Canon's EOS C100: The new entry point into Canon's cinema cameras

IBC is fast approaching, and in anticipation of the show, Canon just announced the EOS C100 Cinema Camera, its new entry-level model. According to Digital Photography Review, the C100 is approximately 15% smaller than the C300, but it has the same basic design. It has a Super 35mm 8.3 Megapixel sensor, and the camera supports any lens with an EF mount, including Canon's Cinema lenses. Unlike the C300 and C500, both of which use Canon's 50Mbps 4:2:2 video codec, the C100 is strictly AVCHD-based, with a 24Mbps 4:2:0 codec. It has two SD card slots and can record to both cards simultaneously for automatic backup, or in relay mode to permit one card to be replaced while the camcorder records on the other card. The C100 records in 1080p at 24/25/30 fps, and 1080i at 50/60 fps. ISO sensitivity is from 300 to 20,000.

With the C100, Canon has included many of the automatic features that were left out of the C300: One-shot auto focus, auto iris and auto white balance. Continuous auto focus and iris adjustment when used with Canon's EF stepper motor lenses (STM) will be added with a firmware update next year. The C100 has built-in ND filters and dual XLR audio inputs. Video output is via a lockable HDMI connector. Expected list price when the C100 ships in November is $7.999 (U.S.).

The camera that the C100 will most likely be compared with is Sony's FS700, which has the same $7,999 list price without lens, and overall, very similar specifications. The FS700 uses AVCHD, but unlike the C100, it offers the 2.0 version that supports 28Mbps recording and 1080p at 50/60 fps. It also has full HD slow motion to 240 fps, and up to 960fps at lower resolution, while Philip Bloom notes that the specifications for the C100 don't say anything about slow motion support. The FS700 also has a 3G HD-SDI output, while the C100 is limited to HDMI out. On the downside, the FS700 uses Sony's E-mount, which has fewer available lenses than Canon's EF mount. In addition, it uses the "Lego bricks" design of the FS100, which seems to be about equally loved and hated by cinematographers.

My suspicion is that this could turn into the video equivalent of Canon vs. Nikon still cameras, with camps of users who simply prefer the video from one manufacturer over the other. In any event, the C100 is likely to be a very popular camera with users and a very important camera for Canon.

Roku steps up its game with the HD, XD and XDS

Earlier today, Roku updated its line of Internet set-top boxes with three new models: The Roku HD, XD and XDS. All three models are significantly smaller than the previous generation of Roku STBs, but the old Roku models weren't exactly huge.

The HD, priced at $59.95 (U.S.) has 720p HD with composite and HDMI video outputs and both wired Ethernet and wireless 802.11n WiFi interfaces. It uses the same remote control as previous Roku devices. The XD, priced at $79.95, has 1080p HD, but is otherwise identical to the HD. However, it comes with a new remote control with "instant replay" and "info" buttons. (More on that in a moment.)

Moving into the HD-XR's old $99.95 price slot its the XDS, which has 1080p video, composite, component and HDMI outputs, dual-band 802.11n (both 2.4 and 5 GHz) WiFi and a USB port for local playback of audio and video from a connected USB thumb or hard drive. Later this year, Roku says that it will offer a free software update for the XDS that will allow it to stream content from DLNA-compatible devices via the local network.

Like the XD, the XDS comes with the new remote control that has two additional buttons. The most important new button is "instant replay", which replays the previous 10 seconds of video every time the button is pushed, without requiring rebuffering.

Roku's new HD, at $59.95, is most comparable to the new Apple TV, which is also limited to 720p, and for most users, it's all they'll need. If you're serious about local media streaming, the XDS is the better choice than the XD. All three models are very competitive with Apple TV, and will remain so unless and until Apple adds more streaming content, and possibly apps, to Apple TV.

Panasonic's GH2: Evolutionary, not revolutionary

Photokina is open, and Panasonic has officially released the GH2 DSLR, its next-generation HDSLR, priced at $899.95 (U.S.) for body only, $999.95 with a 14-42mm lens, and $1,499.95 with a 14-140mm lens. (Panasonic also announced a 100-300mm lens, but it looks like it will be almost as expensive as the GH2 body.) The camera will ship in December.

The GH2 has an 18 megapixel multiple aspect ratio imager (16 megapixels output), and an autofocus speed of 0.1 second. Like the GH1, the GH2 supports fully manual control in video mode. The camera's ISO range is 160-12,800, and Panasonic claims that the GH2's imager has 3 dB better noise and 200% better sensitivity than the imager in the GH1.

The GH2 captures 1080p at 60fps (NTSC) and 50fps (PAL), but outputs 1080i at both frame rates. Both the NTSC and PAL models also shoot and output 1080p at 24 fps, and 720p at 60 or 50 fps. The GH2 supports variable frame rates of 80%, 160%, 200% and 300%.

