Canon C100 Review

Having just received a Canon C100 I thought I’d post my first impressions. At this stage I haven’t started shooting with the camera so this is going to focus on the build and operation of the camera for now but I will be posting more about the results and workflow as time goes on. As a Canon C300 shooter a lot of this post will be comparisons to that camera but should prove useful none the less. I have to apologise for the low quality images below, I was far too excited to go and grab a proper camera so snapped away with the iPhone!

Build Quality

Taking the C100 out of the box it felt just like C300 only in a more compact form, in fact in some ways it actually feels a little more rugged! That’s probably due to the fact that it has less bits and pieces on it but none the less this feels like a well built camera. The handle with the microphones and XLR inputs built in feels really nice, I’m never a big fan of the clear plastic covers over the audio controls as I invariably break them but other than that the handle feels tough and is very sturdy. Having just the single connector lead that attaches on the side rather than the back like the C300’s leads also lends to making the camera feel a bit less vulnerable.

Although slightly smaller than the C300 the C100 doesn’t feel much different in use, partly because it uses the exact same side handle. There are obvious differences such as the much smaller EVF and the LCD on the rear panel but all in all the camera feels very familiar after using a C300.

  

One little thing that Canon have done is to print an orange dot on the record buttons. Also shown below is the C100 handle on the C300 body. It’s probably a good job the cable doesn’t reach the C300’s ports as the temptation to see if the built in mics function would have been too high to resist.

  

Menu system changes

Okay so not really changes as this is a new camera model but there were a few things I noticed in the menu’s that were interesting. With rumours everywhere about a C300 firmware update coming soon maybe we’ll see some of these introduced on that camera too.

EF-S Lens

This is an interesting addition to the menu system. As I’ve reported before using an EF-S lens like the 17-55 that I use regularly can result in vignetting or light fall off in the corners. This happens because the sensor in the C300 & C100 is slightly wider than the sensor in a 7D or similar DSLR so the EF-S lenses don’t quite cover the sensor evenly. The EF-S Lens option in the C100’s menu uses a smaller area within the sensor and then scales the resulting image up to 1080p in camera, so removing the corners that are problematic.

Fan-tastic

On switching on the C100 for the first time I was surprised by how loud the fan was. It was actually louder than the fan on my C300 and blows air out of the vent on the side of the camera with so much force that you can feel the air moving from a few inches away from the camera! One nice addition in the menu is an option to have the have automatically switch off when it’s not needed, enabling this option immediately silenced the camera. I won’t know until I’ve used the camera more how much it needs to use the fan in normal shooting conditions.

Custom Picture settings

One of the first things I wanted to do was set up a custom picture on the C100 that matches the one I use on the C300. On going to the edit option I was a little shocked as the huge array of settings in the C300 have been replaced by two graphical tools for Gamma and White Balance that allow easy adjustment of the image.

  

Those inclined to dabble in the more intricate side of custom picture settings should not be too alarmed though as the huge array of options are still available, they’ve just been moved to a new menu item called ‘FINE’ for Fine Tuning. Most of the settings from the C300 seem to be present although I did notice that the White Balance fine tuning options no longer allow tuning of the Green Gain.

  

Setting everything the same as my C300 apart from that missing green gain option resulted in an image which still looked quite different from the C300 in terms of colour. The interesting thing is that the C100’s images actually looked a lot more accurate and true to life than the C300 which I’ve always felt struggled with skin tones a little. The C300 has a tendency towards green and by dialing that out the image can become a little overly pink. The C100 looked very accurate and did not suffer the same tendency so maybe Canon have  improved the colour handling from the sensor. I don’t have any examples for now but will show some at a later date.

More Magnification

I’ve always the the magnify feature on the C300 was lacking, especially after using a DSLR where you can step through various zoom levels as well as move the target area around. You still can’t cycle zoom levels or move the target on the C100 but I felt it had a larger magnification than the C300. I need to confirm this by direct comparison but I don’t recall seeing this level of zoom on the C300.

