The popularity of the Canon C200 has grown exponentially in the past year as more and more videographers have experienced operating the product first-hand. With the ability to record 8-bit 4K MP4 video to SD Cards or 12-Bit 4K Cinema Light Raw to CFast 2.0 alongside its unparalleled AF capabilities, the number of professionals and enthusiasts alike renting the C200 has literally gone through the roof. But, what does make the C200 so attractive to shooters working on a budget anyway?
The following video produced by ProAV TV summarizes five of the most common reasons why their customers choose the C200 above any other camera offered by the company’s rental service.
Dual Pixel Autofocus
The Canon’s proprietary Dual Pixel Autofocus technology implemented on board seems to be one of the key features behind the camera’s enormous success. Originally introduced with the Canon C100 MKII, Dual Pixel Autofocus allows for extremely accurate and consistent autofocusing performance that is perfect for capturing fast-moving subjects, or if you’re in a one-man band shooting situation where pulling focus manually might be a tricky task.
C200’s touchscreen LCD, on the other hand, allows the user to select an object to focus on or to even lock on to a subject that the camera should track throughout a shot. It’s as if you have your own personal assistant, all inclusive with your purchase or rental of the C200.
Cinema Raw Light
New and unique feature with the Canon C200 is the inclusion of Cinema Raw Light codec which makes the unit the Canon’s first sub-$10K camera that provides DCI-compliant 4K Raw shooting capabilities. While compatibility for the codec is slowly rolling out to most major NLEs out there, Canon’s variation on a Raw shooting codec provides users with the flexibility of getting the most out of Raw format in post, while cutting data size to about one-third to one-fifth of a Cinema RAW file, without losing grading flexibility.
This allows for longer recording times than when using traditional uncompressed Raw format, which is paramount for the creative process since recording to CFast 2.0 is a serious economic challenge on its own. Basically, the more time you can record on a CFast card, the better, which is now far more manageable thanks to the Cinema Raw Light codec.
Build Quality
Of course, this camera is also being praised for its excellent build quality. With its black matte magnesium body, the C200 is light, durable, and sturdy with operators not having to worry about their investment being a flimsy and fragile piece of gear. in addition, features such as a removable top handle and rotating hand grip give the C200 the ability to adapt to multiple shooting situations on the fly.
Color Science
Color science is another massive consideration for many professionals when choosing the Canon C200. Among all the top camera manufacturers in the market, no company has come close to Canon’s color science (excluding cinema-level companies like ARRI and RED, of course).
With perfect skin tones and accurate colors right out of the box, the C200 delivers images with stunning color reproduction. Furthermore, the C200 comes with an impressive set of picture profiles and gamma curves, both in log and standard flavors depending on user’s shooting needs.
Two Cameras in One
Last but not least, many users slate the C200 to essentially be two cameras in one. Because of the camera’s ability to alternate between 8-bit MP4 recording and 12-bit Cinema Raw Light, Canon has essentially combined a lower and higher end camera in one unit. The system acts as the perfect middle ground when deciding what camera to use for a shoot, as it can fit perfectly anything from small personal projects to high-tier commercial productions.
What are the other features of the Canon C200 that deserves consideration in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.
[source: ProAV TV]
Order Links:
Canon EOS C200 Cinema Camera (EF-Mount) (B&H, Amazon)
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