c300 mkii owner/operatorr here!! agree with just about allk your points made here. I will add that the 2k image quality and noise rendering in 12 bit rivals the quality of the 4k image imo; and also uses less storage so i highly recommend experimenting with it. Also as far as gimbals are concerned, i fly this camera quite often, rigged up with follow focus, matte box, and dzo pictor zoom lenses. This is quite a large package and i find that the zhiyun crane 3s with smallrig ring can handle it pretty decntly. If you want a gimbal that won't break a sweat with this camera and budget isn't an issue, the ronin R2 is the way to go for sure.
Good to know. I'll have to check out the 2k. Do you tend to output at 2k, or shoot that for better 1080HD output, or scale up for 4k output but better color bit depth and smaller file sizes?
Wow! Sounds like a lot on the gimbal! How much does that system weigh?!?! That would be a pretty sweet set up. Thanks for the input. You help make this more valuable for others.
@@ginger_dog I either export at 2k or 1080 usually. The 2k is just a tad bit of a wider frame then usual 1080. As far as the gimbal, it's a monster setup for a Gimbal imo but like I said, the Ronin r2 doesn't even break a sweat. I'd guess that setup weighs about 13-15 lbs, putting it at the higher end of the payload limit for the crane 3s. But I simply open up the app after balancing and set the motors into high mode and it takes over smooth from there. The biggest factor I've found is the gimbal balance. It really has to be dialed the closest you can get it to perfect.
@@DIAMONDdotmedia Wow! That's crazy. Thanks for sharing. I bet you get gorgeous footage with that set up. I think I may experiment with 2k some, thanks to you.
@@ginger_dog definitely give it a go! File sizes aren't much larger then the 10 bit and you get a huge improvement in post. I'll work on getting a bts video of my rig for you!
Extremely helpful the pros & cons throughout this piece worth watching all the way through, but especially the summary as to who this camera is ideal for and NOT for. Very helpful. Another great vid from the "doghouse". Keep barking up the great work.
I dont know why this dude gets so low views on these videos. They are by far the most interesting ones presentation wise and the information he provides is awesome. I especially like the cards throwing because it separates him from other reviewrs online and it ads a special intrigue to the review. Kudos brother, new subscriber here 🥰
Wow! Thank you so very much for your encouragement and feedback. That really helps me keep going. So glad you have found the content helpful. Stay tuned for more. I'm slowing down upload quantity and going for higher quality on the content value. Production value will be the same, but focusing on the content you just described. Thanks again for your encouragement.
Great video! I'm glad I found your channel and it's great how in-depth you go! I discovered the hard way that the C300 Mark ii may not be the best for my travels overseas and to disaster sites because of the size and weight and rigging and I need a more 'grab out of the bag' smaller setup for run and gun. However, this is an incredible camera with the internal NDs and image quality! I'll probably look to sell and looking back I should have rented the camera and used it before purchasing. But I've enjoyed the time I've had with it and it's definitely a great camera for situations where there's more time for setup!
Dang! I completely for got to send you the link to the video. Sorry Dude! Glad you found it though. Thank you for the encouragement. Yes, international travel would be trickier with this thing. If you still want Canon, I'd recommend the C100 Mkii. I have some videos on it, but in comparing these two cameras, the C100 is much better for international travel. It was the camera I took to London and Copenhagen. Has internal ND and solid image quality. Also, super affordable.
@@ginger_dog No worries at all! You're welcome! Oh that would definitely be a great setup and I'll have to look into that. Thank so much for the recommendation!
Thanks for this video, am looking to upgrade our kit from a c300 MK1. This or the c100 MK2 looks to be the camera to go for if we want to move towards getting small commercial stuff/paid gigs alongside indie film-making. Would love to hear what your thoughts are on the BlackMagic lines that are comparatively close in price (used) as well. Great delivery and is really good to hear stuff from in-industry practical use rather than just another numbers read out. Cheers
Thank you for the feedback. That is really encouraging. I have a video comparing the C100 Mk2 and the C300 Mk2 which might be helpful for you. If you are looking to get into commercial stuff and indie filmmaking, I'd probably recommend the C300 Mk2. It's made for bigger gigs and has a lot more robust features that will be imperative especially for narrative films. I have never shot with BlackMagic, so I can't speak from experience there. Check out my comparison between the C100 & C300 Mk2s and let me know if you have more questions.
