Canon has announced several firmware upgrades for its EOS C500 and EOS C300 Digital Cinema Cameras, DP-V3010 4K reference display and
Cinema Raw Development software, most of which will better integrate
acquisition and management of 4K footage into every workflow situation (except
the C300 of course, which doesn’t do 4K).
Principal amongst them is support for the recently defined ITU
BT.2020 colour space for Ultra HD production. This will be most noticeable on
the 30-inch DP-V3010 4K professional reference display. The BT.2020 input
signals will be mapped to the native colour space of the DP-V3010 for output,
to ensure that images are displayed with the widest possible colour gamut and
the greatest possible accuracy. Of course, BT.2020 support starts with the
camera, so the C500 will be able to create it too.
The ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) proxy transfer
standard for digital cinema production advocated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will also
become an option following the update, enabling streamlined colour grading on
set and in post-production - the C500 will also support ACESproxy.
The new firmware will also output footage shot using the
Cinema Gamut and DCI-P3+ colour spaces available in EOS C500, simplifying
monitoring and post-production work. Footage can be displayed using either
DCI-P3 or BT.709, with optimised conversion occurring in the display. Further added
support includes YCbCr 4:4:4 luminance and chroma sampling used in digital
cinema production, while a new peaking function displays a colour outline
around subjects in focus making it easier to judge a point of focus for a shot.
The update will also make the DP-V3010 the first 4K
professional display to support the 48 frames-per-second digital cinema frame
rate.
Other improvements include: Canon Log to DCI 1.0 gamma
conversion modes; new colour space transforms; support for new signal formats;
Gain RGB and Bias RGB colour temperature settings; automatic 3G-SDI and HD-SDI
selection; selection of OSD display position; new interface options; delete LUT
function; and PsF conversion for signals with no payload.
Besides support for ITU-R BT.2020, the C500 will also get
enhanced Cinema Raw development functionality - offering the addition of 3D-LUT
(look-up tables) for converting from Cinema Gamut/DCI-P3+ to such colour space
standards as ITU-R BT.709 (Rec. 709 - the HD broadcast standard) and DCI-P3,
enabling efficient video editing while maintaining low-chroma colour
reproduction and high-chroma colour gradation. Support for EDLs (edit decision
lists) will ensure that only necessary timecode-designated segments will be
converted to the DPX and ProRes formats suitable for editing, effectively doing
away with the need to process unneeded files.
Both the C300 and C500 will gain improved operability when
setting colour temperature of white balance from the firmware, as it will allow
users to easily set colour temperature values using the camera's FUNC button.
Cinema Raw Development
A separate firmware upgrade for Canon’s Cinema Raw Development
software – CRD v1.3 – will continue to improve on-set Raw workflow, adding
BT.709 and DCI-P3 playout options, and EDL support, and is claimed to make 4K
Raw production more cost effective.
CRD v1.3 will also include support for Edit Decision List
(EDL) files for the first time, helping to streamline Raw workflow, so it will
be possible to complete an offline edit using HD proxy files (recorded to CF
card) and use the resulting EDL file to determine which files should be
developed by the CRD software. This means that only the required content will
be developed – saving time and money.
All of the new firmware, scheduled for release as free
downloads later this year, is on show at IBC in Amsterdam (September 12-16) -
on stand 11.E50.
Intel acceleration
Improved 4K performance is also on offer thanks to a collaboration
between Canon and Intel, whose Integrated Native Developer Experience Raw Media
Accelerator enables fast de-bayering and drop-free playback of the resulting 4K
footage (up to 24 frames per second only) when using a laptop equipped with
Intel Iris Pro Graphics. This shows that it is possible to edit, develop, playback
and output 4K Raw footage using a single, suitably specified, low-power laptop.
Filmmakers’ presentations
Canon is also presenting talks at IBC by several noted
filmmakers, including: Phil Coates, on his experiences shooting with the Canon
XF205 camcorder and how its key features aid his work; Sébastien Devaud, on shooting
4K with the EOS C500 and EOS-1D C; cameraman and editor Ming Yeung, of Getty
Images, on why the EOS-1D C DSLR is a perfect, versatile camera for content
creation; and Simon Pitts on his experience of the Berlinale Talents programme
and shooting with Canon Cinema EOS cameras.