C500 MARK II Review | Anamorphic + High ISO Sample Footage

[@curtisjudd]

Really useful, practical review - thanks Griffin!

[@GriffinConway]

Curtis Judd thanks so much for checking it out Curtis!

[@olakunlesmith1092]

You have done it again...another smashing video. The colours are so rich, information broken down properly making for easy assimilation and the story telling, excellent. I am fast becoming a fanboy of yours and still looking forward to watching a BTS video of any of your projects to understand your style.

[@GriffinConway]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I appreciate it!

[@JohnDSmith]

Your comments about the RED being "cool" were so spot on. The coolness factor of RED is a bit overrated. We shoot with Red Ravens at my job currently and we are considering the C500ii. This was helpful, thanks!

[@GriffinConway]

John Smith I have a feeling a lot of people feel the same but probably wouldn’t admit it haha

[@definitionxmk]

Hopefully now you are considering the C300 Mark III

[@GriffinConway]

Project Definition I will definitely be renting that one soon as it comes out and making a review and some comparisons

[@nicholasturco7412]

This has been the most in depth and informative video for the c500ii so far, thank you so much man! Just subscribed as well!

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks so much Nicholas! I really appreciate it and I am glad you liked the video as well.

[@KevinConwayChannel]

THIS CHANNEL IS GOING TO BLOW UP

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks Kev!!

[@GlobalWarmington]

Hey dude - did you have a super wide 3:35/1 image from the anamorphics, from which you had to crop the edges ? If so did you lose any of the character of the lenses (corners etc) - talking about 2.45 zone in the video. Was what you were left with on the timeline different to what you were monitoring ? any insight would be super helpful - thanks.- adam

[@justinphu94]

Best content creator on KZbin. Amazing person in real life. Great channel Griff 👍👍👍

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks a lot Justin! How about that cameo at 11:10 🔥🔥

[@BrightTangerine]

Nice! need to check out our C500 II cage. Which rental place did you hit up?

[@GriffinConway]

Bright Tangerine we rented from bokeh rentals out of LA. I will probably be purchasing the c500 Mark ii and when I do I want to get one of the bright tangerine cages for sure. Do you have plans to make a shoulder pad setup?

[@bryanricke272]

Thanks, brah Thank you for putting in the time to do this!

[@hunterbuchanan2]

Thanks man this was the most helpful video I'v watched so far!

[@GriffinConway]

Glad you liked it Hunter! Thanks for checking it out!

[@tunatech]

Yes waiting for the C-200 comparison....thanks for putting this together great video

[@GriffinConway]

Robert Dettling thanks a lot Robert!

[@MathieuPrevot]

Sensor noise seems really much lower with C500II, the sensor is a big upgrade.

[@felipemvera]

Griffin do you have a kit page?

[@GriffinConway]

felipe olvera mine is pretty outdated. I’ll try to get it updated soon and drop a link!

[@AndrikLangfield]

awesome video man!

[@GriffinConway]

Andrik Langfield thanks Andrik!

[@carlosq00]

thank you for sharing, all this information was really useful to me.

[@GriffinConway]

thanks a lot Carlos. Appreciate you checking it out. I always watch your content and have been subbed for a while. Did you keep your pre order for the c500 Mark ii?

[@carlosq00]

Griffin Conway yes I ended up keeping my preorder in. And thank you!

[@iPhoneEisi]

You‘re doing absolutely fantastic. Super informative video. Looking forward to the c200 comparison. Keep it up

[@GriffinConway]

Eisi thanks so much for the kind words! Appreciate you checking it out

[@delaniegiandomenico8930]

Amazing video Griff! Love the anamorphic flares! And the in body stabilization is 🔥🔥

[@GriffinConway]

Delanie Giandomenico thanks Babe ❤️ can’t wait to film another commercial with you again

[@Patrick-jj5nh]

RAW is supposed to output signal noise... the image is much better, you can treat this in post... 6:32 will be a beautiful image once processed correctly

[@GriffinConway]

Hi Pat, I am aware of that. Raw doesn’t have build in noise reduction. However, noise reduction takes a long time to process and for my workflow it slows me down and extends projects, meaning I am less profitable per project. I understand for certain projects it makes sense, I wanted to show the images how you will get them from the camera with minimal work though.

