Canon has launched a new cinema camera in South Africa with the message that the company did not see smartphones as the enemy.
“Smartphones are not killing photography, they are the gateway drug to buying something big like this,” said Roger Machin, Canon SA product marketing manager, during the event in Johannesburg.
“The mindset of photography being dead or cellphones having killed photography has certainly changed how photography was done. But cellphones are the camera that everyone uses on a regular basis.”
Machin said there has been a marked change in photography in the last year, specifically in the growth of compact cameras. Among other, there were growing vlogging and wildlife photography markets.
“The amount of youngsters not using their phones at geeky events, like Comic Con for example, but using compact cameras or candy bar video cameras from the 90s – that’s a generation that is massive.”
The event saw the unveiling of the Canon EOS C50 cinema camera, designed for professional videographers and agile production crews. Now available for pre-order in South Africa, it is the smallest model in Canon’s Cinema EOS range, and is the first cinema EOS camera to include open gate recording.
This function uses the full 3:2 sensor area, capturing the entire width and height of the image. It supports flexible post-production workflows, where footage can be reframed for horizontal or vertical formats. When used with anamorphic lenses – which horizontally compress a wide image to fit onto a standard camera sensor – the recording area produces a taller image and a wide aspect ratio.
Canon EOS C50 cinema camera specifications
The Canon EOS C50 is designed for varied production environments and includes the same recording options and technical functions as other models in the series.
The camera features a 7K full-frame CMOS sensor with a DIGIC DV7 processor. It supports internal RAW video recording at up to 7K 60P, high frame rate recording at up to 4K 120P or 2K 180P, and captures 32MP still images.
A Simultaneous Crop Recording function allows the camera to record a full image and a cropped version, such as vertical or square, at the same time. The cropped area can be adjusted horizontally and saved in a separate format to meet output requirements.
Hybrid functionality for video and stills
The C50 operates as both a video and stills camera. The display interface changes according to the selected mode, using the Cinema EOS layout for video and the EOS R menu system for photography.
Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II provides subject detection and tracking for people, dogs, cats, and birds. The autofocus system allows selection of which eye to prioritise and includes settings to adjust autofocus speed and tracking response.
The camera’s modular body is suitable for handheld, gimbal, or rig-mounted use. The body includes multiple mounting points and can be positioned horizontally or vertically. The menu and display automatically adjust to match the camera’s orientation.
A detachable handle unit is included with two full-size 3-pin XLR audio inputs, control dials, a REC button, and a zoom rocker.
The camera supports RF lenses natively and can be used with EF or PL lenses through optional adapters, including the Canon PL-RF Mount Adapter and EF-EOS R adapters. The PL-RF adapter can be securely attached to the camera body.
Connectivity and workflow
The C50 includes XLR inputs, a MIC terminal, Timecode terminal, HDMI OUT (Type-A), and USB Type-C. It has dual card slots for CFexpress and SD cards, allowing multiple recording options such as different formats, resolutions, or proxies.
It supports UVC/UAC for livestreaming at up to 60P or 50P over a USB cable and includes Canon’s XC Protocol for remote operation through compatible smartphone applications or hardware controllers such as the RC-IP1000. Files can be transferred over Wi-Fi or USB using Canon’s Content Transfer Mobile (CTP) app.
It is compatible with Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud system. Proxy files can be sent directly from the camera to the Frame.io platform. This feature is shared with the EOS C400 and EOS C80.
Firmware updates
Canon plans to release firmware updates later in the year for other Cinema EOS cameras. The EOS C400 will gain 3:2 Open Gate RAW Recording at 6000×4000 resolution, and the EOS C80 will add View Assist during playback. Additional updates will include improvements to focus peaking and other functions for the EOS R5 C and EOS C70.
* Visit the Canon website here
*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.