In-depth Canon C200 Camera Review

[@curtisjudd]

I know this is an old one, but wanted to say I appreciate the thorough coverage and detail. Nicely done, Matt!

[@kevinbatts2804]

The best review on KZbin. Thanks

[@themuvilife]

I purchased a C200 two years ago based on this review by Matthew. Very accurate review, very satisfied with the choice.

[@bas613]

Most thorough review I've ever seen. You covered every relevant point from almost every angle. Good job.

[@str8uptv]

I got to say as a broadcast guy. This camera is above and beyond the needs. My company and I shoot 150 mbps 4k and downsample to 1080 and it is buttery. AMAZING!!!! With AVID, frame flex allows you to have like a 2 camera shoot. Happy to say it, but this beast rocks. PS: thank you for the review.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

What you made here is actually an excellent tutorial video, the word "review" in the title was totally misleading; this is a brilliant instructional video, not the usual "Hello-youtube" review crap. You are really great. The section at 37:59 for face only/priority is so excellent, too. Actually, after watching this video, I fully understand why this camera is $7500, it simply left the Sony/Panasonic competition in the dust face down. I am a Sony fan, and owner of A9, but I can say: Bravo Canon! Absolutely impressive, and I am envious of my fellow videographers who can afford the C200.

[@rolandgueblez9645]

Hello, my English is very limited I use google translation. I want to thank you for the quality of this study which will serve me make the choice of my new camera. It's really a nice work. Thank you very much

[@marklitherland888]

Many thanks for the detail; even as a C200 daily user I learned some good stuff from this and you reminded me of a few things I'd forgotten. You can easily get entrenched in a workflow and it's good to rediscover features.

[@jessemcgrane2748]

Thanks for taking the time to put this review together. Super helpful. Subscribed!

[@tidalgardens]

Great job! Very in-depth review of the camera. This camera is overkill for me, but I absolutely love it. 4k 60p really adds a lot to the type of videos I shoot, and strangely enough, I appreciate the low-end codec for youtube delivery.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

You made a brilliant demonstration of what Massive Focus Breathing is at 29:39 It looked as if you are zooming in and out.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

Excellent demonstration of the multi-face tracking of the C200 at 28:10. I liked that you can use both the touch screen as well as the joystick (same as on the new Sony Z90). Sadly, the Canon XF400 works quite a bit differently; on the XF400 you cannot use the joystick to pick the priority face, and there is an extra tracking cancellation touch function that you have to use. This C200 works absolutely great.

[@joseangel4428]

Very, very well done review!

[@LIJ]

Fantastic review. I'm an American living here in Tokyo and wondered if you have any suggestions for camera rental places?

[@PhotoMe99]

Best review in everyway! i really wish that u guys are planing to do the same with EVA1. this is amazing guys! glad that i subbed since NAB 2017 videos :)

[@KevKlopper]

To clarify the RAW situation: you can edit the raw files in Resolve but resolve can't process the RAW (raw controls / debayering). I bought the camera somewhat based on this promise from Blackmagic. So I wanna warn people here, the only debayering is happening now in the Canon software. Great review nonetheless.

[@Falckodotcom]

Thanks for this very informative review! I watched it from start to finish. Good job!

[@cocoytv1]

Great review. So complete !. When shooting RAW 10 bit, are you able to choose any speed in between 24 and 60p ?. Let´s say 32, 40, 48fps, etc ?. Also noticed that, when shooting Canon Raw light and using the export configuration of the Canon Software to Prores444, you are only able to choose 1080p side crop. I assume this is because the 4096x2160 is a 1:1.94 as the 1920x1080 is a 1:1.78 ratio. So the question that arises here is, can you display 1.78 framing marks on the viewfinder (or any other project marks) while shooting RAW ?. Also wish it could be a longer VF cable so to rack focus at a distance with the monitor away from the camera ?. If the monitor is physically attached to the camera every time you touch the screen the camera will feel the contact, specially on such a lightweight camera.

[@Gleebi]

Great review. Feedback for your next 1. More Japan!