[@_FrontFootFilms_]

I don't know of a single camera that shoots at 120fps with audio. They all don't record sound at 120fps so that can't really be a negative for this particular camera.

[@GriffinConway]

Adam Finmann the a7iii records audio is 120p when not using the s&q mode. Also I believe my GoPro and iPhone do as well. I realize these are cameras in a completely different category, however it was something that I find annoying so I figured I would share my thoughts

[@_FrontFootFilms_]

Griffin Conway that’s not a real video camera. There’s no point in audio when shooting 120fps. That’s why they don’t record it.

[@grizzuh]

Even the Arri Cameras Don't Record Sound during SloMo-Shots. You Don't need it.

[@inasymphonyxmood]

Really awesome and thorough review. Thank you!

[@GriffinConway]

jahchong thank you 🙌

[@Lilyanddrew1]

I subscribed because you colour grade well, the content was pretty good too.

[@GriffinConway]

Chetachi Andrew Njemanze thank you

[@ogston]

Thanks for such a detailed review Griffin! I believe there is a workaround for the S&F button quirk if you customise it. Waiting to get my hands on the camera to try it out.

[@GriffinConway]

Matt Mahmood-Ogston that’s great to hear. I will try to look more in to this when I get the camera again but I would love to see your findings if there is a workaround

[@SamWooz]

nice work

[@GriffinConway]

Wooz thank you!

[@filmyardart]

Ur KZbin videos are super nice keep it up

[@GriffinConway]

Fya Cem thank you!

[@simongentry]

what do you think about the mkiii 1dx? or even the EOS R5 8K ??? canon making waves huh!?

[@GriffinConway]

simon gentry exciting time to be a canon user! Haven’t said that one in a while lol

[@timmyDavies90]

Hi, Awesome Review Video, did you say the C500 Mark II has an onboard audio?? Like in camera audio.

[@GriffinConway]

Timmy Davies yes it has an in camera mic for scratch audio, as well as two xlr inputs and a 1/8” input

[@atutor1]

Well done, sir. Thank you. This was the first I had heard about the slow mo issues. I was excited about that

[@GriffinConway]

Thank you Austin! The 120p is not the best but the 60p full frame looks incredible

[@3DEditor]

I watched another review on the C500 mark 2, and it's auto focus and face tracking is kinda weak and quirky. Hopefully that can be fixed with firmware update. It's also a huge bummer the C500 m2 isn't weather sealed. Living in the North West where it rains 3/4 of the year at any given moment, that's a definite plus to have when filming outdoors. I film a lot of nature, waterfalls, seascapes and sealife when I'm out. I may either have to consider the C300 m2 or look into Sony models that have all the features I'm looking for.

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks for the comment. I agree about the weather sealing, that is for sure one limitation of the camera. Although I did purchase a rain cover from a company called cam raid that solves that for me. Regarding the face only af, I would say it has certain limitations like extremely low light and if the subject is very far from the camera, but in an interview setting I can confirm it is the best autofocus I have ever used.

[@flashlightstudio5399]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts 💭 with us. Please next do a comparison of C500 MKii vs Red Epic dragon 6K

[@GriffinConway]

Flashlight Studio If I get the chance to worm with both at the same time I will try and do that!

[@sup3rdinho]

Great Video! Polished, Very Informative.

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks a lot Aleksandar!

[@danieltang2488]

Really practical review. Awesome.

[@GriffinConway]

Glad it was helpful Daniel!

[@cocoytv1]

When you say image stabilisation...is it done on camera or in the lens ?

[@TylerMaceyFilms]

Very informative video. Can you let me know which production house you rented off of?

