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NAB 2015: Canon XC10
In something of a surprise announcement, Canon unveiled the XC10 4K camera (among other hot new products) in advance of NAB 2015. And in another twist, Atomos has announced that the yet-to-be released camera will receive Shogun support
It's been a busy few days for RedShark News and we expect to be even busier as we approach NAB 2015. In a preemptive strike, Canon has disrupted the usual NAB news cycle by announcing new gear ahead of the year's biggest film tech show. You've probably heard about the C300 Mark II 4K, which our Editor-in-Chief, David Shapton, covered in a very recent article. Along with the new shooter, Canon also introduced a 24" 4K reference display, the DP-V2410. But the most diminuitive of these new products may be the most intriguing.
Small Wonder
Canon has officially announced the XC10, a compact, fixed lens 4K camera which may be the ideal 'b-cam' companion for the C300 Mark II. While it doesn't exactly match the C300 Mark II on spec (the new C300 shoots 4K 10-bit, as opposed to the XC10 at 8-bit), not to mention other differences typical of cameras thousands of dollars apart (the XC10 has 12 stops of dyanmic range to C300 Mark II's 15 stops), imaging characteristics common among Canon cameras, like their rendition of color, should help the XC10 match its big brother better than a camera from another manufacturer.
Ready for the Shogun
In addition to being a 4K (UHD) shooter, the XC10 also takes 12MP stills, features Wi-Fi remote capabilities, has a 10x optical zoom from its fixed lens and can record 4K either internally, via CFast 2.0 card, or externally to a compatible 4K recorder. Speaking of which, in a move obviously made in consort with Canon, Atomos has announced that its popular Shogun 4K HDMI recorder will support the XC10 when it arrives.
When and how much?
The Canon XC10 will arrive on the shelves of your favorite retailer in June of this year (B&H has begun taking pre-orders). The price? The Canon XC10 will set you back $2499 (or £1599.99 for our friends in the U.K.).
NAB 2015 may be next week, but when it comes to NAB news, it's already begun. And we can't wait to report what's next.
Let us know what you think about the Canon XC10 (specs, pricing, usefulness, etc.) in the comments below. And check out the Canon press release for the XC10 on Page Two and the Atomos press release concerning XC10 support on Page Three!
Full Press Release: Canon XC10
Canon premieres the XC10 – a breakthrough compact 4K video and stills camcorder
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 8 April 2015 – Canon today unveils the XC10 – a compact, lightweight video and digital stills camera that brings professional 4K quality to aspiring filmmakers and enthusiasts. Inheriting many of the Cinema EOS range’s features, the XC10 offers incredible recording versatility and is the ideal solution as a small, stand-alone camera for independent film makers or the perfect accompaniment as a supporting B camera in larger productions.
Unleashing 4K recording for enthusiasts
Boasting outstanding market leading image quality, traditionally associated with larger cameras, as well as the flexibility and ease of use of traditional compact camcorders, the XC10 delivers consistently breath-taking results. Its advanced imaging engine – a powerful combination of a specially developed 1” CMOS sensor and Canon’s new DIGIC DV5 image processor – gives both budding filmmakers or experienced pros the blistering speed and quality they demand to capture 4K video, at a wide range of variable bit rates.
Able to fit seamlessly into workflows, or productions with existing Cinema EOS cameras, the XC10 can record UHDTV standard (3840 x 2160) 4K footage to an internal CFast 2.0™ card at up to 305Mbps, or Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage to an SD card at up to 50Mbps, with pro-standard 4:2:2 colour sampling for high resolution performance.
The XC10 delivers rich colour, synonymous with Cinema EOS cameras, with a high ISO of up to 20,000, ensuring excellent results in low light conditions, and a 12-stop Wide Dynamic Range, providing vivid detail in both highlights and shadows.
Shooters have the freedom to capture a diverse range of scenes in professional 4K quality using a specially developed 10x optical zoom lens, complete with Canon’s class-leading image stabilisation technology. With a versatile 27.3-273mm focal range (35mm equivalent, in video mode) videographers can easily switch between capturing sweeping scenes, to intimate close ups with a single lens. Pros and enthusiasts alike can change between movie recording and still image shooting, capturing high quality 12.0 MP images, or extracting 8.29 MP stills from 4K video footage.
