Canon C100 Review by David Adler
The Canon C100 was announced as the little brother to the very successful C300 cinema camera. Expectations are high for this camera with its high quality QHD (Quad HD) image sensor, compact form factor and price tag a bit higher than its competitors in its class.
After removing the camera from the box I was surprised at how compact it was, it weighed maybe a little more than a large DSLR camera. After attaching all the included accessories the camera took on a much larger form factor, but not large enough to be discouraging. Included with the camera are a power supply/battery charger, a strap, a top handle with XLR inputs and audio controls, a thumb rest for when the side handle is not being used, a large rechargeable battery, and all the necessary power cables, manuals and software.
At first glance I could tell that Canon used up any real estate that they could in order to put as many useful controls and operational hardware on the main body of the camera as possible while keeping a compact form factor.
Unlike the C300 which has a LCD monitor/audio unit that can attach to the top of the camera, the C100 has an articulating monitor built in to the back of the camera much like a DSLR. The LCD can be flipped out of the way for storage and protection.
Behind the LCD there are rubberized playback controls for the camera’s media mode and display controls (these controls cannot be used while the LCD is closed). The playback buttons can be customized to be used for other functions while in the record mode. Also behind the LCD are the card slots to hold the recording media; in this case SD cards (class 4 or higher recommended for proper recording).
Unlike the C300 there is no battery door, allowing larger batteries like the BP-975 to be used (in order to use these batteries on the C300 the door must be removed).
The viewfinder is at the top of the camera and does not telescope or tilt like the one on the C300. The screen inside the viewfinder is very small and seems far away but it is high resolution.
On the right side of the camera are the I/O ports. The C100 has most of the standard ports for a camcorder which include a 3.5mm headphone output, 2.5mm remote control input, USB 2.0, HDMI, DC power input, and on the front a composite video output.
On the operator side of the camera are all the image controls. There are dedicated buttons for ISO, shutter speed, picture profiles, and white balance. There are also buttons for punch in, peaking, zebras, and waveforms. Thankfully, Canon has also implemented four ND filters on a rotating wheel. If you are using EF lenses there is a one-shot autofocus button (this button can be reprogrammed). The iris can also be manually adjusted using the jog wheel on the handgrip which also has image magnification and start/stop buttons. Additional start/stop buttons can be found on the top handle and near the lens mount on the front.
The “dumb side” of the camera has a LEMO port for the audio unit on the top handle and a port for the wireless file transmitter. There is also a screw in rosette for the side handle. This rosette has a special 3.5mm port to interface with the side handle controls.
On the top of the camera is a cold shoe mount with a 1/4 20” hole for the included handle/audio unit. The top handle has start/stop controls, XLR ports and controls and a shotgun microphone holder.
Internally the camera records 1080p at 30 and 24 frames per second (fps) for NTSC and 25 fps for PAL. The video is recorded to the now outdated AVCHD 1.0 spec at data rates from 13-24 Mbps in an 8-bit 4:2:0 color space. Canon is unfortunately behind in the times when it comes to internal recording on their cameras. This could be due to licensing issues (Sony and Panasonic are the companies behind the AVCHD codec) but canon already implements .MOV recording on their DSLRs and some even have an all I-frame option. There is also no 720p mode, so no 60 fps for slow motion (their DSLRs have this…) even though AVCHD can support 60fps in 1080p. Keep in mind that the compression can by bypassed using the HDMI port to record 8-bit 4:2:2 uncompressed footage to an external recorder like the Sound Deviced PIX-240.
Being designed specifically for professional video, the C100 has excellent ergonomics suited for that task. Fully built and with the right lenses, the camera can take on pretty much any task be it documentary or narrative work. When picking it up, the camera felt nice in the hands. Flipping the screen around so it faces up facilitates nice waist level shooting. Or if you articulate the handgrip you can comfortably use it at face level. Fully built with some larger or heavier lenses however, the C100 can feel rather front heavy and this should be considered when putting it down on a flat surface. This did not present a problem with hand-holding the camera as you should support larger lenses directly while pulling focus and moving the camera (or have a tripod or rig to make that easier).
Bringing it down to its most ‘barebones’ configuration, the C100 becomes very small and light. Great for run and gun shooting or inconspicuous videography. Although when you remove the handgrip, be aware that because of real estate issues on the camera Canon did not place a joystick or rotary encoder on the body itself (like the C300). This will prevent you from scrolling through the menu and from being able to change your exposure values (except for auto iris which could be useful in run and gun situations with frequent exposure changes). While this was frustrating at first, I found that I could reprogram the playback controls on the back of the camera (which by default only function in ‘media’ mode) to adjust those values but not to scroll through the menu. So if you need to use the camera this way, be sure to set up your camera menu settings before you shoot.