[@GriffinConway]

Tyler Macey hey Tyler, thanks for the comment. It was rented from Bokeh Rentals out of Los Angeles.

[@jeffreyhong6191]

The Canon Pro Video hero we all deserve !!!

[@GriffinConway]

Jeffrey Hong eyyyy 🔥🔥

[@TylerEdwards]

Awesome review man! This looks like an amazing tool. Albeit out of my budget for purchase, it will definitely be a great rental for me! Looking forward to your next video and looking forward to what your thoughts on the 1DXIII are when you get it. Can't wait for mine. Subscribed! (totally thought I sub'd after your C200 vid, my bad haha)

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks so much Tyler! I pre ordered the 1DX iii the first day so hopefully it delivers next week. I will get a vid up comparing the c200 / c500 ii / 1dx ii as soon as I have the chance to try them out in the real world. Thanks for the sub!

[@dcd6115]

Can’t wait to see your C200 v C500 II comparison.

[@GriffinConway]

Bob Ross thanks a lot Bob, should be posted up tomorrow!

[@serviceevidence5864]

Great Video !! Let us know if you need any rental gear down the line!

[@GriffinConway]

Service Evidence thanks will do! If you ever need gear reviewed hit me up and we can do some videos together!

[@filmyardart]

Thx for the video How long is the small battery lasting?

[@GriffinConway]

Fya Cem small batteries last around an hour, big ones around 2 hours

[@edpr2244]

40 minutes max.

[@edpr2244]

@@GriffinConway I own the c500 mark ii and the small battery is only lasting for 40 min.

[@jaimejrking]

Menn love your videos! The c500 monitor work on c200!??

[@GriffinConway]

Jaime Jr King thanks so much Jamie! It didn’t work on my c200’s. Hopefully with a firmware update they can make it compatible.

[@scope_lucas]

Thank you for this video ! C500 II VS C200 should be awesome.

[@GriffinConway]

Thank you! Working on it today actually!

[@scope_lucas]

@@GriffinConway Look like you want to invest time on your youtube channel this year :)

[@GriffinConway]

Scope working on it!

[@dalessandrofilms]

any budget anamorphic lenses you recommend?

[@ProjectOverseer]

Quality review. Thank you 👍

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks Chris! Appreciate you checking the video out.

[@ancilm]

I really love your reviews. Would like to see you do one on the C300 Mark iii if possible.

[@GriffinConway]

Thank you! I am planning to get a c300 Mark iii in for some comparisons in the next month or so

[@ancilm]

@@GriffinConway Looking forward to it.

[@borisathmer6197]

Did you had a easyrig while walking testing the IBIS?

[@GriffinConway]

Nope just handheld

[@borisathmer6197]

Thank you Griffin! Should you recommend using IBIS together with the lens stabilisation with walking shots?

[@eptafilms5256]

Hey Griffin, Great review! When you say "has the ability to shoot anamorphic" are you saying that the camera has a built in De-squeeze option? I just want to make sure I'm tracking. Thank you!

[@GriffinConway]

Correct...built in desqueeze and a proper 4x3 sensor mode so you don’t have to chop off a huge amount of information on the sides of each image

[@eptafilms5256]

@@GriffinConway Thank you sir! Hope all is well in these crazy times!

[@jamescook5931]

Dude,you the man. Are there any gimbals out there that can stabilize the C500 mark ii. I know that would definitely increase the size quite a bit.

