C100 user. Contimplating switch to Raven.

[Aaron Green]

Hey, first time posting here. I own a C100mkII and really like it alot. I couldn't ask for a better "one man" operational camera. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the image. It's fine but I'm starting to do more music video work and really want to upgade to a Raven. R3D files are just so rich. My question is for anyone who has used C100 and RED, what are the biggest challenges in moving systems? As a one-man operator is it too much to handle in fast paced environnments? Any input would be appreciated!

 

[Michael Tiemann]

I've never used a C100 Mk II, but I'm going to guess that the #1 feature you will miss is the wizardly autofocus of Canon's latest cameras. R3D files are indeed a thing of beauty, when they are in proper focus and properly exposed.

 

[Ryan Genova]

The C100 is without a doubt the best run-n-gun camera I've ever used. The ergonomics, button layout, ND filters, auto-focus (great to set up a shot, but I never cared for the continuous auto-focus), XLR inputs, and great low-light performance all make it a superb camera. However, the deal breaker for me was the image. In my opinion, it doesn't even come close to cheaper cameras like the GH4 or A7rII/A7s in image quality. I found the low-bitrate C100 footage to be almost ungradeable; it really fell apart and started to show a lot of digital artifacts even with a very modest grade.

The Raven pretty much lacks all of the positive features mentioned above, but really makes up for it in image quality and R3D RAW. For the price, it doesn't get much better than the Dragon sensor.

Depending on how you shoot, loosing the built in ND's and auto-focus could be a significant loss and building a decent handheld rig for it could be expensive.

Also, have you considered the Sony FS7 at all? It retains many of the features of the C100 with a big bump in image quality. It's still no Raven, but might be a good middle ground.

 

[Matthew Quinn]

One thing to consider is. With the release of the weapon, scarlet-w, and raven, red is going to DOMINATE this year. Producers and production agency's are watching, I have a good feeling that a camera like the raven is going to see A LOT of work this summer as the hot new camera that people want their projects shot with. They have come up with a line up that will suit any budget and any type of situation. NAB should be fun this year

 

[Paramon Ivanovich]

low light and weight difference, those are two major ones, at least for me, you got spoiled with amazing C100 low light performance, hard to tell what's Raven is going to be like, but it won't be even close to what C100 does, weight difference will be noticeable, 3,5Lb just a Raven body, Canon C100 is ready to shoot at around that; add lens, monitor, battery module, battery, and it is not that small and light BP that runs around 4Hrs, forget that too, so it'll be like 8- 10lb, i rarely shoot on sticks, it's steadicam or gimbal most of the time so for me this is big too,
magnify and move focus point within the frame works on red OK, not as fast and convenient as on Canon C, i miss this very much switching from C100 to Red,
Last but not least, get ready for difference in framing due to a different crop factor, good thing you can use your Canon lenses with foolcontrol on Raven, that is huge;
I love C100, and i love to shoot music videos, but every time i shoot music video there is no question for me what camera to use, and it's not C100

 

[Nick Morrison]

Dont forget c100 mkII lowlight comes with denoising in camera...which has a direct affect on image quality and look.

RAVEN has no denoising in camera, and by all accounts should be usable at 3200 or even higher.

Word is DSMC2 blacks/noise are MUCH cleaner...and Raven will presumably inherit this too.

 

[Matthew Quinn]

Also it's worth mentioning the standard olpf is Fkn incredible... I just got mine for my dragon and holy wow bananas.. Absolutely love

 

[AndreeMarkefors]

It really feels like RED's products and the C100 series are built to fit completely different needs. That is why both cameras can be great choices, even if one has a set of strengths the other one completely lacks.

Any camera choice dilemma starts out by you picking the one delivering the best images and most flexible file. Start with the best cameras out there and then exclude them one by one until you find one that is within your price range and has the features you need.

