So after I reviewed Canon EOS C70 I put it in my blog as the best cinema camera under $10000 because this is a brand new Cinema camera in the canon cinema lineup.

These days filmmakers have tons of options both in form of mirrorless cameras that shoot incredible video to the dedicated cinema, and video cameras like we’ve seen with the cinema eos line.

It’s been quite a while since larger sensors and interchangeable lenses became the norm in digital cinema and video production.

What if I told you that there was a camera that combined the best of both worlds.

C70 has a very small footprint, a monitor with exposure tools that you can come back with very good battery life, affordable media file sizes that are not ginormous and the computer can crush any codec that the C70 is able to produce.

Canon has released some amazing cameras this year the Canon EOS 1dx Mark III, Canon C300 Mark iii, and Canon EOS R5, and Canon EOS R6 have all been fantastic in their own way.

However I was able to test for couple of day not loads of time but enough time to really gather some thoughts and try it out.

So first of all I should probably mention this is a pre-production model.

Just to be clear this is a video camera but the shape button layout grip and overall size are clearly inspired by canon’s still cameras.

It may look like a traditional still camera but with things like mini xlr connections time code over bnc.

And a wealth of monitoring tools the result is a cinema camera that is one of the most portable and versatile cameras in canon’s entire lineup for people who want the performance of the cinema eos line but love the smaller size of a mirrorless still camera.

Camera Sensor

the C70 has a super 35mm sensor it has a five-inch format sensor it can produce an incredible 16 plus stops of dynamic range by simultaneously reading the sensor out at two different game levels.

This is obviously huge news for videographers end shooters or anyone shooting something that’s in a wildly shifting lighting condition.

So thankfully the C70 brings all of the monitoring and focusing tools we’ve come to expect from the line before we dive into the assist features though.

If we look at the flip-out LCD now i think the screen is gorgeous it’s clear sharp and the colors are overall very accurate.

It’s actually a big deal here because there is no EVF on the C70 if you want you have to purchase that separately and if you do want external monitoring you will need to use the HDMI port.

Audio system

the audio system on this camera is fantastic It has two mini XLR inputs, one 3.5mm mic input, and a built-in mic as well, 3.5mm headphone out, and manual input controls on the back of the camera behind the flip screen, and XLRs support 48V phantom power.

Dual pixel autofocus

the C70 is using daf one autofocus which means AF isn’t as good as the Canon R5 which uses the second version of daf.

dual-pixel on this Camera works so well effortlessly and smoothly that it pulls it into focus as if someone is pulling it for you.

the dual pixel AF works just as well as on the C300 II but the C70 has the added benefit of face detection which you get on a lot of cameras these days.

Camera Body

the C70 brings a very good grip and felt quite plasticky the ND filters look beautifully they are better in comparison to the Blackmagic 6K Pro the sensor that comes in C70 is the same as Canon C300 II.

the body of the C70 with four keys is easily reachable without removing the right hand from the grip the autofocus activation of electronic stabilization and activation of face detection allows you to manage an avalanche of things without ever entering the menus.

Canon C70 has a timecode input for many types this is a very important thing since the C70 compared to the Canon C200 which is included in the white list of Netflix.

The body is perhaps where the hybridization of the C70 is most obvious. looking from the front it looks like a large still camera from the back it still kind of looks like a large still camera.

But when you look at the sides it’s basically every key advantage of a dedicated cinema eos camera.

Starting from the front it has the rf lens mount custom function buttons of which there are 13 total tally lights and the record button can be seen from the front.

it feels like you’re holding the biggest DSLR, the grip is substantial, deep, and well-textured, and it actually utilizes some of the controls that you’d expect to see on Canon DSLRs.

It also features a small function dial, which can be mapped to several operations, and a joystick.

I was very impressed by the many function buttons they retained, and the placement of them, which is something I found a bit annoying about the Sony FX6.

Screen Type

I found this touch screen to be better compared to the FX6 you can quickly move your focus point by just touching, and there are also touch options for changing exposure and white balance without leaving your shooting display.

You have full control over your on-screen display, and you can individually add or remove display items.

But on the far edge of the grip, it has the dual sd card slots positioned at a slight angle with the timecode BNC connection.

My personal favorite the focus magnification is located exactly where you would expect.

This extra space doesn’t go to waste though because behind the LCD are audio-level controls.

