Wildlife Filming at 4K: Lenses for Canon EOS 1D C
Canon has announced its amazing EOS 1D C camera which is the worlds first 4K Cinema DSLR. This camera shares the same body with the 1DX and has a full frame sensor. Apart from the fantastic stills capability of shooting 18.1 MP images at 12 fps in raw , it is also capable of recording 4K (4096×2160) to the CF cards. Infact, it is primarily designed keeping filming in mind. I have been getting many questions and responding to those in many places about which lenses are better for 4K recording with the Canon EOS 1D C camera. Personally as a Wildlife Filmmaker the 4K resolution apart from giving us much more details will also help in future proofing our stock as well. Sharing my thoughts here.
IndiaWilds | Wildlife Filming at 4K with Canon EOS 1D C
Unique features of Canon 1D C:
This camera shoots 18.1 MP still images and its max film resolution is 4K (4096×2160) at 24p (23.976) to CF cards. This is at 8 bit 4:2:2 Motion JPEG
It also shoots Full HD (1920×1080) at 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p and 60p at 8 bit 4:2:0 H.264.
One can also connect an external recorder via HDMI port and record clean for a maximum of 12 hours.
Image area for Filming in Canon EOS 1D C:
The Canon EOS 1D C while filming in 4K records from an APS-H size area of the full frame sensor. People filming with the Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon EOS 1D Mark II etc use the same sensor size for stills and has a multiplication factor of 1.3 ie the focal length of your lenses get magnified by 1.3 times.
One can film in Full HD using either the entire full frame sensor or an equivalent of Super 35 crop which is nearly same as APS-C camera sensor ie. Focal length of lenses are magnified by 1.6 times.
Filming in 4K: Compatible Lenses:
The EF lenses cover the full frame and can be used for 4K filming. Of course, the quality will vary depending upon the quality of the lenses. At the minimum, I will use the L series lenses of Canon. Even out of the L series lenses, one needs to pick and choose the best primes and zooms.
At the wide end, a Cinema lens would be nice. (I have reviewed both the 16-35 f2.8 II and 24-70 f2.8 L USM lenses and used those, however, a cinema lens at wide end would be nice.) I have heard good things about the 24-70 f2.8 II L USM lens, but haven’t tested it yet.
I have the perennial DSLR shooters favourite – the 24-105 f4 L IS USM lens, but I won’t be comfortable using it for 4K work. Ofcourse, when I am filming from a moving boat, with the camera few inches above water, the 24-105 may be a better idea due to its image stabilsation than a cinema lens. So we need to sneak in a few lenses depending upon shooting conditions as well.
The 100mm f2.8 L IS USM macro lens is a very good lens with lovely IS (image stabilisation). Pretty sharp lens.
The 70-200 f2.8 L IS II USM lens is pretty sharp and has very good image stabilisation. I use it all the time. It would be great at 4K. I am actually very interested to see side-by-side how it fares with the 30-300 cinema lens in terms of sharpness and colour rendition etc.
For getting the closeups in wildlife filming, we need long telephoto lenses. I will use my Canon 400mm f2.8 L IS USM lens with teleconverters. One can use other telephoto lenses as well like the 500mm f4, 600mm f4 as well as the yet to be launched EF 200-400 f4 L IS USM lens.
I think it would be good if the non-L series EF lenses are not pushed to the extreme for eg against bright back lighting conditions certain lenses show purple fringing.
A note of caution while using the Canon EF lenses. These lenses are designed to give you the fastest autofocus. hence the focus throw is very less. While filming, one needs to focus manually and when you are using the EF lenses a very slight turn and you the image becomes out of focus. A number of lenses also breathe a lot.
Canon Cinema lenses:
The 1D C due to its large 35mm sensor size is only compatible with the Canon Cinema Prime lenses. The Cinema zoom lenses are meant to cover the Super 35mm and hence wont work with the 1D C.
At the moment, Canon has announced a series of Cinema Prime lenses:
Canon CN-E 24mm T1.5 L F Cine Lens (5220 USD)
If you need to shoot in that low light, this is the lens. Photographers used to the Canon’s L series lenses know that they use a 8 blade circular aperture for nice bokeh. This lens uses 11 blades. So the aperture would be as circular as can be imagined. The result beautiful bokeh. Quickly this lens will become a most sought after lens by filmmakers. The diaphragm ring is silky smooth and stepless as is expected from a cinema lens. The weight is 1.12kgs. I expect this to be equally good for still photography as it is for filming.
IndiaWilds | Canon CN-E 24mm T1.5 L F Cine Lens
One can clearly see the precise markings in this lens.
