Introduced on January 2022 as the ideal camera for a wide variety of content producers, including YouTubers, wedding, indie and documentary filmmakers, drone operators and multimedia journalists and said to be “Ready for Anything”, the Canon EOS R5 C, a true hybrid, full-frame mirrorless camera that bridges Cinema EOS and EOS technology was not ready for one thing: Netflix. That changes now, as Canon announced that version 1.0.3.1 firmware elevates the overall image quality and camera operability for content captured by filmmakers and creators using the EOS R5 C.
The EOS R5C introduced a first: internal 8K (8192×4320) 60P Cinema RAW Light. The Cinema RAW Light format is a popular and valuable format found in other Canon Cinema EOS cameras such as the EOS C300 Mark III and EOS C500 Mark II. This feature captures the full dynamic range of the sensor and provides video data with a cinematic look, optimized for advanced grading and HDR, in a more manageable file size than Cinema RAW. Cinema RAW Light now has three newly-developed modes, RAW HQ (high quality), RAW ST (standard quality), and RAW LT (light recording). All three modes are 12-bit regardless of frame rate. The EOS R5 C can also record 8K video in MP4 format, ideal for quicker delivery.
Despite being the first Canon camera to provide internal 8K (8192×4320) 60P Cinema RAW Light recording, the EOS R5C was not approved by Netflix. The approved camera list presents cameras that adhere to the rules defined by Netflix. The company says that “to help creatives produce their best work and create compelling visual experiences for our audience, Netflix requires 90% of a program’s final total runtime to be captured on approved cameras” using a series of capture requirements announced on Netflix website. Netflix also notes that “for nonfiction content, this threshold may be more flexible.”
The company collaborates extensively with the creative community, camera manufacturers, and globally recognized experts to approve cameras that support reliable and flexible production workflows. Approved cameras have been evaluated by Netflix technologists to ensure they meet image capture benchmarks for dynamic range, color accuracy, detail rendition, signal to noise ratio, resolution, and key workflow requirements. “These evaluations help our partners know they’re using the best and most appropriate capture technology when telling their stories” says the company.
Now Canon has managed to add the EOS R5 C to Netflix’s list of approved cameras. This allows filmmakers to use Canon’s full-featured, hybrid full-frame mirrorless camera for Netflix productions. The EOS R5 C approval brings the number of Canon Cinema EOS camera models approved for use on Netflix productions to eight.
Canon Cinema EOS camera models on the Netflix approved camera list include:
- Canon EOS R5 C
- Canon EOS C500 Mark II
- Canon EOS C300 Mark III
- Canon EOS C70
- Canon EOS C300 Mark II
- Canon EOS C700 FF
- Canon EOS C700
- Canon EOS C500
The new firmware update strengthens Canon’s commitment to the filmmaking and content creation market. To download the new firmware update, please visit EOS R5 C Firmware Version 1.0.3.1.
Follow the link to the camera’s product page for more information on the Canon EOS R5 C.