Camera Performance

it has 6k external raw recording option which is pretty impressive again considering the 2 000 price point it has a full cinematic version of the v-log color profile inherited from the varicam, unlike the Panasonic GH5 that has the video version with less dynamic range again for such a low price.

It has a dedicated advanced anamorphic mode with stabilization tailor made for anamorphic lenses something that lacked in other more expensive video-centric cameras such as the Sony A7S III.

The EOS C70 is the first Cinema EOS Camera to utilize Canon’s RF Mount Technology it features a 4K Super 35mm Dual Gain Output sensor, with a high frame rate recording up to 120fps in 4K, and internal 4:2:2 10 bit recording.

There are 2 SD card slots with versatile recording options, dual pixel CMOS autofocus with a new Intelligent Face tracking system.

I found the codec options on this camera more useful than on the C200 there is one more shortcoming compared to the C300 Mark III you can’t record ALL-Intra above 30 frames per second.

You can record up to 60 frames per second in LongGOP, and up to 120 frames per second when using the S&F mode and you can actually get away with just V60 cards.

Ports

EOS C70 has two mini xlr ports which provide professional audio in a smaller size no handle or attachments required here.

C70 has a standard 3.5-millimeter mic input a headphone jack usb c port remote input and a full-size HDMI port.

C70 has an extended range that’s not available on the Canon EOS C200 and Canon EOS C300.

First of all, C70 has the 16 stops of dynamic range the image quality of this camera it feels very digital.

White balance tool

The white balance tool is excellent not as customizable as the Sony Alpha A7S III because you don’t get a controllable target box it operates more like FX6 and previous Canon Cine cameras.

But unlike the FX6, this camera does a nearly perfect job every time at nailing the white balance, and you do it with just the press of a single button.

rolling shutter performance

The same rolling shutter performance as the Canon EOS C300 Mark III is not excellent, but the a7S III definitely outperforms it better than most other mirrorless cameras.

It drastically improves when you’re above 60p, though, because when the Dual Gain Output turns off.

Canon EOS C70 Specs

• Dual SD Card Slots Multiple Recording Options
• High Frame Rate 4K 120p and 2K Crop 180p
• RC-V100 Support and LANC Compatible
• EIS with Coordinated Control
• HDMI Port Type A Full Size
• Manual focus
• Streaming
• Exposure compensation
• Type C USB
• Microphone
• Headphone Jack
• Heat Sync Unit

The EOS C70 is the first Cinema EOS Camera to utilize Canon’s revolutionary RF Mount Technology featuring a large 54mm diameter, significantly reduced back focus system, and enhanced 12-pin lens communication.

Camera System

This new ecosystem brings a wide variety of benefits including significantly increased optical performance, rapidly responsive auto-focus, intelligent image stabilization, and all encompassed in a more lightweight and compact form factor.

ND System

The C70 has build in ND system but uses a more conventional mechanical system that can go from clear through to 10 stops in two-stop increments.

Battery Life

the battery of the C70 lasts more than three hours and of course, the depth of the battery slot allows you to use BPA 30 or longer-lasting BPA 60 batteries.

I still think the C70 does better than what it is the battery life is great it uses the BPA 60 battery and will give you roughly about six hours of charge but if you use something like Ip-E6 NH batteries it’s only going to give you about roughly 40 minutes of record time for video.

it takes the BPA series battery which is the battery found on the c200 and c300.

I’m getting over three hours on the C70, and around 2 hours and 20 minutes when using S&F 120p mode compared with Canon C300 Mark III I was only getting around two hours of battery life.

ISO Performance

So, what I like about the C70 is in fact that the C70 has much better ISO performance even better than Red Komodo because even Red Komodo has a limited ISO range and it’s very easy for Komodo to get noisy just like any Red Camera.

Dynamic Range

C70 is much better in dynamic range than the FX6 or a7S III when shooting at ISO 800 at 60p or below if you shoot at 60p or lower, and below ISO 12,800, I think you’ll be very happy with the image out of the C70.

Stabilization

It has Digital IS, just like the C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II, which works quite well, when the C70 is paired with a stabilized lens, I found that I can get pretty steady handheld shots at even 105mm.

if you want a camera with a viewfinder that can also take pictures A7S III is the only choice when it comes to dynamic range and image quality, FX6, A7S III, and C70 you can’t really go wrong with any of them.

But if you need extreme low light, you need to get one of the Sonys.