The GH2 has continuous full-quality video output from its HDMI port while the camera is recording. It's not clear if the camera overlays settings on the HDMI image while recording like the Canon DSLRs do, but if it doesn't (or if the overlays can be turned off), the GH2 would be the first DSLR whose HDMI output can be monitored and recorded for real applications. The camera doesn't have continuous autofocus in video mode, but it does have Touch AF in video. It has a rotatable, 460K LCD and a 1.4 megapixel electronic viewfinder. Finally, the GH2 has an audio input and stereo microphone, but professional users would likely be better off with an external audio recorder.

Based on its specifications alone, the GH2 is a good news/bad news story. The 18 megapixel imager should result in lower light sensitivity, but Panasonic claims that it's achieved significantly better sensitivity than the GH1. The higher pixel count of the GH2 should also increase rolling shutter problems, and the GH2 doesn't have the features of the AG-AF100 that are designed to minimize rolling shutter, so it remains to be seen how the GH2 performs. Panasonic claims that the HDMI output works when the camera is recording, but it's not clear if it's exactly the same image as that being recorded on the GH2's memory cards. The GH2 captures 1080p but outputs 1080i. It doesn't have continuous autofocus in video mode, but it does have one-touch autofocus.

Once the real-world reviews start coming in, we'll know more about the video performance of the GH2, but at least on paper, it seems to address most of the shortcomings of the GH1 at a more aggressive price.

Nikon's D7000 is official!

Specs and prices for Nikon's new D7000 are out, thanks to Engadget. Here are the key specs for video DSLR users:

• ISO range 100-6,400 with 25,600 extended range
• Dual SD memory card slots
• 6fps still frame burst rate
• 1080P at 24fps, 720P at 24 and 30fps
• Continuous autofocus in video mode
• Maximum recording time 20 minutes per clip (multiple clips can be recorded if there's sufficient memory)
• Built-in mono microphone with jack for external stereo mic

And now, the price: In the U.S., the list price of the D7000 without lens will be $1,199.95, and $1,499.95 for a D7000 with a 18‐105mm f/3.5‐5.6G ED VR lens. Nikon will begin shipping the camera next month.

The D7000 is priced just above Canon's 60D and well below the 7D, and it has continuous video autofocus that neither the 60D nor 7D have. Once formal reviews start coming out, we'll know much more.

Nikon's D3100 takes on the Canon Rebel T2i

Nikon has introduced the D3100, a replacement for the D3000 and a direct competitor for Canon's Rebel T2i. Most importantly for readers of this blog, the D3100 is the first Nikon DSLR that can do full 1080P video, albeit only at 24fps (faster frame rates require 720P.) It's also got continuous autofocus in video mode, which only the Panasonic GH1 and G2 have been able to do.

Update, August 25, 2010: The first expert feedback is coming in, and according to EOSHD.com, Nikon Germany has stated that the D3100 has no manual controls in video mode. While this makes it easier for first-time users and is useful for some applications, it makes the video mode almost useless for more serious production work.

In Zacuto's DSLR shootout, Nikon's D3S had the best low-light performance but took a backseat in most of the other tests due to being limited to 720P. The Nikon D3000 has nowhere near the extended ISO exposure range of the D3S, but it's an indicator that a professional-level 1080P DSLR is coming from Nikon.

One of the most impressive features of the D3100 is its price: With an 18-55mm zoom lens, its list price in the U.S. is $699.95, almost exactly $200 less than the T2i with a comparable 18-55mm lens. For those photographers who already own Nikons and have an investment in Nikon lenses, the D3100 means that they can move into video without losing their investment.

Before you go rush out and buy a D3100, you should wait until experts such as Philip Bloom and Nino Leitner and blogs like Digital Photography Review have a chance to test it. Resolution is just one of the many factors affecting video quality and performance, and we don't yet know what compromises Nikon made in order to get to the D3100's low price. Nevertheless, the D3100 is proof that Nikon is taking video seriously and intends to keep up with Canon.

Panasonic sets new low price point for webcasting studios

Panasonic has introduced a trio of products that represent a new low price point for automated webcasting studios:

• The AW-HE50S is a 1/3" 1080P camera with integrated pan/tilt/zoom and a HD/SD-SDI interface, at a $5,500.00 list price. (The same camera is available as the AW-HE50H for $1,000 less with a HDMI interface.)
• The AW-HS50N is a small 1080P 5-input, 3-output HD switcher with four HD/SD-SDI and one DVI-D input, and 2 HD/SD-SDI and one DVI-D outputs, an AUX bus, built-in keyer, dissolve transitions and a multiviewer, allowing all inputs and transitions to be viewed on one HDTV monitor. The list price is $4,000.
• The AW-RP50 (list price $2,200) is a remote camera controller that allows a single operator to set up all the parameters and control the movement of up to 100 HE50 and HE100 cameras. It has a network connection for the AW-HS50N, so that a single operator can simultaneously switch a show and control the cameras.

