‘Stand By You’ is the second official short film produced by Canon to demonstrate the company’s 8K ecosystem and capabilities. It seems that Canon is about to announce its new 8K camera and lenses very soon. Will the EOS Cinema line get boosted with some new innovation? 

Canon’s 8K ecosystem and technology

Canon is in the final stage of testing its new 8K ecosystem (camera and lenses). Canon’s first 8K pre-production model camera was presented in 2015. Since then, Canon has been improving and revolving its 8k solution to be ready for professional usage. According to Canon, this 8K camera and lenses have been tested by producing two short films.

We wrote about the first short film (Roots of Japan) which has been shot on the Canon’s newly developed 8K image sensor. This short film was presented in June 2019 with the goal demonstrating Canon’s 8k ecosystem and capabilities. As explained by Canon at that time, there is a full lineup of 8K equipment spanning input to output already developed, including cameras, lenses, and displays. These are fully operational products (beyond production models) and are in the last testing cycle before marketing to the crowd.

Canon 8K technologies

Last month, Canon premiered its second 8K film called ‘Stand By You,’ that was shot using the company’s proprietary 8K camera and lenses. According to Canon: “The short film features a sense of depth and detail only afforded by 8K equipment and effectively utilizes the aesthetic blurring of out-of-focus areas, a technique often used in film making”. Furthermore, Canon says that the film demonstrates the high dynamic range (HDR) of Canon’s 8K camera, with natural-looking images without blown-out highlights or crushed shadows. The film was shot intentionally in locations with stark differences in light and dark areas.

The company is developing a wide-ranging lineup of 8K equipment spanning input to output, including cameras, lenses, and reference displays. Furthermore, the company is pursuing the development of fully immersive experiences as the Company’s Spatial Imaging Solutions, which deliver experiences similar to watching an event in person

Canon

8K RAW

Filmmaker Toshihiro Takagaki, which is also the Project Producer and 8K Technical Director, elaborates on the process: “I’ve had the chance to use Canon’s 8K camera a number of times before, and I have always noticed its high dynamic range and faithful color reproduction. This time we were producing a short film, so it was different to shooting something like a documentary or sporting event. I challenged myself to create something that effectively utilizes the background blurring characteristics of EF Cinema lenses”.  Takagaki also adds a piece of information regarding the technical details of the 8K camera:” Canon’s 8K camera has a compact camera head that is easy to rotate, so we were able to work with a high degree of maneuverability, even when shooting in tight spaces. Additionally, because Canon’s 8K camera can record RAW footage, editing is simple, and I think you can produce works that take full advantage of the overwhelming resolution of 8K video, with its detail and realistic reproduction of texture and atmosphere. “

I’ve had the chance to use Canon’s 8K camera a number of times before, and I have always noticed its high dynamic range and faithful color reproduction. This time we were producing a short film, so it was different to shooting something like a documentary or sporting event

Toshihiro Takagaki – Project Producer and 8K Technical Director

Watch the film down below and examine it by yourself. In my personal opinion, I wasn’t impressed that much:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZuvnbLjuS4&feature=youtu.be

Innovation in the Cinema EOS line

Hopefully, this year we’ll see some inventiveness in Canon’s Cinema EOS line, which was a bit hibernated over the last years. The C500 was problematic. The other EOS models such as C700 and C200 were underestimated, even after Canon has dropped the price. Canon needs a new flagship to lead its honorable EOS line.

Lately, Canon Rumors has reported on the upcoming full-frame C500 Mark II, that according to the spec, the max resolution will be 5.9K, which is more than enough for cinema applications. However, the presented 8K camera is probably going to be a whole different camera,(C300 Mark III?), which means there is a chance for a couple of significant announcements in 2019, or at the beginning of 2020, following a further substantial price reduction in old models.