This whole series has been so helpful for me. I have been using a Canon T5 for video capture. The C100mkii would be a step up, but with the cost of the C300mkii is coming down so quickly. I am thinking about saving up for one of each with the 100 being a B cam. What are your thoughts? Thank you for your direct, honest, and engaging content.
Thank you for the encouragement. I think it comes down to if this is a hobby or a business and what kind of content you are making. I sold my C300 Mkii and kept the C100 Mkii chiefly because the autofocus was worse on the 300 and I need autofocus in my workflow. Honestly, I kind of regret it. The 300 is a superior camera in so many ways and I'm continually hitting a quality wall with the 100 in my work. That said, the 100 is super easy to use, has incredible file sizes for the quality of image it can put out, and is the best cinema camera you can find at that price point in my opinion. If you do a lot of talking head videos, training videos, or are doing mostly passion projects, the 100 will do. If you are serious about corporate videography, documentary filmmaking, even social media videos, go with the 300. Hope that helps.
@@micahcrews The C300 Mkii is better suited for both of those if you can get past the crappy autofocus. I'd recommend it in the long run if you get more and more serious. That said, you can absolutely make gorgeous videos on the C100 Mkii and it has so much of what you would need. Shooting and editing is easy with it and I've been able to eek out a ton of quality from that camera. If you dabble in video as a hobby and creative outlet that may be the way to go, at least in the short run until you need 10-bit color or 4K resolution. Get the 100, let the price of the 300 drop, and see how much you want/need the better specs. Here's my other RUclips channel with short form documentaries I'm making. This one was almost entirely filmed on the C100 Mkii, so you can see just how much quality you can get out of it even though it's only an 8-bit HD camera. ruclips.net/video/7Fcn18gHKY8/видео.htmlsi=Jl_7PSX9tEY9uRDR
Great video! I bought a C100 mkII like 5 months ago and I love it, but now I found a C300 mkII for just €300 more than I paid for my C100. Since the C300 mkII is basically my dream camera, I’am thinking of buying the C300 and selling my C100. What do you think I should do?
Check out the comparison video I did on the two cameras (ruclips.net/video/D7uJbLVl2UA/видео.html), but probably go with the C300 Mkii. Honestly depends on the kind of work you plan on doing. There are pros and cons to both. Oh, I also did a shootout between these two cameras in 4K and 1080. Gives you a good practical resource for which look you might like better. Here is the 4K version: ruclips.net/video/gNHC4s-YgYY/видео.html Let me know the work you are doing or want to do and watch my comparison video and I can make a more informed recommendation.
@@ginger_dog Thanks for your reply! I just watched both of your comparison videos, from that I would say I should go with the C300. The better dynamic range and 10 bit color (and even 12 bit in 2k) are the main reasons for me. I also like to shoot handheld a lot and the extra weight the C300 has would really help with that. At the moment I am mainly doing corporate stuff so the C100 is good enough for that, but I really want to get into shooting documentaries and becoming a documentary dp. So I think the C300 is a great investment. However I still love the C100 mkII and I'm thinking about keeping it as well. As a B cam and for small projects where the C300 is to heavy/bulky and kinda overkill.
@@rickpostdp My pleasure. Yes, the 10 bit is a game changer when you are used to 8-bit. 12 bit in 2k is a great package option as well. If you want to get into docs, than I'd highly recommend you go with the 300. It will do great in corporate still but is a much better documentary camera than the 100 in most instances. Keep the 100 for a bit and see how much you still use it, but if it's rare, I'd say sell it and keep your gear kit to a minimum. If you find the file sizes from the 300 are too big to be worth it for a particular corporate job, you can always rent one for super cheep.
Great video, just found your channel. Have you used the c70? There's a c300ii here for sale for cheap but I'm hesitant with how old it is now and perhaps a couple extra grand for the c70 would be worth it. Either that or an s1H.
