Awesome video showing C100mkII tracking AF, Face Detection, Slow Mo

[Eric C. Petrie]

Check out this great 3 minute video showing off the power of the Dual Pixel AF systems, especially when combined with the Face Detection capabilities of the C100mkII. Canon's AF is so good, i've never seen anything like it in a professional camcorder. It really is like having a focus puller assistant living inside your camera. The video also highlights the cameras slow motion features, and What do you think?

Canon C100 MKII Slow Motion / Dual Pixel AF / Face Tracking Tests on Vimeo

Eric Petrie
provideoandtape.com
Finance the Canon C100 for $129 a month
Finance the Sony FS7 for $248 a month

[Gary Huff]

This is why 4K doesn't attract me as much when it currently means giving this up. Dual Pixel AF has allowed me to get shots easily that would have taken many takes without a focus puller, and shots I wouldn't have been able to get period.

[Eric C. Petrie]

I don't think people realize how powerful the DAF tool can be, until they really give it a try.

[Robert Benda]

its why we own two 70Ds, that face tracking auto focus, I'd love to have 2 or 3 of these.

[Kyle Hawthorne]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

This is why 4K doesn't attract me as much when it currently means giving this up. Dual Pixel AF has allowed me to get shots easily that would have taken many takes without a focus puller, and shots I wouldn't have been able to get period.

My guess is the C300 Mark II will have similar autofocus features while also being 4k capable, which is what I'm really waiting for.

Just imagine being able to use L glass while center focusing and being able to reframe as needed in post. Yes, with an STM lens you don't need to reframe due to the face detection, but STM glass isn't fast and doesn't produce the best image.

For example, when I'm filming a bride coming down the aisle I often want this at f2 or f2.8 with a longer lens like the 70-200 2.8L IS II or 135L. Face detection won't work with L glass so I'll be forced to either pull focus manually or always frame the bride right smack in the middle. This prevents my ability to use the rule of 3rds and also limits my creative power.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Kyle Hawthorne

Just imagine being able to use L glass while center focusing and being able to reframe as needed in post.

I don't see the reason to load a bunch of time spent "fixing" bad composition on the backend in post. Not to mention that when you start zooming in on the 4K image, you start to enlarge the noise.

It's helpful, yes, but to rely on it is a bad choice in my opinion.

[Noa Put]

Gary, you seem to be on a crusade against 4K :) In an other thread saying how impossible it is to deal with in post and now that using 4K to reframe in post is no good either, just because the c100 doesn't have 4K doesn't mean it has no advantages. There are still many that wanted 4K on the c100 eventhough it does do great 1080p. I would prefer to have one 4K camera in my gearbag instead of one 1080p camera with great autofocus capability, in my case 4K doesn't cause any issues, neither in post or when using it to reframe and that last part is the main reason why I want 4K, it made a hugh difference for me when shooting ceremonies with unmanned camera's. Also about enlarging noise, actually 4K footage looks less noisy when downscaled because the noise becomes smaller as well but when you go back to it's native resolution, it won't become noisier, it will be equally noisy then when shooting at 1080p, the only difference will be it's 4 times the resolution.

The autofocus capabilities of the c100 performs great but only would not trust it in a non repeatable shot, like with any "auto" function on a camera it can be fooled at just the worst time and send you home with unusable footage. As long as you have control and be able to repeat your shots when needed it's something I wished my camera's would have as well. When you are using that auto face tracking mode, does the camera allow to override this by turning the focus ring if you wanted to correct?

[Robert Benda]

Noa, I know with the 70D's autofocus, its touchscreen, so I keep my finger on the spot during non repeatable moments. The processional in particular, with so many faces on screen at once.

[Kyle Hawthorne]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

I don't see the reason to load a bunch of time spent "fixing" bad composition on the backend in post. Not to mention that when you start zooming in on the 4K image, you start to enlarge the noise.

It's helpful, yes, but to rely on it is a bad choice in my opinion.

Of course nobody wants to spend a bunch of time in re-composing in post, but when you are limited to only center autofocus, you really pigeon holed. Either risk missing focus or limit your composition choices. Having 4k doesn't force you to choose between these two options and gives you the best of both worlds.

Plus most filmmakers aren't going to rely on autofocus very often, so if the C100 had 4k I doubt recomposing isn't something I would have to do very often.