  

Joystick intuition

On the C300 if you want to change the ISO, the shutter speed or white balance you need to either set up custom buttons that allow direct access to those settings on the LCD or press the function button until the required option is highlighted on the LCD and then change it using one of the mini joysticks. The C100 on the other hand has a much better approach, you press in the mini joystick on the grip and one of the options is highlighted on the LCD, left and right movements toggle between settings that can be changed and up / down movements make changes.

Thats a much nicer and more intuitive way of navigating the setting on the LCD as it can be done without moving your hand from the handgrip and it’s easy to make changes whilst looking through the EVF. Hopefully this will find it’s way into the C300 one day.

EVF

Talking of the EVF I know a lot of people have concerns about the EVF on the C100 so I’ll give my thoughts on that.

I’m probably a little spoilt by the EVF on the C300, the large well fitting eye cup can be adjusted to most angles and the image inside is large and highly detailed. In comparison the EVF in the C100 is fixed in a really uncomfortable position and the eyecup if you can call it that doesn’t mould to your face at all. Once you plant your face against the EVF you’re mouth is pressing against the LCD, your forehead is pressing on the top handle and it just feels really uncomfortable. It’s pretty much impossible to use the EVF in a way that blocks out external light.

On top of the ergonomic problems the image inside the EVF is so small that it feels like your trying to focus or compose your image on a postage stamp! One saving grace is that the image looks fairly detailed but it’s just too small to be of any real use and is definitely not something I would use as a main guide to focus, even with the Peaking and assist tools the camera has.

To make matters worse the magnify feature doesn’t effect the image in the EVF, that’s just crazy as it could make it slightly useful! As with the C300 the waveform monitor also doesn’t show in the EVF.

Update: As noted by MazingerZ on the dvxuser forum the Magnify feature does in fact work in the EVF but only when the LCD is in the closed position.

I get the feeling that this EVF was designed with one thing in mind… differentiating this camera from the C300!

The LCD

I have to say that having the LCD on the rear of the camera doesn’t really work for me, you find yourself holding the camera out in front of you so that you can see it as you do with an SLR. I prefer to press the camera to my face or my chest if I can to give some stability and having the LCD on the back means you can’t do that. There are some advantages to the design as it means the camera is still usable without the top handle being mounted but the benefits are outweighed by the down sides in my opinion.

The screen itself is good, though not as big or detailed as the C300’s LCD.  The swivel out nature of the LCD seems to work well but you can’t set it so that you can see it from the side or obviously the front of the camera. The other slight issue is that you can’t see the card one activity light when the screen is opened or either of them when it’s closed.

ND Filters

Where the C300 has electronically controlled motorised ND filters the C100 uses a mechanical wheel to dial on the filters. In some ways I prefer the manual approach because I often hit the ND buttons by mistake on the C300 but the down side to the wheel is that it’s possible to leave the ND filters partially engaged if not careful.

Removable grip – maybe!

The side grip on the C100 is the same as the one on the C300, other than the addition of the orange dot on the record button. As with the C300 the C100 comes with a cover that can be attached when the grip is removed to allow operation of the camera in a hassleblad type position (hands clasping the body). This is all well and good until if you need to access the menu system to change ISO, shutter speed, aperture etc. It’s possible to assign aperture increase and decrease to customisable buttons via the menus so there is limited functionality with the grip removed but not having the ability to navigate the menu system makes shooting without the grip less useful.

Summary so far…

Overall my first impressions of the C100, are positive. I plan on using it as a second (B Camera) that will be set on a tripod and locked off or used on a slider for interviews. For that use the rubbish EVF doesn’t really matter and having the LCD on the body is actually very handy on the slider. Ergonomically it feels very similar to the C300 and the day to day buttons are roughly in the same place so using it with a C300 should be fairly painless.