[@andrewjackson7931]

Best review period. No one else talked about fan and HDMI cable location. Question? Is 24-105 f4 mark I considered to be an 'old' lense? And you never mentioned anything screen brightness in sunlight. Some say it's a problem, others say you can turn it up. What is your verdict?

[@thogan]

You have to turn up the Luminance setting which some reviewers missed to increase brightness of the monitor in bright sunlight. It would still be difficult to manually focus with bright sunlight on the screen but with touch screen autofocus it does fine even if the monitor is not as bright as some of the best Atomos monitors.

[@JMichaelThames]

Great review! Even if the C200 had 10 bit 422, I would still buy the C300 MKII (used). C300 has 12 bit 444, in HD.... less data than raw, and I'd bet no one could see a difference in the graded footage between the two. Ive never used touch screen AF, perhaps the only alluring feature of this camera. Canon should really listen to the outrage over 8 bit 422. This camera is neither fish nor fowl.

[@andrewstarns1444]

Why would you choose the slow motion recording mode versus shooting in 120p and slowing it down on a timeline in premiere?

[@ZMAMShow]

Man thanks for this. Very informational. Long, but needed. Clears up a lot of questions, except for if canon will be generous and give that 10 bit codec in 2018. My guess is there's no way in hell... From a marketing/sales perspective, i think it would completely cannibalize on the C300 Mark II.. Guess we'll see.

[@lionroots11]

Hi what lens did you use video on the streets and the park? Love the look wondering if you can help

[@Newsshooter]

I think it was a Canon 70-200 F2.8 and the 24-105mm F4

[@iSalaspro]

what a great helpful review, subscribed

[@randallburgess6393]

Thanks outstanding review. Very detailed and helpful

[@AANasseh]

Does C200 also have auto ISO?! I'm just trying to see whether in a quick run and gun documentary situation this camera can use AF and Auto Exposure to shoot something quick like a DSLR in Auto mode but with C-Log on either RAW or its 150mbs modes. (Great review!! Thank you!)

[@Kyle-xk5xc]

Thanks for the great review! I am interested in using the camera on a gimbal (one of the reasons canon designed this camera) and I am a single operator. The touchscreen autofocus is the perfect thing to use for this.. However I have not seen anyone try this yet with the Canon LCD monitor attached to the gimbal. Do you have any creative solutions or have attempted this? Thanks!

[@NewBranchFilms]

Great work, mate. Helpful!

[@RyanAnthonyDigitalMedia]

Does the C200 also internally record 4K in mp4, or does it only do RAW?

[@bobuk5722]

Hi, and thank you. Very comprehensive. Can you give some detail about the Apple computer used? Do you have any feel for Raw light on a PC? Thanks, Bob.

[@matthewallard8470]

There is a PC version of the Canon RAW Developnent software . I used a late 2012 iMac

[@bobuk5722]

Matthew Allard. Thanks. How long did it take to process? Which format did you convert to? The Canon raw development s/w recommended h/w configuration and that for DaVinci Resolve are rather off putting, hence my concern - nice camera, on paper seems crippled by the post processing hardware costs, so I am very interested in your experiences. Bob.

[@Newsshooter]

Processing time really depends on your computer. Converting any RAW material can be slow and time consuming, but the Canon Cinema RAW Light is quicker to do than most other RAW formats. I converted my files into ProRes 4444, but you can choose DPX and OpenEXR.

[@bobuk5722]

Hi Matt, thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I've since run some embryoinic tests on a several years old, but poweful, i7 and it is nothing like as bad as I feared. The Canon development tool outputs on Windows are however rather limiting at the present. I think this camera is aimed at opening up the use of raw, hence no middle ground. We get given a low end codec so we can see how wonderful raw really is! Throwing 'light' in dark places, so as to speak. As storage gets cheaper and cpu's more powerful raw becomes ever more practical. I think that the camera was never really targetted at a 'news shooting' application, it's not what it is about - it's trying to change the game. Eventually a move to raw should bring down the capital costs of our cameras - it's much simpler to implement than a very complex hardware codecs. With the C200 we get a lot of camera for the money, but we have to buy in to raw as the price of that. At least Resolve on Windows can produce things other than DPX and OpenEXE files! Once again, many thanks for what is easily the most comprehensive and much quoted review to date on the 'net. I am very, very close to ordering one, but then I'm not in your business. It's now the archive volume that concerns me. No worse than Prores 4:4:4:4, I guess. Bob.

