This 10 Year Old Cinema Camera is Awesome - Canon C100 Mkii

There are a lot of amazing older cameras out there, the C100 Mkii is a great camera for the cost!
Gear used to make this video:
Camera:
Sony a7c : amzn.to/40gE6Mr
Sony 20mm f1.8: amzn.to/3wCUpFA
Canon c100 Mkii - look on eBay and fb
Sigma 18-35 - amzn.to/3WtXwe0
Audio:
Samson C02 - amzn.to/3iISdc3
Lights:
Amaran 60d - amzn.to/3YwwN1v
Amaran 60x - amzn.to/3YuUmYv
Amaran 100d - amzn.to/3Y7Rwsy
Amaran B7C - amzn.to/3Ryk4Jf

[@thomasjmcclure]

What older camera do you still use and get amazing quality out of?

[@paulloth]

The Panasonic GH5

[@thomasjmcclure]

Great camera! I got started learning videography on my older sisters GH4, when she upgraded to the gh5 it was awesome

[@boahandarrowsproductions4326]

I have the C100 but was using the Sony FS100 before it gave up.

[@georgedavidla]

I absolutely love my Canon C300 Mk1. I have a C100 as well.

[@juliancantillo97]

The original Blackmagic pocket cinema camera is very good!

[@burniemaurins2382]

I've been using this camera for around a year as a wildlife filming camera, it works great with Canons long lenses and also with a 2 x convertor, shooting at f11 with little or no problems, a key feature is it's nice and light and also quiet when the wild life is close up.

[@AlexanderBalzano]

I love my C100 and have actually upscaled a lot of the footage to 4k using Topaz and it looks amazing!

[@vacheffvideography]

I was actually trying to look into this. Thank you for confirming 😊

[@jaegermah]

Would love to see the results. If you ever compile / post some test footage, please let us know ;)

[@elizeusantos93]

Have some posted footage? I would love to see this topaz result

[@mstolfe13]

Really happy I stumbled onto your video. I used to film in college but dropped it after graduation. Was thinking a couple weeks ago about jumping back into it, and I happened to snag a Mark II for $500. Now I can’t wait to start messing around with it! Thank you for the hype!

[@frubo_ssg]

A few months ago I bought a second C100 MKii - I love the cam. Sometimes I record on an external recorder, exporting to 4k after and no complains till now.

[@heartpen600]

thank you my man for the genuine advice

[@mrwaffles217]

crazy how fast the industry changes, depreciation is real

[@gooddoor699]

Thank you Thomas! Great piece!

[@Makingthetransition]

Great video! Thank you for helping people enter the film space, without going into debt or spending unnecessary money. You did a very good job giving a thorough overview.

[@alexshotthese]

Absolutely agree with this video! My first cinema camera was this and loved it. Sold it off and just recently picked it back up again and love it. Should have never sold it off originally. I do the 4K trick all the time now too and no one notices. I even exported a bunch of old footage I shot in 4K, sent it to a friend who showed a coworker that it was shot on a red “Komodo” and he was like, “dang it looks great!” So, again, goes to show that it’s a camera that can work in today’s settings. Another thing too is if a client wants the files in 4K directly from your SD card, just throw them in media encoder and convert them all to 4K files. Again, no one is the wiser. Unless they provide the SD cards…then you’re screwed haha.

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks! Haha yeah I did have one client ask for 6k raw for a commercial shoot, but they also knew i had a bmpcc 6k pro, so that may be why haha. It’s amazing what kinda 1080p quality you can get outta this camera though

[@alexshotthese]

@@thomasjmcclure yeah if a client specifically asks for a resolution then it’s best to shoot that resolution. Yeah I love the quality of the C100mkii still to this day. I bought the owlbot color profile with it and really has changed the color profile to match better with my pocket.

[@aaronwilliams7878]

Excellent work Thanks very much

[@paolo.kernahan]

I’ve been using this camera for years and I’ve always been impressed by its reliability, image quality, and relative user-friendliness.

[@mashudali8482]

This has blown my world!

[@AlanChunkyMunky]

Just got my about a week ago used for about 1300 shipped. Love it! Just shot a short doc for a friends company and even he was pleasantly surprised, or at least more than satisfied for social media content. Speaking of ef lenses, really digging into building a good set as I eventually plan to also own a c200 used as the bigger brother A cam to the c100 mkii. Coming from a hybrid mirrorless camera, I really can’t go back. The nds, xlrs, form factor, battery life OH MY GOD the battery life, I just can’t NOT use cinema cameras now, especially when they can be had for so much cheaper used now. There’s also something beautiful about picking up a state of the art cinema camera from 10 years ago and still making use of it. Thanks for the video, just subscribed as I love your tone and communication. Keep on keeping on!

