The Canon C100 in 25 Minutes!

Get up and running with the Canon C-100 in 25 minutes or less! This covers everything you need to know about set up, menu navigation, basic operation, and best practices for both the 1st Generation and the Mark II models.
Looking for a specific answer? Skip to an indexed section!
00:00 Introduction
01:54 Powering the Camera
03:06 Black Balance
05:13 Formatting
07:42 Video Settings
14:11 White Balance
17:09 Exposure
19:42 Audio Settings
23:13 In-Camera Tools

[@WillBeamon]

Can't believe the best video going over this camera ever didn't drop until 2023. Where have you been hiding this whole time!? lol

[@cinemastudies2667]

lol. I teach in the cinema department of a college and I created this channel for my students. It's a new job for me, but there will be more tutorials forthcoming.

[@ThreeToesofFury]

@@cinemastudies2667 woot! keep em coming!!!!! thanks!!!

[@VideoJTS]

@@cinemastudies2667 Keep them coming man. Very informative. Although, I do have a question.. Do you think I could use this as a B-cam along with a Sony FX30. I know S-Log and C-Log might take some time to color grade to look similar, but the 4k sensor on the C100 makes me think it could potentially work. Especially because I will be down sampling my 4k footage from the FX30 to 1080. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@cinemastudies2667]

@@VideoJTS Yes, the biggest issue would be matching the picture profile. Note though that the C100 does not have a 4k sensor. If you want a similar camera that shoots 4k, look into the C200.

[@VideoJTS]

@@cinemastudies2667 Do you have any suggestions on color match? Unfortunately my budget only allows for one extra camera and I've already settled on the Sony FX30.

[@trashken]

Every camera manufacturer should get you to make instructional videos for every camera they make. Truly the best.

[@Jamiewelman]

This is not just the best tutorial and video showing the canon c100 on youtube, but its also the *BEST EDUCATIONAL VIDEO OF ANY TOPIC ON KZbin*

[@joeyrizzolo]

*curtsy*

[@Fourgiv4]

now give him a sub dawg.

[@Jamiewelman]

@Fourgiv4 already did after 2 minutes of watching the vidoe

[@mauritsnienhuis]

Who would've thought we'd find such an insightful video about this legendary camera in 2023? Wild. Thanks for making this!

[@robertbraun4068]

I have been using my C100 Markii for 2 years now, read the manual, and watched other videos on the camera, and yours, by far, is the best and most detailed explanation to date. Thank you for the info.

[@joeyrizzolo]

Thank you for this kind feedback!

[@ledbullstudios1932]

Agreed!

[@AS-gb7ky]

You have saved me and my students from a day of deep, deep confusion and sadness. Thank you so much!!! :)

[@jkapp374]

Major thanks for including the Mark I, (which I now own) in this video ...most video tutorials skip it and go direct to the Mark II

[@boahandarrowsproductions4326]

True Words

[@allisonstoney1994]

"you bet your bippy" re: can you record audio into this camera - made me lol. Thanks for the video, super helpful!

[@ankurbagai1056]

Considering that the majority of Canon C-Lineup of Camera have similar ports, IO, and settings, especially in the earlier versions like C100, C100MII, C200, and C300, this video is perfect. Never have I ever apart from 2 people, Jared Polin for Photography Setups and Caleb Pike for Cinema Setups along with Jason Vong with Sony Cameras, this has to be one the most well-shot, well thought and easiest-to-understand videos. Moreover, unlike other KZbin creators, it is free.

[@cinemastudies2667]

You are very kind! The downside of this a free channel with no adshare is that the content will be slow to release, but I'm determined to keep it free.

[@ankurbagai1056]

@@cinemastudies2667 If I may suggest, I would say, focus your content on the newer models like Canon C70, C400, C300 Mark III and R5C, they're more recent as well as more in regular usage. Even those Canon C100 is still capable, it is more than a decade old. Newer models, newer tech with your explanation and knowledge would be perfect.

[@cinemastudies2667]

@@ankurbagai1056 Thanks - I made this channel mostly to support my students with the equipment available to them, so I make content based on what I have on hand. That said, we did just get a C70, so I'll likely be doing that soon.

[@duanemuhammad85]

This is the best demonstration of the C100 Mk II I’ve seen on line. I wish you continued success and hope to see more of your work. Excellent!

[@joeyrizzolo]

Thank you. That's so kind!

[@chadwickkirby674]

I just pulled my c100 out of storage for a shoot (it's been a few years). This was an EXCELLENT refresher. Thank you!

[@mikehartel8057]

Love this! thank you for this video

[@myvtvbe]

Great jump-start instruction. Keep 'em coming.