[@lionroots11]

Hi great video. What firmware do you have on your c200?

[@Newsshooter]

No idea, this camera was on loan from canon when this review was done.

[@headsupfiction8582]

It may be time for broadcasters to change the laws in regards to video bit depths and color spaces. With video quality like this it's hard to say this camera isn't up to scratch.

[@Newsshooter]

They have to set some type of standards, but I think each camera should be judged on its own merits. AS long as you get the exposure and white balance right then the 420 8-bit material is perfectly fine.

[@AxlfroProductions]

Been shooting for broadcast on a national major network for years with a C100 and the codec was never a problem. Like Newsshooter says, as long as your exposure is in legal range and your white balance isn't wacky, no one will ever know what your bit depth is.

[@AANasseh]

Great review! Quick question: Can you operate the AF Points if you don't have the touch screen and are only using the viewfinder? Is there a joystick or something to operate the focus without the attached touch screen. I'm looking for a smaller foot print on this camera without the touch screen. Please let me know. Thanks!

[@matthewallard8470]

Yes you can move it around with the joystick instead of using the touch screen.

[@PixelremixRetouch]

Thanks for the extensive review and your time producing it! Just a question regarding AF: The Face Detection AF works perfect on the used Canon zoom lens but apparently it's not going to work on any (even Canon L) prime lenses, right?

[@mickchambers2904]

Also between c200 and c300MKII, which isn't going to be better for doco/run and gun work? I'm worried about the position of the LCD on the c200 mainly here

[@JohnHenkamGangte]

Matt Chambers It's adjustable. You can set it in pretty much any position you want.

[@SomeStrangemysterious]

There was a lot of focus breathing during those focus pulls on the robot toy and the background.

[@ianedrobertson8256]

When you shoot and record internal raw video on the CFast Card in the C200 camera can you watch the video files play back on the camera itself or do you need to use an additional SD card to record a low resolution copy on the other available card slot. How is this done the most efficient way without having to bring extra gear on a shoot. I quickly played with a C200 the other day and I could see thumbnail photos of each videoclip I had shot on the media playback section of the camera using just a CFast card but I couldn't click and have them playback for me.

[@thogan]

Yes, you have to push a button to play back the clips not click on thumbnails.

[@adrianhernandez3204]

What song is being played around the 11min mark?

[@hussainbellal]

I find it difficult switching DP auto focus on and off as a c200b owner. is there a way in the settings to switch it off?

[@oviedofilms2581]

👏👏👏📽 the best review...C200.

[@ammarawad1153]

Great work

[@alexmainwaring]

Hey Matt, just wanted to know your thoughts on the exhaust vent being on the operator side of the camera. Just how annoying is it to operate this thing on shoulder rig? Seems like a huge design flaw to me...

[@matthewallard8470]

It's very annoying from an operational stand point.

[@alexmainwaring]

Like deal breaker annoying? I'd plan to be using Zacuto's Recoil shoulder rig and assume I'd be operating shoulder rig a lot.

[@matthewallard8470]

Depends how much you like having very hot air right on the side of your face and a loud fan noise in your ear.

[@matrixate]

I think I want this one...

[@JMichaelThames]

What is the real reason Canon won't give a definite answer as to whether the future upgrade will be 8 bit or 10 bit? Why can't they say? Certainly they know, or are they waiting to see which way the wind is blowing next year? I do want the C300 for various reasons but in a pinch might go for the C200 if it had 10 bit 422. I imagine Im not the only one in this position.