Price is a big one. Price of ownership too (media, file sizes computer power needed). Then we have actual features: resolution, file quality, frame rates, Log image profile, auto focus, power options, NDs, weight and size and on and on…

If you need to be able to handhold the camera and expect it to focus for you, then your options are limited. Only you know what you need. Many will make a mistake buying their first RED because they CAN. Prices are low enough so that many blinded by a few upsides will only realise it's the wrong camera after they try it out. On the other hand, many are finally able to buy their first RED that will truly enable them to capture their vision in the quality they always wanted. Make sure you buy what you need and not what you want.

On a separate note, the next version of the C100 (mkIII) will be out this fall, or sooner. It will at least get 4k and the XC10 codec which is XF-AVC 422 305Mbit/s. It might possibly still be 8bit, but at 4k with that codec it should be a very versatile tool.

At the end of 2016 there should really be a great camera available, regardless of price range and feature set.

I'm thinking:

Produced/created content like commercials, music videos and movies: RED, Arri, Blackmagic or Sony
Available light, shoot as it unfolds like documentary, weddings, events, road trips and so on: Canon or Sony

 

[patrickortman]

Everything that Andree said above. I owned one of the first RED Ones, and it was a great camera. But then for a year or so, our business moved more towards corporate stuff. So, C100 and C300 (with external recorders like the Atomos Ninja). But in the past year and a half, we've been in Dragon-land, and man it is sweet. AS LONG AS the clients let you do the post-production thing, meaning spending the correct amount of time in color grading, etc. The worst kinds of jobs for the RED are the ones where the clients won't let you do the finishing, it's where the RED really comes out and kicks ass (can you tell I just finished a job where the client gave us 24 hours to do finishing on 3 short films? Assholes... but I digress). Anyway, the C100 was good enough for most lower-end clients, but it just is not the choice when your want a killer image. I can see a place for both, especially once the Mark III comes out. But I'll always lean towards RED. And definitely listen when people tell you your travel weight will change a lot. I usually fly with 400lbs of gear, for instance. But then, I'm kinda picky.

 

[Aaron Green]

Thanks for all the feedback. Ideally I'd like to have both since there are times when the C100 would be absolutely necessary. Sounds like they are totally different beasts. I think I might rent RED a couple of times this year and hopefully save up to buy it in addition to the C100 next year.

 

[Mike Panganiban]

It really feels like RED's products and the C100 series are built to fit completely different needs. That is why both cameras can be great choices, even if one has a set of strengths the other one completely lacks.

Any camera choice dilemma starts out by you picking the one delivering the best images and most flexible file. Start with the best cameras out there and then exclude them one by one until you find one that is within your price range and has the features you need.


Price is a big one. Price of ownership too (media, file sizes computer power needed). Then we have actual features: resolution, file quality, frame rates, Log image profile, auto focus, power options, NDs, weight and size and on and on…

If you need to be able to handhold the camera and expect it to focus for you, then your options are limited. Only you know what you need. Many will make a mistake buying their first RED because they CAN. Prices are low enough so that many blinded by a few upsides will only realise it's the wrong camera after they try it out. On the other hand, many are finally able to buy their first RED that will truly enable them to capture their vision in the quality they always wanted. Make sure you buy what you need and not what you want.

On a separate note, the next version of the C100 (mkIII) will be out this fall, or sooner. It will at least get 4k and the XC10 codec which is XF-AVC 422 305Mbit/s. It might possibly still be 8bit, but at 4k with that codec it should be a very versatile tool.

At the end of 2016 there should really be a great camera available, regardless of price range and feature set.

I'm thinking:

Produced/created content like commercials, music videos and movies: RED, Arri, Blackmagic or Sony
Available light, shoot as it unfolds like documentary, weddings, events, road trips and so on: Canon or Sony

Totally second this as well. Currently, have a C100MKII and don't plan on getting rid of it despite the fact I have the Raven coming in as well. Two totally different cameras designed for different types of jobs.

 

[Erick Liu]

Raven is for sure better than the C100 in pretty much every way possible, but then again, the raven is more expensive in pretty much every way possible. C100 is Canon's entry level, Raven is RED's entry level. You see how the C100 isnt even in the same game as Raven.