The components used to build the C100 are of a high quality, despite the plastic. The buttons are easy to press and have a positive click when pressed. The start/stop buttons are nicely damped and have a positive feel to them. Like all of their high end cameras the rotary encoder on the handgrip has a perfect balance of resistance in the clicks and comfort during use. The joystick feels slightly flimsy because it is small but will stand up to use and abuse.
One feature that the C100 has the the C300 does not is a built in microphone. For scratch audio it is more than sufficient but for anything more than that, use the XLR ports for external microphones. Even though the camera records internally to AVCHD, the audio can be recorded in 16bit 48KHz LPCM as opposed to the standard AC3 compression. With that specification, dual system sound is not required in most cases. Keep in mind that larger and heavier shotgun microphones will add to the front-heavy factor.
Probably one of the most important parts of considering which camera to use is the image quality. As seen with the C300, what is on paper does not always tell the whole story. Considering that the C100 has the same sensor as its bigger brothers the image coming out of the camera should be very nice. But there could be some issues. The low bit-rate AVCHD codec and the 8-bit color depth. So how does the camera do image quality wise in the real world? Let me tell you, you may be very surprised as to what you can get out of a 24Mbps AVCHD codec. While it is outdated, AVCHD is still an extremely efficient codec and combined with the wonderful Canon image sensor the quality in the images is delivered in spades- provided that you don’t push your post grade too hard. The dynamic range is maintained excellently, colors are rich (depending on your picture profile), and the image is very sharp with a lot of detail. One could easily cut between the C100 and the C300 if the picture profiles are matched, because the images are very much alike. But the C300 should be used for chroma key applications because of its better chroma subsampling (4:2:2). On the downside is the low bit-rate codec. AVCHD, as far as efficiency goes, holds onto detail extremely well despite the low data rate. But you should make sure that your exposure is set well. It is very easy to cause image artifacting through pushing the grade too far. One aspect of the image quality that never fails to impress though, is the low light capability. This camera can produce images at up to 20,000 ISO. Some other cameras can do that but cannot preserve the image detail, low noise level, and dynamic range that the C100 can at those higher ISO levels.
-Compared to HDSLR cameras-
The big question that people want answered is “What do I get for the extra money that I would spend on the C100 over a DSLR?” And the answer is a resounding “A lot”. Comparing image quality to older DSLR cameras, there are no aliasing artifacts due to subpar downsampling from the sensor. The amount of detail preserved in the camera itself is also massively improved over DSLRs. This is especially true in low light situations where most DSLRs would be pretty much unusable after about 3200 ISO while the C100 maintains a usable image throughout its ISO range. The dynamic range is significantly better than Canon’s other DSLRs when it comes to video and the highlight rolloff is much more controlled.
Ergonomically speaking, there is no comparison. The C100 delivers far superior ergonomics to DSLRs. The handgrip is comfortable and secure and offers a more secure grip on the camera with the thick, comfy, adjustable hand strap. You can easily and conveniently hold this camera steady for an extended period of time without a rig.
Most of the essential camera functions are available without having to dig through menus. Professional monitoring functions are available. Focus peaking, waveforms, punch-in, and histograms are all available while recording. XLR inputs are built in with audio adjustments and monitoring easily accessible, no bulky external preamps needed. Having ND filters built in is a huge convenience and time saver.
Although this is less of a problem with newer DSLRs, there are no cooling issues with the C100, the parts are constantly cooled by Canon’s innovative cooling system. And one of the biggest advantages, the battery life is amazing. No more having to change batteries every 45 minutes, Canon’s massive video batteries can last hours under the most intensive circumstances.
Many of these advantages over a DSLR come from the fact that this camera is not a DSLR. It does not need a mirror box for an optical viewfinder and buttons do not need to be rearranged for video use. There is more room inside and outside the camera to put necessary (and sometimes large) components while making sure they get cooled properly. This camera was designed from the ground up for video, not redesigned for an additional feature.
So do the specs tell the whole story with this camera. Not really. Like the C300, the C100 produces an image worth more than the specs speak of. The image sensor inside the camera does an excellent job with dynamic range and image quality, while despite the low bit-rate, image detail is maintained very well. If you are making a documentary or a super low budget narrative, the C100 is definitely worth a look.
Here at CSI we offer 2 savings packages which combine the C100 with some suggested lenses that will work to help you realize your vision. So be sure to check them out on our website for the latest prices or come by and check them out at our Manhattan location or give us a call at 212-243-7368.
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