First Photo of the Cinema EOS 8K Camera

[Canon Rumors Guy]

The Canon EXPO 2015 opens today in New York City and we have been sent the first photo from the floor of the 8K Cinema EOS camera coming from Canon.</p>
<p>We were told a few things about the setup in the image:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Body is identical to C300II but it records externally using an intermediate module then to Four Odyssey 7Q+ 4K recorders (Four 4096×2016 signals making up DCI 8K) up to 60p.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="p1">Keep in mind that the <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-developing-8k-cinema-eos-camera-120mp-dslr-8k-display/" target="_blank">recent development announcements</a> are technology demonstrations, and are not showcasing finished consumer products. The external (and internal) design of the 8K camera may change when it comes to market.</p>
<p class="p1">There should be a lot more coming from the show floor today.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>thanks Ebrahim</em></p>
<p class="p1">

 

[keithfullermusic]

I think it looks cool, but it needs to be bigger...

 

[coldsweat]

Just what the wedding video industry has been waiting for - a nice unobtrusive camera

 

[danski0224]

Makes a 1DX and 600mm look pocketable

 

[FunkyCamera]

Still better than a junk Sony that requires an external recorder just for terrible quality 4k video.

 

[Ebrahim Saadawi]

you're welcome CR..

The camera is clearly a technology showcase, something a bit of a show off as now Canon is ''beating'' all those video/cinema companies (especially Sony, Panasonic, ARRI, RED) by being the first to make an 8K cinema system.

Practical world use for this specific camera? not much, aside from ''maybe'' being implemented in I-MAX-type systems. But as a real world production camera, shooting normally like you do with a C300/500/f55/alexa/weapon, no, nobody is going to shoot with 4 7Q+ Recorders hanging off the back of a PC tower module and a C300II Body and a giant 8K Canon CN-E Lens, dealing with four (count them), FOUR 4K RAW streams on each recorder, eating up 1TB in 10 minutes of recording time, extreme even for the highest-end workflows.

It's a start, this specific camera can very well take the honor of broadcasting the Tokyo Olympics as they intend to.

The image is going to be mind-boggling yes, it's D810 36MP images in motion at 60 images per second, but a camera rival to the Red VV, Arri 65, Sony F65 and a successor to the C500? Probably not. The C300II is already that, this is a technology showcase at a japanese technology expo.

8k is clearly far from now, seeing how this Canon system looks and how the NHK system (the only other 8K camera system) looks:

Neat ha? Destroys the Canon, until you see what the rest of it (encoder/recorder) looks like:

Then the Canon + 4 Q7+ recorders look like a big achievement in terms of an 8K Camera system.

Not to mention the NHK is a tiny sensor, lower DR, lower resolution, lower frame rates, doesn't have the Canon C300II Body/features and just a sensor-box connected to a refridgerator-sized recorder-box.

It's fine Canon is showing off capability, but I want to see real practical video/cinema solutions.

 

[Etienne]

You need only 3 people to operate it, but 4 men to move or lift it

 

[David Hull]

I thought that this mirror less stuff was supposed to be small and light weight?

 

[BRunner]

I thought that this mirror less stuff was supposed to be small and light weight?

If you compare it to the above mentioned NHK 8k camera, isn't?

 

[CanonGuy]

Is that the 8k camera itself or the factory that will make the 8k camera?

 

[Ebrahim Saadawi]

I thought that this mirror less stuff was supposed to be small and light weight?

Yeah, I guess we can technically call Canon C300ii/C500ii/8K mirrorless ;D

 

[that1guyy]

The size is obviously increased by the monitors, matte box, etc.

Still better than a junk Sony that requires an external recorder just for terrible quality 4k video.

Don't comment on things you don't understand.

 

[Etienne]

The size is obviously increased by the monitors, matte box,

Don't take the fun out of it

 

[scrup]

By the time this comes out, the iphone will be able to do 8k.

 

[jeffa4444]

you're welcome CR..

The camera is clearly a technology showcase, something a bit of a show off as now Canon is ''beating'' all those video/cinema companies (especially Sony, Panasonic, ARRI, RED) by being the first to make an 8K cinema system.

Practical world use for this specific camera? not much, aside from ''maybe'' being implemented in I-MAX-type systems. But as a real world production camera, shooting normally like you do with a C300/500/f55/alexa/weapon, no, nobody is going to shoot with 4 7Q+ Recorders hanging off the back of a PC tower module and a C300II Body and a giant 8K Canon CN-E Lens, dealing with four (count them), FOUR 4K RAW streams on each recorder, eating up 1TB in 10 minutes of recording time, extreme even for the highest-end workflows.

