Canon C500
The headline feature of the new Canon C500 II is the camera’s 5.9K full frame sensor, the same sensor found in Canon’s flagship C700 FF released last year.
Originally released in 2012, the Canon EOS C500 was the high-end follow up to the wildly popular C300 launched the previous year. With its introduction of 4K recording and uncompressed RAW output, at a retail price of $30,000 it was a camera that was admired but not as widely adopted as the C300 and C100 offerings in that same line.
With the introduction of the new Cinema EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera, unveiled just this week, the camera seems to mark the culmination of everything the Canon have learned with their previous cameras. It’s arguably the most advanced and powerful cinema camera in the history of the line, combining the best features from each entry in the series and adding some new technologies as well.
In this first impressions article, we’ll look under the hood at the headline features of the C500 Mark II, as well as explore how this camera might fit into the context of church film and broadcast ministry.
Overview of the C500 Mark II
The headline feature of the new Canon C500 II is the camera’s 5.9K full frame sensor, the same sensor found in Canon’s flagship C700 FF released last year. The camera is powered by a new DIGIC DV 7 image processor for improved recording efficiency, allowing for 5.9K capture and 4K oversampled at up to 60fps. High speed filming at 120fps is possible when filming at 2K.
Another exciting aspect of the C500 II is its ability to film in Canon’s Cinema RAW Light, easily the biggest standout feature from the earlier C200. In addition, the camera also films in 4K and 2K 10-bit 4:2:2 XF-AVC, with a massive 15+ stops of dynamic range. In order to handle the higher bit-rates needed to capture these types of footage, the C500 II utilizes two new CFExpress card slots, as well as an additional SD card slot for recording proxy files.
Other features include previous favorite technologies like Dual Pixel auto focus with Face Detection and Touchscreen focusing. It also includes five levels of built-in full frame ND filtering, as well as dual XLR audio inputs with manual control and a 3.5mm mic input.
A new standout feature of the Canon C500 II is the camera’s new internal 5-axis electronic image stabilization, a first in a Canon Cinema camera. This is a very big deal in that lenses without their own built-in stabilization can be utilized for handheld, documentary-style filming.
A Modular Approach
One of the most striking aspects of the new C500 Mark II is the modular approach Canon’s employed in its design. From a size perspective it appears to be just slightly larger than the C200B, with a flatter top for mounting additional gear. A hot-shoe mount is actually recessed into the top of the camera, maintaining that feature as an option while not letting the camera’s surface become defined by it.
This modular approach extends far beyond the cosmetics of the camera however. For the first time a Canon EOS Camera now includes user-swappable EF and PL mounts for using Canon glass or high-end cinema lenses. A B4 mount option is also available, although we’re not sure how broadcast lenses would interface with the camera’s full frame sensor.
Even more importantly, the C500II can be paired with a series of add-on accessories that will expand the camera’s abilities if needed by the user. The new EU-V1 module can easily attach to the back of the camera, adding Genlock, timecode sync, remote control input and ethernet ports. For filmmaker needing even more connectivity, the EU-V2 module provides those same connections, as well as two additional XLR inputs, V-mount battery mounting plate, and D-tap and DC Out options for powering additional external devices from that V-mount battery.
The camera ships with the same side handle and slightly larger touchscreen monitor as the C200. The C500 Mark II resembles the C200B version in that it doesn’t ship standard with an included EVF. This makes the camera far easier to rig up on gimbal rigs like a Movi or DJI Ronin. An optional EVF module can be added to the back camera as well, which some users of previous Canon cinema cameras will welcome.
First Impression
At first sight there’s so much to be excited about with the C500 Mark II. At $15,999, it’s nearly half the price of the C700 FF with almost all of the features and at half the size. It even has some additional features like in-body stabilization that the C700 FF doesn’t have. It’s a shockingly aggressive move from Canon, and one that communicates a seriousness of intent about how the company plans to compete in the market moving forward.
We’re also thrilled with the modular approach the Canon C500 Mark II has adopted. Church video runs the gamut of filmmaking, from studio to documentary to feature-style work. Having a camera that can be adapted to every approach with only a few minutes of effort should prove a Godsend to film ministries.
It’s also exciting to see that they’ve adopted everything that was great from the C200, C300 and C700 lines, including internal RAW Light, world-class autofocus, and built-in ND, and packed it all in to one next level cinema camera. There are very few cameras that can stack up to the C500 Mark II feature to feature (on paper at least), and almost none that do it at under the $20K price point.
For the media ministry perspective, the Cinema EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera may well prove a fantastic option for either church film or broadcast teams. With the high resolution and optional add-on Genlock module it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to imagine this camera as a first round draft pick to pull double duty from the week to the weekend.
In Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, this is a first impressions article rather than a full review of the camera. We’re excited to explore questions like how sensor cropping will work on the camera, how output quality and bit depth to external recorders will measure up, and how easy switching out lens mounts and modules really will be on the camera.
With that in mind, it’s clear that the age of 6K is upon us and it’s borderline shocking for Canon to be the first out of the gate with a fully featured 6K cinema camera well under the $20K price point. Seeing them possibly cannibalize their own C300 and C700 lines to lead the market this aggressively is a very welcome change.
While we’ll wait for a full hands-on review before speaking with more authority to the real world usability and quality of the footage, there’s no doubt that we’re excited to see if the Canon Cinema EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera represents another step towards church film and broadcast ministries being excited about coalescing around a single solution.