[@AlanChunkyMunky]

Oh the only minor gripe I have with the c100 mkii is the shotgun mic holder. Really wish I could attach it further back on the handle so the shotgun mic doesn’t stick out infront so far. Pretty much my only con tho

[@thomasjmcclure]

Yeah it is an odd placement, if you purchase a cage you could add your own elsewhere and remove the one on the handle, but that’s extra money that isn’t too necessary

[@digitten]

I use my c100 mkII as a b-cam to my c200 for interviews. The 8bit 4:2:0 matches up well and for local TV ads, no one is asking for more than it can deliver.

[@thomasjmcclure]

I do find the jump from the c100 mkII to the c200 is pretty big, love the c200 a lot, but yeah they match up pretty well!

[@TheKiakiraly]

I learnt the whole filmmaking craft on this one :) After 7 years it's still a capable camera if you don't need 4K.

[@philriot]

Excellent video.. I just picked up my 2nd c100 mkII. Although I have an EOS R and BMP6k Pro. I still love using the C100’s more.

[@thomasjmcclure]

That’s awesome! I’m sure it would pair great with the R series

[@CorderralLewis]

This was a great comprehensive video. I think I’m gonna get this as I save up for the Ronin 4D

[@xray111xxx]

The EF mount is great like 60 different ones just from Canon. I am learning my newly acquired C100 I got used. Since I shoot Canon anyway it was logical. I do have a 4K UHD Panasonic too, but the Canon C100 is a delight to use.

[@gooddoor699]

phenomonal video thank you

[@NoraphonKaedklung]

I still use the c100 mark ii, love it :)

[@WinWinRealtorsTV]

Great job!

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks for sharing. I think it’s important to think about what features get an ROI. 4k may not be requested by the client but could allow you to scale in on the shot and make two angles out of one. Alternatively having phantom power can eliminate one less battery percentage that you need to monitor and can free up some mental space to focus on more important things. It would be great to have all the features but you need to asses which are most important to do the project efficiently. Awesome video, man.

[@thomasjmcclure]

Absolutely! Thanks!

[@Adams94Gaming]

this camera is awesome, I'm looking to buy one for my short films

[@TyParmenter]

The C100/C300 both produce such a beautiful image. I've since sold off both of these cameras but when I look back at the footage I'm never disappointed.

[@thomasjmcclure]

Never used any of the c300 line, worth it?

[@TyParmenter]

​@@thomasjmcclure I've only owned the mk I. There are trade off's between the two. It's very similar image-wise to C100, but I liked having the timecode and a better codec (I loved the C300's 8-bit 4:2:2 footage.) Some downsides; it has separate cables for the monitor and audio attachment, so it's not as grab-and-go as the C100, and autofocus was a paid upgrade. I agree these older cameras are still viable, and you can still get lots of great work done with them. I've even watched my C100/C300 footage projected in a theater, and it held up beautifully.

[@Dangerousangel1234]

@@TyParmenter do you know if the 4:2:2 8-bit of the C100 by recording externally is the same quality as the C300? I have the C100 as my A-camera and I already love the 4:2:0 as the internal recording

[@TyParmenter]

@@Dangerousangel1234 I remember not thinking it was worth recording externally on the c100, the c100 4:2:0 is beyond impressive and the added bulk wasn't worth it. I do prefer the 8bit 4:2:2 out of the c300, but the difference between the two isn't much. I would say it just holds up a bit more if you needed to bring up your shadows or down your highlights.

[@Dangerousangel1234]

@@TyParmenter indeed, for the shadows 4:2:2 is really better.

[@RumbaniNdhlovu]

Awesome video. How long would you say a 256gb card would record for before filling up? I'm trying to get a handle on memory card sizes with this one

[@PhilippeOrlando]

You could also upscale the 1080P footage to 4K in Resolve

[@o.salminen]

Super35 is not a ”small” sensor. It is an equivalent of 35mm film when we are talking about moving image.

[@huntervalleyartsartists9313]

I currently have 3 of these...I do a fair bit of multicam shoots (artist interviews, event coverage, opera coverage) so having 3 cams that will easily match in post and use the same lenses and have same menu systems is great...I started off with one second hand and bought 2 more as I needed them...each time I paid way less for each of them...and as you say...the image from them is terrific still

[@boahandarrowsproductions4326]

The matching camera saves a bunch of time in post indeed.

