There’s been a lot of speculation on the new camcorder that Canon is revealing today at the SF SuperMeet. Some (myself included) have been hoping wistfully for a proper camcorder body and controls wrapped around a DSLR sensor, perhaps APS-C sized, with an interchangeable lens mount for common Canon L-series lenses. In simple terms, the camera of our dreams. Well, details and pictures of this new camera model are out, and to put it in romantic terms, we are fools for dreaming. Read on…
Canon is a massive operation. Their camcorder division has no doubt been working on this latest camcorder update since long before they stumbled into DSLR video. And yes, I do mean stumbled. It was a total fluke that they discovered the VDSLR market, this was no pre-meditated move on their part. And behind the scenes they are still playing catch-up…24p on the 5D is still not out, and despite all the love we hold for ‘em, shooting video with Canon DSLRs is still a very fiddly creature.
So when we hoped for an upgrade to the A1/G1 body, with proper exposure features, proper audio inputs and monitoring, and everything built around an APS-C sensor with an interchangeable lens mount…well, we were wishing for the impossible. They simply can’t and won’t deliver that right now. The ship is too big. It takes too long to turn things around. How long did they ride the HDV tape wave? They are literally the last major manufacturer to deliver a solid-state camera! That is the curse, and oddly, the blessing, of a large corporation like Canon. The curse is that we don’t have those tools now, and we will be forced to continue to invent tools and techniques on the bleeding edge of DSLR video. The blessing is that Canon is steady, you know what you can expect in their development schedule. They are releasing an upgrade to the A1/G1 that is a proper camcorder. It has solid-state recording. It has a solid codec that will integrate easily into common NLEs and workflows. It likely has 3x CCD sensors. It’s a form-factor that videographers understand and are already accessorized for. This is the blessing of a battleship-sized behemoth like Canon. They will ship a rock-solid camcorder. Unfortunately this means it may well be a few years before they ship the rock-solid camcorder the little boy inside me wanted them to ship.
Red Digital Cinema, on the other hand, is a Destroyer-sized vessel. They can and will turn on a dime. They embody the bleeding edge. They add features because the community asked for it. They push ship dates back when they want to, so they can add features and revise designs. They release tools because we want them and can use them, not when they are 100% bulletproof, and offer no apologies when things break. We love them, and we love to hate them for it.
We, who wistfully hoped Canon would release this ethereal camera of our dreams, made the mistake of projecting Red’s nimble attitude on a company that is far from nimble. With this latest model, Canon built the camera that we should have known they would build. A practical, well-considered upgrade to their line of workhorse HDV cameras. A camera that you’ll use day in and day out for common, everyday, dare I say boring, work that pays the bills. And that upgrade path makes perfect sense. What fools we are for assuming anything different.
To compare Canon and RED is like comparing apples and oranges. It makes absolutely no sense at all.
First of all, Canon DOES NOT and never did produce professional video equipment. That is the major difference to Sony and Panasonic. Canon only has amateur and semi-professional camcorders in their portfolio, and any professional cameraman could tell you immediately - holding any Canon camcorder - that they have no idea where all the stuff on a really professional camcorder ought to be and how it should work. Canon has always just improved their amateur line to make some semi-professional cameras, whereas Sony and Panasonic (& JVC) took their professional broadcast cameras and reduced the specs to come out with semi-professional camcorders.
That’s the major difference between Canon and the “real” broadcast camcorder manufacturers: Canon DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE how to do it properly, that’s why they keep failing over and over again.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of their Video DSLRs. But as you said, they totally stumbled into this field. Their video division had nothing to do with it. They have been building great DSLRs for images, and now the sensors were suddenly fast enough, so the photo engineers thought, “what the heck, let’s try this”. And so they did. And it worked better than they would have ever imagined, and on a completely different level.
But now this steamboat called Canon has to find a way to tell their overly successful DSLR engineers how to build a proper video camera. Because they didn’t. They still built a photo camera with a video function, which happens to be of stunning quality - but can’t be used properly without MAJOR investment in supportive gear of all kinds.
As for RED, they operate on a completely different level. RED produces products for specialists like we are, highly professional and not interested in the average consumer at all. Canon is a consumer company and does NOT have a professional video broadcast unit. And that’s what is keeping them from building this camcorder that we all want right now.
They just don’t know how to do it ... yet.
