According to a bunch of rumors reported by CanonRumors, the forthcoming Canon Cinema EOS C700 Mark II will have the option of a user-swappable sensor from Super 35 5K Global Shutter to Full Frame 8K DGO. Is that even possible?

Canon Cinema EOS C700 Mark II

As CanonRumors reports, the anticipated C700 Mark II will be armed with tons of good stuff for filmmakers and cinematographers. Here’re the highlights as stated by CanonRumors:

• User-swappable sensors with two offerings at launch: a Super 35 5K Global Shutter sensor and a Full Frame 8K DGO Rolling Shutter sensor.
• Both sensor blocks are equipped with a direct RF mount, which can be topped by an EF or LPL mount without the need to remove the RF mount (the whole mount can be assembled on top of the RF mount and mounted to the camera as Sony did with the Sony VENICE 2).
• Introduction of two new gamma curves: Canon Log 4, designed for HDR productions; and Wide DR Cine, designed for cinematic colors straight out of the camera.
• 2x CFExpress Type B cards and 1x SD card media slots.
• XF-AVC, ProRes, and Cinema RAW Light can be recorded internally; BRAW and ProRes RAW externally with the Blackmagic VideoAssist and Atomos Ninja+; Cinema RAW with the Codex CDX-36150.
• A new module/recorder was developed in partnership with RED Digital Cinema to record REDCODE to a proprietary media.
• 4x SDI outputs for different monitoring workflows.
• The camera design is a bit bigger compared to the C300 Mark III/C500 Mark II.
• CanonRumors says that the C700 Mark II prototype is already out on the field being tested.

Yeah, there are a lot of goodies here to discuss. Nevertheless, we’d like to focus on the user-tappable sensor. Is that even possible?

It’s not the first time

Specifically, the Canon Cinema EOS C700 owned the option to replace the sensor before. When the camera was launched in 2016, it incorporated a Super 35 sensor. Then the option to replace the sensor was available in 2018. Users could replace the C700 sensor with two versions: Super 35 Global Shutter, and Full-Frame. However, this process was irreversible and was performed only in Canon’s labs. The user was able to pay $5,000 for the upgrade from Super 35, to Full-Frame, within the same camera body. However, CanonRumors claims to be a user-swappable sensor. Does it mean that the user can swap the sensor independently?

Nikon made a patent on it

Nikon filed a patent application in 2013, for a camera with an interchangeable sensor. The patent describes a way to achieve the mounting of the sensor unit with higher accuracy. Here is some of the translated text taken from the Japanese Patent Office (Google translated): “Conventionally, there is a digital camera provided with a removable image sensor unit to a camera body. In such a digital camera, an image sensor unit is interlocked with a camera body by electronic contact including an image sensor and its peripheral circuit. According to the present invention, in a digital camera with a removable image sensor unit, the digital camera which can realize higher mounting accuracy can be provided”. It’s not mentioned if this interchangeable sensor could be replaced by the user though. Anyway, we now know that this invention has remained in the drawer. Here’re some slides from the application: 

Real or Fake?

It is hard to believe that this rumor regarding the C700 Mark II is 100% accurate, especially the part regarding the user-swappable sensor. On the other hand, why not? Let’s think outside the box for a moment and give credit to technology. User-swappable sensors apparatus that allows users to replace their sensor in-house, might be a valid idea. Let’s know your thoughts about that.