There’s no arguing that 2021 is a very, very good time to be in the market for a new digital cinema camera. The imagery being produced by the majority of mid- and higher-end cameras from the major manufactures is fantastic, and the ubiquity of 10-bit and raw codecs being employed across the board means getting just the look you’re after is easier than ever.
What separates different cinema cameras today is increasingly features sets designed around the aspects of usability and shooting styles, rather than pure visual aesthetics. Simply put, it’s about finding the right tool that works the way you want to work, to do the job you need to do.
With the introduction of the EOS C70 Cinema Camera, Canon is taking aim squarely at filmmakers who love the DSLR-style approach to filmmaking, but who are tired of having to compromise essential video-centric features. In this review, we’ll explore if Canon’s successfully threaded this needle and whether the C70 is the next big step forward for church film and video teams.
The big picture
Built around a sensor borrowed from its higher-end C300 Mark III, the C70 features a Super-35-sized 4K sensor incorporating Canon’s new Dual Gain Output (DGO) technology. This new approach combines two simultaneous sensor readouts that are both slightly over- and under-exposed to create a single exposure that, according to Canon, achieves 16+ stops of dynamic range. The sensor captures up to DCI 4K at 120p and can push all the way to 180 frames per second when filming in 2K. The C70 utilizes Canon’s Canon Log 2, Canon Log 3, and HDR gamma curves, as well as color profiles like standard BT.709 and Wide DR, allowing filmmakers to decide whether they want a great look straight out of the camera or more flexibility in post-production. The C70 ships with Canon’s new RF mount, giving it the advantage of the superior abilities of the mounting system.
“The most striking aspect of the Canon C70 is that it’s inarguably a cutting-edge, fully feature cinema camera, yet it’s all packed into the form factor of a slightly oversized DSLR.”
- Alex Schwindt
For filmmakers already invested in EF glass, Canon has also produced a new 0.71x EF-to-RF adapter that projects a full frame angle of view onto the Super35 sensor, while also boosting the lens’ light gathering abilities by a full stop. In this regard, shooters utilizing EF lenses get the best of both worlds, since the C70 is future-proofed with a native RF mount, while still possessing the option of converting the lens’ angle of view to a full-frame equivalent. In our tests, once the 0.71x Mount Adapter was paired with the C70 and an EF 24-70mm f2.8L was so impressive that we lost interest filming with any other combination. The camera includes a 3.5-inch touchscreen that can be swiveled out to view from behind, below, above, or in front of the camera in a selfie-style configuration. The C70 features Canon’s venerated Dual-Pixel and Face Detection autofocus, and while it also allows for touchscreen focus selection, it’s slightly more cumbersome than how it’s implemented on the EOS R5. Hopefully, this can be remedied in a future firmware upgrade. The C70 has up to 10 stops of built-in ND filtering, as well as two mini-XLR audio ports with phantom power and full manual control from the back of the camera. It records to dual SD UHS-II SDXC V90 cards, which are some of the more affordable media on the market capable of capturing 10-bit 4K footage.
The hands-on experience
Right away, the most striking aspect of the Canon C70 is that it’s inarguably a cutting-edge, fully featured cinema camera, yet it’s all packed into the form factor of a slightly oversized DSLR. While it’s probably closest in weight to a Canon 1 D X Mark III, it’s actually most similar in shooting experience to the C100 Mark II, especially with its multitude of programmable buttons for dedicated tactile control of many of the most critical functions run-and-gun shooters would want to adjust on the fly. As you’d imagine, cinematographers who love filming with the smaller mirrorless-style cameras will have a blast filming with the C70 in run-and-gun scenarios. Surprisingly, we found the built-in touchscreen to actually be bright enough for use in outdoor sunlight when the brightness is boosted in the settings, and the flexibility of screen positioning proved to be a big help.
The C70 has up to 10 stops of built-in ND filtering, as well as two mini-XLR audio ports with phantom power and full manual control from the back of the camera.
The only downside to the screen was that the build quality didn’t seem to be as sturdy as the similar screen on the C100 Mark II, but it didn’t present any issues in our extensive testing.
The camera’s electronic image stabilization, which produces a small a slight image crop, is very effective on its own. When used with lenses featuring their own built- in IS the results make hand-held footage even more usable.
In our tests the DGO 4K sensor proved to be a massive step forward from any other super-35 sensor Canon’s ever developed. The killer Canon color science coupled with the sensor’s dramatically increased dynamic range make for a very impressive combination. The 10-bit footage is a marked improvement from anything coming off the previous C100 and C200 cinema cameras. Grading the footage is a breeze and the overall quality and flexibility of the imagery is exceeded our expectations. With that said, C70 doesn’t have an option for filming RAW internally or externally, but the quality of the 10-bit imagery is easily high enough for 98% of all digital cinema applications, including narrative filmmaking.
By far our biggest quibble with the C70 is the utilization of an HDMI port for external monitoring rather than an SDI port. Both technologies produce solid results, but the HDMI port isn’t quite as sturdy. Given that the C70 includes an SDI port on its front left side dedicated to timecode, the decision to utilize HDMI for video output seems to be dictated more by a desire to protect their higher-end cinema camera rather than pure usability considerations. To be fair, the C70 is designed specifically and uniquely to operate without needing any external equipment at all, and in our experience, there are very few scenarios where the camera can’t succeed on its own. With that in mind, filmmakers wanting to protect that port may want to consider utilizing a custom cage or baseplate specifically designed for that purpose.
The church context
Simply stated, the Canon C70 is easily one of the best choices ever to come to market for church filmmaking. It’s a hands-down, home run camera for churches purchasing their first digital cinema camera, as it can do everything from studio to run-and-gun documentary to narrative work without breaking much of a sweat.
Canon’s new EF - RF optical adapter, the Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71x, converts light transmission from full-frame to the Super 35mm image format. It extends the angle of view and optical sensitivity, while seamlessly integrating with the camera’s optical corrections. This unit greatly expands the list of compatible lenses by including Canon’s renowned line of EF lenses.
Ministry applications like testimonies, promos, baptism recaps, mission trips, documentaries, short films and even longer narrative projects can all be very effectively filmed with this camera. Even more impressively, the Canon C70 can do all of that while staying very comfortably under the $6K price barrier. One of the best things about this camera is that in can be stripped down small enough to film without drawing attention, but still be kitted out to run effectively in narrative cinema settings. While it feels like a large digital photography camera, all of the built-in extras, from face-tracking autofocus to built-in ND filters to dual XLR audio inputs with external controls, are what sets it apart from DSLRs. This smaller form factor, along with the camera’s advanced autofocus and bright, built-in screen makes it a dream solution for running on a gimbal. The C70 even captures 120p slow motion at full 4K if you need it, something that could come in extremely handy for special ministry moments like baptisms. And in a move that seems designed almost especially for ministry, teams needing a camera that can pull double duty as both a filmmaking and IMAG solution for weekend worship, the C70’s timecode port makes it easier than expected to incorporate into broadcast systems.
In conclusion
As we mentioned at the top, one of the biggest rules of thumb when it comes to filmmaking and cinema camera selection is to select the right tool for the job. The underlying idea behind this sentiment is that there isn’t one camera that does everything well. While it might not be the best choice for applications like sports broadcasts or blockbuster Hollywood movies, the Canon C70 is more than capable of covering just about any application a church film ministry could possibly throw at it. And covering it in style.