For somebody considering the C100 as a main camera who shoots everything in 1080 at standard frame rates I think it could be a good choice although I do need to spend more time with it. It doesn’t have the ability to shoot 720p or have any variable framerates or slow motion features so it’s really very limited in that respect. I’ll go more into codec and format details in my next post but for now I do just want to talk about something I consider to be a problem.

PSF – Not quite progressive

When the camera is set to NTSC areas you get the choice of 24P, 24PF, 30PF and 60i. PF (or PSF Progressive Segmented Frame) is a way of delivering a progressive image within an interlaced file format so as to make it compatible with interlaced video equipment. Having footage that’s wrapped in an interlaced file is going to add a lot of confusion for users who are used to working in truly progressive formats. Placing a PF clip on a new sequence in an NLE usually results in a prompt to make the sequence match the clip properties, say yes and you’ll end up with an interlaced sequence that results in loss of detail and interlacing artefacts. To correctly deal with the PF clips the sequence needs to remain progressive.

For PAL area users as the only options available are 25PF and 50i, no fully progressive option at all. Yes 25PF is usable once you know how to deal with it but why Canon decided to force people to use this outdated file format I really don’t understand, 25p and 30p are mainstay formats these days and should be included.

If you have any questions or want me to check anything out then leave a comment and I’ll have a look for you.

At the time of writing The Canon C100 is available from B&H for $6,499

 

 

 

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62 Responses

  1. Village Talkies says:

    Animation video company in Bangalore

    Thanks for the overview and features of the C100 which is smaller and lighter them C300. As a corporate video production house, it is very useful for us.

  2. Joe says:

    Hi there,

    Great review. Just a quick question I havent been able to find out – Im UK based, heading to the USA shooting and might have a chance to get a US model c100 while im out there, is the c100 NTSC/PAL Switchable? I have a Canon XF305 but you have to send it to canon to get a firmware update to be able to switch from NTSC to PAL. plan would be be to switch a USA C100 over to PAL when I return to UK Many thanks!

  3. Taylor Garvin says:

    Paul, thanks for explaining the interlacing problem I keep hearing about with the c100. It does sound like you’re saying that there is an easy workaround in FCP, right?

    • Paul Joy says:

      In FCPX it’s a non problem Taylor, in fact I can’t remember having to deal with it for quite a while so I think FCPX must be handling it correctly now.

  4. David Blumenfeld says:

    Hi. I have a project I began shooting on dVX100A a few years ago. Shot in Squeeze mode at 25P. I am now finishing the project with my Canon C100 and wondering if I should shoot it at 25PF? Its being edited on AVID. Thanks.

    • Paul Joy says:

      I’d say thats sensible, the only reason to choose an interlaced format would be if your previous footage was interlaced as well.

  5. Jordan says:

    Great review thank you!
    Does the camera ever have aliasing or Miore that the DSLRs do?
    Also I heard switching lenses is a pain as you have to power down and back up which takes about 5-10 secs each.

    • Paul Joy says:

      I wouldn’t like to say it never has aliasing but I’ve nit experienced and aliasing or moire problems with it, certainly nothing like DSLR’s suffer from.

  6. Michael Kovach says:

    For everyone wondering what to do with the C100 PFS footage, Clipwrap is a Mac application that will unwrap the interlaced wrapper MTS files and create a progressive frame in a Quicktime MOV wrapper. Then when you import this MOV file, your editor will see the footage as true progressive footage. Clipwrap is very fast. The workflow is to insert your SD card into the card reader, launch Clipwrap, drag the SD card into Clipwrap. All the clips will show up. Select the rewrap option and a destination location on your editing drive, hit start.
    The rewrapping is fast because Clipwrap takes the raw video samples and doesn’t alter them. It just puts the video samples in a new container. The final result is an MOV file with H264 video. You can select to convert to ProRes, or XDCAM or DNxHD formats if you need compatibility. I am not affiliated with the company, so I am recommending it based on my experience with it as a customer. It cost $50.00 for the application. I’m sure there are other workflows, but I find this one is the fasted and most robust.
    Best Regards
    Mike

  7. droraro says:

    I found out that the LCD is not accurate. It is dark and desaturated with comparing to professional monitor

  8. Ian says:

    I recently did some shooting on my new c100 in 30pfs. I imported the clips into fcpx and created a progressive project. When I started to lay clips in, I noticed a lot of jaggys and stair stepping in the footage. I then had fcpx create a project based off the first clip. It created am interlaced projected and all the stair stepping went away, and the footage looked really good. I guess I’m not sure why this is happening if I am supposed to be placing them in a progressive sequence. Any thoughts?

