Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) II Tests, frame exports from 4K/UHD 10-bit 4:2:2.
Finding proper test footage of any camera seems to be pretty difficult, if there is any it’s heavily compressed by YouTube, fewer still offer actual frame exports to analyse. The PNG below are my real world tests, uploaded as still frames from footage captured mostly in UHD, 3840x2160, and a few at 4K, 4096x2160, in Canon CLOG3, Color Matrix: Neutral, Color Space: Cinema Gamut, at 10-bit, 4:2:2 at 410 Mbps in XF-AVC, 1/100 second, see why below, at a base ISO of 800 with WB set to Daylight.
Lenses used: Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM MKI, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM, Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM MKII.
Something to note is that ‘not’ all EF-S lenses cover the full 4K, 4096x2160, resolution at their widest, they all do in UHD.
My Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) II was serviced, calibrated and put back to factory spec. by Canon UK, as it was from rental stock. At the same time, I had all my lenses internally cleaned and checked that they were within Canon’s EF spec. Front or back focusing was checked in a controlled environment, using the Datacolor Spyder Lenscal, a lens calibration tool, and the pairing was found to be accurate in all lenses.
I started out shooting fashion and beauty photography in the 80-90’s, went on to 16mm feature films, band promos, documentaries, then multiple 35mm anamorphic feature films, a multimedia feature film and more recently projects and drama series, using the Canon EOS Cinema C300 MK I. These test are me trying to understand the good and bad points of the Canon’s 4K EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) II camera with Canon EF and EF-S lenses, how reliable the AF is, how I need to expose CLOG3 and how it directly transfers to a ‘standard’ Canon LUT, with little to no tweaking or colour correction, ie WYSIWYG, ‘What You See Is What You Get’.
Filming:
White Balance: (WB) was set to Daylight, no white balance was taken, I wanted to see how the sensor dealt with different daylight colour temperatures around the base daylight, 5,600K.
Shutter Speed: Depending on the subject matter, action in frame and final delivery, I often use 1/100 of a second, especially with talking heads, CU’s of actors delivering dialogue etc. Obviously if there is a lot of action and movement in frame or the delivery was for cinema, rather than for online, where most videos are watched on a phone or pad, then it would be more of a creative decision to shoot at 1/100 over 1/50. The benefits of 1/00 is that 1) It gives fractionally more bite/sharpness to the image, less motion blur 2) It compresses better, as there is less motion blur and 3) Importantly, it enables still frames to be used for publicity. On the last featurette I shot, a 70 minute, 5 part drama series, of Shakespeare's King Lear, not only was the film projected 40 ft wide, indistinguishable from 1/50 but the A3 posters and publicity material looked fantastic, even though it originated from HD!
Exposure: I played around exposing to the right a little, ie over exposing slightly to theoretically crush noise in the blacks when corrected, but most were shot at what I thought was correct, with approx 50-55 IRE on the skin tones for Cara, my daughter, who is a redhead and very pale, judged using Canon’s waveform set to show pre LUT waveform. IMPORTANT: Turn on the ‘Waveform {Line + Spot} Red Frame is displayed on top of the {Line} mode waveform’, ie the red square shows you a CU of the IRE value where its pointed. Very handy!
F-Stop/T-Stop: Even though some were shot wide open, most were between f4-f8, generally being around f5.6, a sweet spot for most lenses. In drama and feature films, shooting wide open is not that great because you need a depth of field for the actor to move around in and still be sharp. Check out a depth of field calculator, you will be shocked at how little focus you have!
Focus Modes: 70% were shot with AF One Shot, ie, focus lock and then stop, about 30% were with AF Servo with Face Detect, ie continued AF.
All footage was filmed either using a locked off tripod or with Manfrotto’s XPro Video Monopod, where a tripod was not easily usable.
Post process:
The XF-AVC footage was imported into FCP, NOT transcoded to ProRes, fame selected and a still exported in CLOG3, with ‘no’ LUT or sharpening added. The exported PNG file, 16-bit, was opened in Pixelmator Pro, my replacement for Adobe’s Photoshop, then Canon’s standard ‘CinemaGamut_CanonLog3-to-BT709_WideDR_65_FF_Ver.2.0.cube’ LUT applied. Where I played around with exposing to the right, over exposing, then I corrected the with the exposure and brightness tools. I finally applied a minute amount of sharpening, Radius 1.5 px and Intensity 50%. Cara, my daughter, posed for me over a few months for these tests, ‘Thank you’ by the way, if she had blemishes, I removed them. (Something quite amazing with Pixelmator Pro is that the retouching is applied directly to the LOG footage, even though you are viewing with LUT and sharpening applied.) Finally 16-bit PNG files were saved in one or two formats:
1) CinemaGamut_CanonLog3-to-BT709_WideDR_65_FF_Ver.2.0.cube LUT and sharpening applied.
2) Log footage, out of camera, no sharpening.
