User Manual

Ergonomic and Operational Enhancements to C300 Mark II

Abstract

The original EOS C300 digital cine camcorder made its formal debut in November 2011. It

surprised many with its novel ergonomic design – which had been carefully optimized for

handheld shooting. While many expressed preference for a more conventional mechanical form

factor, the C300 did indeed prove to be particularly popular among the world’s documentary

cinematographers whose work generally does entail a great deal of handheld shooting. From

the extraordinary diversity of productions done with a large body of C300 camcorders around

the globe for the ensuing four years a great deal of commentary and suggestions based upon

those shooting experiences were gathered. The new EOS C300 Mark II embodies many of

these suggestions while also incorporating innovative enhancements to both imaging and

recording capabilities. On-set systemization has been greatly enhanced by a coordinated

design with a new on-set 4K reference display.

1.0 Introduction

As shown in the two photos below – the C300 and the new C300 Mark II are physically quite

similar. But, as will be outlined in this white paper and two companion papers [1] and [2] – they

are radically different in their image performance and operational capabilities.

The EOS C300 was a major statement by Canon that it was formally entering the global digital

cinematography marketplace while at the same time introducing a radical departure from

mechanical form factors of contemporary cine cameras. Extensive consultations with a broad

range of cinematographers and videographers had shaped much of the design decision making

at the time. Opinions remain varied to this day – some love the form factor while others shun it.

In planning a successor to the C300 Canon again consulted a broad body of cine practitioners –

both those having experience with the C300 and those who have other experiences. There

remained a solid core of those who like the C300 basic mechanical form factor – but many

offered both criticisms and suggestions that largely contributed to multiple changes made to the

successor model C300 Mark II. This paper is intended to outline the many improvements.

Figure 1 On the left is the original EOS C300 cine camcorder and on the right is the second

generation EOS C300 Mark II