Canon CN-E 50mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens (4950 USD)
IndiaWilds | Canon CN-E 50mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens
If you want to do filming in really low light, then this lens will come in handy with its T1.3 aperture. It too has 11 blade circular aperture for beautiful bokeh. As expected in a cinema lens, it has got 300 deg barrel rotation. This is slightly cheaper and lighter as well and weighs 1.1kgs.
Canon CN-E 85mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens (4950 USD)
IndiaWilds | Canon CN-E 85mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens
This lens too has the same design philosophy as the previous two cinema prime lenses and has 11 blade circular aperture. It again has got that amazing low light capability with the T1.3 aperture. It weighs at 1.3 kgs.
Third Party Lenses:
The other lenses that will work with the 1D C at 4K are the third party lenses like Zeiss etc which were manufactured for the older 35 mm film cameras. So one can use with adapters the various Leica, Nikon, Hasselblad lenses to name a few.
IndiaWilds | Filming at 4K with Canon EOS 1D C
Zeiss Lenses for Canon EOS 1D C:
Zeiss has a range of ZE lenses which are meant for Canon EF mount. One can use those lenses. They have a very nice focus pull. Unlike the Canon EF lenses, the Zeiss lenses have a very nice manual focus ring and focus pulls can be smooth and filmic. The colour, contrast and details are also better in a number of cases, except in the few top notch L series lenses which are built for demanding situations. Though I would go for the 24mm Cinema lens (Canon CN-E24mm T1.5 L F Cine lens) as that is the focal length I mostly use, if I need wider, then i would go for the Zeiss Distagon T* f2.8 21mm ZE lens.
TheZeiss Distagon T* f/2.8 21mm ZE Lensis meant for EF mount and has the famous Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflection coating that helps in colour accuracy and high contrast images without colour fringing.
Zeiss Distagon T* 21mm f2.8 ZE lens for Canon
Zeiss recently announced two lenses which can work with Full Frame sensor of the Canon EOS 1D C. The Zeiss CP.2 25mm T/2.1 and Zeiss CZ.2 28-80 T/2.9
Zeiss CP.2 25mm T/2.1:
IndiaWilds | Zeiss 25mm T/2.1
These lenses have the standard focus rotation angle of 300 degrees.
According to Zeiss “Our optical experts have virtually eliminated the chromatic aberrations on these lenses through a special design and selection of materials. We can now offer a constant max T-Stop of 2.1 for all of our CP.2 lenses in the focal length range of 25-135mm. This gives users even more possibilities to compose their images and requires less effort with the lighting. The biggest advantage on set is that the light does not have to be adapted when switching lenses because they all have the same F-Stop. The lens speed is ideal for playing with the depth-of-field.
The Zeiss CP.2 25mm T/2.1 is likely to be available from 1st of October at a price of 4500 USD.
Zeiss CZ.2 28-80 T/2.9:
IndiaWilds | Compact Zoom Cz.2 28-80 T/2.9 from Zeiss
This lens is a pretty expensive lens and is not expected to be bought by the individual users in large numbers. It will cost a whooping 19,900 USD. This lens is196 millimeters long and weighs 2.5 kg. According to Zeiss “TheCarl ZeissT* anti-reflective coating ensures maximum contrast and color rendition by minimizing stray light and ghosting within the lens. The Compact Zoom CZ.2 lenses delivers flare- free results and has no focus shift over the whole zoom range.”
Zeiss Duclos Mod Lenses:
There are a few Zeiss ZE lenses offered by Duclos which are modified and would fit in the Canon EOS 1D C. Duclos offers a package of Zeiss ZF.2 lenses at 9200 USD. This includes the following lenses along with the Zeiss box:
21mm f2.8
25mm f2.0
35mm f1.4
50mm f2.0 macro
85mm f1.4
This modification is about 3000 USD higher than the price of the Zeiss ZF.2 lenses. Remember, the ZF set is actually meant for Nikon, but Duclos does the modification for Canon mount.
Before you start screaming at me for giving a list of a few cinema lenses with “obscene” pricing, I would like to remind you that these lenses are not your day to day still photo lenses. These are cinema lenses buit to exacting standards. The quality of the glass is very good and there is no variation between lenses. There will always be a quantum jump in price when the quality of the cinema lenses increases. The accuracy of the markings in the cinema lenses are to be seen to be believed and it will help a trained focus puller as well as an untrained one in setting marks for focusing. When you focus your lens, in most of the cheaper and lower quality lenses the image jumps as well as breathe means zoom in or out a bit. Where as in Cinema lenses you will be able to do smooth focus pulls. It is also a fact that the cinema lenses are sold in quantities much lower than the still photo lenses. So economies of scale would play atleast a small role here.
If you have any questions about Filming in 4K with the EOS 1D C, then ask me in the comments below and I will respond to that.