  9. Daniel says:

    Hi Paul,

    I have noticed an issue on every shoot, I get this banding running vertically (top to bottom) on occasion. It doesn’t matter what lighting conditions i shoot in. Whether it is daylight in a park or nightime in a wedding venue, or under my flouresent lamps i use for simple interviews. I shoot 25 frames PAL and always set my shutter to 1/25 or 1/50. The banding comes in randomly, then is disappears after 5-10secs.. Any advice on this? Very weird, and it happens under natural light (3-4kms away from any artificial light source)!!

  10. Stuart Moore says:

    I’ve got another question if you get a moment.

    How does the C100 (and I presume the C300) deal with lenses with non-chipped adapters or conversions? Can the C100 cope like Canon DSLRs? I’m thinking of Nikkors etc. with manual focus and aperture.

    Thanks in advance

    Stuart

  11. Ronan Quinn Wedding Videographer says:

    Very Informative review Paul, thanks. I am primarlily a Wedding Videogrpaher so how does the low light cappability compare to the 5Dmkiii. Is it the same or better or perhaps closer the 5Dmkii?
    My gut feeling is that for the church other run and gun scenarios Id be better keeping with the Ex1-R with the nice servo zoom and Audio. I do the more creative stuff with the 5dmkiii and i dont feel the c100 will add much to my production value. Ideally i am looking forward to the next level of crop sensor cameras with hopefully improved image over the 7d/60d/rebels.
    Ronan

  12. Daniel says:

    Hi Paul,

    Great write up.

    I got mine a few days ago.

    I shot a bunch of 25p stuff (I thought was 25p!) and came across this post. In my NLE, what consequences do I encounter if I do not de-interlace the footage?

    I mean is there aliasing issues or resolution loss etc? What is the main purpose of de-interlacing?

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi Daniel

      The file is in an interlaced format but it needs to be handled ax though its a normal progressive file. Just place it in a progressive sequence and ignore the NLE’s complaints that its not a progressive file.

      Dont deinterlace or you will lose half of the resolution.

      Regards

      Paul

  13. Brett B says:

    I am about to buy the c100 however I do enjoy shooting in 60p at 720 on my 7D and slowing down to say 30 on a 24fps timeline and it being nice and smooth in slow mo playback. Will I lose the ability to do so with the C100?

    • Paul Joy says:

      Yes I’m afraid so, the C100 can only do up to 30 frame per second, it doesn’t offer a lower resolution option like other cameras.

  14. Mike Silverman says:

    Is there a convenient place to mount an external recorder like the Ninja? I saw a video where they had it mounted on the top of the camera but it looked like kind of flimsy sitting up there. A friend of mine has a Ki Pro Mini mounted on the rear of his Sony F3 and it’s very solid. Are there multiple places that an external recorder could be mounted?

    • Paul Joy says:

      There’s a mounting hole on the top handle, although I find mounting things up there makes the camera prone to wobble as it gets top heavy. You’d probably want to look at a rail based solution.

  15. John Links says:

    Hi Paul, i’m concitering to replace my 2 canons 5d mkII, i thought 1 5d mkIII and 1 C100, what do you think? Cheers from The Netherlands!

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hard to say as it depends on your style of shooting etc but I’d certainly go that route.