[@GriffinConway]

Ronin 2 or Movi pro. It could also work on a smaller gimbal like the rs4 pro but I would only do it with the ring attachment because it will get heavy with a single handed gimbal

[@josephberkeley]

Hi, Griffin. Thanks for making this thoughtful video. I really enjoyed it and I subscribed. Like you, I am thinking about buying the C500 mark ii. Currently I own a 1DX mark ii, 5D mark iv and a bag of EF L glass. That gear has all paid for itself and has provided me with good service. I have two kinds of projects: scrappy budgets, and bigger productions. I think the C500 mark ii would be a great A camera on scrappy budgets (use my L glass), and a great B camera on big budgets (rent cinema glass). A local rental house would consider renting it out when I'm not using it. They would give me 60% of the day rate. That said, they would like to have the camera in house almost all the time which would get in the way of learning the quirks and features of the camera. Based on your review, it seems like the C500 mark ii would be a good camera for at least three years. It's at the beginning of its lifecycle, rather than the end. Do you think the C500 mark ii would be a good earner? Also, how do you intend to spec yours out? I'm thinking about Wooden Camera Top Plate $299, Wooden Camera base plate $499, Wooden Camera handle $250, PL Mount $1599, Wooden Camera battery slide $199, WC Pro Gold Mount (3 x D-Tap) $175, PowerTap 20 XLR $43.70, 3 Canon BP-A60 batteries $1485, 4 256GB Extreme PRO CFExpress Card Type B $1599. Camera is $15,999. Pelican case, $399. That comes out to a basic package of $22,546.70. Curious what you think about making your money back on this kit in that we live in a "do more with less" economy.

[@GriffinConway]

Hey Joe thanks for checking the video out! I think if you are someone that is doing a ton of work and your clients are willing to pay a rental fee for your gear then it can make sense. It really is a personal question though. In my opinion, this camera will become the new c300 mark ii, which in my market (los angeles area) still rents for around $300/day after being on the market for 5 years. The c300 mark II is still requested by directors and producers for doc work and broadcast quite a bit, so if you are renting it out it could prove to be a good investment. On top of that, it will definitely help you stand out in from other people with full frame and anamorphic capabilities. Hope that helps!

[@josephberkeley]

@@GriffinConway Appreciate the thoughtful answer. I believe I will move forward with the purchase. Thank you. Joe

[@danielrdotcom]

What apertures did you use on the anamorphic glass?

[@GriffinConway]

I was shooting around t4 most of the time

[@jeffdurkin7646]

are those parking lot IS test shots just walking handheld or with an easy rig?

[@GriffinConway]

Just handheld, no easyrig

[@creativeorstrange]

I heard that you mentioned your iMac Pro struggled with editing the Canon c500 Mark ii. out of curiosity, what are the specs of your iMac Pro?

[@GriffinConway]

creativeorstrange it’s the base model iMac Pro from 2019. I don’t have the specs in front of me right now, but it’s 8 core/32gb ram. An upgraded graphics card would go a long way for me because the .crm files are super heavy on the graphics

[@jaggedtoothX]

Can you not set the S&F mode to jump from 23.98 to 60fps in the same resolution you're shooting in? So say, jump from 4k XFAVC 23.98 straight to 4k XFAVC 60fps? Does the sound and autofocus go away then? Really, I just want to be able to quickly jump back and forth from 23.98fps to 60fps. Does the S&F not allow for that?

[@GriffinConway]

Unfortunately, even 4k 24p to 4k 60p via the s&f mode makes the autofocus and sound disabled. I wanted that same thing and it doesn't work as I wanted it to. My solution is to use the custom menu's and just set frame rate to the first thing and keep your shutter on shutter angle.

[@jaggedtoothX]

@@GriffinConway Oh man, that is annoying. Does it switch to the 2K crop mode when you press the button? I imagine you are losing sound because it's not changing the master frame rate when you press S&F. It's definitely overcranking, but it's overcranking at 60fps within your original 23.98 project. Whereas, what I think everyone really wants to do, is hit that button and change the master frame rate to 60fps, therefore maintaining sound/AF and the full resolution without a crop. The Sony FS7 does this and it's fantastic. And it sounds like Canon got very close, but they didn't quite implement it the way most people really wanted. Because going back and forth between 23.98fps and 60fps is probably one of the most common things a commercial cinematographer does.