File names:
The file name gives the lens used, focal length (35mm equivalent focal length) and F-stop, if CC, ‘colour correction’, is in the file name then a small amount of colour correction has been applied. If the IS is in brackets (IS), then IS was turned on, otherwise it is off.
J-22_EF24-105mm-f4L-IS-USM_58mm(84.7mm)-f6.3-CC.png = Scene and file number, Canon EF24-105mm f4L IS USM, IS not on, shot at 58mm (35mm Equv 84.7mm) at f6.3 with Colour Correction.
For my conclusion and thoughts, please check below the Still Images.
VERY IMPORTANT: These PHOTO/VIDEO are NOT COVERED under the 'CREATIVE COMMONS’ license. They are ONLY for you to DOWNLOAD and viewed on YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER. The PHOTOS may NOT be POSTED ONLINE, either in their ORIGINAL FORMAT or ALTERED, in any way, shape or form, moving or still, whether the platform is monetised or not, without my EXPLICIT WRITTEN CONSENT. Failure to comply with these conditions, a take down notice will be issued, a hefty fee/fine charged and payment chased by Pixsy. Thank you for your understanding, enjoy.
Conclusion:
Preface:
Compared to the Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) I, where the HD was downscaled from a 4K sensor and I was using a standard Canon colour profile not Log, it was pretty sharp out of the box. Shooting in UHD/4K, 1:1 on C300 MK II sensor, a resolution four times the size, is a different beast, just checkout a HD and UHD/4K frame at 100% and you’ll see what I mean. Getting your subject sharp is mega important, nothing like seeing an out of focus lead actor on the big screen!
I initially thought my C300 MARK (MK) II was out of specification, I have a full frame Canon 5D MK IV DSLR for still which is outrageously sharp with both my Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM MKII and Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM MKI but then I thought, well with my stills camera I’m shooting at 500-1000/sec in daylight/tungsten and at least 250/sec with flash, so of course its going to appear very sharp if the focus is on and I’m pixel peeping at 100%. You have to factor in motion blur from shooting at 1/50 second, if you are pixel peeping a 4K still frame at 100%.
Auto Focus (AF):
Short answer: Yes, I trust the AF of my Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) II but like everything you have to keep an eye on it, turning on peaking helps, and in certain conditions it can struggle, generally in dark flat lighting with little contrast, high f-stops and if the sun is streaming directly into the lens.
Approximately 60% was filmed with AF One Shot, ie lock focus and turn off AF, 85% was sharp, the remaining that were not as sharp was down to USER ERROR: 1) Being on a monopod, moving an inch or two, and the subject standing and moving slightly, a inch or two. 2) Being within the minimum focus distance, quite easy to do, particularly with the Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM MKII.
40% was filmed using Face Detect and continual AF, I would say that it was 90% spot on. I often shoot backlit, with the sun behind the head, this is fine as long as the sun is not streaming directly into lens, or this will throw the focus system a curved ball, and occasionally in extremely low flat light, it can hunt. Again, peaking is your friend, to double check.
Exposure:
I personally found exposing Cara’s pale skin between 50-55 IRE on Canon’s waveform, set to show pre LUT exposure, to be idea but that is subjective. If I wanted a darker, more moody look, then 45-50 IRE was good too but you really need to do your own test to work out what is right for you and your subject. (Generally I found when shooting CLOG3, if the image looked a half stop ‘hot’/over exposed on the LM-V1 or clam shell monitor, it was correct for log, with the waveform reading approx 55 IRE.)
I did not really find it necessary to purposely over expose and then pull the exposure back in post, to minimise noise, but I think this has a lot to do with ABB (Auto Black Balance) my camera before using it, see below.
The Canon C300 MK II was set to show the pre-LUT waveform on the Canon’s LM-V1 4” Touchscreen LCD Monitor and to show a REC709 LUT applied via the Monitor SDI output which feeds a Zacuto Gratical HD EVF, set to show its waveform post LUT, so the best of both worlds, waveforms for pre and post LUT. (Note: The Gratical HD EVF, has a square EVF, which show the waveform below and separately from the picture output of the SDI, very handy.)
When shooting I’m not afraid to clip the highlights if it looks good or is necessary, having said that I found the roll off in the highlights to be gradual and very pleasing, it’s also quite amazing what can be recovered if you want from skies and skin tones! I was also impressed at how well it rendered Cara’s pale skin in the very harsh direct sunlight, see G12, G36 and L56. After starting to do ABB every time I shoot, I find the noise in the shadow, at the base ISO of 800, to be negligible, if non-existent in most accurately exposed footage using Canon’s own LUT. Noise that is visible, which was rare, is granular, very similar to film when I shot on it. If you want more details in the shadows then you really should be putting more fill in when shooting, rather than lifting the shadows in post a stop or two because of course you are going to see the noise increase if you do so.