Image Quality

the image quality is nice very nice actually it shoots 4k up to 120 frames per second in slow motion in a 10-bit photo 2 codecs you can shoot c-log.

Camera Lens

The new range of RF lenses expands the capabilities of the C70 even further with features such as real-time object distance information, smooth high-resolution iris control, and a user-customizable lens ring for adjusting aperture, ISO, and white balance.

The new high-speed 12-pin lens communication allows reliable Dual-Pixel CMOS AF and combined Image Stabilisation systems to reach their maximum potential and performance.

RF Mount Technology seamlessly transitions us into the future, with a lens range that is rapidly evolving and full compatibility with our existing extensive catalog of EF lenses creating a professional solution that takes Canon’s Cinema EOS into a new era of filmmaking.

C70 delivers everything you’d want in a camera made for video easily as a canon eos r camera suiting the one-man-band kind of filmmaking.

with the latest Canon EOS C70 a powerful cinema camera that comes in a DSLR like a shape that lets you experience the true cinematography experience like never before equipped with a newly developed 4k super 35-millimeter sensor and digit dv7 image processor.

this camera delivers a high-resolution image in order to enhance your camera experience thanks to its useful features such as direct touch control auto iso vertical shooting and electronic image stabilizer that surely helps you to increase your image quality.

Additionally, it offers an rf lens mount which provides you quick reliable, and brilliant image quality. the eos C70 features the renowned dual pixel CMOS autofocus which lets you experience accurate and reliable autofocus with subject tracking and phase-detection.

it offers dual sd card slots so you can simultaneously shoot your video without worrying about storage issues.

it’s the first official canon eos cinema range to have the rf mount my personal favorite something I’m planning to talk about more in detail in another episode it has built-in nd filters a dream come true in such a relatively small mirrorless-shaped cinema camera.

And finally, the dual gain output sensor which combines two exposures to give us a higher dynamic range and a much cleaner image same feature I found in the c300 mark III.

Audio Features

the C70 has two mini XLR inputs as well as the 3.5 mil mic in and headphone out on the body itself. We know that they aren’t full-size XLRS but you can easily get cables to use your favorite XLR microphone SDI directly into the C70 or grab a full-size XLR adapter module.

the C70 also has the built-in xlr inputs which you could go and plug into a xlr microphone or you could plug into the audio interface and get the audio directly recorded to the camera

Canon EOS C70 Price

this camera starts with the price point of two thousand dollars holding the same sensor as the S1H and sharing most of its features but in a smaller body.

Advantages

• Capture still photos on standby in select video modes
• Contrast Af, EOS iTR AF X
• Head detection, subject detection, tracking
• Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus with Touch AF and Face Detection
• Water/Dust resistance
• Build in ND Filters up to 10 stops
• Battery Life 3 Hours
• Dual Recording Available
• 12 bit cinema raw available internal
• BNC timecode available

Disadvantages

• the C70 struggle in a low-key scenario with darker tones
• the C70 limited to 4K
• The resolution isn’t quite high enough
• didn’t have the ability to record raw in some situations

Wrapping Up

So, is the Canon C70 a camera for the type of work, in my opinion, the C70 is a very good jack-of-all-trades it seems small but having SDI out of the camera the C70 absolutely fits as an a camera it just it does it knocks off everything that you need.

the Canon C70 is, in fact, a great beast the sensor is the same as the Canon C300 mark III and increasing in the dynamic range becomes a truly surprising way and also has 10 integrated stops of ND filters.

So if you have the Canon R, Canon R5 or Canon R6 and want to upgrade to the C70 its really good choice maybe you won’t be able to do stills but in a video perspective everything is like next level.

Conclusion

Canon C70 is perhaps the best combination of functionality and size building not only on canon’s latest mirrorless still cameras but keeping in mind the workhorse build quality and reliability of the cinema eos line. looking to get a powerful, dedicated video camera, and it’s easily the best cinema camera under $10,000.

the EOS C70 is the first canon cinema camera mount the rf lenses a bit because they are actually very nice lenses and this makes this camera a perfect hybrid between a mirrorless and a cinema camera.

So, while working with the C70 I can’t say it’s a bad camera it has a higher dynamic range, shoots C-log3, a dual gain output sensor, internal ND filters, built-in audio controls with xlr inputs, a large battery a slightly bigger body, and a full-frame sensor.