Canon has launched the EOS C80, a powerful follow-up to the EOS C70 , its four-year-old RF-mount Super 35 4K cinema camera thats’s popular with indie filmmakers.
Identical in size to the EOS C70, the new EOS C80 marks a significant upgrade, packing the same (larger) full-frame backside illuminated stacked sensor with 6K video capabilities as the recently announced EOS C400. The EOS C80 also inherits the world-first triple base ISO of the EOS C400.
Most of the leading cinema cameras, like the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K and Panasonic Lumix S5 II , offer a dual base ISO; two ISO settings to deliver the best possible signal-to-noise ratio, one for good light and one for low light. However, a triple base ISO is even more versatile; the EOS C80’s ISO 800, ISO 3200 and ISO 12,800 settings will each give you the cleanest possible image the camera’s sensor is able to produce – a true cinema camera innovation.
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The EOS C400 and the EOS C80 are the only two cameras offering triple base ISO. (Image credit: Canon)
The EOS C80 uses Canon’s RF-mount, but there is a PL to RF-mount adaptor to use cinema glass too. (Image credit: Canon)
It may be a dedicated video camera , but the EOS C80 has the same RF-mount as Canon’s photography-focused mirrorless cameras, a built-in grip and a 3.5-inch flip-out touchscreen, making it a familiar and more accessible package to those who’ve used a Canon mirrorless cameras , like the EOS R5 Mark II , than Canon’s modular cinema cameras like the EOS C400.
The new camera’s sensor, as used in the EOS C400, is capable of capturing 16 stops of dynamic range, 12-bit RAW video internally, with Canon’s Cinema Raw Light color profile to keep file sizes down, and video resolution / frame rates of 6K 30fps, 4K 120fps and 2K 180fps.
Canon’s dual-pixel CMOS autofocus promises reliable focusing with autofocus points covering 100% of the frame, but the 5-axis stabilization is the less effective electronic type, which means ideally you’ll want some method of stabilizing the camera for handheld use.
Where the video-dedicated EOS C80 differs from Canon’s video-focused hybrid cameras like the EOS R5C is through its swathe of video tools, such as built-in ND filters (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 stops) and robust connectivity that includes 12G SDI (pro broadcasts demand secure SDI over HDMI) and mini-XLR terminals to attach accessories such as mics and monitors. It can also be adapted to Canon EF and to PL-mount lenses, complete with metadata – the latter includes legendary cine optics such as those by Cooke.
We can see the EOS C80 being Canon’s most popular cinema camera with indie filmmakers especially, or as a more compact broadcast tool. It’s priced at £5,339 for the body only (we’ll update this article with US and Australia pricing when we get it), and preorders are open now.
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