It's a start, this specific camera can very well take the honor of broadcasting the Tokyo Olympics as they intend to.

The image is going to be mind-boggling yes, it's D810 36MP images in motion at 60 images per second, but a camera rival to the Red VV, Arri 65, Sony F65 and a successor to the C500? Probably not. The C300II is already that, this is a technology showcase at a japanese technology expo.

8k is clearly far from now, seeing how this Canon system looks and how the NHK system (the only other 8K camera system) looks:

Neat ha? Destroys the Canon, until you see what the rest of it (encoder/recorder) looks like:

Then the Canon + 4 Q7+ recorders look like a big achievement in terms of an 8K Camera system.

Not to mention the NHK is a tiny sensor, lower DR, lower resolution, lower frame rates, doesn't have the Canon C300II Body/features and just a sensor-box connected to a refridgerator-sized recorder-box.

It's fine Canon is showing off capability, but I want to see real practical video/cinema solutions.

I guess "beating" Arri means it will be on 10 features major by year end like the 6K Alexa 65. If as stated its Super 35 you can count it out for anamorphic and the C300 control layout maybe fine for TV but doesn't work for movies. Then there is Red with the 8K Weapon which will be to market before Canon with a 36x24mm sensor (Vistavision) so I don't think Canon is anywhere close to a slam dunk however I welcome them to the party if they are to make it a practical camera which currently its far from.

 

[sanj]

I prefer my Alexia

 

[Local Hero]

Neat ha? Destroys the Canon, until you see what the rest of it (encoder/recorder) looks like:

That stuff in the rack is the base station etc. that lives in the OB truck.

This is a broadcast camera, not a camera with an onboard recorder.

ALL broadcast cameras have basestations that look similar.

 

[that1guyy]

I prefer my Alexia

Err...I think you mean Alexa.

 

[sanj]

Yep.

 

[Ebrahim Saadawi]

Neat ha? Destroys the Canon, until you see what the rest of it (encoder/recorder) looks like:

That stuff in the rack is the base station etc. that lives in the OB truck.

This is a broadcast camera, not a camera with an onboard recorder.

ALL broadcast cameras have basestations that look similar.

Of course. We're drawing a comparison just because they're the only 8K recording camera systems in the world.

The NHK is a 32mp 2/3'' chip (4x crop) with standard REC 709 DR of 7 stops and a b4 mount (so clearly for broadcast) in a box with 4 SDIs outputting 8K data, for whoever can take it. They showed direct feed to prototype 8K Displays, and for recording the Mitsubishi/NHK encoder, enormous but for its defense, it's doing something unthinkable: decoding 8K files st 60fps speed and encoding, into not any format, but 8k HEVC, all in realtime. An amazing piece of technology but the size excludes cinema/film use.

The canon is a 36mp APS-C/s35 (1.5x crop) with 13 stops of DR and a PL & EF mount (so clearly for cinema/film use) in a full featured small C300II body, with 4 SDIs outputting 8K data, again for whoever can take it, but their solution were a direct feed to their own 8k reference monitor from the body, and for recording, the feed goes to an intermediate box for encoding to readable Canon RAW at 60p real time, then this feed to four Q7+ 4k recorders taking one canon raw 4K quarter each and recording to small SSDs either uncompressed DPX. digital negative or even ProRes which so cool for data size (The Q7+ can already take c500 4k feeds so 4 of then was the obvious recording route since Canon doesn't make external recorders). The 4 recorders set-up and rig is already suitable for cinema/film use in Alexa/Red/F65 environments.

If another one 8K recorder comes it will benefit both cameras, but it's doubtfull now, who's building such a sophisticated product for practically two cameras still unreleased.

Here are a few more up-close shots: note the C300 -> box -> battery -> 4 Q7+s configuration.

I am surprised how Canon could go from an 8mp aps-c to a 36mp yet still increase DR by a full stop and keep lowlight performance identical. Their video sensor department seems to ahead of the stills one at Canon for some reason, making an APS-C 10mp true 15 stops DR sensor with A7S lowlight and now this 36mp APS-C with 13 stops and C500 lowlight performance.

An interesting piece of information, three years back, Sony merged their video/cinema and stills sensor design departments into one, which is why we're seeing things like a stills A7s with a cinema native 4k chip and S-LOG3.