  16. Diego Perrona says:

    are u able to choose between pal and ntsc in the camera settings right?
    I really hope they haven’t make different versions..
    just couldnt find that option when I quickly looked trough the camera menu at the shop today =)

  17. Stuart Moore says:

    Have you any thoughts about the sound quality with the C100 yet? Are the mic inputs decent and have you had any problems with fan noise after you changed its setting to auto?

    I’m considering getting one as a cheapish camera for a lengthy project with a lot of fairly straight interviews over the next year or two.

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi Stuart.

      I’ve not had to record a lot of audio with the C100 as I tend to handle the audio on my C300, I have no reason to think it’s any different to the C300 though and wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

      Fan noise is fine so far, quieter than my C300 during two cam shoots but then it’s not been in particularly hot environments.

  18. JR Dziengel says:

    Hello Paul, How do you like the Canon 17-55mm lens? I mean like in comparison to the 16-35mm L lens for the C100.

    • Paul Joy says:

      This hopefully sums up my thoughts…

      https://www.pauljoy.com/2012/04/canon-efs-17-55-causing-vignetting-on-the-c300/

  19. darren levine says:

    Thanks for all the great info. i just got my c100 in today and am already enjoying it quite a bit. i have a shoot coming up this this tuesday and could use an experienced opinion…

    i’d love your input on profiles for shooting nightime contrasty situations. we’re stylizing as a film noir, and there’s just too many possibilities within the picture controls of this camera and not enough time to fiddle with everything. we’ll also be working with fewer, low wattage lights. seems to me from a few tests that log, while nice, brings down the exposure quite a bit, and im curious on your thoughts about the tradeoff of using a higher iso with log vs lower iso with just wide DR. while i have a fair concept of a good amount of profile settings, i pale in comparison to someone of your experience, and would appreciate any input you could provide. thanks!

    • darren levine says:

      i should also mention that im not looking for a baked in look, rather, more post flexibility, and while im trying to get a hand on a ninja 2, i might be relying on the internal codec.

  20. Ken Poindexter says:

    Hi Paul,

    How is the construction of the C100. Is it on par with the C300? Does it seem durable to you? Thanks for your posts and advice.

    • Paul Joy says:

      Yes it seems very durable, it feels just like the the C300, just a bit smaller and lighter.

  21. Mikko Löppönen says:

    Actually for PAL-area users things are very, very simple. 25PSF is progressive. There are no interlacing lines or anything as with 24fps or the NTSC variants. No need for pulldown or such nastyness. Just tell the NLE that everything (the files too) is progressive to avoid unnecessary deinterlacing (check that lines stay straight, no stairstepping)

    That’s because 25PSF is essentially 25P.

    • Paul Joy says:

      25PSF is a progressive image in an interlaced stream, it’s not quite the same as 25p otherwise it would be 25p! As said in the post once you know how to handle it PSF works just fine but none the less having to deal with an interlaced wrapper adds unnecessary complications.

    • Daniel says:

      Im totally confused now. I shoot 25p all the time (like my 5D). When I get C100 clips into FCPX, FCPX sees it as 1080i.. So is it really 1080i? or is it 25p with 1080i wrapper? What do I need to do to get all things progressive?

      I have options in the NLE:

      Field Dominance Override: “None Set” “Progressive” “Upper Fields First” “Lower Fields First”

      And then a check box “Deinterlace”

      I would assume check deinterlaced & Progressive??

      Any help to clear this up would be great!

      • Paul Joy says:

        Tell FCP it’s progressive and ignore its complaints that the file is 1080i. FCP is actually right of course but if its handled as if its a true progressive file it will look progressive and retain full detail.

        Do not deinterlace the footage.

  22. Matt Davis says:

    Sometimes it’s the little things that make a huge difference – such as a Duration setting for the viewfinder. Can you set the display to Duration rather than TC or UB? Or is it only something you can get from switching to the Media mode?