Thank you Tom. No, I have not. I've been dying to get my hands on a C70 since they announced it. I wouldn't be concerned about age with the C300 Mkii. The main knock against it compared to the c70 in my book is the autofocus. If you don't need autofocus, the C300 Mkii should holdup as an industry standard for years and years. My older C100 Mkii still puts out amazing images and I can't bring myself to get rid of it. It's not age, it's all about the features you need to create the videos you are making.
Loved the video, it was just what I was looking for. I recently won a prize and would like to invest it on a camera and was thinking about a sony FX30 as it was perfect for the budget and seemed to check most of the boxes. Then I found a c300 mkii online for basically the same prize as the sony. I just graduated from film school and until then I could use the school's equipment so I didn't need a camera. Now that I'm out I'd like to begin a career in video production and docs. I know both cameras are radically different, but those are the ones in my budget and would like to know if in your opinion, the perks of the canon (ND's, XLRS, battery) far outweigh the sony's image quality and stabilization. Thanks a bunch and keep the amazing work.
Hey, congratulations on winning the prize! That's so exciting. Way to go. Here are my thoughts. If I was in your shoes, I would totally invest in the C300 Mkii. It's a workhorse that is much better suited in my opinion for documentary work and corporate work. Image quality is somewhat overrated when you get to this level of camera and above. You generally have to pixel peep or really push circumstances for it to matter. If you know how to light and compose a good image, that if far far far more important. You can get amazing quality images with either camera. I would say, invest in a couple of good lights and master cinematography and lighting and you'll crush it with image. Internal ND, XLR, and battery are FAR more practical than image stabilization in my experience. I use those three all of the time an never have had a stabilized camera. The C300 is hefty enough to help stabilize handheld footage. You still have to operate properly, but the look will be killer. You can always get a lens with IBIS if that's really important to you, but I think that what the C300 Mkii has to offer will stretch far more than the FX30 and you will never regret investing in it. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@ginger_dog thank you so much, I appreciate your advice and I think you’re absolutely right Sometimes I get too involved with new gear and hype when the most important thing is the subject, the story and how helpful the camera is Thanks again on helping me decide Keep the great work 🙌🏽
@@Mario_Strd Absolutely! So glad I could help. Using an affiliate link in the description to purchase would be super helpful to me, but if you've found a better deal, I wish you the best. Go make great documentaries!
Thank you for the review for this camera! If I were buying this to shoot live-streaming for speaking events, should I be concerned about the auto focus on the person speaking?
It depends on your setup. If it's like most event live-streaming scenarios I've been a part of, then you are filming from the back of the room with a telephoto lens and the person speaking generally stands still or walks parallel to the camera rather than to and away from the camera. In this case, I would honestly close down my aperture a little to give me wider depth of field. You won't be able to achieve a blurred out background so an open aperture isn't going to be useful. Give yourself wider depth of field and you should be fine. Personally, I'd lock the focus in and shoot manual focus so that you never risk the auto focus hunting. You could use the autofocus to get your focus and then switch to manual before hitting record. I'd double check it with a field monitor though that allows you to crop in and make sure that focus is spot on. Auto-focus doesn't always get it right. (See this video: ruclips.net/video/cIO7GjFQY1w/видео.html) Let me know if this is not the scenario you are working.
@@danielskeltonministries Excellent. Not at all. This is a fantastic option. Great 1080HD and 4K options, lots of control over image yet very user friendly. Would allow you to do so much with other kinds of videos as well.
@@danielskeltonministries My pleasure. Glad I could help. Using my affiliate links to purchase always helps me big time, but no pressure if you've already found a great deal.
c300 mkii owner/operatorr here!! agree with just about allk your points made here. I will add that the 2k image quality and noise rendering in 12 bit rivals the quality of the 4k image imo; and also uses less storage so i highly recommend experimenting with it. Also as far as gimbals are concerned, i fly this camera quite often, rigged up with follow focus, matte box, and dzo pictor zoom lenses. This is quite a large package and i find that the zhiyun crane 3s with smallrig ring can handle it pretty decntly. If you want a gimbal that won't break a sweat with this camera and budget isn't an issue, the ronin R2 is the way to go for sure.