And I agree 4k isn't often a necessary tool, but I can see situations like this one where it can be beneficial. Personally I think 2.5k or 3k is the sweet spot.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Gary, you seem to be on a crusade against 4K :)

Nope, not at all. I have my GH4 and a Shogun and used it today. My point is that so many people want to tout it, and when it comes time to work with it, they quickly learn they didn't know what to expect and end up spending time downrezzing everything to 1080 and never touch the 4K. Rather like shooting in raw.

just because the c100 doesn't have 4K doesn't mean it has no advantages

I never said it didn't, but in the C100, you already get the 4K->1080 look because the sensor is 8MP which is read at 4K and then does Canon's particularly downscale to get to 1080. It looks like all that Red Epic footage I turn into 1080 ProRes HQ to send to editorial. With the C100, the only two benefits you lose are re-cropping in a 1080 timeline (which, obviously, means you are not mastering in 4K either), and a true 4K master, but you can always make a C100 4K master as I exemplified in another thread.

I would prefer to have one 4K camera in my gearbag instead of one 1080p camera with great autofocus capability,

Funny, because if I could only take one camera with me, it would be the C100 and a Ninja Star every time, instead of my GH4 with the Shogun.

Also about enlarging noise, actually 4K footage looks less noisy when downscaled because the noise becomes smaller as well but when you go back to it's native resolution, it won't become noisier, it will be equally noisy then when shooting at 1080p, the only difference will be it's 4 times the resolution.

You didn't read what I wrote. Zoom that 4K footage to 200% on a 1080 timeline and then tell me how the noise looks.

The autofocus capabilities of the c100 performs great but only would not trust it in a non repeatable shot, like with any "auto" function on a camera it can be fooled at just the worst time and send you home with unusable footage.

Do you own a C100 with DualPixel? That sounds like you only know the feature from hearing about it instead of using it and learning how to make it work for you and not against you. Of course, if you leave it on all the time, it's about 50/50 where it works and where it messes you up, but that's a moot point because you can toggle it on and off.

[Michael Silverman]

Originally Posted by Robert Benda

its why we own two 70Ds, that face tracking auto focus, I'd love to have 2 or 3 of these.

Robert, does the 70D allow face tracking with non-STM lenses?

[Steven Ansell]

Originally Posted by Eric C. Petrie

Check out this great 3 minute video showing off the power of the Dual Pixel AF systems, especially when combined with the Face Detection capabilities of the C100mkII. Canon's AF is so good, i've never seen anything like it in a professional camcorder. It really is like having a focus puller assistant living inside your camera. The video also highlights the cameras slow motion features, and What do you think?

Canon C100 MKII Slow Motion / Dual Pixel AF / Face Tracking Tests on Vimeo

Eric Petrie
provideoandtape.com
Finance the Canon C100 for $129 a month
Finance the Sony FS7 for $248 a month

When the model was walking towards the camera it kept losing focus on her face, so it isn't that good. Likewise, shifting focus back and forth between two faces did not happen immediately and took some time.

Honestly, it did not appear all that different from any modern high end consumer video camera in that respect.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Kyle Hawthorne

And I agree 4k isn't often a necessary tool, but I can see situations like this one where it can be beneficial.

1080p is just fine to shoot with these days if it's good 1080p and the c100 is capable of delivering that, 4k also makes good 1080p and it does have other advantages, even if some c100 owners refuse to acknowledge that, but that's fine, at the end all camera's are just tools and what is useless to one can be a godsend for the other, everyone has different priorities when it comes to shooting video.

[Michael Silverman]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

at the end all camera's are just tools and what is useless to one can be a godsend for the other, everyone has different priorities when it comes to shooting video.

I think this is completely true and if all of us would really believe it then we'd be out shooting more and spending less time discussing which camera is "better" ;)

[Robert Benda]

Originally Posted by Michael Silverman

Robert, does the 70D allow face tracking with non-STM lenses?

yes, but its terrible. I have only used relatively cheap lenses but they are very noisy and not smooth at all. I've gotten some bad lens vibration, too.

Here are a few bad examples. The only STM is the shot of my son on the deck outside. Its mislabeled as a USM lens.

70D lens tests on Vimeo