Apparent Sharpness:
There’s been a lot of chatter on forums and YouTube about the apparent sharpness, or lack of, when using CLOG2 and CLOG3 from the Canon C300 MK II, C300 MK III, C500 MK II and C70. It became pretty clear to me that Canon does not aggressively sharpen the CLOG footage and adding a standard Canon LUT of course does not apply sharpening to the image, as it’s a colour space correction. So given this, and as I think you can see that you only need to apply a small amount of sharpening for the footage to pop. To be honest, it was not initially clear to me, having not worked with LOG footage before the MK II. (I am going to do another test and try applying some addition sharpness to the CLOG3 footage when shooting, in the Other -> Sharpness settings in the Picture Profile.)
Colour:
It’s subjective but Canon’s ‘Colour Science’, for me, is smack on, it’s WYSIWYG all the way down to the post LUT image, using Canon’s own LUTs. If I want a stylised colour look to a project, then I’ll be trying to achieve that in lighting prior to the sensor capturing it. It’s a creative decision between the Director and Cinematographer that should take place prior to filming, tested done and screened and agreed. If you are a solo shooter, then it’s you alone making that decision but test should still be done, rather than just put a creative LUT on top afterwards but that is just my opinion. Please Note, with J33 and J37 I had to heavy correct the colour balance, I was shooting after dusk and the light was getting blue already, unfortunately I had also accidentally changed the white balance to Tungsten! Duh! I include them as I’m pretty impressed with the AF in low light, which is tack sharp, even though there is only an inch or so depth of field.
ABB (Auto Black Balance):
I know it’s a pain to do, especially if you are running and gunning, but it really does makes a difference to the noise in the shadows, I was put onto it by Barry Griffin, a Canon representative at The Media Production and Technology Show in London, Olympia. It basically resets/flushes the sensor and gets the camera to remap all the pixels and set the levels and colour balance for pure black/no light. (The main purpose of black balance is to eliminate any residual current being output from the pixel sites under conditions of complete darkness, often referred to as thermal noise.)
From the Canon C300 MK II manual, adjusting the black balance, ABB, is necessary in the following cases:
1) When using the camera for the very first time or after a long period of not using it. 2) After sudden or extreme changes in ambient temperature. 3) After changing the sensor mode. 4) After activating or deactivating slow & fast motion recording (including switching to another special recording mode). 5) After resetting the camera's settings.
Netflix suggests - ‘ABB - Perform at start of day and after any dramatic change in operational temperature.’
Alister Chapman - ‘Certainly Black Balancing (ABB) does not do any hard, you certainly will not do any harm by ABB too many times. If you have stuck pixel problem just keep on going, keep trying, keep trying and hopefully eventually it will find it and deal with it.’
Canon EF lenses review:
Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM MKI: Sharp to very sharp, optimum aperture (OA) f5.6, AF rarely hunt, AF and IS noisy if using ENG style rifle mic on camera.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM: Razor sharp, should be a Canon L lens, OA 17mm f5.6/28mm f2.8/55mm f5.6, AF and IS quiet.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM: Sharp, OA f5.6-f8, AF is very noisy and can hunt quite badly, IS is quiet. Love/Hate relationship with, its very cheap, compact and light compared to EF 70-200mm 2.8 L and has better reach but let down by AF for tracking. AF lock, no problem. Keep an eye on your minimum focus distance, it can catch you out.
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM: Did not mange to use during these test but will update. AF and IS quiet.
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM MKII: Outrageously sharp! OA f4.0 but still mega sharp at f2.8. AF can hunt and be noisy, IS noisy with whirring sound all the time, which is fine if your onboard mic is guide track only or IS is turned off. IS is very, very powerful though. Best to support lens unless you have locking EF mount. Keep an eye on your minimum focus distance, it can catch you out.
(OA), optimum aperture, is taken from Christopher Frost amazing, consistent, lens reviews on YouTube. Check them out!
Further Tests:
I still have to do some tests below the base ISO of 800, from 160 to 640, it looks from Canon’s White Paper, that if you do this you get more dynamic range in the blacks, at the sacrifice of loosing them in the whites, but this could be useful when shooting night shoots or darker moody footage. I also want to test the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM, which I did not have a chance to, and if I can get hold of a copy to test, both the Canon CN-E 30-105mm T2.8L and Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4.
I’ve started doing some colour chart tests with my Canon EOS 5D MK IV in 4K, along side the C300 MK II, just to try and match the contrast, sharpness and colours. I’m pretty close and will upload the camera setting and examples when confirmed, I’m pretty please at the minute from what I am getting and this is without the CLOG upgrade, SEE SUB FOLDERS.
Upgrading:
Would I like to upgrade to a Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) III? Yes, sure for the Dual Gain Output, 120fps 4k in 10-bit 4:2:2 , RAW internal, interchangeable mounts and onboard XLR’s but not really in a rush, at least not until Canon release their RF C300 MK IV/C500 MK III, and used prices tumble. I’m happy with the Canon EOS Cinema C300 MARK (MK) II and the 4K it produces, especially now I have the both the Canon MA-400 XLR Microphone Adapter and Canon’s LM-V1 4” Touchscreen LCD Monitor, which makes the whole unit a lot more compact, I do miss the onboard XLR’s of MK III though!
Hopefully you found these personal tests helpful.