C300 vs C100 MK II

[Ian Whelan]

Hi - just had a chance to purchase a used C300 for seems like a very good price. But would I be better off buying a C100 MK II? Thoughts appreciated!

[Les Wilson]

What it is that you want to use it for? It's hard to imagine how a C100 MK II could be better than a C300 Mk I but if they are both are overkill, then maybe there's a modern feature on the C100 MK II that could tilt the scale.

[Ian Whelan]

The seller is offering the C300 for slightly less then the C100 mk ii. Want it mainly for weddings.

[Troy Moss]

C300 is weather sealed (C100 MK II is not). C300 has "so called" broadcast specs (50 Mbps codec). C300 is the number one rented camera at rental locations (used on reality shows, etc).

C100 MK II has many great features too. You can use an external recorder and it's then just as good or better than the C300.

If you're using for weddings, you can't go wrong with either.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Troy Moss

C100 MK II has many great features too.

C100 Mark II is about a stop more sensitive than the C300, and has 1080p60.

[Troy Moss]

Ian,

Take a look at this footage (shot on a Canon C100 MK II). If I wasn't sure about the two, this footage would help me lean toward that MK II. Gary Huff did an amazing job on this........!!!

Crossfire Book Trailer on Vimeo

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Troy Moss

Gary Huff did an amazing job on this........!!!

Thank you, Troy, I appreciate that!

[Ian Whelan]

Thanks everyone, I'm leaning toward the C100 MK 2 now!

[Troy Moss]

Don't quote me on this, but expect a price drop on the C100 MK II within the next 2 months (probably just prior to the C300 MK II release in October). Other announcements coming soon from Canon will shake some prices on current models........

[Dan Brockett]

Today, C100 MKII is a better camera than the C300 MKI. But I have lost two bookings in the past six months from clients on the east coast who didn't know anything about the C100 I shoot with. they loved my reel, loved my lighting but they were USED to the C300 workflow and "had a friend up the coast" who had a C300 so they ended up hiring the friend. I'll never know the real story but they did tell me that if I had a C300, they would have hired me (I let my rental insurance policy lapse so renting a C300 without insurance in place wasn't going to happen. Usually the prod cos I shoot for have the rental insurance policy and rent the gear for me)

Then it happened again with a different production company in New York, they wanted to hire me to shoot an interview with a celebrity out here. Other interviews were shot in NYC with a C300 and they would not take C100 with Ninja Blade in it's place. It's like they were brainwashed to only accept C300 footage)

This will all be changing as soon as the rental houses have the C300 MKII in stock for rental but as recently as just a few weeks ago, rented a C300 MKI for a shoot at Warner Bros, that is WHAT the client demanded, no C100 and Ninja Blade. Period. Objectively the C100 MKII is a substantially better camera than the older C300 but name recognition in certain markets counts for a lot.

[David Dixon]

Originally Posted by Troy Moss

Don't quote me on this, but expect a price drop on the C100 MK II within the next 2 months (probably just prior to the C300 MK II release in October). Other announcements coming soon from Canon will shake some prices on current models........

I really hope this happens, but it sounds a little too good to be true. So for some reason, maybe due to the lack of 4K, 120fps, etc. Canon is going to drop the price to make the camera more competitive in the <$5K space? It just sounds very un-Canon-like.

But I'd love to see it.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

Objectively the C100 MKII is a substantially better camera than the older C300 but name recognition in certain markets counts for a lot.

Agreed.

It's like they were brainwashed to only accept C300 footage)

I think it's more about they know specifically that it works because they have seen it, and the C100 in ProRes is an unexperience variable and they can't just take your word for it (even though you're the shooter/DP and they aren't).

[Heath Vinyard]

Originally Posted by Troy Moss

Don't quote me on this, but expect a price drop on the C100 MK II within the next 2 months (probably just prior to the C300 MK II release in October). Other announcements coming soon from Canon will shake some prices on current models........

This would be some awesome news. I'm thinking about picking up a second MKII and would love to get it cheaper. Who wouldn't? :)