The Canon C300 Mark II and the Sony FS7 are two of the newest and hottest 4K cameras we rent. We breakdown and explain the differences between them so you can decide which will suit you and your project best.
If you’re thinking about buying or renting the C300 Mark II or FS7, you’re exactly who we made this post and video for!
Both the Canon C300 Mark II and Sony FS7 have Super 35mm sensors, slow-motion capabilities, and record 4K internally.
There are, however, some differences between the two worth highlighting.
The C300 Mark II is the clear winner win it comes to internal recording. It shoots 12 bit 2K in 4:4:4, as well as 10 bit 4K in 4:2:2, both at a bit rate of 410 Mbps per second. The FS7 shoots 4K at 10 bit 4:2:2 as well as 1080p, both of those at 240 Mbps. You’re probably not going to see a huge difference for most applications, but if you are doing something like green screen work, the C300 Mark II is going to be a better choice.
One of the big considerations when thinking about the usability of the camera is how it responds to different lighting situations. The C300 Mark II has extra internal ND filters that the FS7 does not have. This means when you are shooting outside, the C300 will give you more flexibility in harsh daylight.
The C300 Mark II also has additional stops of dynamic range. On paper, it has 1 extra stop (15 stops), in our test we measured that it had closer to 2 extra, as compared to the FS7 (14 stops).
The Sony FS7 is superior to the C300 Mark II when it comes to slow-motion recording. The FS7 can shoot up to 60 fps at 4K and 180 fps at 1080p, without cropping the sensor. On the other hand, the C300 Mark II can only shoot 60 fps at 2K and 180 fps at 1080p. It’s also important to note that when shooting at higher frame rates on the C300 Mark II, the sensor is considerably cropped.
The two cameras use two different lens mounts. The C300 Mark II obviously uses the standard Canon EF mount (supposedly there is a PL mount coming soon and they can be interchanged), and the FS7 is equipped with Sony’s E-mount. The E-mount has a very short flange distance, it is easy to adapt it to both EF and PL. Of course, adapters add cost, and can sometimes be troublesome. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s still something to think about.
No doubt one of the biggest considerations between cameras is cost. The C300 Mark II is $16,000, the Sony FS7 comes in at about half the price ($8,000). You may need to buy a lens adapter for the FS7 so you can use popular lenses, but it still makes the camera considerably cheaper than the C300 Mark II.
You can get superb images from both cameras, so which is best for you is basically going to come down to the needs of your production. We always welcome people to ask us questions or come check out the cameras in person at our location in Los Angeles.
For more information on how to rent the Canon C300 Mark II or the Sony FS7, email [email protected], give us a call or stop in for a demo. We’d love to see you!
