Canon has announced the development of firmware updates for three of its ground-
breaking Cinema EOS System cameras, as well as a selection of new functions for its
Cinema RAW Development (CRD) software.
The upgrades are the latest to be developed in response to feedback from imaging
professionals, demonstrating Canon’s continued commitment to supporting the needs
of the professional video community.
Following the release of the upgrades, the EOS C500, EOS C300 and EOS C100 will
now offer support for a new Magnify function that will allow users to check focus in
different parts of an image, on the camera LCD, as well as the centre. This offers
enhanced control and flexibility during shooting.
The EOS C300 will also be upgraded to support an additional range of features
designed to assist independent videographers. Push Auto Iris and One Shot AF will
provide further versatility on small-crew shoots, offering a quick, easy way to check
and adjust exposure and focus prior to recording. The EOS C300 will also gain
additional support with 1440×1080 HD video recording at 35Mbps – a broadcast-
friendly recording mode employed by many news and broadcast organisations.
To offer greater flexibility for single shooters, a further upgrade for the EOS C100 will
add support for Continuous AF when used with Canon’s EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
STM lens.
As well as updates to Cinema EOS cameras, Canon will also add new features to the
Cinema RAW Development software. This software is supplied with the EOS C500
and is designed to support development, playback, and export of 4K Canon Cinema
RAW clips.
The update will add support for the Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES),
providing an Input Device Transform function to allow output of developed Canon
Cinema RAW files in an ACES-compliant OpenEXR file format.
ACES has been proposed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a
SMPTE colour space standard, intended to define the colour response for input and
output devices to achieve an end-to-end pipeline of colour management from filming
to editing, grading, distribution and screening.
A new function will also allow users to specify in/out points before developing or
copying their RAWfootage, streamlining workflow both on-set and during post-
production. Finally, it will be possible to generate a development log, which will list
details of files that have been copied or developed using the CRD software for future
reference.