[@GriffinConway]

jaggedtoothX I found that you have to manually change the sensor size and the s&f mode doesn’t do it for you but I didn’t have the camera long enough to confirm this.

[@PabloPucciOK]

Hi Griffin. Do you think the camera is capable of doing narrative/fictional Content? I liked your video: Very descriptive and well made :-)

[@GriffinConway]

Thank you Pablo. I appreciate it! The c500 mark ii is a great all around camera, and the 1dx iii is a great hybrid camera. I am not sure which you are asking about, but with proper rigging I think either could handle just about anything you throw at it, but the c500 mark ii would have an easier time with narrative

[@adamkirby7965]

Great review Griffin. Can I ask what picture profile you were shooting in XF-AVC @ 12,800 ISO? Did you do any NR in post or change any if the in-camera NR settings? The image looks super clean. Thanks

[@GriffinConway]

Clog 2 with the Alexa lut and some subtle teal/orange color contrast tweaks...no extra noise reduction, but the XF-AVC in the c500 ii is just crazy clean.

[@PBarry]

Lot of grumbling about the high speed on here. Wonder if Canon might open that up with a firmware update?

[@PBarry]

** Clarification -- high speed seems to be a sticking point for a lot of people on whether or not to purchase this camera. To compare, even the FS7 did 180 fps at 1080 with no crop to sensor.

[@GriffinConway]

Patrick Barry definitely. I don’t use it for most projects, but when I film boxing related stuff it would be nice to have. I would love if canon would open that up via firmware but given their history I doubt that would happen...we can hope though!

[@krane15]

HS is a creative element that's frequently overused, but rarely needed. If I were wildlife photographer doing a piece of humming birds I'd rent a dedicated HS camera. Otherwise, manufactures have got to compromise somewhere to keep the price of the camera within reason. HS is a small price to pay since that's the least of my needs.

[@PBarry]

@@krane15 - I do quite a bit of industrial shooting and those clients love seeing their machines and sparks in slow mo. And I'm not talking like 1000 fps, just 180. Even the FS7, which is now a 5-6 year old camera could shoot 180fps on the full sensor, and with all the advances in tech it seems like Canon is short changing the consumer to say they top out at 120fps on a 16mm-sized sensor crop. Otherwise, I thought the camera looked fantastic and I probably would've pre-ordered one.

[@krane15]

@@PBarry They're not short changing you. When one manufacture gives you feature A, they hold back on feature B. That's really how it works. If HS is your priority then you should invest in a dedicated HS camera. That way you get the very best HS camera and don't have to make any compromises. Remember, no one camera can be all things any more than one type of automobile can do all things. To some level, there will always be some compromises. I think you already know that.

[@mcneilbelle]

Hey awesome video love because of your breakdown question Is Shooting in 5.9k available in 12bit and is 5.9k available in 60fps in 12bit

[@GriffinConway]

5.9k raw is 12 bit when shooting 24p and 10 bit when shooting 60p. To my eyes, I can’t really tell much of a difference in quality between the two

[@mcneilbelle]

@@GriffinConway thanks ✊🏽

[@macworld33]

can someone tell me where the mirror button is located so that I can flip the display? I have been all over the manual for 30 minutes and can not find the damn thing.

[@GriffinConway]

It’s on the side of the stock monitor

[@damiencooper]

alright, just done watching this, no on to the C200 comparison. I'll leave my thoughts there ;)

[@GriffinConway]

Awesome!

[@dbproductions5545]

Thank you for your Video. Can you say somthing about the downscaled image from the C500 Mark II to s35 4K in terms of sharpness and debayering false patterns? (overal image quility?)

[@brunodetante]

very interesting video. I'm actually looking to buy one and your take on it is one of the most valuable and detailed one I have seen so far. Thanks!

[@GriffinConway]

Thanks a lot Bruno!

[@VirtuousVow]

Subscribed and hit bell for C200 vs C500 mkii 😎

[@GriffinConway]

Visceral Vow thanks so much Visceral vow!