[@JamesJacksonFilmz]

Your last part is the reason why they won't add 10 bit 422 internally (can still do 10 bit 422 externally in 1080) They have stated at many of the events that essentially they want to keep full broadcast standards within the c300 line and above. the C100 and C200 are entry levels for online content, weddings and broadcasting that don't have heavy requirements. Essentially Canon has stated. if 10 bit internal recording is a must for you, get the c300 mark II

[@JMichaelThames]

Yes..... but I will buy a used one. They won't make a dime from me anymore.

[@matrodmedia]

Mike (honest apologies if you go by Michael), IMHO, you may be over-considering the spec's. Without going into extreme detail, what is your client work like? For example, what is the most common type of shooting you do (i.e. Event, Corporate, News/Broadcast, Feature film [crash-cam/small-area cam], Sports, etc.)? You say you may go for a used C300-Mk2? The price increase on that camera is massive (in direct-comparison to the C200). Even when comparing "spec-for-spec" with what they announced thus far; for the one-man-band I can think of a decent list of reasons to pick a C200 over a C300Mk2. Price is not limited to the camera body by itself. The biggest extra cost aside from lenses is media, hands down. Yes, there's rigs and gimbals, etc., but the wise-minded filmmaker can make-do withOUT a lot of the newest "trendy" camera rig packages. The vast majority you don't *"need"* in order to make money. And the "making money" bit brings me back to my original point: media. CFast 2.0 is EXPENSIVE; simple as that. You'd need to weigh whether or not fancy codecs and high bitrates actually matter in the end; for *your* particular work. Let me continue on by example; I've turned-around fast turnaround jobs in 3x the speed by just using more "standard" color profiles and grading less -- when either shooting with a smaller 8-bit camera, or shooting with a smaller-file-size version of the codec in whichever camera I happen to be using for the job. KZbin gives us fantastic opportunities, but also paints an exaggerated image of the world that causes us to think in an exaggerated, unrealistic way -- making us believe that the competition is unbeatably fierce; when in reality, the competition is the same - we just have better tools to compete with. It's not about what 'features' or 'specs' Canon is or isn't "holding back..." It's about which size flat-head screwdriver will screw this ___-sized flat-head screw most efficiently. A.K.A., which tool is best for the (sometimes very specific) job. So again, it's on you to decide. But don't get too concerned about it, basically. The current technological age requires us as media creators to adapt in shorter time increments; because there's a guaranteed shiny, new, and better toy literally right around the corner at all times, pretty much. :) But hey, it's just my opinion, man.

[@JMichaelThames]

I do mostly guitar videos, and some how to make guitar videos for my KZbin to promote my work. You can checkout my channel if you are interested. Yea, I could do just fine without any new camera and just use the C100 and C100 mkII and my 5D3. But, like many of us I have an addiction to new cameras and had my sights set on the C300 MKII. The codec options on the C300 are more useful to me. I want the option to color grade without the image falling apart, 4K raw files on my Macbook Pro with 16 gigs of memory won't like that much, I like the Raw Light option in the C200 but practically speaking don't think I'd use it much. The C200 doesn't feel like a move up with the 8 bit 420 codec. I could use my Blade to get true 10 bit 422 out of it O guess. I think the 12 bit 444, or even the 10 bit 422 will do just fine for color grading. The 10bit 422 , and 12 bit 444 will give me more time on the Cfast cards than raw-light. Want to do some guitar documentaries, and who knows they could appear on Net-flix. Im moving to Thailand and have some remote possibilities of work over there so a broadcast codec might come in handy.

[@IbrahimHusseini]

Hi, Do we have the 10 bit 422 yet?

[@GeorgeAtanassov]

Can you please link to the documentation that c200 will output HD signal in 10bit from the HDMI. I was under the impression that it will only output 10bit anything from the SDI.

[@Newsshooter]

This is documentation I got directly from Canon Japan. I can't post a photo here in the comments, but happy to email it to you.

[@GeorgeAtanassov]

Newsshooter thank you Matt for the effort. So in theory ine could use the Atomos Ninja Star for 422 10bit when necessary. Not sure about 50/60fps but still. The star doesn't support progressive signals above 30fps. According to documentation that is.