You can follow the link below to buy the Canon EOS 1Dc from B&H, at no extra cost to you and help run this site.
You can buy the Canon Cinema Lenses by following this link from B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Canon_CN_E_prime_lenses/Ntt/Canon%2BCN-E%2Bprime%2Blenses/N/0/kw/search/BI/19990/KBID/13252/DFF/d10-v1-t12
Sabyasachi is available for Hire as a DP for shoots any where in India.
- Original Vande Mataram India’s National Song - 15 August,2024
- Secretive Mud Lobster - 11 August,2024
- Endangered Wild Buffalo of Kaziranga - 4 July,2024
I would love to lay my hands on them.
Rajesh,
Now laying hands on a Canon EOS 1D C will soon turn into a reality. The 1D C is likely to be released by end of December at an retail price of 11,999 USD.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Sir,i have a doubt then.Which one is better?EOS 1D C or C300 for wildlife filming & photography both?Let me know sir….
The C300 and 1D C are two different cameras with their own strengths. Photography is not the forte of the C300, although you can click 2 MP images with the C300. You an also pull down 2 MP stills from the C300 footage later. One such shot of a leopard has been uploaded in the C300 review.
For filming, if you want resolution, then the 1D C has 4K resolution and wins there.
Features: The C300 is a full featured camera for filming. So it has the features like Zebra, peaking, waveform, false colour, magnification, built in ND filters, XLR connectors for attaching professional microphones that needs phantom power, LCD screen, excellent viewfinder etc. It shoots beautiful 1080p ie. Full HD footage which is detailed and when projected on the big screen looks fantastic.
On the other hand the 1D C is a cinema camera in DSLR form factor. So despite the 4K resolution in such a small package, the 1D C lacks features like waveform, peaking, zebra, magnification, ND filters etc. Since there is no EVF, you are forced to watch it on the screen behind and hence you will need to attack an EVF or LCD. There is no provision for XLR connectors as well, so the sound recorded is not as good.
If you just need 4K and can do away with all the issues of DSLR form factor and lack of features that are normal in a cinema camera, then the 1D C will work fine. The 4K files of the 1D C are highly detailed and one can always create 1080p files with different point of views from it giving the editors a lot of flexibility.
And the 1D C is great for photography. It is identical to the 1D X for photography.
then sir, one should buy the 1D X for stills & the C300 for filming wildlife in order to get the perfect output.Isn’t it?
Aritra,
The 1D X is good for stills. Its Full HD at 1080 is good too. However, it doesn’t have a basic feature for video which is head phone jack. So you can’t even monitor sounds directly recorded into the video. As such the 1DX as well as the 1D C don’t have professional XLR ports. However, you can use external mixers and attach microphones with XLR ports or microphones like Rode Videomic etc directly.
You can have the 1D X as a back up for production stills. I am able to pull down stills from the c300 and with a bit of sharpening those look manageable, definitely not like DSLR stills.
If I had to buy one, I would go for 1D C , since 4K will be on hands, the bigger sensor for photography and ISO sensitivity.
If I have to make only movies, then C300 is also a good choice. But 1D C , any day.
The 1D C while shooting 4K, chews up cards at the rate of 4GB per minute. So 1000x cards as well as storage space is an issue at this point of time. I planned for a long shoot and the requirement for hard disks for just one months shoot made my head spin.
The price of the 1D C is also not less. So unless a person is a professional and justify the costs or a wealthy amateur, this camera will remain out of bounds.
Thanks Sir for ur above comments, the were quiet helpfull…I just wished to ask you tat I have heard from some reviews of the 1Ds tat while shooting videos it doesn’t allow continuous AF ing so I just wished to ask you , tat if m a film maker as in cinematographer of bollywood films which one should I prefer amongst the two.
Vishal,
The autofocus in video mode of the 1D C is rudimentary. I suggest you don’t use it. Autofocus is not preferred by serious professionals. There are two reasons: One the AF can lock on to something which you don’t need and two which is more important, the AF will continuously keep on engaging and there will be micro jitters. Better to get that autofocus off.
If you are a serious cinematographer, then don’t even think of AF in video mode. AF for initial focus acquisition can be a good idea. However, not when you are filming.
The C300 has got dual XLR ports, LCD and EVF. It also has professional features like focus peaking, zebra etc. We are still in the HD era. 4K distribution will take atleast a couple of more years. So if you want to film, better use the C300. 1D C is more of a disruptive technology and should be used for specific purposes. Ofcourse, it won’t stop people from using it as A camera in smaller productions.
its a super one but expensive
Actually it is a part of the Cinema camera series. So pretty expensive.
Hi Sabyasachi sir,
Really a big fan of yours and an admirer of your splendid work 🙂
Sir, I have been shooting documentaries and films for TV channels like Doordarshan, and plan to work for the big screen too and would thus be soon upgrading my camera.