[@peterjackson5551]

Fantastic Video …. Many thanks

[@kelvinsakala]

Excellent Video

[@BLX187]

Brilliant video. learnt alot

[@KeyAtoms]

Just ordered a c100m2, thank you for the head start!

[@Amontassermedia]

i don't think actually that you know how useful this was for me and how i amazed when i found the subs count that you have ! you r super

[@cinemastudies2667]

I'm so glad. Thank you!

[@RadianFilms64]

Thank you for this review! Very fun to watch and informative! 😃

[@BrunoMattei97]

Amazing vid, I've been considering this camera for sometime and your video has been quite useful in picking up the choice!

[@ledbullstudios1932]

By far the best tutorial I have found! Thanks!

[@craigholliday3907]

thanks so much for this

[@BrianSFischer]

Well done video.

[@markwaldi3282]

Smooth ... Good job. Thank you!

[@SourceAwareness]

You're a Genius, very well done! Thanks, Brother

[@stanspring9935]

Absolutely great video. You killed it! Thanks

[@cinemastudies2667]

Thanks, friend.

[@bk_haveitmyway]

This video rocks. Was looking for a video to show my students on how to operate the c100(its not a camera I'm use to yet), and this is by far the best video ive seen to use one. Very attentive and covers a lot!!!

[@WinWinRealtorsTV]

Thank you

[@frubo_ssg]

Really nice video! BTW: I love my 2 Canon C100 - M i and Mii still in 2023

[@ThreeToesofFury]

BRILLIANT! i JUST bought a c100 and was really hoping for something like this. thank you so much. instant subscribe!

[@ThreeToesofFury]

laughing at your AWB comments...you have a wonderful delivery

[@JoeDreamzMusic]

Thank you so much!! So helpful!! Love how you explain things I can’t believe I only see 3 videos on your channel! I’d binge watch now that I got the c100

[@FilmAgeStudios]

You got a sub for this man

[@TheSickOne5]

Two things .. 60i on C100 1st gen will allow you to have slow motion. It's not great but once de-interlaced it's usable Gen 1 C100 does not have scratch audio once you remove the handle. Gen 2 C100 still allows scratch audio when removing the handle

[@cinemastudies2667]

Thank you!

[@mrbankole]

Just got the camera. All I’m missing now is the dog.

[@cinemastudies2667]

You may not have my dog.

[@AlanCWL1989]

For entry level ~ this one is much better , 2023 is still nailed it so hard even just 1080p , 4K is so much space needed and gonna rip the hard disk hahah

[@HankDevos]

I bought my C100 in 2013 and I still think the image from that sensor is incredible. Such an underrated camera. Still love it. I wish canon would make a mark 3!

[@cinemastudies2667]

Check out the c70.

[@scasella1241]

EXCELLENT...In the lyrics from a song sung by Mr. SINATRA "Day In Day Out"...."should there be any doubt"

[@danbuffington75]

I am subscriber number 56. 🎉

[@showboatingsports1111]

I’m thinking about purchasing a new camera. I have a rebel T7i right now. I’m trying to find what the next step forward will be. Thanks. I also subbed.

[@hello-lb3vf]

Just bought the Canon C100 first gen! Still an amazing camera in 2024, considering how old it is. I only paid $450 for the C100 which I think is a steal. It’s too bad that the bitrate is so limited, but the interframe compression of AVCHD will hopefully help. The temporal redundancy among the frames will hopefully minimizes shortcomings of 8-bit 4:2:0 video.

[@hello-lb3vf]

Thanks for this video!!! I particularly appreciated the black balance and white balance instructions. I am a beginner filmmaker

[@moovmediagroup8172]

Geeeeentleeeeeeeee

[@whobedannyd]

I love your wry sense of humor, but I do have one issue ... When you were explaining setting the black balance, using Marty McFly (love the name) as your subject, you said "you can do this too, but you'll have to provide your own dog. Here's how: ". Well, I thought you were going to tell us how to provide our own dog!!😎 All kidding aside, this was an EXCELLENT video!! Even though it's somewhat of an antiquated model, I have decided, after watching your video, to purchase a MK II. I think it will fit in nicely for what I intend to do with it, without breaking the bank. Subscribing now, and looking forward to seeing more of your VERY professional videos!! Thank you again!!

[@cinemastudies2667]

That's so kind! Apologies for not providing an adequate solution to your dog deficit. Please click here immediately to rectify this: www.petfinder.com

[@photoMichelThomas]

Merçi!

[@marshalderrick3093]

Great Video, Thank you very much, Sir. Please can you advise on using this camera in the church environment [live broadcast - FB / KZbin]through a video switcher (say Atem mini)? Please can you explain the process?

[@cinemastudies2667]

You should be able to get a signal simply by connecting the HDMI. The configuration of your capture devices will need to be done on the switcher itself.

