Canon say: "We need to respond to calls for DSLR video quality increase"

[Andrew Reid]

Recently DPReview published a very interesting interview with top Canon executives. The information is a goldmine of clues over what direction Canon might take next with their DSLRs when it comes to 4K, video and image quality.

EOSHD analyses the Canon's executive remarks...

Read the full article here

[Dekam]

As expected, the users over at dpreview came unhinged over all this talk of video.

 

Did they not even ask about Magic Lantern?  It'd be useful to publish a list of  "questions we asked that they outright refused to answer..." since those can be a bigger scoop than the softballs they did answer.

 

And citing the EF-M 11-22 as an example of lens innovation?  A lens they won't even sell in the United States for some reason?  How about the obvious follow up "so why aren't you selling that lens worldwide if it's so great"?  Baffling.

[Andrew Reid]

As expected, the users over at dpreview came unhinged over all this talk of video.

 

Exactly why a Video EOS range is needed. Still a hybrid of video and stills, with EF lenses and large sensor... but something 7D users cannot get their knickers in a twist about.

[johnnymossville]

I agree that being able to get prints from video is a great concept. I already do it with 2K footage, because some of my best photos are taken from times when I'm shooting video. 4K is going to be excellent for this.  8 megapixels is definitely enough for great prints.  Is wasn't long ago that the best professional digital cameras available had less than that. 

[Cassius McGowan]

Canon is always late to the party that's why i made the switch to the gh3. They'll stay promising like they always do. 

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

That's promising. It shows they are in fact listening to filmmakers.

[Nick Hughes]

Really hoping they can actually follow through with any of this. The next couple months are going to be a huge deciding factor for me as to whether I decide to stick with Canon or jump ship and start swimming toward mft island. Of course I'd love to be able to embrace the benefits of both, but when it comes down to it, I just can't afford that. I'm sure many others feel the same way.

[Julian]

Did they not even ask about Magic Lantern?  It'd be useful to publish a list of  "questions we asked that they outright refused to answer..." since those can be a bigger scoop than the softballs they did answer.

 

Ok, it wouldn't hurt to ask the question, I agree... But a 'we don't answer questions about unsupported firmware' answer wouldn't really be a scoop. There's no point in asking, they won't give a proper answer to a question like that. Even for legal reasons or whatever.

 

Anyway, even with a top level Canon guy saying this, I don't expect anything exciting from them. Yeah, maybe they'll get video on the same level as the Nikon D5300 in the EOS 7D succesor... that wouldn't be bad, but I'm pretty sure Canon will not make something that kills their own C100...

[UltimateMale]

Do i see canon incorporating 4K into the next EOS camera 7D mkll or 5D mk4? Hell NO. All they'll do next is add things like auto focus to video, more unwanted ISO, 1080p/60p h.264, possibly wi-fi etc. If they ever add 4K,it will be so compressed so it doesn't compete with the 1Dc footage.

But thats just my opinion.

 

I personally would prefer 1080p RAW over 4k non-RAW 

 

 

I think its high time we start looking to Blackmagic to answer our prayers for us

[schnorgie]

I have a C100....and I love that camera. Sure, it could be better, and yes, I would much prefer a more sophisticated (native) codec than AVCHD with higher bit rate, etc. But I do love the ease and economy of working with the camera and its' MUCH smaller file sizes.....perfect for a one-man-banding it, or a no-budget production. This camera sits right on the border of "cinematic" possibility. With good glass and well lit, it can and does make a very clean, detailed, color-accurate image.....a big improvement over the 5D3, no question.

 

So I often ask myself what it is, that makes for a "cinematic"- looking image? Good lighting, for starters. Log gamma makes a big difference. Shallow DOF can help, but not always. Blacker blacks, but keeping a modicum of dynamic range. 2:35 to 1 aspect ratio. Oval out of focus highlights, as in anamorphic lenses. Blocking and composition. Everything contributes; but of course, getting something worth watching to happen in front of the camera will always be #1.

 

Great thread and posts all around, and Kudos to Andrew for bringing it all to us.

[Yondaime]

One question for Canon... Why in 2004 the DigicII eos 1Dmark II did 4k Mjpeg at 8 fps (it had a 8mpx sensor shooting 8fps till buffer full :) ) and my eos 6d with powerfull Digic 5+ cannot shoot Mjpg 24 fps full hd video...?

[leo]

Canon is not stupid to give 4k so easy, or cheap, Panasonic proved there is no technological barrier to overcome, it's all about squeezing every possible drop of money from consumers, the longest possible time, until they really need to invent new stuff.

They already have good products that offer 1080p and 4k at professional level, c100 and c300, only excuse for not putting 4k in a 5d mark 3 or future t4i, or whatever naming scheme they have is, money.

