The big announcements by Canon at this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas was of course the highly-anticipated successor the Canon EOS C300, named appropriately in Canon style to the EOS C300 Mark II, this time with 4K on board recording, 4K Raw output and a ton of new features. However, there was another camera they announced at the show – the little 4K hybrid they call the Canon XC10. Somehow it got lost in the fanfare surrounding the C300 Mark II announcement, and the initial promo video by Canon wasn’t a huge success either. However, later on we did see some awesome footage from the XC10 – namely the one here.
The XC10 features a 10x zoom lens optimised for 4K capture (well it can resolve at least 8MP, which isn’t such a big deal, all modern lenses can do that, so nothing too earth shattering here), a 1 inch CMOS sensor, a removable/adjustable hand grip and EVF (loupe) all in a form factor small enough to fly on a handheld gimbal stabiliser like the DJI Ronin M for example or equivalent.
The big news is the new XF-AVC 305Mb/s 8bit 422 internal codec recorded onto CFast 2.0 media for 4K capture, which is still hugely expensive given the $2500 price point of the camera which isn’t cheap at all compared to the competition mainly from the Sony RX10 II (which I just bought a few days ago for half that, and spending my last few days getting to know, first impressions and review coming soon). But anyway, this post isn’t about a comparison, but simply some really good new footage from the XC10, which I found.
The footage above was shot by Mattias Burling who had this to say:
The Canon XC10 is really good in low light. Not just for a small chipped camcorder but in general. That is at least the conclusion I came to after shooting this video. Everything is from after the sun left the horizon. Its not a “Night for Day Camera” but definitely an”Evening Camera”. The ISO n this video stretches from 500 to 4000. No noise reduction used. I have even darker examples coming up in my review, so subscribe.
You can follow Mattias on Twitter and Facebook here plus check out his other videos on his Youtube channel here.
Matias also did a Profiles and DR comparison vs the Canon 5D Mark III and the BMPC 4K, the results of which you can see below for an idea how the 12 stop DR of the XC10 compares to the other two cameras.
You can see for yourself in both videos above, especially in the Days End footage above, the XC10 can produce very organic and lovely images given the proper treatment in post and of course it comes down to the person behind the camera as well. C-Log and Wide DR do play a vital role here and lets not forget the massive 305Mb/s 422 4K codec. Mattias has chops and knows his stuff.
I am curious to see what you guys think of the XC10? Convinced it can produce filmic images or still not so? For me, the more footage like the one above I see, the more this thing grows on me…
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
Claim your copy of DAVINCI RESOLVE - SIMPLIFIED COURSE. Get Instant Access!
I think it’s a D.O.A.! 🙂
I wouldn’t be so quick to judge it before using it. I have only had a bit of a play with it, but without shooting with it can’t say anything other than what others have shot with it, and I’ve seen some really good stuff like Mattias Burling he’s done some fine work with it.
I don’t think so
Most of the very few people who bought it, return it back. 🙂
camera returns are not the sole indication of capability half the time its user error unless a genuine fault with the camera. Just because someone doesnt know how or have the capacity to extract maximum image quality from a capture device doesn’t automatically render it useless. I dont have access to Canon sales figures, but regardless, the XC10 is a very capable machine in the right hands. Apples to oranges really.
From what I’ve seen so far on the web I dislike the image + is way to expensive for what it is/offers.
If it has the Canon logo it wont be cheap. Goes with the territory, but i agree, it shouldnt be this way. It’s overpriced
Agree!
no interchangeable lenses? it might as well be a toy.
You’re dead wrong here.
you’re so wrong
It’s not a regular toy, it’s a very expensive one. Unfortunately for Canon, people still think before they spent this kind of money.
scrim can’t tell if sarcasm or real…
I hope you understand the entire broadcast, television, events, news, weddings, documentary are dominated by fixed-lens camcorders. Fxed-lens camcorders that cost up to 60.000$.
It’s a different tool than your needs? it’s not a toy.
Oh dear, the DSLR generation. May God have mercy on us all
I’m not convinced at all. At this price point, not having a proper EVF or a fast constant aperture zoom lens is absolutely unforgivable.
I also expect the Canon XC10 will NOT compare well against the Sony RX10 Mk2.
It’s a weird camera for sure, but still capable of good images. With that said, the RX10 II is twice as cheap and on paper at least outdoes it. I’ll be posting my Rx10 2 findings soon, just need more time with the camera. So far I love it, and don’t regret letting go of my Gh4 for it.
That is a test I want to do, but I can’t find an XC10 at the moment. If anyone is in London and wants to meet up for a test against the RX10 I am all for it.
The blogosphere is filled with Canon criticism but Canon still manages to provide filmmakers with workhorses that are benchmarks in many fields. A good friend and very technical DP just used an XC10 as a bcam to an F5 in a major 4k doc for a major client. and loved it. And he’s not easy to impress. Specs on paper have never been the sole decider for image creators. the 2k alexa being the benchmark in hollywood is the proof of that. Usability in the field is a big factor. Canon has always served pros committed to nice looking pictures with a solid workflow and I think this camera has potential as a B camera for doc work in the field. I will look into it to complement my C500 now and my C300ii in the future. The pick up and shoot approach of the xc10 is liberating after working with large rigs even in one man shooting environments that make most of my work. Canon is conservative. So are other companies that are successful. There is a market for everyone. It’s pretty nice that it’s that way. You want a king of specs on paper, buy an fs7 and an a7rii, and yes the RX10. Sony is very committed to staying on top of specs in their products
Hey Guy, true words, a lot of skepticism, but in the right hands the XC10 can shine.
Exactly, its one thing on paper, a whole another in real life. At first when I heard about the Rx10 2 I was very skeptical. Now not only I bought it but I let go of my GH4 for it. So far I am very pleased with my new camera, and looking forward to testing the XC10, which when I first tried it was a bit underwhelming, but I couldn’t record anything as there wasn’t an CFast 2.0 card at the event I was in so I can’t judge image quality before shooting with it.
looking forward to see what you think of the pictures of the xc10. cheers
Cheers, will try and get one soon. Fingers x
I use the XC10 for run and gun humanitarian doco in complex and hostile environments. It is awesome. The image quality is great for high end broadcast. The camera is so quick to set up and easy to use under pressure. Also the image stabilisation is the best in any camera that I have used for doco. If you want interchangeable lenses then DSLR is for you with all the slow setup issues. If you want a camera that you just switch on and it is ready to go then the XC10 rocks. Also it is very inconspicuous when shooting in dodgy places. I love it.