I know the following query of mine might sound a bit out of relevance here in this particular 4k vs 2k post, yet I sincerely request you to please guide me sir.
I plan to either buy one amongst the following:
1. A full frame DSLR, particularly the Canon 5D Mark III, or
2. A dedicated large sensor Video Camera, such as the Sony VG 900 or the Panasonic AF 100/102, or
3. A 3CCD or 3MOS (triple chip) camera, maybe 1/3″ or 2/3″ type sensors such as the Panasonic P2HD 255 model
However, I am confused. I desperately want the shallow DOF that is the hallmark of large sensors, which pushes me more against the small 3CCD/3MOS cameras, and go instead for the full frame sensor models. The first query here: is it possible to have a 3CCD/3MOS 1/3″ type acquired recording projected on a theater big screen and still look good?
Even if it would indeed look good (I doubt though, it would only be good for TV broadcast, that’s it), I would miss the shallow depth of fields, the hallmark of the so called film look. So, then I could either go with a DSLR (36 X 24mm sensor size) or a large sensor model such as the Panasonic AF102
(which is much smaller than full frame, but the company claims, can give a shallow DOF). A third option would be a proper full frame 35mm sensor in a dedicated video camera such as the Sony VG 900.
Now, I mostly shoot handheld, when I am travelling, in a run and gun manner, and think that a DSLR (5D Mark III) could pose some problems as it would have rolling shutter and other motion artifacts being primarily a stills optimized camera which was never meant for videos in the first place. Again, I would have to add a rig and other accessories to render it useful, which would add to the cost of the system and make it heavier.
A proper dedicated video camera would have the delighting video control buttons like zebra, focus peaking, XLR inputs and so on. They would be a delight to use, but most large sensor video cameras in my budget have sensors much smaller than APS-C format, let alone the 35mm full frame format.
Panasonic AF102 has a 4/3 sensors which the company claims is quite large, and the Sony VG 900 seems to be the only camera which has a 35mm full frame sensors.
So, I am utterly confused- which camera should I go with?
My main filming genres: FILMS (stabilized cameras, on tripods, etc, carefully planned movements) WILDLIFE (camera mostly on tripod), TRAVEL (camera generally handheld- I am afraid of ruined shots due to DSLR’s rolling shutter!), RUN AND GUN SHOTS (handheld, rapid pans, movements)
I am also a very keen photographer (photographs awarded by National Geographic and the honorable Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India)and a DSLR could double up as a still camera as well. But that is not the primary concern- video is what I am typically looking at.
Really appreciate your help a lot sir!
Thank you,
Devaang
P.S.- I truly understand that all of these 3 cameras above would be good enough, but I would just like to know which could serve me the best. Also, I know shallow DOF could be achieved through proper use of even a small sensor camera, but a large sensor truly would be the best, excelling in its low light performance as well.
Devang,
Sorry for late reply. From your requirements it is clear that 5D III is the best bet due to the stills function as well as good video without moire and aliasing. Unlike the 5D II, the 5D III doesn’t suffer from moire etc.
You can also get the 1D X which is very good stills camera and its video files are also good. And if you have higher budget then ofcourse the 1D C is a great camera.
Most of the times I get producers asking me to shoot in 5D, as that is what they have heard as good. So better to go with the flow if you need assignments. If you want to do your independent films then you can move away from the beaten track.
I would avoid the options you mentioned about Sony. If you have the budget, then there are ofcourse better options from Sony as well as Canon C300 etc.
Any further questions about other cameras can be asked here: http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/filming-queries/
is canon 1DC is suitable for commercial cinema?
Yes. Many feature films have been shot with the 1DC. When it came out at the end of 2012, 4K in a DSLR was a novelty and 1DC was the first DSLR to have 4K. The 4K files of 1DC are very good. If you are using CLog while shooting 1DC, then don’t go below ISO 400.
The 1DC is now available pretty cheap. Much cheaper than the 1DXII. Grab it till the time it is available.
Hi Sabyasachi Sir,
I am inspired by your pictures subjecting on wildlife. These look so beautiful. Over the year I have been associated with wedding photography. Frankly speaking, I have no idea about wildlife photography. I can understand it require a lot of attention and detailing for an epic wildlife picture. It’s that 1 sec picture that matters.
Recently I have developed an interest in this field too. Don’t know where to start.
Hope a little advice from you can help.
Thanks
Himadri
Just take it step by step. First you need to know about wildlife behaviour. Try to use whatever lens and camera you have at the moment. One can shoot a great wildlife action by focusing on the macro world close to your home. Different insects, butterflies, moths etc can give you some nice action shots.