CANON EOS C80 AND C400 GEAR however. It’s like a complicated engineering project to move the
STABLE BASE Mounted on a solid tripod with the 24- 105mm f/2.8 lens, the C80 is a fantastic do- everything camera
screen to where you want it and the USB-C cable easily gets tangled. Rig specialist Vocas has already come to the rescue with a C400 kit that includes a superior system to hold the screen in place. The C80 now has an SDI output – omitted from the C70 – but this looks like a bit of an afterthought. Both cameras have full-size HDMI and lots of input/output options, with the C400 offering 12G-SDI and all the TV broadcast controls, plus built-in ND filters that go as high as 10x and show little colour shift. Both cameras can use Canon’s conventional BP-A cinema batteries, but benefit from the newer BP-AN batteries which have more power. On the C400, the front 12-pin port only works with a BP-AN cell. You can buy batteries with D-Tap outputs to power accessories. The C400 takes aftermarket V-Mount or Gold Mount plates for those large batteries. Use these with BP-A cells to provide hot-swap capabilities for super-long recording sessions, or plug it into the mains with the included AC adapter. It seems Canon has thought of everything that working filmmakers might possibly need from a single camera and included these features on the C400.
“The C80 now has an SDI output – omitted from the C70 – but it looks like a bit of an afterthought”
THE VERDICT
Raw Light recording, high frame rates and suitability for everything from cinema shooting to documentary, virtual reality, streaming, live broadcast – and even virtual production in the case of the C400. And all that for surprisingly affordable prices. Canon has certainly thrown everything and the kitchen sink at the C400, which has an edge in image quality over the C80 and is more versatile. The C400 could go down in history as a landmark camera for Canon and the point at which it put itself back at the top of the pile for many users. The C80 deserves to be a smash hit for run-and-gun documentary, event or wedding shooters since it’s a small yet powerful package that handles brilliantly – as long as you can live without an EVF. Both cameras boast stunning AF controls, lots of slow-motion options, incredible colour science and the features of a camera designed for people who shoot professionally.
Canon’s spent so much time creating its high-end mirrorless cameras over recent years that it had started to feel like the Cinema EOS range was getting left behind. The crop-sensor C200 is legacy technology now and has a lacklustre 8-bit codec when not shooting Raw, the C300 Mark III has a Super 35 sensor and the C500 Mark II is far from the most competitively priced, despite having its price cut – and all still use the older and inferior EF mount. While the C70 does offer the RF mount, it doesn’t have a full-frame sensor, can’t shoot Raw internally and doesn’t offer the latest AF technology. When Sony released its low-priced FX6 and FX9, then the Burano, and Red came out with its desirable Komodo 6K and V-Raptor, Canon’s range was left looking a little underwhelming. The launch of the RF-fit EOS C80 and C400 has definitely changed the game, with their stacked 6K sensors, internal
More information
canon.co.uk
HOW IT RATES
Features: 9 Internal Raw, full-frame stacked sensor but no global shutter Performance: 9 Great image quality and AF, good control of rolling shutter Handling: 9 Choose your handling style but no EVF Value for money: 9 They’re do-it-all cameras that can be used for so much
PRO MOVIEMAKER OVERALL RATING: 9/10 Stunning start to Canon’s RF mount full-frame cinema range Pros: All the latest sensor tech, stunning performance Cons: Limited third-party RF lenses, no global shutter
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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