[@winstonmcfarlane548]

Where are you located?

[@hectorgonzalezh.3980]

No matter what camera you use,. What matters the most is the director,.the editor the ciniaist,the writer.. color cience.. the most important is called creativity.

[@prasannp7]

Do you know if it's possible to output to an external recorder (like Atomos) while simultaneously recording internally (RAW)?

[@GriffinConway]

Yes you can! Works great. It will output a 4K 10 bit 422 signal when recording in 4K or 5.5k raw

[@BesottedlyDialecticl]

Comparison c200 yes please

[@GriffinConway]

Coming soon!

[@simongentry]

excellent overview! i think the c300 mk iii can shoot anamorphic.

[@GriffinConway]

That is correct. I made this video before the c300 mark iii was announced 👍

[@nicocam6336]

Thanks for the vid. When I spoke to Canon, I was made to believe that it was weather sealed. I'll send an email and check and let you know ;-)

[@nicocam6336]

REPLY FROM CANON AND IN MANUAL TOO: The C500MKII is environmentally protected (Weather protected). It has an magnesium alloy cage, the housing is made of polycarbonate and it has dust an moisture sealing around all the buttons etc. It does have a fan inlet and outlet which is not sealed as air needs to pass through like all pro video cameras. If you’re using in the rain, make sure to not leave uncovered for long periods of time and dry off quickly. It work’s down to -10 degrees and up to 40 degrees, this can be pushed, but has been tested to this standard by Canon to guarantee use.

[@GriffinConway]

@@nicocam6336 Nice thanks for following up on that! I can tell you that in the real world there is no way I would take a c500 mark ii in to the the same conditions I would take a 1dx ii / 1dx iii or a c300 mark ii in to (like that Iceland waterfall for example). There is a giant vent that will take in quite a bit of moisture. On the c300 mark ii there is a special type of heat vent that doesn't allow water in to the camera.

[@nicocam6336]

Griffin Conway haha yeah I guess. I’ve just received mine and I think it will take me a year or two before I start risking anything with it for sure 😆 I think it should be fine in the rain at least but like all electronic stuff, it’s best to try and keep it covered anyway. Thanks for the vid good luck with shooting

[@GriffinConway]

Frozen Leaf I got a cover for mine from a company called camrade for about $200 that works like a dream. Pretty sure it will fit on the c500 as well. Good luck shooting and congrats on the purchase!

[@PS-ys9yg]

c200 is a great camera, and the c500 mkII is better ok, but its really so good to cost more than de double of that c200 price? iam think its insane ( so you want bigger and expensive lenses to for the full frame sensor)

[@GriffinConway]

Pablo Szuster you are correct, in my opinion the c200 is there better value camera for most people. The c500 Mark ii really starts to shine if you are going to putting nice PL mount glass on and shooting anamorphic like we did for the commercial. Also, the image stabilization is really nice and the full frame sensor gives more options for achieving your look and lower overall noise. Most people would be better off with a c200 though

[@krane15]

One is a prosumer camera, the other is professional. Consider lawn movers for example. One cost $500, the other $2,500. One may be more powerful than the other but either will cut your lawn exactly the same. So what's the difference? The difference is one will cut YOUR lawn once ever few weeks. While the other has to cut 10 lawns per/day every day and without failing. Is the more expensive mower worth the cost? Well if it shuts down your business comes to a grinding stop but you still have to pay your crew. But if its just for your lawn, I'd say no. In any event, don't make the classic mistake of assuming price is always linear. Sometimes the difference is more than skin-deep.

[@hectorgonzalezh.3980]

Obviously at this price range it has to be really good...

[@NativeAmericanElder]

please define "the full-frame look"

[@hectorgonzalezh.3980]

You are not a cinematographer obviously this camera is to good for you,.. (too much for you)...

[@Obosii]

Really useful video. Thank you.

[@GriffinConway]

Obosi thank you! Glad you enjoyed the review