilities such as Canon Burbank are ready to process C700 upgrades and also lens mount swaps. They offer equipment drop off, on-site repairs and upgrades, as well as equipment testing and demonstration.
C700 FF Sensor
The new sensor employed in the EOS C700 FF has an active image area of 38.1×20.1mm. Moreover, it supports readout at full-size, Super 35mm, Super 16mm and anamorphic modes. In addition to full-frame lenses, it works with conventional Super 35mm lenses to originate 4K UHD standardized production formats. It also supports Super 16mm lenses with an adapter, to originate 2K HD production formats in crop modes.
Furthermore, specs say the sensor captures wide tonality exceeding 15 stops of dynamic range and a wide color gamut meeting ITU-R BT.2020 standards. As a result, it offers broad latitude when grading, for effectiveness in HDR video production.
C700 FF Recording Codecs
The new cinema camera also provides a choice of two codecs for onboard recording: Canon XF-AVC or Apple ProRes. Like other cameras in the 4K Cinema EOS family, it uses CFast cards to capture 4K UHD or 2K HD video.
Also notable is the camera’s oversampling 4K processing function. It processes 5.9K image capture to produce 4K (DCI or UHD) with enhanced sharpness, curtailed moiré and a lowered visibility of noise at higher ISO settings. This is especially advantageous for onboard anamorphic image capture.
Moreover, low-rate 2K HD proxy data, including metadata, can be recorded to SD cards for offline editing. The camera also allows high-frame-rate recording up to 168 frames per sec in 2K crop. And the content can be relayed or simultaneous record onto both CFast cards. In addition, the C700 FF shoots Full HD video at a maximum of 168 fps. Additional formats are planned with future firmware updates.
To further complement the features of the EOS C700 FF, Canon has turned to its partner Codex to provide an integrated (no cables) recording and workflow option. The combination of the optional Codex CDX-36150 recorder docked onto the back of the C700 FF enables 5.9K 60-fps RAW recording, 4K RAW at up to 72 fps (in 24p mode), 4K ProRes up to 60 fps and 2K ProRes up to 168 fps (Super 16mm mode).
The C700 FF also supports the latest version (1.0) of the ACESproxy, the ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) color management transmission standard.
In-Camera HDR
Moreover, to create high dynamic range (HDR) imagery, the camera provides 15 stops of latitude (with Canon Log2 only). It also offers Canon’s proprietary Log Gammas (Canon Log3, Canon Log2 and Canon Log) and color science. Canon Log2 is recommended when originating HDR imagery containing both highlight details and deep shadowed details. In comparison with Canon Log, Canon Log3 offers a wider dynamic range while retaining performance in darker regions.
In addition, the camera integrates with Canon’s latest professional 4K UHD reference displays. The displays enable on-set review and color management that conforms to SMPTE ST 2084 standards of HDR display.
C700 FF Mount
The EOS C700 FF offers both PL and EF lens mount options. The mounts are interchangeable at a Canon authorized service center. For full-frame imaging, the EF lens mount version of the camera is compatible with Canon’s seven Cinema prime lenses. This includes the newly announced CN-E20mm T1.5 L F lens. It also works with more than 70 interchangeable EF lenses.
Moreover, the camera’s EF mount supports Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology and Dual Pixel Focus Guide. The guide assists operators with a visual indicator in the viewfinder when pulling focus. Alternatively, for certain demanding shooting situations, Dual Pixel CMOS AF can be deployed.
The EOS C700 FF EF and EOS C700 FF PL cinema cameras are scheduled to ship July 2018 for suggested retail prices of $33,000. usa.canon.com/provideo
