I must admit I was daunted when it was recommended by some people in the know that we should shoot with the C300 in Canon's high dynamic range, flat image quality, Canon Log Mode, if we truly wanted to get the best out of the camera.
In Canon's Log game mode it allows you to retain more image information for colour correction and post processing.
Jem Schofield on the Canon USA website has written an excellent and illuminating article on the subject.
It is well worth reading even if you do not intend to buy a C300 as it will give you a good understanding of the subject.(check out the section on 'View assist' where you can set the LCD to give you a predicted display of how the Canon Log will look after post production, sounds a bit bonkers but in practice this works VERY well)
I have to admit I have read it a couple of times.
But why was I daunted?
I was fearful of getting bogged down in post but actually I was surprised how easy basic post processing and colour correction was in FCP X.
When I take delivery of my C300 one of my first tasks will be to have a stab at adjusting the Gamma curve on my Canon XF305 to get somewhere in the same ball park so it will cut in OK.
It may seem an unusual combination to some, as they are very different camera's.
Crucially they both shoot the MXF format at 50mbs
But picture this, a talking head interview much like the one Lan Bui and I did of Dr Heather Whitney
Imagine we had only one operator you could use the C300 as the 'A' camera with the XF305 as a 'B' camera set on a tripod with no operator but with the very smart IAF (Intelligent AF) tracking the subjects face as they move in the frame.
Not ideal, but a solution to a situation that many of us face on a regular basis.
I'm really looking forward to getting my C300 as there are a couple of jobs it will prove very useful for in the very near future.
Stay tuned for avery special video which Lan and I will be posting tomorrow where Rodney Charters give an insight as to how he see's the C300 changing the game in Hollywood.
