Canon EOS C300 Best Practices Guide

Canon has just posted a 14-page Guide “Common Steps to Prep the EOS C300 for Shooting.”

It’s a helpful companion to the C300 product manual, and a quick reference guide on location or on set. For example, when you can’t remember how to set Canon Log–here’s an excerpt:

The EOS C300 and C300PL can record video files using “Canon Log” Gamma. This intentionally reduces contrast, darkens exposure slightly, but significantly expands dynamic range and available detail in bright highlights and dark shadows. It is a setting that is intended to be used by camera operators who expect their files will be color graded during the editing process, using a LUT. A point of possible confusion about Canon Log is that it can be set two ways, in two different places on the camera:

• As option C8 within the Custom Pictures menu:

Press Custom Pictures button on left side of camera; select option C8 — CINEMA

• As part of the Cinema Locked setting:

MENU >Camera Setup >Cinema Locked

When option C8—CINEMA is selected, within Custom Pictures menu, many other aspects of picture quality can be further adjusted if the camera operator sees fit. Knee, Toe, master R,G,B, sharpness, skin detail, Black Gamma and more are among the possible choices.

When CINEMA LOCKED is selected from the Camera Set-up menu, it’s different — this setting is to literally lock-out any other Custom Picture controls, apply Canon Log to reduce contrast and increase dynamic range, and set the camera for high-end cinema recording. Any previous image settings that may have been in effect are ignored if Cinema Locked is applied.

CINEMA LOCKED is a very quick and effective way for high-end cine operators to pre-set the camera for most types of on-set recording, where color grading of files in post is anticipated.

 

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