[@Newsshooter]

The camera definitely outputs 422 10 bit over HDMI in HD so in theory yes you should be able to use the Ninja Star as long as your frame rate isn't greater than 30p.

[@ruff1draft]

I want the Canon C200 Mark 2. But i was wondering if it can record 4K in MP4.

[@motionman0]

Yes you can.

[@CMVFactory]

Can I use Transcend CFX600 CFast 2.0 card for RAW recording? or CFX650. And I use windows program and there is no Proress 4444 option.

[@matthewallard8470]

You should always use reccomended cards that the company has tested.

[@cmiller7299]

Think Canon is planning a C100 mk III that inherits the MP4 4k specs of the C200? Or do you think Canon is going to phase out the C100 line....

[@matthewallard8470]

Canon usually doesn't bring out new models of a product for at least 4 years.

[@carolineandtigger]

Very helpful.

[@charlesBenincasa]

Do you think the Canon c100mk1and c100 mk2 are still relevant Cameras?

[@alexmainwaring]

I'll try to answer this for you. No they are not relevant cameras - The C100 mk1 was released in 2012 and the mk2 was released in 2014. They are considered old in the camera world. That doesn't mean you can't continue to use them and get a great image out of them. Perhaps "relevant" is the wrong word to use. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a C100 today if the price was right. However, I do find the features in the C200 to be very useful to me (besides the 4K). I would suggest writing out a list of the most important features that you want or need in a camera and choose the one that comes closest to your criteria within your budget.

[@Newsshooter]

Absolutely. If you don't require UHD, then the C100 series do a good job.

[@JamesJacksonFilmz]

Just came back from a Live Stream event where we were broadcasting an outdoor concert, we were using 2 c100 mark 1s and 1 GH5. Even with it's 4K 10 bit capabilities, the GH5 was 2nd to the c100s in these scenario with constant lighting changes and native super 35 sensors. The GH5 wasn't bad by any means, but the images out of the c100s were better with their color science autofocus reliability and low light performances. So yes they are still very relevant and usable, as long as your content is not 4K required.

[@mickchambers2904]

What lenses did you use on your street examples?

[@Newsshooter]

Canon 70-200 F4 and a 24-105 F4.

[@AlanJMash]

Canon should give us this MP4 150 mbps 4k 60p in my C300 MK II. It would do it no problem. But will they? That would be great. It should have had 4k 60p from the get go. I like this C200 and am considering buying it, but might hold out a bit longer to see if we will finally get 4k 60p in the C300 MK II. Good video, u could have made it longer though! haha jk...

[@hussainbellal]

Also, any insight on how to use proxy files for editing then apply to raw files? couldn't figure that out

[@legendp2011]

couldn't you just buy 2 cards and than just tranfer one card to the laptop wghile you shoot whith the other (alternatively there are little transfer boxes that will transfer while you shoot)

[@JeffSpeers]

legendp2011 are you wanting to buy 2 128gb cfast 2.0 cards @$350 each and stop your recording ever 15 minutes to swap cards, dump the raw footage to a laptop?

[@JeffSpeers]

Does it do face tracking with non-STM lenses? From what I understand, the other EOS cinema cameras cannot.

[@matthewallard8470]

Yes it does.

[@GurmeetSingh-fr8uo]

I prefer the Panasonic EVA 1

[@SHMULIKVI]

Wow 1 hour...

[@Stanlyok]

@9:31 that's 25p played at 50% speed (=

[@Newsshooter]

Yeah I just noticed that. Sorry there was a lot of shots so there is bound to be a mistake somewhere.

[@stephanes.]

only 15 min in Raw ? And there's no RAW 4:1 ?

[@TheVFXAssault]

Not only 15 min- Its unlimited but you need the storage space.

[@billspiegel265]

Get EgoDisk Cards, half the price and much faster than SanDisk.

[@eduard.cinema]

stop down to aperture 16 and do autofocus tests