Technology Explained, Practice
Daniela Bowker
Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! ...

When you hear the term 'high-res' thrown about with such abandon when it comes to images for web use, have you ever stopped to think just how big or how high quality and image meant for the web needs to be?

Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! Saving images for the web
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring

There's an assumption that high-contrast images are more dynamic, more compelling, more inviting. Have a go at some low-contrast photography. You might surprise yourself with the results.

Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring
Feature Articles, Theory
Daniela Bowker
Seeking balance in your photos

Balance doesn't mean symmetry; it means an internal consistency and tension within your photos. And it's a vital element of composition. 

Seeking balance in your photos
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Training your photographic luck

Great photos might be down to a little bit of luck, but most of that 'luck' you make yourself. Don't believe us? Read on...

Training your photographic luck
Feature Articles, Practice
Daniela Bowker
The ups and downs and ins and outs of ...

Photographing buildings doesn't have to mean wide-angle lenses and fretting about correcting for the keystone effect. Any lens, and angle. Don't believe us? Let us show you!

The ups and downs and ins and outs of photographing buildings

stablemate

Canon vs Red: The battle for amateur filmmakers is about to commence


In the Blue corner... Canon's C300

I don't want to say I told you so, but... I told you so. Specifically, I've been saying that shooting video on SLR cameras simply doesn't make sense - in some cases. Don't get me wrong; if you're a stills shooter who occasionally shoots video, knock yourself out. It's just the current wave of filmmakers shooting on SLRs that baffles me.

In that article (originally written some time last year), I'm arguing that it's only a matter of time before Canon launch a video-specific camera with an EF lens mount, so you get the best of both worlds: Access to affordable, high-quality glass, and all the features you expect from a video camera (but that tend to be lacking from an SLR camera; including things like decent video codecs, fine-adjustable frame rates, and audio recording that doesn't make you want to stab yourself in the eyeball with a 3.5mm jack plug)

It's fantastic news, then, that the EOS C300 comes along. If you look at it, it looks like the bastard lovechild of an EOS camera and a Sony Camcorder - but it's got a rather fantastic spec, which is what makes it all the more interesting.

I see that my Pixiq stablemate Jose has already beaten me to the details of the new camera, so I'd invite you over to his article to learn more, but I'd just like to talk for a minute about the implications of this...

What does it mean?

The new camera comes in two versions; The C300 comes with the EF lens mount, so you can use the incredible varied array of pre-existing EOS-series lenses with a device that's built from the bottom up to create high-quality video. In addition, there's a C300 PL version of the camera, which means you can marry up the new Canon body with any of the Arri Positive Lock lenses - that's the high-end lenses used on many a 16mm and 35mm film cameras.

The price tag of this new wünderkind is around €12,000, according to Amateur Photographer, so that probably means around £10,000 / $14,000 or thereabouts.

It's worth pointing out the obvious here: That's not pocket change. The whole reason for the video-on-SLR revolution is that it affords amateur and semi-professional filmmakers high quality video at entry-level pricing. If you're going to lay down that kind of money, there are other alternatives out there that are more tempting. Red's entry-level video snapper Scarlet, for example, comes with a £6,000 price tag, a much better set of accessories for filmmaking, and Red's cameras have had the option to use Canon EF lenses for a while, if that's your thing. It's almost obscene how thoroughly Canon has been beaten to the punch on this launch.

Not everything is lost though. Even though I have to admit that I'm disappointed by the price point, I think there's definitely a space in the market for both the C300 and the Red Scarlet. If Canon marketed their new video-cannon more in the $2,000 range, we'd have a true alternative to the 7D or 5D mk 2 for film makers. The tech included in the video camera isn't all that different from the net sum of bits and pieces that goes into one of Canon's high-end SLR cameras, so there's no particular reason for why they wouldn't be able to create the cameras at a loss for a while, until the economies of scale make the cameras profitable.

Canon certainly has its work cut out, but this is one battle where there can only be one winner: Amateur filmmakers. It's taken bloody long enough, but things are finally getting interesting in this market, and I, for one, am thoroughly looking forward to this battle!