Canon unveils EOS C500 Mark II digital cinema camera and new zoom lens

Canon’s new EOS C500 Mark II, showing some of its modular capabilities. (Source: Canon.)

Featuring a new 5.9K full-frame sensor and a newly developed DIGIC DV 7 image-processing platform, the EOS C500 Mark II can capture a dynamic range of up to 15+ stops and supports 5.9K/60p, 4K/60p and 2K/120p recording. This camera also supports Cinema RAW Light, a video format that allows for reduced file sizes while retaining video information and allows internal recording of RAW data without the use of an external recorder. (Cinema RAW Light recording is only possible with CFexpress Type B cards.) The camera also supports the XF-AVC video format as well as the HDR standards HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) and PQ (Perceptual Quantisation), which is suitable for movie production and distribution online. For the first time in Canon cinema cameras and video camcorders, video can be recorded to CFexpress Type B cards and UHS-II SD cards

The modular design of the EOS C500 Mark II enables users to customise the camera to meet their shooting needs. Users can change the lens mount from an EF mount to an EF Cinema lock mount or PL mount by themselves using a mount kit (sold separately) to match their shooting environment. The attachment of an extension unit (sold separately) allows the camera to support a variety of different shooting styles, including shooting with multiple cameras and drone shooting, which requires remote control.  The EOS C500 Mark II will be on sale from January 2020 with pricing set at dealers’ discretion.

The CJ15ex4.3B is the latest addition to the company’s UHDxs series of high-end portable zoom lenses for 4K broadcast cameras employing 2/3-inch sensors. Delivering high optical performance, the CJ15ex4.3B offers a class-leading wide focal length of 4.3 mm and 15x zoom ratio, making it ideal for producing immersive video in a wide variety of scenarios, including sports broadcasting and studio programming. It can record such scenes as stadium overviews and landscapes but also supports close focusing to 30 cm.

Optimal placement of fluorite, UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) and Super UD lenses in a multi-group configuration developed by Canon, delivers excellent correction of colour bleeding and chromatic aberration. Canon’s proprietary Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps reduce flaring and ghosting and records rich gradation, even during HDR (High Dynamic Range) and WCG (Wide Colour Gamut) shooting.

Weighing only 2.19 kg and with a compact body measuring approximately 163.0 mm (W) x 107.6 mm (H) x 249.6 mm (L), the Canon CJ15ex4.3B is ideal for professional users working in fields like broadcast journalism and documentaries. It is due for release in January 2020 with pricing set at dealers’ discretion.

Canon has also announced a new 31-inch 4K/HDR reference display for professional video producers. Capable of realising a white luminance of up to 2,000 cd/m² and 2000000:1 contrast ratio, the new DP-V3120 monitor achieves high levels of both white and black luminance through the use of such technologies as a display engine and LED backlighting system designed by Canon and an IPS LCD panel. The faithful colour reproduction, high resolution and high contrast made possible by the display enable accurate checking of content captured in 4K/HDR. Faithful colour reproduction, high resolution and high contrast made possible by the display enable accurate checking of content captured in 4K/HDR recordings. The DP-V3120 exceeds the General Monitor Specifications and Grey Scale Reproduction to meet the requirement of Dolby Vision certified post-production facility, making it well suited to the various needs of content production worksites. The Canon DP-V3120 display includes 12G-SDI terminals (four IN and four OUT) to enable simultaneous comparing of 4-screen/2-screen and HDR/SDR content in both 4K and 2K. Other functions include: HDR monitoring assist, which uses pseudocolours to help visualise luminance or colour values for easier inspection; video payload ID connectivity that enables recognition of input signals; and automatic toggling between image quality settings, and input signal error warnings for detecting and confirming errors and even the ability to view error logs.

The Canon DP-V3120 display will be on sale from November 2019 with pricing set at dealer discretion. Click here for more information on Cinema EOS products.