Latin America. In the presence of Clecio Roberto, Professional Product Account Executive at Canon Brazil and Victor Dupret, Product Specialist at Merlin Distributor, the new EOS C400 camera for the entire Region was presented in an online session.
The event, produced by Zeus Broadcast from the Canon House in São Paulo, highlighted the characteristics of this new cinema camera: "After some time that I did not have a launch of these characteristics, it totally presents a revolution among new cameras in the industry and we will show it in this presentation" as Dupret began by stating
What does this camera have? "This camera creates a new level of quality with its versatility, offering unprecedented cinematic performance, made for live broadcasts, for virtual production and also for filmmakers." – expanding "The most important thing about this camera, for me, is that it has a new sensor that is fully designed specially, very powerful."
Holding the EOS C400 in his hand, Dupret said: "This is actually a prototype, it's not the final version. We're going to use it better for one more week, and then we have to return it to Canon Japan. Because the camera is still there, Canon is slowly preparing it there." - remarking: "It's a very small camera, totally modular and full of connections, as well as having a wonderful lens."
Giving way to Clecio Roberto who begins by saying: "First I wanted to thank Merlin Distributor for being here at the Canon House participating in their webinar, doing all this work so that we can increasingly promote the Canon brand" – adding – "I perceive that Canon has been bringing in most of its product lines, products that have a very great similarity, this being one of the focuses that Canon has been bringing to the market, bringing to the market equipment of different lines with centers and very close technological characteristics that facilitate the work of any user in the production of any content."
A new 6K full-frame CMOS image sensor
The Canon EOS C400 features a new 6K full-frame back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensor. According to Canon, it provides "the most dynamic range of any full-frame Cinema EOS sensor."
"When you talk about the sensor, you have a semiconductor, a very small thing, the pixels, let's say, the RGB, and in each pixel, you have microlenses, which allows the light, which beats head-on with the sensor, to be absorbed to a specific place in the photototransistors." – adding – "When you work with the backlit sensor, these electronics work as if it were a tunnel directing all the light to these phototransistors." Clecio states – "So, what the sensor does like this is that the camera in very simple words, is that the camera is more sensitive, because the sensor captures light better. That's the idea of having a backlit sensor, having you have more light absorption and, consequently, more light and more color."
While the Canon EOS C300 Mark III introduced the Dual Gain Output (DGO) sensor, it was also shared with the EOS C70. The new Canon EOS C400 doesn't rely on that technology, instead using a triple-base ISO. "It's what has changed the time of making cinematography." Dupret states, explaining all native ISO values according to Gamma settings:
• Canon Log 2, Canon Log 3 or RAW: base ISO of 800, 3200 and 12800.
• Canon 709, BT.709 Wide DR, PQ, HLG: ISO base of 400, 1600 and 6400.
• BT.709 standard: base ISO of 160, 640 and 2,500.
In addition, each Gamma setting has an "Auto Select" option that automatically changes and selects the best circuit for you.
"It has a quality that we have pointed out where the noises are very low and, well, it is known that making more recording with 12,800 gives a wonderful sensitivity, which can be done with smaller light and capture perfectly. We have already seen at SET Expo in the words of Joao himself presenting where in a rather dark environment, people using 12,800 the image was very clear," said the Merlin Distributor executive.
Canon EOS C400 and its camera body
To some extent, the Canon EOS C400 can be seen as an RF-mount EOS C500 Mark II, with a box-style design compared to the DSLR/mirrorless camera style of the EOS C70. The EOS C400 measures (W x H x D) 5.6 x 5.3 x 5.3 inches/14.2 x 13.4 x 13.4 cm and weighs 3.5 lbs/1.58 kg. As you can see, the EOS C400 is considerably smaller than the EOS C500 Mark II
On the front of the camera, you'll find an RF mount with four mounting threads to firmly secure lens mount adapters using locking wings. In addition, there is a built-in mono microphone, two function buttons, and a lens feed terminal that can power lenses such as the Canon RF24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z and its motorized zoom adapter.
The top of the EOS C400 features six 1/4"-20 mounting points and a multi-function shoe. In addition, the top handle has a multi-function shoe, so you can attach accessories directly to it if needed.
On the left side of the camera, you'll find all the control buttons that can be illuminated, the audio level dials, the CFexpress Type-B and SD card slots, and the traditional power switch with a dedicated button to switch between Camera and Playback modes.
On the back of the camera, you'll find most of the Canon EOS C400's input/output ports, including:
• One 12G-SDI and one 3G-SDI video output port.
• A USB-C terminal.
• One 3.5mm microphone input and one 3.5mm headphone output.
• Two Mini-XLR audio input ports.
• A full-size HDMI output.
• A timecode terminal and a G-Lock/Sync/RET terminal.
• One 4-pin 12V DC XLR power input.
• A remote Terminal A.
Camera Test
Showing the audience Dupret the camera and saying about the availability of the EOS C400 camera on the market: "I think the first units will arrive at the end of September." To give way as a preview of what this camera will offer to the market, to the opinion of the important director of photography -ABC- João Castelo Branco, trained in social sciences with studies in photography at FAMU International - National Faculty of Cinema of the Czech Republic, and who began his career as a photographer and laborist, and who soon migrated to the film market. He directed and produced dozens of films, and specialized in cinematography, specializing in photography of documentaries, short fiction films and feature films, also in TV series, with the realization of projects in more than 10 countries. He is a full-time film photography training author at AvMakers and a partner of nits.lab. providing consultancies and training in partnership with Canon EOS Cinema do Brasil and Dolby Laboratories, and who has been able to test and test the camera, with the important word of being a very studious, very detailed man, and although you may not have had the time to test it as you would like, tell us what you have seen."
To which João Castelo Branco responds of his experience with the EOS C400 camera: "It's true, I wanted to stay a few more days with the camera, to work even more with it, because as you say I really like to do tests and I really loved this camera, so I would like to continue experimenting even more tests with them, whether it's signal, dynamic range, everything, but I know it's a prototype that's been here in Brazil for a week, and it should go back to Japan."
The director of photography expressed: "But what I could clearly notice while testing is that this camera is incredible, the response is excellent for example in low lights, which is a very important point. The triple ISO is something remarkable, which is very well done as well."
"If we can use the camera at base ISO 800, 3200 and 12800, it is a lot to highlight, although there are other cameras on the market that also do it at base ISO of 12800, at my first glance, the signal seemed very very clean on this one. It is without a doubt the camera that has the best signal response in low beams that I know, it is incredible. With 6400, we can shoot in very low light, with moonlight, with a candle, something like that, to give a few examples, like very little a candle, which is really perfect for documentaries or for more narrative fiction work, we can do a good job with this camera, so for these types of productions there as well it's amazing."
Castelo Branco said: "This new EOS C400 is a cinema-quality camera that stands out for its newly developed triple-based ISO 6K full-frame CMOS sensor, which delivers stunning images across a wide range in varied lighting conditions," said Castelo.
Stating about the last test he carried out: "At the SET Expo we did a virtual production experience with a Formula 1 car and it was very good and finishing, I must say that it is a camera that works excellently in all these conditions and types of productions, being a fantastic production tool." The director of photography concluded.
Photography. From left to right: Clecio Roberto, Professional Product Account Executive at Canon do Brasil and Victor Dupret, Product Specialist at Merlin Distributor.
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