Good to know. I'll have to check out the 2k. Do you tend to output at 2k, or shoot that for better 1080HD output, or scale up for 4k output but better color bit depth and smaller file sizes?
Wow! Sounds like a lot on the gimbal! How much does that system weigh?!?! That would be a pretty sweet set up. Thanks for the input. You help make this more valuable for others.
@@ginger_dog I either export at 2k or 1080 usually. The 2k is just a tad bit of a wider frame then usual 1080. As far as the gimbal, it's a monster setup for a Gimbal imo but like I said, the Ronin r2 doesn't even break a sweat. I'd guess that setup weighs about 13-15 lbs, putting it at the higher end of the payload limit for the crane 3s. But I simply open up the app after balancing and set the motors into high mode and it takes over smooth from there. The biggest factor I've found is the gimbal balance. It really has to be dialed the closest you can get it to perfect.
@@DIAMONDdotmedia Wow! That's crazy. Thanks for sharing. I bet you get gorgeous footage with that set up.
I think I may experiment with 2k some, thanks to you.
@@ginger_dog definitely give it a go! File sizes aren't much larger then the 10 bit and you get a huge improvement in post. I'll work on getting a bts video of my rig for you!
Extremely helpful the pros & cons throughout this piece worth watching all the way through, but especially the summary as to who this camera is ideal for and NOT for. Very helpful. Another great vid from the "doghouse". Keep barking up the great work.
Thank you so much. I tried to focus on the features I actual used or would want to use on real life commercial work.
I dont know why this dude gets so low views on these videos. They are by far the most interesting ones presentation wise and the information he provides is awesome. I especially like the cards throwing because it separates him from other reviewrs online and it ads a special intrigue to the review. Kudos brother, new subscriber here 🥰
Wow! Thank you so very much for your encouragement and feedback. That really helps me keep going. So glad you have found the content helpful. Stay tuned for more. I'm slowing down upload quantity and going for higher quality on the content value. Production value will be the same, but focusing on the content you just described. Thanks again for your encouragement.
Great video! I'm glad I found your channel and it's great how in-depth you go! I discovered the hard way that the C300 Mark ii may not be the best for my travels overseas and to disaster sites because of the size and weight and rigging and I need a more 'grab out of the bag' smaller setup for run and gun. However, this is an incredible camera with the internal NDs and image quality! I'll probably look to sell and looking back I should have rented the camera and used it before purchasing. But I've enjoyed the time I've had with it and it's definitely a great camera for situations where there's more time for setup!
Dang! I completely for got to send you the link to the video. Sorry Dude! Glad you found it though. Thank you for the encouragement.
Yes, international travel would be trickier with this thing. If you still want Canon, I'd recommend the C100 Mkii. I have some videos on it, but in comparing these two cameras, the C100 is much better for international travel. It was the camera I took to London and Copenhagen. Has internal ND and solid image quality. Also, super affordable.
@@ginger_dog No worries at all! You're welcome! Oh that would definitely be a great setup and I'll have to look into that. Thank so much for the recommendation!
Thanks for this video, am looking to upgrade our kit from a c300 MK1. This or the c100 MK2 looks to be the camera to go for if we want to move towards getting small commercial stuff/paid gigs alongside indie film-making. Would love to hear what your thoughts are on the BlackMagic lines that are comparatively close in price (used) as well. Great delivery and is really good to hear stuff from in-industry practical use rather than just another numbers read out. Cheers
Thank you for the feedback. That is really encouraging. I have a video comparing the C100 Mk2 and the C300 Mk2 which might be helpful for you. If you are looking to get into commercial stuff and indie filmmaking, I'd probably recommend the C300 Mk2. It's made for bigger gigs and has a lot more robust features that will be imperative especially for narrative films. I have never shot with BlackMagic, so I can't speak from experience there. Check out my comparison between the C100 & C300 Mk2s and let me know if you have more questions.
just get a sony fx3, it blows this cam out of the water.
