Friday 13 September 2013

Canon's 4K - EOS-1D C now EBU Tier 1 approved


Canon’s 4K DSLR camera, the EOS-1D C, has become the first DSLR to meet the EBU Tech 3335 requirements that show it can deliver an image of high enough quality for top-end broadcast production. If you are interested in the tests the camera had to pass here's the link to the EBU doc.


The camera is based on the EOS-1D X, but is designed for video-supporting in-camera 4K (4,096x2,160) recording with 4:2:2 colour sampling.
Independent tests confirmed that the EOS-1D C complies with the recommended specification for inclusion in HD Tier 1 for HD production. This is big news for Canon. It puts the EOS-1D C in the same tier as Red and the Arri Alexa.



HD Tier 1, according to EBU doc R118, specifies that...


These cameras offer the full UHD1 3840 x 2160 resolution. They are usually single sensor cameras with an image size approximately the same as the 35 mm film image size. These cameras have a shallow depth of field and are primarily used for Fiction (Drama) productions. 
minimum sensor size 1”, 

minimum sensor pixel count is a minimum of 3840 x 2160 in each of R & G & B,

minimum 10-bit processing but 12 (or higher) preferred, 

4:4:4 capable, 

interchangeable lenses with a quality commensurate with the cameras use, 

timecode gen-lock. 

On-board codec can either be a full resolution RAW format or a UHD H264 based codec of 200 Mbit/s or better. 
Time Code - part of the EBU specs 
The camera is also getting several feature upgrades via a firmware update. It will become possible to display current aperture (f-number) when shooting with Canon EF Cinema lenses, and to store lens metadata.



EF Cinema lenses will also be supported by the Peripheral Illumination and Chromatic Aberration Correction functions, to improve overall image quality. One of the main user requests was improved audio, which is currently limited to a mic input. The forthcoming update will permit selection of Line or Mic, for use of an external audio source.
Audio menu


If you are coming to IBC you can see the EOS-1D C in Hall 11 stand E50.