Uncompromising design, optimised for easy shooting
The XC10 redefines the boundaries of advanced compact camcorder design, with a body that’s instantly intuitive to use. Once in your hand, you’ll find a rotating grip that supports a variety of shooting styles, as well as essential feature controls at your fingertips, including a manual zoom and focusing ring. Designed to match any shooting preference, the camcorder features a 7.66cm vari-angle touch LCD, with 100% field coverage, providing direct access to the menu system through a simple set of cross keys, while an included optical loupe viewfinder, that fits the LCD, offers a more traditional shooting experience.
Fostering creativity with expert workflows
Professional videographers can easily integrate the XC10 into existing production kits and workflows, thanks to its portfolio of professional standard codecs and recording modes. Canon’s new XF-AVC H.264 codec supports recording in both 4K and Full HD quality, enabling easy integration into industry- standard Non-Linear Edit systems. Canon Log Gamma also enables maximum freedom in post-production editing and processing and seamless quality matching with content shot on Cinema EOS cameras. Additionally, videographers can freely shoot in 4K, and later down convert to Full HD, to create a higher quality end product, and enable greater flexibility in the editing process.
A selection of slow and fast motion recording modes – including up to 1200x fast motion in 4K/Full HD, and up to1/4x slow motion in HD – as well as interval shooting provide further creative opportunities.
The XC10 is also Wi-Fi compatible; enabling remote control of key features via a browser, smartphone or tablet – securing its position as an essential part of any Cinema EOS video shooter’s toolkit.
XC10 Key benefits:
• Stunning 4K video and 12MP stills from one compact camera
• High bit rate XF-AVC files, great for post production
• Seamlessly integrate with professional workflows
• Get creative with fast and slow motion recording
• Built-in Wi-Fi for easy browser/smart device control
Pricing and availability
The XC10 will be available from June 2015 with an RSP of £1599.99.
Full Press Release: Atomos Shogun support of Canon XC10
Atomos Shogun Fully Supports New Canon XC-10
Canon has entered the 4K arena with a clever 4K UHD compact video camera. The Atomos Shogun is fully approved for recording from the XC-10.
Melbourne, Australia – 8th April 2015: Canon's latest announcement sees the Japanese giant launch a compact 4K video camera, the XC-10. Inheriting many features from the Cinema EOS range but in an incredibly small form factor it delivers 4K on the run and most importantly has the essential feature of clean HDMI, start/stop trigger and timecode over HDMI for perfect integration with the Shogun and other Atomos recorders.
"Atomos is proud to be playing a major part in the 4K revolution by enabling these amazing cameras to record to edit friendly formats." said Jeromy Young CEO and co-founder of Atomos. "Canon today has changed the playing field again with this pocket rocket that is only unleashed by the addition of a Shogun recorder or an Atomos CFast card, we are confident Shogun will be the first accessory purchased for the XC10."
With the Atomos Shogun, XC-10 users will gain:
- Direct to ProRes/DNxHR 4K recording (up to 2160p30) and ProRes/DNxHD recording (up to 1080p60). This means users do not have to transcode the XC-10's internal recordings ready for editing in Apple FCPX, Adobe Premiere or Avid Media Composer.
- The 4K recording, apart from being the native codec for NLEs, is also 4:2:2 color accuracy and 10-bit color depth that enables the freedom in post production to integrate 10-bit effects and overlays.
- A 7" monitor almost six times the area of the XC-10's 3" display, is the best and only way to truly set up Pro shots with professional features not available on the XC-10 like 3D LUTs, 2:1 & 1:1 zoom for critical focus, vectorscope, false color and the ability to have ongoing color calibration using an optional Spyder unit.
- Ability to tag footage on the fly as Favorite/Reject ready for immediate integration into Final Cut Pro, Adobe or other NLE's
- Long record times onto affordable and reliable SSD media as opposed to the more expensive $/GB media option on the XC-10.
- With built in HDMI to SDI signal conversion the Shogun/XC-10 combination can perfectly integrate into an existing SDI workflow
- The breakout XLR connection gives the Shogun/XC-10 combination both balanced analog XLR audio and 48V phantom power options for condenser microphone solutions.
For all of this added functionality, users do not sacrifice usability since the Atomos Shogun and the Canon XC-10 have synchronized start/stop trigger and timecode over HDMI meaning 1 touch recording from the Canon will trigger the record and timecode to start on the Shogun.
The Canon XC-10 also supports the Atomos CFast cards. Small and reliable Atomos CFast cards are available in both 64GB and 128GB options and perfect for affordable filmmaking on the go. The blend of advanced functions with industry leading usability makes the XC-10 / Shogun a perfect 4K combination and the biggest 4K news to come from NAB 2015, which still hasn't started yet.
Tags: Production
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