With these three products, you can create a basic, automated three-camera setup for less than $23,000, or a four-camera setup for just over $28,000. What's more, all of the components are light: The switcher and camera controller together are around nine pounds, and each camera is 3.5 pounds. Add a live encoder with an Ethernet or WiFi interface, and you're ready to stream.

Panasonic may be making the biggest news at NAB

A few years ago, I was at NAB when Panasonic announced its P2 flash memory camcorders and media. They were models under glass, not even working prototypes. The P2 media was going to be very expensive, capacities were low, and the whole idea of using flash for professional video production was untested. Sony had recently introduced its XDCAM optical disc technology, and the company laughed at Panasonic for moving to P2. Flash forward a few years, and flash memory has become the standard for most video production; even Sony has jumped in with both feet. In a few years, I think that we'll look back and see that Panasonic is doing the same thing this week.

The first big news is the $21,000 AG-3DA1 3D camcorder. There are a number of things that make the AG-3DA1 interesting: First, it's a one-piece 3D AVCHD camcorder that records in 1080p and 720p at frame rates up to 60fps, depending on resolution. It can adjust and track convergence points and horizontal/vertical alignment from within the camera, without using a separate computer. It uses dual SDXC cards for storage and weighs just over 6 pounds (2.8 kg). In short, it's a professional 3D camcorder that you can take out and start shooting with immediately. 3D production is much harder than shooting in 2D, but the AG-3DA1 could make 3D both easier and faster.

The second major announcement is the (estimated) $6,000 AG-AF100, which I wrote about earlier this week. The AG-AF100 takes the guts of Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds digital still cameras and puts them in a camcorder body. The biggest single complaint that cinematographers have with DSLRs is that their ergonomics are designed for photography, not video, so they have to kludge together eyepieces, external monitors and mounting hardware to make DSLRs handle like camcorders. The AG-AF100 offers the sensor size and interchangeable lenses of DSLRs together with the ergonomics and features of a professional camcorder.

The AG-AF100 is a harbinger of what's to come. Consider what would happen if Canon put a 7D, 5D Mark II or 1D Mark IV, or if Nikon put a D3s, in a camcorder body: High resolution, big sensors, multiple frame rates and interchangeable lenses (including some new killer prime lenses from Zeiss.) If you've been following the DSLR shootout that Zacuto's been doing, you know that the new DSLRs can do things that motion picture cinematographers have dreamt about for years. Put that capability into a familiar package,  and you redefine the professional camcorder business.

The AG-3DA1 and AG-AF100 are both game-changers. Even if they don't go on to be big sellers, they're establishing new directions for professional camcorder design that will fully play out over the next few years.

Quick notes: New Canon video DSLR, iPad application thoughts

Two quick notes: First, Canon just announced the EOS Rebel T2i, a DSLR with true 1080P video capture capabilities, all the same frame rates as the much-lauded EOS 7D, and an $899 list price including kit lens. In essence, it's a 7D for the first-time DSLR buyer. The T2i continues the trend of incorporating professional video capabilities into DSLRs. We'll know whether this is the real thing or too good to be true when sites like dpreview and CamcorderInfo get their hands on it, probably late this month or early next month.

The next step in the development of video DSLRs is to change their ergonomics so that they're comfortable to use for long periods of time. DSLRs, like all still cameras, are designed to be brought to the eye to frame and focus a shot or sequence of shots, and then to be put down, while video cameras are designed to be held steady at the eye for several minutes at a time. A number of companies have come up with shoulder stocks and other mounts to compensate for the poor ergonomics of DSLRs when used for video. The next step is for the DSLR vendors themselves, such as Canon and Nikon, to jump in with DSLRs that not only have video capture features but also have the right video ergonomics.

The second note is a thought about iPad applications for media production and post-production. Over the last few days, I've read articles in Mix Magazine and the Hollywood Hand Held blog about iPod applications for audio and video production. The iPad would make an almost perfect control surface for audio workstations, video editing systems and color correctors (the one missing element would be tactile feedback.) What's even nicer about the iPad is that its functions and layout could change at the push of a button. Euphonix, for example, has separate Artist Series hardware control surfaces for audio mixing, video editing and color grading; put them together and you're looking at a couple thousand dollars worth of hardware and a lot of desk space. An iPad could perform all the same functions at a fraction of the cost and would require a fraction of the desk space, plus it's portable.

As time goes on, I'm sure that we'll think up more and more applications for the iPad that take advantage of its display, touchscreen and intelligence.