  23. Pierrot says:

    I Paul, thanks for the review. The big question for me is: could we use the C100 handle on the C300. except the cable not long enough, could we have decent sound on C300 and avoid the LCD? the plug seems to be the same so …

  24. jeff smith says:

    …. and just after writing this I see that Zacuto has actually make a viewfinder loupe for the LCD on the back of the c100. It’s not yet available… but it looks like a good solution

    jeff

  25. jeff smith oasis films says:

    Paul… Have you had a chance to go to an external recorder with the c100? This is, I think, the only way to get 422 out of the camera and not record to the new codec. Im curious because i too am interested in using this as a second camera to the c300. Will / do they match. They have the same sensor correct?

    Also, would the LCD on the back be able to be better used with a viewer loop like a z finder or a modified small hd loupe?

    jeff

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi Jeff. No I don’t actually own an external recorder so I’m not able to test that. Yes they do seem to be able to match each other well with a bit of tweaking. I’ve been setting up a custom picture to match my favourite C300 settings which I’m going to post in an hour or so.

      • jeff smith says:

        The C100 shoots 4:2:0 internally to an inferior (probably) codec… but it can output 4;2;2 Assuming it has the same sensor as the c300 and that you export it to something like a ninja and record it to, let’ say, pro res… they should match. And if so… this just became a very good option for a $6000 second camera to the c300. Not bad.

  26. John says:

    Many thanks for this first review.

    I look forward to how you find the handling goes in the field and how the codec holds up in post.

    I was thinking of one of these beauties as a run-and-gun camera.

    In view of the drawbacks you have brought up; especially the ludicrous viewfinder and awkward LCD, do you think it would be at all suitable – especially for hand-held or monopod use ? I travel extremely light.

    many thanks, John

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi John

      It’s early days for me yet but so far the footage I’ve shot is looking nice. When it comes to run & gun I guess it depends on what you need to shoot. The C100 is going to be a lot easier to use than a DSLR and provide higher quality images but sometimes you just can’t beat something like an Sony EX or Canon XF camera with servo zoom and decent auto focus for that kind of work.

      On a monopod the C100 would probably be really good with it’s rear mounted LCD, and if you attached a decent Loupe to the LCD I’m sure that would also make it more useable handheld.

  27. Ced says:

    Hi Paul,

    Thank you for your review.

    I just received my C100. I think the EVF is completely useless. Way too small and uncomfortable… It’s almost a joke when you put your eye in there for the first time. The fact that you can’t change the settings of the camera without the grip was a bummer too…

    Overall I like the form factor. I am a little disappointed by the cable running from the handle to the side camera. In a rush, I can totally imagine grabbing the cable instead of the handle… It seems that this could have been easily avoided. But I am not an engineer and I may be wrong.

    Also my handle has a little bit of play when on the camera ( if you twist it right and left), not a big deal but I was wondering if you noticed that too.

    I can’t wait to try it on a shoot, in a real situation

    Thank you again,

    Cedric

    • Paul Joy says:

      I haven’t noticed any play in the handle on mine Cedric, but then I guess it depends on how much you tighten the thumbscrew and how hard you push on the handle as a cold shoe will always have a little play if the thumbscrew isn’t fully tightened.

  28. JR Dziengel says:

    Hi Paul, I am very interested in this camera budget wise. However, I am also attracted to the features of the C300. Would you consider the C300 a better camera for run-n-gun type shooting, or do you believe with the possible upgrades and upcoming STM lenses with autofocus capability the C100 as a better choice? And I’m concerned about this camera only offering 24p period. The Sensor is definitely its strongest selling point in my opinion. What do you think?? Thanks!

    • Paul Joy says:

      Yes & yes! I’d say the C300 is definitely better for run & gun. It’s EVF and eyecup are great and had an instant positive effect on my event work for harley-Davidson. The ability to shoot for slow-mo is another big factor for me, but may not me important to others.

      The C300 is roughly twice the price of the C100 though so only your budgets and requirements can say if it’s worth it. I’m sure the C100 will be used for run & gun work too, external EVF’s would solve the viewfinder issues. It’s still early days for me though, only time will tell how it proves in use.

