Extraordinary Cinema Camera EOS C70

I got a cinema camera! This is the first new camera that I have purchased in almost 10 years. The Canon EOS C70 is the first Cinema EOS camera with a built-in RF-lens mount, which was previously a feature that was only used for the EOS R series of mirrorless cameras.  I learned early on that having the best technology on hand can become an endless and expensive chase. Over years, I have always tried to maximize my ability to use what I have at hand. I shot both of my 2K feature docs with the Canon XF100. Now I am at the point where the leap forward becomes really extraordinary. I am looking forward to shooting my next films with this 4K camera for another decade. This camera is well worth my investment. I have been shooting with Canon cameras for a long time — XF100, EOS 6D.  

Netflix Approved

The C70 camera is on Netflix’s official list for approved production cameras which is an extra plus.

RF 50-mm “Normal Vision”

I have always appreciated how Canon looks “organic” to me. My clients like the look as well. To me, there is a certain richness and artistic look that comes from these cameras. The biggest payoff with the C70 was the ability to decide what lens I would get. I got the new Canon 50-mm (RF) lens.

Distinguished by its speed, the RF 50-mm f/1.2L USM from Canon is a desirable normal-length prime due to its versatile focal length and bright f/1.2 maximum aperture. This fast design excels in difficult lighting conditions and also benefits working with shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques.

The concept of “normal vision,” let alone the 50-mm lens’s ability to reproduce it, is hardly a given. The idea that a 50-mm best approximates human sight has more to do with the early history of lens production than any essential optical correspondence between the lens and the eye.

“One lens in particular—the 50-mm lens—is often seen as the most objective of objectifs, and it is said to be the lens that best approximates human visual perspective. For example, the precision-lens manufacturer Zeiss states that its Planar 50-mm lens is “equal to the human eye.” Many artists have taken up 50-mm lenses to render ordinary, everyday experience. Yasujirō Ozu, whose films subtly depict the daily life of 1950s and 1960s Japan, used a 50-mm lens almost exclusively. The French humanist photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson also used one. Underlying its popularity is a promise of shared perspective and common understanding.” Source: The Atlantic

35mm Sensor, 16+ stops of Total Dynamic Range

The other big setup for me was having access to the 35-mm sensor that gives me 4K resolution among other things.

Super 35mm
4K: 26.2 x 13.8 (29.6 mm diagonal)
UHD: 4K: 24.6 x 13.8 (28.2 mm diagonal)

The EOS C70 features Canon’s next generation Super 35mm Dual Gain Output (DGO) Sensor. This new sensor is capable of a total dynamic range in excess of 16 stops and includes Canon’s exclusive Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus technology.

The DGO Sensor is a newly developed imaging system that generates high dynamic range and maintains low noise levels by reading out each photodiode with two different gains. It combines the two with a saturation prioritizing gain for bright areas, and a lower noise prioritizing gain for darker areas.

Field Trip

I recently took the C70 with me on a field trip to Patagonia, Chile in order to test it in the harsh environment there among the glaciers. On the way down to the end of the world, I did a layover in Santiago, Chile where I filmed in an urban setting as well as along the Pacific Coast in Viña del Mar. All of those experiences allowed me to get a good hand feel for the camera, understand the differences in how to adjust for the natural lighting, and play with all the menu options. The big take-away was great appreciation for how good everything looked without having to do any color grade in post production. The lens was amazing in how it used AI to follow focus, specifically a face. More importantly, what the camera saw looked actually like what I saw!

Here is a short video that I cut together from part of that experience of my daughter and her boyfriend.

With the introduction of the EOS C70 Cinema Camera, Canon is taking aim squarely at filmmakers like me who love the DSLR-style approach to filmmaking, but who are tired of having to compromise essential video-centric features.  Although the test footage was primarily shot outdoors, inside it is amazing with practical lighting. It is going to be my go-to camera for seated interviews.

The Canon C70 is a serious camera for professionals who want to take their productions to the next level. I am looking forward for having a client who has the assignment to make this camera shine.