GEAR
CANONEOS C500MARK II
THE VERDICT
The new EOS C500Mark II is an incredibly capable camera that offers the very latest technology. Thanks to this and its new, modular style, it’s suitable for users in lots of different fields of work. It’s also flexible in terms of how you can build it up or strip it down, usable with both PL and EF lenses. The 12-bit Cinema Raw Light allows for maximum quality, and the internal 10-bit 4:2:2 XF-AVC works for faster workflows. In addition, the full-frame 5.9K sensor is built for amazing resolution and dynamic range. The autofocus is one of the best in the business and genuinely useful, too. And if you are used to Canon ergonomics, you’ll have no problems quickly getting to grips with the camera. Sports shooters may yearn for frame rates faster than 120fps, it must be said, but this is pretty much the only slight letdown in the spec. Then there’s the price. At £16,999/$15,999 body only, it’s actually not far offwhat the C300Mark II cost to buy when it was launched. But that was four years ago, and the C300 Mark II camera has dropped significantly in price since then. It’s also hard not to notice the rival Sony FX9 is significantly cheaper at launch, although it’s only a 4K camera and doesn’t offer Raw internal recording. However, for committed Canon users, the C500Mark II is a huge upgrade with a great spec. And the improvements that have taken place are easily enough tomake fans of other brands sit up and take a long, hard look at what the C500 Mark II offers.
The camera also has a 12G-SDI interface, which has four times higher transmission speeds of 3G-SDI. This enables 4K 50/60p output with a single cable. HDMI output also allows for 4K 50/60p via a single cable. High frame rates are not something Canon has excelled at, and while the C500 offers slow motion it does not break new ground. There is 50/60p in 5.9K resolution with the Cinema Raw Light codec, but step down to 2K or HD and that goes up to 120fps. In XF-AVC it’s up to 120fps, but there is a crop. Canon has always been a leader in effective autofocus thanks to its Dual Pixel CMOS technology, and this carries over to the new C500. Although at 80% coverage of the frame it doesn’t cover as much as the new Sony FX9, it does have high- speed One-Push AF and continuous AF that tracks well, as well as Face Detection AF. Users can customise settings to further fine-tune AF tracking speed and response, but if you do prefer to stay withmanual focus then use an EF lens – the Dual Pixel Focus Guide shows whether the camera thinks the image is sharp. Many Canon users swear by it and it’s very intuitive. The new LCDmonitor is a touchscreen, and it’s easy to use to set a focus point. We tried it in a very dark studio and it worked incredibly well. A new feature also gives the ability to select how the AF responds when pulling focus between two subjects. Canon studied
ABOVE The camera’s extension pack offers lots of communication options to suit any type of workflow
how professional focus pullers work and have made the camera emulate it – the camera doesn’t suddenly stop focusing when the shot is sharp, but the focus slows down when it’s near to full sharpness, to give the shot a more traditional look. The age of useful autofocus for cinema cameras really is here, and focusing is more critical than ever thanks to high resolution large sensors and TV sets or computer screens. The camera comes equipped with built-in ND filters in two to 10 stops, though these are the conventional stepped variety rather than the electronically variable type, as used by Sony’s newest cameras such as the FX9. But a big advantage over rivals is Canon’s 5-axis Image Stabilization. thanks to high resolution large sensors and TV sets” When a lens that supports data transmission is attached, focal length data is received and the IS systemmatched to the lens. When used with a lens with no communication, such as a PL- mount, Electronic IS is possible by manually inputting the focal length in the menu. It also works with anamorphic lenses. “Focusing ismore critical than ever
More information
canon.com
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2019
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