Anyone Planning on buying the C100?

[Monday Isa]

I'm a AF100 user that has a C100 on pre-order. I wanted to know if there are others here planning to pick up a C100 for event work. As a single cam shooter the AF100 has been absolutely fantastic! It has served me well. It's made my time shooting, & editing better and easier coming from shooting DSLR. I feel the C100 is just a great upgrade in terms of resolution, dynamic range, and especially image noise/sensitivity.

[Nate Haustein]

I think we're in the same boat. I don't mind AVCHD at all for what I do on a daily basis.

[Monday Isa]

That's cool Nate. Can't wait to see footage from your cam when you get it.

[Nate Haustein]

Yes of course! Though I think you might beat me to it - I haven't made a pre-order, perhaps in the hope that the price will drop another couple hundred a month or two after launch. In all honesty, the AF100 is working just fine, and I keep surprising myself with the images I get out of it. I suppose it only makes sense that with regular practice my results will improve! The better low light and larger chip (depth) would be the main reason I'd make the upgrade. I've never been completely happy with the way the AF100 treats the highlights, but I've learned to cope and to minimize it quite well. In fact, I don't think I'd be able to sell it right away! For what it's worth, it's just too valuable to get rid of - plus it does 1080p60...

In the end, I'd be the only one to notice the difference between the two, but I suppose that's the majority of the argument to upgrade anyways :)

[Monday Isa]

+100 you got that right! I will be missing any form of 60P & Under-cranking Real Slow-mo the AF100 has a lot.

[Nigel Barker]

I already own a C300 for shooting events. I would love to own another but the price tag is too high. Of course in many ways the C300 is overkill (just see the thread on people using sub-$1000 handycams) but it's so nice to use the images are wonderful & the files edit so easily. There are features on the C100 that I would like to see on the C300 (Push AF, AWB) & it looks like the ergonomics may be even better. We don't do any heavy grading compositing or green screen so I suspect that for our purposes 24Mbps AVCHD will be just as good as the 50Mbps long-GOP MPEG2 MXF files. I am of course waiting until the C100 ships but seriously considering selling the C300 & buying two C100s. Unfortunately I suspect there may be a quite a few other used C300s may appear on the market then & drive the price down.

[Tim Bakland]

I so wish this thread had more chiming in. I'm dying to see the results of the C100 and find it an unbelievably promising prospect... Would love to hear more from people -- both from C300 users and from DSLR folks who would have an interest.

[Jose Ortiz]

Add me to the list. I can't wait!

[James Strange]

90% sure I'll be getting one.

Just wan to see what the footage looks like (codec etc)

[Bernard Lau]

Would love to have one.
But need to have a feel and test of it first.
Price is also something I need to think about too... new tech, hefty price! ;-)

[David Ells]

Pre-ordered it on Wednesday once I had the money. I'll only cancel if reviews reveal that the image pales in comparison to the C300. I need the DR, the audio and ergonomics after shooting on DSLRs for too many years now.

[Adrian Tan]

Well, I shoot weddings on Canon DSLRs. At this point in time, I'm looking for a new camera (I'm feeling I need at least four cameras on shoots). The main boxes to tick are: (1) something that cuts with my existing cameras; (2) something with good recording time (a big, big consideration); (3) something with at least the low-light capability of a Mk3.

C100 ticks all these boxes and then some. The weight and form factor fit in with my existing gear and lenses; the three second pre-roll seems like it would suit my shooting style (I hunt for moments incessantly); the three extra stops of dynamic range are very welcome, given how contrasty weddings are; the crop sensor will often come in handy; the resolution is just icing on the cake. It also seems to offer a number of advantages over the C300, including: auto white balance (very useful for me -- I'm lazy); weight (makes a difference for a 20-hour shoot); position of LCD; built-in microphones.

Nagging questions remain, including: (1) codec and image quality questions, like everyone else; (2) whether the FS700 is a better investment, for the sake of the slow motion; (3) whether the C300 will drop in price to make it a viable alternative (I saw one on eBay go for $9400 a week ago); (4) how quickly this generation of cameras will be superseded -- it seems to be more incremental improvements than leaps forward; (5) whether the price of the C100 is justified -- at the end of the day, it may make my life a hell of a lot easier and produce prettier images, but I don't think it'll sell more weddings than the DSLRs I currently shoot with...