This whole series has been so helpful for me. I have been using a Canon T5 for video capture. The C100mkii would be a step up, but with the cost of the C300mkii is coming down so quickly. I am thinking about saving up for one of each with the 100 being a B cam. What are your thoughts? Thank you for your direct, honest, and engaging content.
Thank you for the encouragement. I think it comes down to if this is a hobby or a business and what kind of content you are making. I sold my C300 Mkii and kept the C100 Mkii chiefly because the autofocus was worse on the 300 and I need autofocus in my workflow. Honestly, I kind of regret it. The 300 is a superior camera in so many ways and I'm continually hitting a quality wall with the 100 in my work. That said, the 100 is super easy to use, has incredible file sizes for the quality of image it can put out, and is the best cinema camera you can find at that price point in my opinion. If you do a lot of talking head videos, training videos, or are doing mostly passion projects, the 100 will do. If you are serious about corporate videography, documentary filmmaking, even social media videos, go with the 300. Hope that helps.
@@ginger_dog That is very helpful. Thank you. I shoot narrative and short docs. It is a hobby and creative outlet for now.
@@micahcrews The C300 Mkii is better suited for both of those if you can get past the crappy autofocus. I'd recommend it in the long run if you get more and more serious. That said, you can absolutely make gorgeous videos on the C100 Mkii and it has so much of what you would need. Shooting and editing is easy with it and I've been able to eek out a ton of quality from that camera. If you dabble in video as a hobby and creative outlet that may be the way to go, at least in the short run until you need 10-bit color or 4K resolution. Get the 100, let the price of the 300 drop, and see how much you want/need the better specs.
Here's my other RUclips channel with short form documentaries I'm making. This one was almost entirely filmed on the C100 Mkii, so you can see just how much quality you can get out of it even though it's only an 8-bit HD camera.
ruclips.net/video/7Fcn18gHKY8/видео.htmlsi=Jl_7PSX9tEY9uRDR
On the BMPC 4K (12 bit raw) I can shoot 37 minutes on 500 GB SSD 😅
Ha ha! Oof! No thank you.
Great video! I bought a C100 mkII like 5 months ago and I love it, but now I found a C300 mkII for just €300 more than I paid for my C100. Since the C300 mkII is basically my dream camera, I’am thinking of buying the C300 and selling my C100. What do you think I should do?
Check out the comparison video I did on the two cameras (ruclips.net/video/D7uJbLVl2UA/видео.html), but probably go with the C300 Mkii. Honestly depends on the kind of work you plan on doing. There are pros and cons to both. Oh, I also did a shootout between these two cameras in 4K and 1080. Gives you a good practical resource for which look you might like better. Here is the 4K version: ruclips.net/video/gNHC4s-YgYY/видео.html
Let me know the work you are doing or want to do and watch my comparison video and I can make a more informed recommendation.
@@ginger_dog Thanks for your reply! I just watched both of your comparison videos, from that I would say I should go with the C300. The better dynamic range and 10 bit color (and even 12 bit in 2k) are the main reasons for me. I also like to shoot handheld a lot and the extra weight the C300 has would really help with that.
At the moment I am mainly doing corporate stuff so the C100 is good enough for that, but I really want to get into shooting documentaries and becoming a documentary dp. So I think the C300 is a great investment.
However I still love the C100 mkII and I'm thinking about keeping it as well. As a B cam and for small projects where the C300 is to heavy/bulky and kinda overkill.
@@rickpostdp My pleasure. Yes, the 10 bit is a game changer when you are used to 8-bit. 12 bit in 2k is a great package option as well. If you want to get into docs, than I'd highly recommend you go with the 300. It will do great in corporate still but is a much better documentary camera than the 100 in most instances. Keep the 100 for a bit and see how much you still use it, but if it's rare, I'd say sell it and keep your gear kit to a minimum. If you find the file sizes from the 300 are too big to be worth it for a particular corporate job, you can always rent one for super cheep.
@@ginger_dog Totally agree. Thanks so much for your advice, I really appreciate it!
@@rickpostdp My pleasure. Thanks for asking.