[@TheMadSciontist]

Super helpful video! I just bought a C100Mi so this is definitely going to make my setup process easier. As far as downloading the c100 luts, I have them on my desktop. Do I add them to my editing software? or do you add them to the camera somehow?

[@joeyrizzolo]

Great question! The luts are .cube files that you will access through your editing software. You don’t need to do anything else in-camera.

[@TheMadSciontist]

@@joeyrizzolo Awesome thank you for clarifying that for me. I figured that would be the case, but this system is new to me so im just checking all my boxes.

[@UrmilaJanardan]

Thank you for this! One note -- if you have the system frequency set at 50 Hz on the C100 Mk1 , there are only two frame rate options - 50i and PF25. Would you recommend PF25? I want to record in 24P so I set my frequency at 59.94 Hz regardless of the fact I'm in Asia... if I get a flickering effect, I figure I'll change it.

[@joeyrizzolo]

Excellent question. If you're in a country that uses a 50 Hz frequency, then yes, shoot in PF25. The standard frame rate in many of those countries is 25 fps.

[@Sutterjack]

Thanks for the tips - (I shoot C100 M2) realistically how often do you need to black balance for the amount of benefit it provides? Also I didn't realize audio suffered shooting at a lower bitrate/MP4. I personally have tried to like Clog, but now shoot only in WideDR.

[@cinemastudies2667]

This is a great question because realistically, you're not going to be black balancing every time you set up a shot. If I have time (and remember to do it), I run the ABB whenever the lighting setup changes significantly, especially if there's going to be a lot of black in the frame.

[@Sutterjack]

@@cinemastudies2667 I appreciate the advice because one of my gripes with the the C100 is pixelazation and artifacting in the shadows. I wish the bitrate was just a little higher - I think it would soften the inadequacies of the poor codec.

[@Star-Trekking]

Great explanation! Thank you. I'm considering buying a used c100 mark II, but i have many lenses with nikon F mount attack. Is there a ring to fit them? How does the autofocus perform?

[@cinemastudies2667]

There are third party adapters you can buy that will accomplish this, though it's unlikely that the autofocus will work. I've never tried this pairing of lens-to-camera myself, but my understanding is that the F-series has manual aperture rings, so as long as you're okay with operating manually, your glass should work well. Bonus points for your profile name.

[@Star-Trekking]

@@cinemastudies2667 Thank you very much. And autofocus with Canon or lenses with ef mount work fine?

[@cinemastudies2667]

@@Star-Trekking Yes - the biggest determinant of autofocus with Canon lenses will be whether you have USM or STM lenses. USM lenses are lightning fast. STM glass lags a bit. I rarely use USM myself, because with cinema I prefer a slower response anyway. STM was designed more for still photography.

[@Star-Trekking]

@@cinemastudies2667 Thank you. Very kind. Thank you. Gianluca.

[@ryelanda]

Great video! Super informative, well demonstrated and delivered. A refreshing change from all (most) of the KZbin experts out there! Trying to decide whether or not to buy a C100 mkii as a B cam when I came across this. Well done - I'm sure I'll go back through this again if I decide to pull the trigger and purchase. Thank you :) You didn't get into Native ISO at all. In fact you go so far as to say that the lower the ISO the better, which is contrary to many videos I've seen that state you should NEVER go below the Native ISO of 850. I'm interested on your take on the subject of Native ISO. I come from a broadcast world so I'm unfamiliar with the intricacies of Native ISO, and everyone seems to have a different take on it @joeyrizzolo.

[@joeyrizzolo]

This is a great question. I probably let my personal preference bleed into this content a bit when addressing ISO. I think people get a little too hung up on Native ISO. It's a good baseline when you're looking at overall exposure, but there are so many factors that go into exposure that I find it foolish when ISO is treated as a fixed point when there are so many other choices affected by exposure that contribute to narrative. Shooting at native won't work if you consistently use a shallow DOP (especially if you have limited control over the lighting), and/or if you want a more open shutter. If you've seen 'Skinamarink,' that film doesn't make sense if the ISO of any shot were to fall below 30k. The C100 is also an older camera, which doesn't have the dynamic range of newer models, so an ISO of 10k on a C100 is going to be really noisy, much less so on a C70. On the C100, I find you get a lot more to work with at a lower ISO. All that said, I work exclusively in film production when it comes to gear, so these guidelines may not apply so much when considering still photography. Most professional photographers shoot exclusively in RAW, so I suspect Native wouldn't really apply anyway.

[@DrinkingWithDrewShow]

For live streaming with the first generation C100 would you select the Broadcast Option?