Posted by Nino on 02/05 at 04:39 PM
I think Canon’s approach makes a lot more sense than the Red. All I keep reading is how they continue to put out new hardware builds, “Is that build 15 or 25?” And then there’s the mysterious glitches that appear and disappear that leave even the professional camera operators scratching their heads. The truth is no one makes a excellent camcorder that is a true hybrid film/video camcorder. They are all toggled together systems, still imperfect. I’ve used them all and seen the benefits and deficiencies in all of them. The truth is you use the tool that fits the job. You don’t shoot someone’s wedding on a Red One, and you don’t film a feature on a Canon prosumer model.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/05 at 05:37 PM
I’ve been using Canon video cameras is professional broadcast applications for nearly a decade. They’re camcorders consistently perform at the same level and, more often, better than their competitors in the same class. The XL and XH line of cameras were the best HDV cameras that ever hit the market, and I fully expect the new solid-state camcorders to continue this trend.
The video DSLR technology, however, has a lot of maturing to do before they can even be considered for professional use.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/06 at 09:56 AM
Canon did not stumble upon the market for VDSLR’s!
After the explosion in video on newspaper websites, there were significant requests from newspapers, AP, Reuters and other agencies (whose photographers, both staff and freelance make up a big proportion of their users) for a camera that could take video as well as stills and be used by photographers.
The 5D is Canons answer to that request.
Posted by MichaelSanders on 02/08 at 08:52 AM
While Canon did tack on the video functionality for still photographers who needed ‘good enough’ video for the web I don’t think they foresaw the cameras becoming so talked about in the film/video world. Not to put words in Matt’s mouth, but I think that’s what he means when he refers to Canon stumbling in.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/08 at 11:26 AM
I agree with Andrew. Canon also admits that, they did not at all think that this might appeal to film and video professionals.
After all, the DSLRs were created by the “photo guys” at Canon who had no connection to the video department.
And you can tell, especially when holding a 5dmk2 in your hands. It is close to unusable for video without being pimped out with support gear.
Posted by Nino on 02/08 at 11:30 AM
Interesting use of the phrase “appeals to professionals”!
I know many professionals who have extensively used the 5D for pro work - and none of them would use the word “appeal”.
The vast majority of people using the 5D for video seem to be low budget indies and people on low budgets. A close friend has all but paid off his extensive 5D kit after a round the world corporate - but he would does he like shooting on it? No is the simple answer but such was the budget it was either that or an EX3.
Another DOP I know started shooting corporate drama on it but it was dropped after day 1 because it wasn’t workable.
Posted by MichaelSanders on 02/08 at 11:54 AM
From what I understand, Japanese camera makers were all developing video on DSLRs for a while, and they all released the cameras around the same time. It’s no coincidence that one company puts out their VDSLR, and a month later, another one does.
It would appear that this could even be mandated by the government. I thought I read on Ken Rockwell’s site something to that effect, and it makes sense. You can’t just say, oh Canon did it, let’s put it in now. It takes time.
As for the comment about RED—I’ve never used one, but I’d love to (I was a producer on a music video shoot that used the very cool SI-2K). And I know people who use them, and even work for them. They are on a different level than Canon and the rest—they may be affordable (well, affordable vs. an F950), but they’re still aimed at a higher-end market.
Heath
Posted by Heath McKnight on 02/08 at 07:07 PM
Couple quick comments in response:
* A VistaVision-sized imager is incredibly attractive to some professionals.
* It is very true that the 5DMK2 does not offer a pro toolset. That’s been my complaint all along. But those that choose to use it on a regular basis for professional work are well aware of it’s limitations and either willing to sacrifice certain features, or work around those limitations.
* I don’t personally see the 5DMK2 as competing with EX1 or EX3 productions. Totally different toolset. Where I see the 5D used, and where I use it mainly, is for B-roll/2nd unit, and for shoots that you wish you could afford a RED, but budget won’t even come close. This is not to say the 5D is a Red replacement (I agree with you, Nino), rather it’s a relatively similar pain in the ass to shoot with, and delivers a similar cinematic look at around the same production and post-production workload. Not a replacement, but perhaps a fair term would be poor-man’s Red.
* AndrewK is correct in parsing what I meant when I stated that Canon stumbled into the VDSLR market. I don’t doubt they saw a use for it among photographers and journalists, but it’s hard to argue they saw any real market among film and video professionals. They basically stated that at the head of my NAB 2009 video interview with them here: http://tinyurl.com/canon5dNAB09
Matt Jeppsen
FreshDV
Posted by Matt Jeppsen on 02/10 at 10:33 AM
Agreed but its more like Video professionals stumbled on a tool designed to do something else rather than Canon stumbling on a market. Its semantics I know but…
You may not see the 5D and EX1/3 as competitors but in reality its they are. In terms of day rates the kits cost the same (depending on lens package) and in terms of baggage cost, especially by air travel there are people saying we will take a smaller camera because its cheaper and we need less luggage which equals less excess travel costs. That’s part of the equation we have to make in the pro world and its not always based on the best camera for the job.
I think we also have to deal with the elephant in the room which is the heavily compressed pictures the 5D generates.
Posted by MichaelSanders on 02/10 at 11:59 AM
