4K 4 U? Canon Publicizes New 4K Cameras
Canon recently announced two new 4K camera models that incorporate the sleek and innovative designs typically associated with the company. Canon’s professional-grade C300 Mark II is astonishingly impressive…and it should be at a $20,000 price tag. Filmmakers will be pleased by the 15-stops of dynamic range for the 8.85 megapixel Super 35 sensor, plus the ability to shoot at ISO values in excess of 100,000 (that’s not a typo). Not to mention, internally capturing 10-bit 4K video onto CFast 2.0 cards at either broadcast or cinematic resolution at 30 fps while simultaneously recording 2K/FullHD video at up to 120 fps for slow-motion shots.
Coming back to Earth, the consumer-grade XC10 video/still hybrid is the real highlight of Canon’s reveal. Even though the XC10 will still set you back a cool $2,500 once it’s available in June, the camera packs some of the best 4K-video hardware and software, including a 1-inch sensor – similar to Sony’s RX100 cameras and AX100 4K camcorders – plus in-camera frame-grabs and built-in Wi-Fi. In video mode, the XC10 captures UHDTV (3840×2160) 4K at 305 Mbps and 30 fps to a CFast 2.0 card, while also simultaneously recording HD 1080p clips at up to 60fps onto an SD card (or 720p clips at up to 120fps for those slow-motion sequences).
Although Canon is giving primary billing to its camcorder features, the XC10 can take 12-megapixel stills at up to ISO 20,000. As well, Canon is promoting the camera to field journalists and documentary-makers, stating that they will appreciate the high quality for the lower price tag. Even if we’re not rushing off to an international disaster or nailing an elusive exposé, getting more for less is probably something the rest of us can appreciate too.
Besides the relatively affordable price tag for 4K video, another striking feature of the XC10 is its body. It comes with a swivelling handgrip that looks comfortable to use, for both recording and photography, plus a tilting 3” touchscreen monitor, and included viewfinder that mounts over the monitor for outdoor shooting.
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