Despite the fact that CES 2020 is fading out even in the memory of those who have been attending the show, it’s hard to deny that Canon managed to make a huge splash out there with the surprising 1DX Mark III announcement. Many folks are ready to bet that the flagship DSLR is going to be a top seller camera in Canon’s roster, but there is another contender for the title, and that’s the EOS C200.
The two counterparts are quite different, but they hold some similarities, starting with the price. That’s why Armando Ferreira, who we know as a respected and experienced shooter in Canon’s realm, will help us compare the two cameras so that you can make a better-informed decision if you’re thinking of upgrading.
In terms of similarities, both cameras sell for $6,500 while providing Canon’s exquisite color science and unrivaled Dual-Pixel AF system, even though both suffer from the absence of built-in image stabilization.
The omission of the latter is certainly a drawback for a flagship hybrid shooter like the 1DX Mark III, and maybe even for a cine camera like the C200. That said, take this into account if you want to buy either one.
Another similarity is that both siblings shoot Raw and come with an EF Mount. In case you prefer you can have a PL mount on the C200 as well, while the R mount is nowhere to be seen. But what is really setting the two cameras apart? Well, the 1DX has a full-frame sensor. That is a huge difference, and it’s not just a matter of size.
The bigger sensor on the 1DX Mark III brings a wider field of view alongside unique visual aesthetics, while the S35 sensor on the C200 is more classical looking while offering 1.6x crop factor when compared to the full-frame. In other words, if you are prone to work in tight interiors, you’ll love the added flexibility that comes with a full-frame chip.
But that’s not all, the full-frame 1DX Mark III finally has the ability to crop in the sensor, shooting in both modes (full-frame and S35), just as Sony’s cameras have been doing for ages.
The higher resolution of the full-frame sensor offers another great advantage and that is the downscaled 4K video, which will be sharper compared to the real-size 4K file coming out of the C200.
On top of that, you will finally be able to shoot a 10-bit 4:2:2 video on the 1DX Mark III, a middle ground recording option that has been missing in the C200’s quiver, and with no apparent reason after all.
A quite important point can be made on media as well. The 1DX Mark III uses the brand new CFexpress standard. That means that it’s a camera made to be future proof, while the C200 uses the more common and traditional CFast and SD cards. What does that imply?
Well, with the 1DX Mark III, you are theoretically buying a camera that will last longer. And at the same time, you’re betting that the CFexpress will actually become the new standard. But we’ve seen a lot of formats come and go to know well enough that while that’s likely to happen, it’s not a certainty whatsoever.
So, it seems that everything is in favor of the 1DX Mark III thus far, but should we toss away all our C200s? Don’t be too hasty! There’s one main aspect where the C200 will always be unbeatable by the other cameras like the 1DX Mark III or any other DSLR, and that is the form factor.
The C200 is a proper cinema camera, and that can be valuable beyond any price. The ease of use, the buttons layout, the proper C-Log profile, there are many smaller factors that are more than subtle and can completely change your judgment.
So is it one or the other? Well, as you probably have already guessed, the answer is one we’ve often given when it comes to camera comparisons, and that’s – it depends.
Your workflow, the content that you shoot, the gear you already have, all of these factors should be considered. But you can be sure of one thing. Regardless of which camera you opt for, you’ll get more than a capable capturing device in either case.
[source: Armando Ferreira]
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