[@DavinciHD_]

n your opinion . What would be the best c100m2 autofocus setting for someone wanting to film football with it ?

[@johncl27]

@@DavinciHD_ for moving targets (opera, dance etc for me) I use the dual pixel autofocus on single shot but have the autofocus on/off mapped to the button 7 on the handgrip so it's close at hand and follow the person(s) hit the button to grab focus then again to turn it off...otherwise if autofocus is left on it will hunt for focus, often settling on background or foreground where your subject may not be...continuous works OK at times but isn't the fastest to adapt to erratic movements...taste & try both is your best bet

[@DavinciHD_]

@@johncl27 thank you brother . I’ve been contemplating the c100mk2 for a while . I’ve seen a lot of people recommend it for sports but haven’t seen any video on KZbin breaking down exactly how they do it with that camera. It’s always a Sony tutorial

[@MR.BUCK_MAN]

Loved your honest opinion, Thanks for the review. Can you also make a sample cinematic c100ii video plz. That would be great!! thanks for the video. Happy shooting. cheerssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Refusetowalktheline]

Did u shoot mp4 or avchd? when u demo d the audio, thanks

[@jeanmarcsabatier7917]

Bonjour j'utilise encore une c100 mark ll ,et je trouve que les l'images sont encore très bonne

[@DavinciHD_]

How was the auto focus for you ? Ive heard a lot of reviews saying the Auto Focus on the c100mk2 and c200 are not usable. Im looking to get into Sports Videography. Im primarily coming for 10 years of Weddings and Music Videos.

[@thomasjmcclure]

So the c100mkii autofocus is restricted to a box in the center of the frame. Not a whole lot of flexibility, but it is very good, reactive and smooth. The c200 is great on autofocus, canon dual pixel autofocus has always been good, by the standards of a brand new Sony cinema line camera it’s not as good. But it’ll do a good job. I haven’t done sports photography or videography so i can’t say for sure if it would be the best fit

[@nightdonutstudio]

I like the look of the body. Canon should come out version III. They can still use the same sensor but unleash the 4k recording. 422 10bit up to 60p. Update the auto focus system and menu. And call it mark III. Price under $3000. I think a lot of people will buy it.

[@calebchristensenviolin]

It never cost that little and certainly won't now.

[@Sutterjack]

Canon would have sold a million of these with 422 10bit - really disappointed they didn't keep the basic form factor on this and up to full 4K - I'm sure Canon didn't want to cannibalize their higher end camera sales.

[@nitablackwood6301]

I’m really considering buying this camera. I’ve been drawn to it for awhile but some people say it’s not worth it. I want to use it for weddings and documentaries

[@Dangerousangel1234]

I have the C100 mkii and uses it for weddings and documentary work. For me the camera is definitely worth it and love to shoot with it every time. Since a few months I use a Ninja V with it to film in 4:2:2, and that footage is better to use in low-light situations.

[@nitablackwood6301]

@@Dangerousangel1234 awesome! Which lenses are you using with it?

[@Dangerousangel1234]

@@nitablackwood6301 , I use the 24-105mm the most, on the second place the 70-200. Both of canon.

[@Sutterjack]

I'm part of the C100 M2 cult and it's still so hard not to like this ancient camera. Still great for long events, concerts etc. Yes, the codec is terrible and requires you to expose carefully, but the files are TINY and a pleasure to grade. Great form factor, excellent battery life, great layout of controls and menus, respectable autofocus, good EVF, good audio with full XLRs, reliable and solid image quality. Even when I upgrade to 4K I doubt I'll sell my C100's - just great for a safety or Bcam.

[@Refusetowalktheline]

shooting 4 people at once with 2 c100 mk2, question: use the xlr on cams with 4mics or zoom h6? And if camera, use AVCHD or mp4? Thanks

[@thomasjmcclure]

I’ve always liked recording externally when i have the choice, I haven’t used an H6 though, can you edit each Chanel/input individually in post? Or does it come in 1 file?

[@Refusetowalktheline]

@@thomasjmcclure individually. 24bit I've decided to go with that. Was having an issue with wrong audio going to the files in cam. Don't know why yet very weird. But never the less going external.