Great video, just found your channel. Have you used the c70? There's a c300ii here for sale for cheap but I'm hesitant with how old it is now and perhaps a couple extra grand for the c70 would be worth it. Either that or an s1H.
Thank you Tom. No, I have not. I've been dying to get my hands on a C70 since they announced it. I wouldn't be concerned about age with the C300 Mkii. The main knock against it compared to the c70 in my book is the autofocus. If you don't need autofocus, the C300 Mkii should holdup as an industry standard for years and years. My older C100 Mkii still puts out amazing images and I can't bring myself to get rid of it. It's not age, it's all about the features you need to create the videos you are making.
The intro sold me on you. Love the little joke.
Btw, I suspect if you used a polarized filter, the reflections in your glasses would be solved.
Ha ha, thank you. Glad you enjoyed. Ah, thank you. I've been moving lights around, etc.
Loved the video, it was just what I was looking for.
I recently won a prize and would like to invest it on a camera and was thinking about a sony FX30 as it was perfect for the budget and seemed to check most of the boxes. Then I found a c300 mkii online for basically the same prize as the sony.
I just graduated from film school and until then I could use the school's equipment so I didn't need a camera. Now that I'm out I'd like to begin a career in video production and docs.
I know both cameras are radically different, but those are the ones in my budget and would like to know if in your opinion, the perks of the canon (ND's, XLRS, battery) far outweigh the sony's image quality and stabilization.
Thanks a bunch and keep the amazing work.
Hey, congratulations on winning the prize! That's so exciting. Way to go.
Here are my thoughts. If I was in your shoes, I would totally invest in the C300 Mkii. It's a workhorse that is much better suited in my opinion for documentary work and corporate work.
Image quality is somewhat overrated when you get to this level of camera and above. You generally have to pixel peep or really push circumstances for it to matter. If you know how to light and compose a good image, that if far far far more important. You can get amazing quality images with either camera. I would say, invest in a couple of good lights and master cinematography and lighting and you'll crush it with image.
Internal ND, XLR, and battery are FAR more practical than image stabilization in my experience. I use those three all of the time an never have had a stabilized camera. The C300 is hefty enough to help stabilize handheld footage. You still have to operate properly, but the look will be killer. You can always get a lens with IBIS if that's really important to you, but I think that what the C300 Mkii has to offer will stretch far more than the FX30 and you will never regret investing in it. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@ginger_dog thank you so much, I appreciate your advice and I think you’re absolutely right
Sometimes I get too involved with new gear and hype when the most important thing is the subject, the story and how helpful the camera is
Thanks again on helping me decide
Keep the great work 🙌🏽
@@Mario_Strd Absolutely! So glad I could help. Using an affiliate link in the description to purchase would be super helpful to me, but if you've found a better deal, I wish you the best. Go make great documentaries!
Thank you for the review for this camera! If I were buying this to shoot live-streaming for speaking events, should I be concerned about the auto focus on the person speaking?
It depends on your setup. If it's like most event live-streaming scenarios I've been a part of, then you are filming from the back of the room with a telephoto lens and the person speaking generally stands still or walks parallel to the camera rather than to and away from the camera.
In this case, I would honestly close down my aperture a little to give me wider depth of field. You won't be able to achieve a blurred out background so an open aperture isn't going to be useful. Give yourself wider depth of field and you should be fine. Personally, I'd lock the focus in and shoot manual focus so that you never risk the auto focus hunting.
You could use the autofocus to get your focus and then switch to manual before hitting record. I'd double check it with a field monitor though that allows you to crop in and make sure that focus is spot on. Auto-focus doesn't always get it right. (See this video: ruclips.net/video/cIO7GjFQY1w/видео.html) Let me know if this is not the scenario you are working.
@@ginger_dog you are exactly correct on the setup and scenario. Would you recommend another camera for this?
@@danielskeltonministries Excellent. Not at all. This is a fantastic option. Great 1080HD and 4K options, lots of control over image yet very user friendly. Would allow you to do so much with other kinds of videos as well.
@@ginger_dog thanks man!
@@danielskeltonministries My pleasure. Glad I could help. Using my affiliate links to purchase always helps me big time, but no pressure if you've already found a great deal.