If they see a big money opportunity in selling cheap 4k DSLR's right now, they will do it, if not, they will wait for the market to drop to the point they really need 4k to get sales back.

[TJB]

Any camera using a mirror in 2014 is old fashioned.

[Oliver Daniel]

I'm not at all bothered that Canon have a much different camera structure to everyone else. There are other cameras out there now more than capable of providing the tools needed for a professional , so I'm more bothered what ideas I can come up using them then how a camera manufacturer wants to market their products.

 

That said, I think Canon are waiting on the market to develop before they come back with something big. 

[Yondaime]

Yes but, seriously, someone could explain why the digic 2 was capable, at last, of 8 fps (jpg) at 4k resolution (that means 32 fps in Full HD) and the digic 5+ (tens times faster in theory) cannot...? Is it technically justified the poor video quality of th eos line...? Where am i wrong..? Is the 14 bit (vs 12bit of the digicII) ad conversion the main issue..? Hope one day magic lantern will do another miracle... Eos 6D users are starving in the cold.. ^^

[fuzzynormal]

"We need to respond to calls for DSLR video quality increase"

 

To be pedantic, nowhere in that statement do I hear an affirmation that they WILL increase IQ.

[Michael Ma]

The industry is definitely at the brink of figuring itself out.  We're buying cameras with grips suited for photography, but to shoot video.  These companies don't necessarily want to overshadow their dedicated video line of products, which usually turn out to be less capable, but more expensive (at least when looking at the value/dollar).  People are not sold on dedicated video form factors like the 4K cameras that Canon just rolled out.  But people are comfortable buying a SLR-type cameras that shoot good video.  

 

Even though Canon seems to think the logical upgrade is a dedicated video camera, I don't think a dedicated video camera will ever be the next logical upgrade for a lot of users who plan to shoot a lot of video for the foreseeable future.  There is something great with being able to take video with a SLR form factor.  The compactness, the discreetness, and the familiarity of working with the type of gear and lenses we already own.

 

There are rogue companies like Black Magic that's playing to exactly the needs what people like me are looking for, but they lack the decades long experience with things like firmware, UI, human-device-interface interaction.  The lenses available always seem to come with a compromise.  

 

The future....Black Magic cameras can only become better, and the price seems right for the market that I find myself in (The prosumer market).  They can build the perfect camera as their products mature.

 

Canon on the other hand is in a position to offer this functionality at a flip of a switch it seems.  But they refuse to do it because they want to sell different lines of cameras on their own agenda at a price suited for a different market that I'm in.  I don't plan on getting hired to shoot a episode for a major TV network or a film for a major company, so I will never have the budget to spend $10k on a camera.  Canon has all the tech and systems in place to produce the perfect camera, which would be all the specs and price of a Black Magic camera, except with full electronic compatibility with their lenses, better focus system, better battery life, and better UI and controls.  

 

In a few short years I think this camera will definitely be here.  Whether it's by Black Magic Design continuing to improve, Panasonic by cranking out the most specs that can be had with consumer components inside the camera, or Canon just simply just choosing to assemble the camera and not put in old parts as in ways of controlling the hack-ability of their firmware.  

 

Black Magic Design appears to be young and brash.  Panasonic seems to be eager to please.  Canon, they just look greedy and condescending.  It sends the message that they are trying to milk us, think they know what's better for us, don't think we're smart enough to see the handicapping they are doing to their own products, or just don't care enough about the this niche market.  

 

These are exciting and frustrating times...

[animan]

I agree that being able to get prints from video is a great concept. I already do it with 2K footage, because some of my best photos are taken from times when I'm shooting video. 4K is going to be excellent for this.  8 megapixels is definitely enough for great prints.  Is wasn't long ago that the best professional digital cameras available had less than that. 

 

unless the camera and subject is completely static isnt it kind of impossible to get a sharp picture with a 180 shutter?

[etidona]

We often forget that Canon is not a innovator at all. The only real revolution they did, the 5DII, has been almost an accident! They didn't want to revolutionize the moviemakers industry!

Now they have a 4k sensor already in the C100 and C300: I think if the processor is up to the task they will enable 4k in that cameras before starting to put it in a DSLR under $2000.

If they do they can say goodbye to the entire CinemaEOS incomes.

[leo]

While some of you complain about c100 and c300 being to expensive, it's not a problem for canon, they don't even want hobbyist to have these cameras.

Those 10k cameras are for professional's that shoot low budget commercials to weddings and music videos, there is plenty of money in that segment for gadgets like these.

Imagine the profit they get from a puny c300, that thing has an asp-c crop sensor, they say "canon digic III" processor and unrestricted codecs, nothing exotic like full hd at 200 fps, cpu on that thing is slow, all of that for 14000 $ :lol:, t2i sensor with proper processing and video camera features at 14000$, funny shit.