[@cinemastudies2667]

I'd still stick with the progressive option. The interlaced setting (60i) will require de-interlacing which, depending on your streaming setup, may not be possible and/or require additional software. I don't do a lot of live-streaming outside of prerecorded media so if anyone knows differently please chime in, but my understanding is that the ubiquity of larger bandwidth makes the interlaced option pretty obsolete for the average consumer.

[@popunicornpictures]

Hello! The information about auto black balance is not really clear to me. If I have to do it everytime I change lightning environment, how the camera understands what is black in the scene if its lit is closed? By the light going through the lit?

[@joeyrizzolo]

Black balance regards the signal being received from the photosites of the camera sensor. The purpose of black balance is to eliminate any residual current from the photosites when shooting conditions are completely black (which is why you need to have the sensor cap attached). I usually only run the ABB when there are significant changes in lighting and/or color.

[@popunicornpictures]

@@joeyrizzolo oh, thank you very much! It is now clear more or less! I will try to follow this recommendations from now on. Thanks!

[@jeanmarcsabatier7917]

Merci pour cette vidéo . Je possède moi aussi une canon c100 ll , mais je trouve assez bizarre de faire une vidéo de cette caméra en 2023 !

[@TkeMedia]

Can you timelapse on the Mk ii?

[@joeyrizzolo]

No - as a dedicated cinema camera, you're not going to get a non-cinema framerate or timelapse like you would with a still camera. I've done timelapse with a c100, but only in post.

[@zampiangel3871]

Thank you very much Sir. One thing though... Did you Film this Tutorial using this C100?

[@cinemastudies2667]

I filmed the inserts with the C100, but the talking head was shot with a Canon XA50.

[@zampiangel3871]

@@cinemastudies2667 thank you

[@ArcanePath360]

Useful stuff to know. So the screen on the C100 will not work in any position other than flat back? That may just just been the tipping point that makes me not want to buy this now

[@cinemastudies2667]

It's only the 1st gen that has a single screen position; most of the C100s on the market now are Mark 2s, which have a very articulate OLED screen.

[@ArcanePath360]

@@cinemastudies2667 Thanks, I since learned it tilts up and down, just not to the side. I still see a lot of Mk1s on the market that are cheaper than Mk2

[@ShaLaLaLaProductions]

Apologizes if this question was already asked, why better to run ABB with sensor cap on, than lens cap on with the lens attached to the C100?

[@joeyrizzolo]

The lens cap protects the glass, but it doesn't block light as fully as the body cap. You want complete darkness in the body before running ABB.

[@ShaLaLaLaProductions]

@@joeyrizzolo ok thanks for the information!

[@Musalam]

I would appreciate if someone could till me how to change the battery inside so I do not have to adjust the date every time I turn the camera on.

[@joeyrizzolo]

You have to take the housing apart to expose the board. Canon will do it for you, but it's a princely fee. That said, the internal lithium battery is rechargeable - have you tried connecting the camera to AC power and letting it charge?

[@Musalam]

@@joeyrizzolo Thank you for your assistance, I will connect the camera to AC power and let you know what happens. Thanks again for responding so quickly. It is common for KZbinrs to launch new items, but there are still users who need information about their old stuff.

[@matangox]

There is something weird going on here. Considering when was this camera released it's bitrate is unacceptably low. I remember some cheap consumer camcorders from around 2008 had the same bitrate at one tenth of the price. If I'm not mistaken this came out much later. So what were they protecting so fanatically to cripple a 10k cinema camera like this? If someone knows the answer or if I'm misinformed about the release dates, please let me know. If this had at least 50mbps I might buy it, but this is way too low. I wonder if this can even be graded? I remember clips with similar bitrates falling apart with even basic adjustments. I guess this is probably a little bit more robust, but how robust it can be at 24mbps? Does anyone here have any experience with grading this footage? Can you see any banding in the non-graded footage under extreme circumstances, like sunsets or blooming street lamps? Is there a way to color correct, edit and render without any noticeable banding? Can you install Magic Lantern and get a higher bitrate or even RAW? I'm interested into this camera, but with such a limitation it's hard for me to pull the trigger on this device.

[@cinemastudies2667]

If you're buying a camera and you want a high bitrate and/or the ability to shoot RAW, I wouldn't go for anything this old. The BMPCC6k does all of that for a very reasonable price (much less than the C70). It needs a little outfitting, but you're still getting away much cheaper for a current gen camera.

[@FalloutUrMum]

Instructions unclear, traded my camera for a dog. Infinitely happier

[@joeyrizzolo]

Completely understandable.

[@Mergiltoan_Channel]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹👏👏👍👍

[@soljafon]

Voice track is much louder in the right channel. Please balance, makes ear hurt :(

[@TkeMedia]

I didn't notice this till your comment cos I'm just listening through my left ear bud 🤣