Canon USA launches three 4K UHD handheld camcorders

[Glen Vandermolen]

I wish Canon had used the XF205 body style. I like the adjustable hand grip and the timecode port.

[Chris Hurd]

Not to mention the BP-9xx battery type.

And three control rings on the lens barrel vs. one.

Hopefully there's an XF600/605 in the works that'll have these things.

[Josh Chesarek]

Seriously, I really like my 305s but would like to get to 4k but I would also like a 6G output or some means of using these for a multi camera live event like I do with the 305s. HDMI 4k wouldn't work due to distance needs and would like to try and avoid converting the 4kHDMI to something else if possible.

[Jack Zhang]

Took the time to finally see some samples... It's got that really obvious XA series color cast when you're filming stage lighting. Might actually defer my recommendation to the GH5 on that premise.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Canon has an annoyingly consistent habit of pricing new product about 20% too high. It's always been that way and always will be. Eventually their prices come down, thankfully, but you have to wait them out. But the brand new gear is always tagged higher than it should be and that's just a steadfast corporate operating model and nothing more. Regardless of where the sensor comes from.

In general, I agree with you Chris and sometimes it is far more than 20% too high. Exception to the rule for me though is the C200. At $7,500.00, it's the first Canon product I have bought in a long time that I thought was fairly priced for what it can do. It's definitely not perfect, the specs other than the Cinema RAW Light are under specified for the industry standard but adding internal RAW at the price point was a ballsy move. I am a bit underwhelmed though by some of the functions the camera does (I hesitate to call them bugs, more like oversights) and doesn't do that hopefully will be addressed in firmware.

As far as these new camcorders, they look pretty handy for certain uses, I may pick a couple of them up.

[Steve Burkett]

If the C200 offered a bitrate equal to that seen on the XC15, I'd agree with it's price, but it doesn't, so I can't. Take away RAW and you have a C100 Mark III in all but name, so it depends whether you feel the RAW option is worth the difference in price.

As an event shooter, I do appreciate the 100/150Mbps for 30p/60p 4K, but I do think manufacturers are getting lazy in sticking to them. At least with the GH5 we are getting a 400Mbps option and it's a shame these cameras don't provide a 2nd higher bitrate for those productions where a low bitrate doesn't quite cut it.

[Mark Fry]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Not to mention the BP-9xx battery type.

And three control rings on the lens barrel vs. one.

Hopefully there's an XF600/605 in the works that'll have these things.

Agreed. And the zoom-speed thumb-wheel (please!)

[Paulo Teixeira]

If only these were releasing much earlier. I'm thinking about getting the XF400.

[Nick Fotis]

For an amateur camcorder user, the GX10 looks very high priced compared to (say) a Sony AX53.
Has Canon something analogous to the AX53?

N.F.

[Ron Evans]

The AX53 only has a 1/3 " sensor one should really compare to the AX100 with both only having 30P UHD the GX10 has dual pixel auto focus and 60P UHD I think it is a better choice. I do think I little too expensive though.

[Nick Fotis]

Currently, the AX53 is much less than one thousand Eurodollars, while the street price of the GX10 is expected to be above two thousand.
A different class, both in specs and price. Sure, a 1-inch sensor is nice, but the price... ouch!

I haven't seen something analogous to the AX53 in the Canon range (and the AX53 offers a longer zoom lens as well).

N.F.

[Ron Evans]

I have an AX53 as well as an AX100, in fact have the FDR-AX1 as well. There are big differences between them. The AX53 is a great camera to carry around with excellent image stabilizer sharp and clean but essentially a point and shoot auto or semi auto camcorder. The AX100 has full manual control not available on the AX53 and the AX1 has 60P UHD with XLR audio and was a lot more expensive than the Canon. It also has poor low light and auto focus too !!! But it was the first camera in this price range to offer 60P UHD and I still use it. However the Canon XF400 would be a lot better camera I think.