Dual Pixel AF upgrade C100

[Nikkor]

Canon is offering owners of its Cinema EOS C100 the chance to add Dual Pixel AF to this video-centric camera. This will enable continuous autofocus during recording with all Canon EF lenses, and double one-shot AF speed with 104 fully-supported lenses. Interestingly the upgrade doesn't involve a change of sensor, but instead enables a hitherto-unused hardware capability. However it will require the camera to be sent to a Canon service centre, and in the US will cost $500.

Canon USA's press release about this update is decidedly opaque, leading to some reports suggesting that the process involves a sensor swap. However Canon Europe is much more explicit about what's going on, so we've reproduced its press release below.

 

http://***URL removed***/news/2013/11/06/canon-offers-dual-pixel-af-upgrade-for-cinema-eos-c100-camera?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=news-list&utm_medium=text&ref=title_0_0

 

It would be nice if magic lantern would hack this and make the camera record all the pixels, the c100 would become the ultimate anamorphic camera, no more ugly noise streching and incredible resolution. Anyway, I'm not shure if the pixels are really full pixels.

[hoodlum]

It is Interesting to see that the C100 came with the Dual-Pixel technology before the 70D.  So Canon is now charging $500 for a firmware upgrade.  I guess this is where they expect to make their profits.

[jgharding]

If this is firmware, then they hid dual-pixel AF in the C100? That means it's in the C300 too, and they just kept it a secret til 70D...

[Andrew Reid]

I too thought C100 and C300 (and C500?) have same sensor.

 

So if they have enabled it in firmware on the C100, why not C300?

[Julian]

Doesn't the C100 use all its pixels for image capture? In that case, Dual Pixel AF might affect the performance?

[Zach Ashcraft]

Having used this in a 70D, I can safely say I really want a C100 now