One more thought -- in investing in a C100, I'll also have to invest in a new Zacuto Z-finder (or trade one my existing ones in), and in a bunch of SD cards (though perhaps SD will prove a more lasting format than CF).

[Adrian Tan]

Originally Posted by Bernard Lau

Would love to have one.
But need to have a feel and test of it first.
Price is also something I need to think about too... new tech, hefty price! ;-)

By the way, had a peek at your videos and thought that you do brilliant things with sliders! I think this might be an interesting discussion for another thread, but I don't know that slider shots are the easiest things in the world to conceptualise. Seems to me that most people just lie it on the floor and slide around corners to reveal brides and grooms getting ready or walking down aisles.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Adrian Tan

Well, I shoot weddings on Canon DSLRs. At this point in time, I'm looking for a new camera (I'm feeling I need at least four cameras on shoots). The main boxes to tick are: (1) something that cuts with my existing cameras; (2) something with good recording time (a big, big consideration); (3) something with at least the low-light capability of a Mk3.

C100 ticks all these boxes and then some. The weight and form factor fit in with my existing gear and lenses; the three second pre-roll seems like it would suit my shooting style (I hunt for moments incessantly); the three extra stops of dynamic range are very welcome, given how contrasty weddings are; the crop sensor will often come in handy; the resolution is just icing on the cake. It also seems to offer a number of advantages over the C300, including: auto white balance (very useful for me -- I'm lazy); weight (makes a difference for a 20-hour shoot); position of LCD; built-in microphones.

Nagging questions remain, including: (1) codec and image quality questions, like everyone else; (2) whether the FS700 is a better investment, for the sake of the slow motion; (3) whether the C300 will drop in price to make it a viable alternative (I saw one on eBay go for $9400 a week ago); (4) how quickly this generation of cameras will be superseded -- it seems to be more incremental improvements than leaps forward; (5) whether the price of the C100 is justified -- at the end of the day, it may make my life a hell of a lot easier and produce prettier images, but I don't think it'll sell more weddings than the DSLRs I currently shoot with...

I have been shooting weddings with a C300 & the problem is that the footage is so very good that it doesn't really cut with the other footage from 5D2 & 5D3. I need to shoot on three identical cameras to get a consistent look & I simply cannot afford or justify three C300s. The C300 is also quite a lot bigger, heavier & more cumbersome to use than a 5D. Hitting focus on the run is more difficult even with peaking whereas Quick AF on the 5D3 is a great aid. Zebras are great but the dynamic range is so enormous that it's difficult to blow highlights anyway. Compared to the 5D3 battery life is fantastic & you get a really good display of exactly how many minutes remain & it's the same with the memory cards you can easily see how much recording time is left. The C100 should improve many of the issues with the C300 (smaller, lighter push AF, AWB etc) but is still pretty expensive if I have to buy three of them. The Canon 6D doesn't ship until December but if it delivers 5D3 video quality at a cheaper price then the built-in WiFi enabling remote control with a smartphone or tablet makes it a very interesting alternative & I can buy three for the price of one C100.

The C300 doesn't really make life that much easier compared to a 5D3 but it certainly does produce prettier pictures sadly I don't think that it sells any more weddings than shooting on the 5D3 (or 6D) & I think that the same will apply to the C100.

[Adrian Tan]

Hey Nigel, thanks for the reply. I've been marvelling at your C300 footage for a while now. I think you got one very soon after it came out?

6D vs C100 -- I hadn't seriously been thinking about the 6D, but your money argument is very persuasive... Still, the main things that annoy me about DSLRs would still be there, so I think I'm still leaning in the C100's direction... I'd like to have a DSLR's image quality and low light ability -- but would also love to have the ability to press record on a tripod-mounted camera, and walk away from it for an hour; would love to be able to turn on a camera and not have to stress about whether I should change the card because I don't know how many recording minutes are left; and would love to reduce the number of batteries I carry (currently taking 20 LP-E6 batteries with me to every shoot, and having up to 6 chargers going during the reception).

Quick AF -- I never actually use this! Was only dimly aware of it. Thanks for the tip.

Cutting issue -- you're worrying me, and I'll look into this more before buying, but I've got a feeling I'm going to be willing to call it close enough. At least judging from videos of the C300 online, including your own. The sharpness and dynamic range distinguish it from the DSLR footage, but do couples notice? And doesn't a C300 cut better with DSLRs than other Canon non-DSLR video cameras?