In a series of huge announcements, one of video’s biggest powerhouses, Canon, announced new camcorders with specs that are so good, you might just be tempted to take out a second mortgage to get one.

Canon announced their new products in stylish Hollywood event. They showcased their new C300 cinema-style camcorder, brand new cinema lenses, and a mysterious DSLR-style concept camera that shoots in 4K. The C300 was the story of the night since it marked Canon’s first foray into the cinema market. It has an 8.3 megapixel sensor that delivers a full 2 megapixels of information  for each color channel  meaning that color reproduction should be very accurate, much like the 3 CCD sensors of cameras in the past. The C300 will also include Canon’s newest DIGIC DV III image processor meaning that it will be able to handle those simultaneous feeds of color information accurately and quickly. In addition, it will record in Canon’s MXF format which means you’ll be getting a 4:2:2 MPEG-2 codec at 50 Mbps. Staying true to form, they’ve included two slots for CF cards in the camera so that you can record on both cards simultaneously or relay-record.

The C300 has a Super 35mm sensor, making it smaller than the recently announced EOS-1DX, but bigger than the sensor found in the 7 and 60D. A bit odd considering that sensor size is a big selling point for cinematographers since it typically means less noise in the image and gives the camera the ability to achieve a shallower depth of field. Even so, there are plenty of other great features on this camera that any pro will love. To begin, the camera is modular. That means that you can take almost everything off of the unit until it becomes more or less a camera ‘brain” housing just the sensor and processor. As such, it has an shoe mounted attachment that includes a 4 inch 1.23 megapixel monitor that can swivel 135 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically and 2 XLR inputs with 48 volts of phantom power. The monitor also includes a waveform monitor to quickly see the overall brightness of a scene, an RGB Parade display for color saturation, a vectorscope, and an Edge Monitor Focus Assist for getting your image sharp. The camcorder records audio in an uncompressed 16-bit PCM format at 48 kHz giving you great control in post over how your captured audio sounds.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just a few weeks ago, Videomaker had the privilege of sending a member of it’s staff to Yellowstone national park with the exciting promise of being able to get our hands on one of Canon’s newest releases. What we saw when we arrived was Canon’s completely redesigned 60D. With 1920×1080 video resolution plus an articulating LCD screen, this camera immediately drew our undivided attention. The first place we were able to put the camera to use was on an exciting gondola ride up into the Grand Teton mountains. On our way up to the top, the Canon representative told us all about the camera such as how it has an upgraded sensor that can capture 18 megapixel pictures, a built-in flash, records on SDXC cards, and best of all has a manual feature for controlling audio. That means that even though this camera still can’t compete with the EOS 1D and 7D for picture quality, when it comes to audio, has everything but the 5D Mark ii beat.

When we finally reached the top of the Grand Tetons, I was happy to see that the camera was very simple to use as it resembles every other Canon camera’s buttons and designs very closely. The camera was also very durable and lightweight – two things that matter a lot in location shooting. When we next went to a waterfall in Yellowstone, we were happy to have a number of different frame rates for shooting video. The 60D allows for  30, 25, and 24 in full HD, and 60, 50, 30, 25, and 24 in 720p. Moving water looked really nice in 720p60 and the HDR bracket shooting allowed for some really nice separation between the waterfall and the sky. Even so, as with all cameras with CMOS sensors, there was still some rolling shutter issues to deal with which became very apparent when capturing a strolling black bear with an 800 millimeter lens. As enthralling as it was to capture a black bear on film, almost all of the footage was unusable. Of course to Canon’s credit if we would have captured the video using a fluid head tripod rather than a ball head, there’s no doubt the footage would have looked a lot better. As it was, the articulating screen helped out immensely for getting shots from all angles and allowed us to capture great video of the wildlife at Yellowstone park. Honestly, after using this camera with its articulating lcd screen, it’s hard to believe that this won’t become a standard in Canon’s entire line of cameras. To see how this camera performed as well as the beauty of Yellowstone make sure to take a look at the pictures after the break or the video below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Canon has released the 18 Megapixel EOS 60D DSLR Camera. For the first time on an EOS camera, the EOS 60D DSLR boasts a three-inch Vari-Angle Clear View LCD screen, EOS Full HD video recording with manual overrides including audio level control, and in-camera functionality for RAW image processing plus Creative Filters to manipulate images after taking them.

Designed primarily for advanced amateurs, the EOS 60D replaces the EOS 50D and boasts a broad array of new features that make it easier for photographers to add personal creativity to their images. Whether it’s capturing an overhead shot on the Vari-Angle screen at a graduation ceremony, or converting a color image to black and white for a nostalgic look, Canon is delivering in-camera features and functions that empower advanced photographers to capture, display and print the images they want.

The new 60D camera features a large Vari-Angle 3-inch Clear View LCD screen with 1,040,000 dot/VGA resolution plus anti-reflective and smudge-resistant coatings for bright clear viewing from any angle. The new LCD screen is ideal for composing low-angle or overhead shots whether capturing still images or Full HD video clips.

Another first for the EOS system is the EOS 60D camera’s new Multi-Control Dial, which places a Multi-Controller and Set button inside the Quick Control Dial. This new control layout streamlines camera navigation for vertical as well as horizontal shooting and enables a cleaner camera design. Responding to customer requests, the EOS 60D also features a locking mode dial, which makes camera operation more secure by preventing inadvertent changes to the photographer’s selected shooting mode.

In addition to its new still capture capabilities, the EOS 60D features Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution with selectable frame rates of 24p, 25p or 30p. Native 24p recording helps videographers achieve a more cinema-style look for their footage without the need for post-processing. The EOS 60D builds upon the great video capabilities Canon has introduced in recent DSLR cameras and packs them into a camera photo enthusiasts will love. Full HD video capture, along with selectable cinematic frame rates for both NTSC (National Television System Committee) and PAL (Phase Altering Line) standards, will help the EOS 60D to be the camera of choice among film students and photography students alike.

The new EOS 60D camera’s movie mode also includes manual controls for exposure as well as manual audio levels in 64 steps, much like the latest firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II HDSLR. Users can set audio levels on the rear menu screen before shooting begins; once recording is initialized, audio adjustments are not possible. In addition, Canon has added an electronic Wind Filter to the audio controls within the movie shooting menu.

Canon has also included an in-camera movie editing feature, allowing users to shorten a video file by clipping segments from the beginning or the end, removing unwanted portions without outside software. This feature can dramatically accelerate workflow by reducing the time needed to upload video clips to a computer for further editing and assembly. The EOS 60D also includes Canon’s Movie Crop mode, which allows users to achieve 7x magnification when shooting SD video. Unlike the digital zoom feature found in many compact digital cameras, Canon’s Movie Crop mode crops the image directly from the CMOS sensor at full SD resolution to preserve image quality and still provide additional telephoto power.

The Canon EOS 60D allows for three video recording modes – Full HD and HD in a 16:9 aspect ratio and Standard Definition (SD) in a 4:3 aspect ratio, all at selectable frame rates. The EOS 60D Digital SLR camera will record Full HD at 1920 x 1080 pixels in selectable frame rates of 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); 720p HD recording at 50p or 60p (59.94) and SD video at frame rates of 50p or 60p (59.94). The EOS 60D features a dedicated button to initiate live view for both video and still shooting. Once engaged, the same dedicated button will start and stop video recording.

The Canon EOS 60D DSLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers toward the end of September, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,099.00. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,399.00.

Canon EOS 60D Sample Video

Product Walk Through