      • JR Dziengel says:

        Thanks Paul! A hard choice. Save money with the C100 and be able to purchase extra gear. Or take the big hit with the C300 and have it all in camera. Hmmmmnmmnnnnn. Now it’s time to have a little talk with the bank…my wife. Happy Holidays :)

  29. Dave says:

    Thanks for the review Paul. Very helpful.

    Question about the LCD. Does it swivel side to side at all? I do a lot of videojournalism work so will set my camera on a tripod, then sit directly beside it and turn the LCD to be able to monitor the image while conducting the interview.

    Also, if you’ve had your hands on the Sony FS100 I’d be interested in seeing a comparison on image + ease of use.

    Thanks again!
    Dave

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi Dave

      No the LCD cannot be seen from the side, just the back including looking down.

  30. Cuong says:

    Thank you very much for your post. I read the review of C300 and see you sharing custom pictures by download. I would like to try it but afraid mess-up my C100 because not compatible between C300 and C100. Can you sharing your custom pics of C100, I want to try it. Thanks.

    Cuong Dinh.

    • Paul Joy says:

      As soon as I find a set match well I’m going share them. It’s going to take a bit of tweaking time.

  31. eco_bach says:

    Thanks for posting. Look forward to some footage tests.

  32. Nick Padley says:

    Hi Paul,

    I’ve just ordered a C100 and this was a really nice overview. Great that you picked out details that a lot of people overlook. I’m using the C300 a fair bit for corporate and have decided to get the C100 as an in-house camera solution (to replace HDSLR) for leaner-budgeted productions. Hopefully I’ve made the right choice.

    All the best!

    Nick

    • Paul Joy says:

      I’m sure you’ll be pleased with it as a DSLR replacement nick, its much better to work with.

      I used it for my first job today and it performed great as a second cam, both shooting in CLog. I’m looking forward to seeing how well they cut together.

      Paul

  33. Mark Dobson says:

    Hi Paul,

    Thank’s for another well written and thoughtful review.

    I was wondering if you had had the chance to try out the One-Shot AF yet? This is one feature that could be useful on C300 although, practice makes perfect, I’m pretty used to the total manual nature of the C300.

    I have also read that in the near future the camera will be capable of full auto focus using the recently released EFS STM lenses. The 18-135mm STM lens has received glowing reviews and I’ve been using it for many months now on the C300 as the focal range is very useful when one is dashing about in a live documentary situation grabbing shots.

    In the C100 manual it says that the Magnification feature magnifies to approximately 2 times but that this alters based on the video configuration. And it’s strange that this feature is not available in the viewfinder.

    From your review I get the impression that Canon almost punishes it’s customers through withholding proven, well designed features available in other similar products at both a higher and lower price point. I’m thinking specifically of the viewfinder available in the C300 and C500 but not on C100. This viewfinder is identical to the one fitted to XF 300 / 305 over 2 years ago and has it received very good feedback from users.

    I had been considering buying a C100 but your initial review has tempered my enthusiasm for this camera and after owning a C300 I think I would get annoyed by the lack of professional features, from the choice of codec through to the poor viewfinder and limited manouverability of the LCD screen.

    But no doubt it will produce great looking pictures.

    • Paul Joy says:

      Hi Mark

      I did test the AF feature yesterday and although it does work it’s a lot slower than a DSLR. It seems to adjust focus to one extreme and then slowly adjust until it finds a good focus. I’m pretty sure I could get it faster manually. I’ve not tested it for accuracy as yet.

      That lens sounds interesting, will have to look in to that as it sounds like an excellent range.

  34. David Ells says:

    Thanks for the write-up! I just got my unit today. I find that pressing my forehead against the top handle and laying the screen horizontal allows me to handhold the camera fine. I also get a nice and close view of the LCD. The only problem is that I can see myself fatiguing from this position after an hour so a rig may be necessary for such shoots. Haven’t put it to practical use yet though.

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