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CANON CINEMA EOS SYSTEM
Canon has announced the entirely new interchangeable-lens digital video Cinema EOS line. Available in a Canon EF lens mount or PL lens mount for industry-standard cinema lenses, the first two cameras in the series, the C300 and C300 PL, respectively, are based around an 8.29-megapixel Super35-equivalent CMOS sensor, with larger pixels than conventional cameras for an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio. Full HD video signals for all three RGB primary colors decrease moiré, and rolling shutter has been reduced as well, thanks to faster signal read-out speeds and the DIGIC DV III image processor. Frame rates include 59.41i, 50i, 29.97p, 25p, 24p and 23.98p, and frame rates can be ramped in increments of 1 fps from 1 fps to 60 fps. With MPEG-2 compression, 4:2:2 color sampling and a maximum recording rate of 50 Mb/s, the cameras adopt industry-standard MDX (Material eXchange Format) open-source file formats for working in nonlinear editing systems. There are two CompactFlash card slots for simultaneous or relay recording of video data, and the Canon Log Gamma gives better tonal reproduction in highlights and shadows. The body is designed to be compact for tight placement and versatile shooting, and it can be outfitted with a handle, grip, thumb rest and monitor as needed. There's HD/SD-SDI video output and weather-resistant construction, and four glass ND filters are incorporated for control over incoming light. Also announced are three EF-mount primes in the series, a 24mm T1.5, a 50mm T1.3 and an 85mm T1.3, which offer image resolving at up to 4K resolution, iris control from the camera, metadata information and peripheral illumination correction for automatic vignetting reduction. Estimated Street Price: $20,000. Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
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Available with a swappable Canon EF or PL lens mount, the RED Scarlet-X hybrid video and stills camera provides full 4K REDCODE RAW video resolution in 1 to 30 fps, 1 to 48 fps in 3K, 1 to 60 fps in 1080p, 1 to 120 fps in 1K resolution, and still-photo burst modes at up to 12 fps at 5K resolution (5120x2700). The modular camera features a basic "brain" body with its MYSTERIUM-X S35mm-equivalent, 14-megapixel sensor. RED's HDRx technology promises two simultaneous streams of motion and stills capture for VFX tracking and a dynamic range of up to 18 stops. With storage capacities of 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, REDMAG SSD media records solid-state video in up to 180 Mb/s for four times the speeds of traditional CF cards. The basic Scarlet-X purchase includes the Scarlet-X brain, lens mount, DSMC SSD Side Module and AC Power Adaptor. The fully fleshed-out Scarlet-X Package, however, adds on everything you need to shoot right out of the box, including a RED PRO five-inch TOUCH LCD monitor, two REDVOLTS batteries, a 1.8-inch RED STATION for power and more. List Price: Begins at $9,750 (Scarlet-X with PL Canon mount). Contact: RED.com Inc., (949) 206-7900, www.red.com.
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On the DSLR side, Canon has announced the flagship video-capable EOS-1D X still camera. With a newly developed 18.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, next-generation Dual DIGIC 5+ processing and 14-bit A/D conversion, the video capabilities of the 1D X have also been greatly improved over previous Canon HD DSLRs. The former 12-minute-clip maximum of Canon HD DSLRs has been replaced on the 1D X, which automatically splits files greater than 4 GB for extended recording of up to 29:59 minutes without interruption. With manual exposure control and multiple frame rates at 1080/30p/24p/25p and 720/60p/50p, two methods of recording-embedded timecode are included, Rec Run and Free Run, for enabling multicamera setups and dual sound recording. A dedicated Live View button has been added for single-button video recording, and the new set of compression codecs gives your choice of All-I or IPB compression with support of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile. Light sensitivity has increased with a standard ISO range of up to 51,200 and an expandable mode to 204,800. The sensor no longer downsamples, which results in a reduction of moiré and jelly motion, and there are two CompactFlash ports for capturing automatic backups or recording to each card in tandem. The improved mic port now supplies phantom power for compatibility with a wider range of microphones, and there's better control over audio with a 64-step volume control and a live-sound-recoding level meter. For stills, burst rates now measure in at an incredible 12 fps with a possible 14 fps in Super High Speed Mode, and a 61-point autofocus system, 100,000-pixel RGB metering and shutter durability of 400,000 cycles round out the pro features. List Price: $6,800. Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
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FOR-A's VFC-7000 Super Slow Motion camera is a compact, lightweight system that's capable of high-speed HD recordings for a range of slow-motion effects. With a standard touch-panel operation unit for controlling play, record and camera functions, the VFC-7000's electronic high-speed shutter is capable of operating as fast as 1⁄200,000 of a second for capturing quickly moving events and subjects without blur. The CMOS sensor is capable of a range of frame rates in full 1280x720, from cinematic 24 fps to a blazingly fast 700 fps. The standard 9.8-second recording time (at 700 fps) can be expanded to 29.5 seconds, and the camera includes Genlock, AC/DC functionality and a DC drive for recording outdoors or in environments without power sources. Weighing less than six pounds when fully loaded, the VFC-7000 comes complete with camera head, main body, F lens mount, recording component and carrying handle. A PL mount and 16 GB memory expansion are both available as options, and the camera simultaneously outputs two channels of HD-SDI. Estimated Street Price: $44,499. Contact: FOR-A, (201) 944-1120, www.for-a.com.
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Incredibly affordable at just under $200, the ContourROAM video camera is waterproof and rugged for hands-free capture of POV-style full HD during action situations. The super-wide-angle 170º rotating lens captures peripherals and backdrops in three available resolutions: 1080p, 960p and 720p (all at 30 fps). The Instant On-Record Switch powers the camera, and also begins recording instantly to take the guesswork out of camera operation. The aluminum body and built-in battery allow the Contour to be submerged down to a meter underwater for up to 30 minutes of waterproof shooting. (For longer shoots underwater, the ContourROAM Waterproof Case provides total dryness down to 60 meters beneath the surface.) There's a 5-megapixel still-photo mode, and a horizontal laser line ensures that your shot is on the level. The ContourROAM is compact at 5.1 ounces, and the camera features a tripod screw mount and compatibility with the Contour TRail mounting system, which allows it to be mounted virtually anywhere. A built-in multidirectional mic captures ambient audio, and the ContourROAM captures to MicroSD cards, currently available in up to 32 GB for up to eight hours of 1080p video. List Price: $199. Contact: Contour Inc., (866) 397-6920, www.contour.com.
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The 25mm Zeiss Distagon T* 2/25 ZE and ZF.2 (Canon EF mount and Nikon F mount, respectively) lenses bring a moderate wide-angle dynamic perspective to your video shoot. The manual-focus aspherical lenses have been specially designed to eliminate chromatic aberration throughout the entire focusing range, with two aspheric surfaces that prevent color fringes on high-contrast edges, and the floating element design compensates for aberration further by changing the axial distance of single lens elements by the distance setting. With an aperture range of ƒ/2.0-ƒ/22, the minimum focusing distance is just under 10 inches. List Price: $1,699 each. Contact: Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division, (914) 747-1800, www.zeiss.com.
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