[@lecaptainfury]

Great video ! Thanks ! But.. canon R7, R8 or C100 ii ? It's the same budget.. 😅

[@thomasjmcclure]

I don’t know much about the r7 and r8, I’d imagine they’re better equipped for modern shooting for sure, except maybe the built in ND filters and XLR capabilities. But there’s a lot of people with c100 mkii’s sitting on shelves, i think they’re still worth using 😊. But yes if buying a new camera, go new

[@TheMightyCookieShow]

Im a huge fan of the panasonic hvx200. But this particular camera, yes, id replace my hvx with one of these

[@juggernot1556]

For the price and if your sticking with canon best cameras for 1000 is this and the eos r and if you get a canon r8 or r7 on the used marked for probably 1100 or 1000 that’s what I’d say

[@robbarmstrong8702]

Great Video!! I’m SSOOOO interested in this Camera. The file sizes alone have my undivided attention, 👀 the lack of 4K isn’t a *con IMO. As you stated, I upscale and export in 4K anyways, 🤷🏽‍♂️ so to the viewer… they don’t know the difference. I’m on the hunt for a well priced used one. When I find it, it’ll be bought! #RobbArmstrong

[@overnightclassic2]

when you switched from the sony to the canon the image got shockingly soft. This is just on a 1440p monitor you can tell how cheap canon was with the codecs and put terrible ones in that camera. The form factor and ease of use of that camera is certainly good. For me it would make sense to purchase a 4K or at least higher bitrate variant of the same camera. What is the cheapest canon cinema series with 4k?

[@castielvargastv7931]

this camera looks like it sits better in the hand than the c70

[@basvanderlinde]

wow, I just found out your channel. Great content buddy!

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks man!

[@edjefferson9175]

Wish it had proper time code. Yes I know time code can be recorded on audio tracks but I need the audio channels available for audio.

[@thomasjmcclure]

So time code is one of those things I’ve actually never played around with much, really should give it a go

[@edjefferson9175]

Once you use it you'll never want to go without it. Of course it's only necessary when using more than one single device. Especially when working with other people such as additional cameras and audio recordists.@@thomasjmcclure

[@UKHeritageRailways]

That's an inaccurate statement. The C100 mk2 has embedded timecode which I use when editing. You do not need to use an audio track.

[@edjefferson9175]

@@UKHeritageRailways The embedded code you are referring to is an island with no connection to the outside world. Yes, there is a running date/time clock in your camera but it can not be synchronized with other devices. "Proper" time code connects to multiple devices and can act as either a host or a guest (master/slave). All cameras, audio and slates have the ability to sync to the same frame accurate master clock source. There are no physical terminals on the C100 mkII for external time code input or output.

[@UKHeritageRailways]

@@edjefferson9175 Yes I know there are no physical TC I/O on the camera. The OP says it doesn't have timecode, which it does, and you need to record it to an audio channel, which you don't. No mention of needing physical TC I/O on the camera.

[@trashken]

worth getting this over the C100 Mark 1?

[@thomasjmcclure]

I don’t know a whole lot about the c100, i think it has much worse autofocus as far as I’m aware. But i haven’t compared directly

[@UKHeritageRailways]

Yes. Unlike the Mark 1 the Mark 2 has Dual Pixel Autofocus as standard, it can record in MP4 as well as AVCHD, and has a fully articulated monitor screen. It also has a built in mic for scratch audio, a much better viewfinder with tilt adjustment, and you can shoot 50 or 60fps dependent on which country you set the camera up for.

[@ColGadarby]

Picking one up today for £450

[@paulloth]

I think someone should just get the sony fs5 used for aproxinately the same prize...it has an e mount, 10bit 1080p with 120fps and external 4k with some licenses, also ND but varibale nd with sonys auto nd

[@thomasjmcclure]

I actually haven’t tried the fs line of Sony cameras, i didn’t realize you could find them for that price, I may have to check that out!

[@bluesunflower1698]

It still expensive in my country 🥲😭

[@BrandonDull]

still have mine. want to sell it but it such a good camera.

[@alexbernstine1]

Awesome video. I still have 3 C100 mark ii's and I'm hoping to keep them for a long while! Also, do you follow Jesus? I saw that you had a few shots of what looked like Christians talking about the bible. God bless.

[@thomasjmcclure]

They are great cameras! I do indeed, most video work I’ve done has been testimonial/story telling and music work within a church setting, so a lot of the b-roll i show will probably have plenty of it haha

[@dushyantbhatt9345]

It also don't shoot 10bit 422