Canon C300mk3 is announced! US$11K

[David Peterson]

Canon C300mk3 just got announced!

https://www.newsshooter.com/2020/04/21/canon-announces-the-c300-mark-iii/

 

The FS7 has been #1 in its niche for years, the FX9 seemed like the natural successor to take the throne. But this C300mk3 might steal it away from Sony??

FX9 vs C300mk3:
Identical price. (ok ok, FX9 is one dollar less!)
Identical power draw. (35.2W vs 31W. Low power draw matters, the 63W of the C500mk2 is not a good thing when you're a solo operator)
C300mk3 has better DR
Canon has internal raw, vs Sony's external raw (need's an expensive external extension too!)
EIS with the Canon is done internally for a smooth handover to post, vs done in post for the FX9. That's a point for Canon. 
I'll give the nod slightly to Sony for having the more versatile mount, but this is no longer the massive edge Sony used to have over Canon. Where with Canon in the past you were stuck with either EF or PL once you bought it (or sometimes, interchangeable but only by Canon themselves), but Canon now offers a user swappable mount between EF or PL (plus a bonus: or positive locking EF mount!! Giving you three options). 
NDs, Sony gets the nod again with the eNDs.
AF, the FX9 has greatly improved autofocus for a Sony, but probably Canon might get the nod here. 
Likewise FX9 has greatly improved color science, but perhaps Canon might have the edge for the win here too?

Is FF alone enough to make the FX9 win over the C300mk3? I don't think so, the C300mk2 is in with a serious shot to make a claim for the #1 spot for cinema camera on low budget productions. 

In a way, this coronavirus crisis is a blessing in disguise for Canon's C300mk3

A big factor in the failure for the C300mk2 to live up to the massive smash hit success of the C300mk1 was that the C300mk2 was released too late to the market. As by that point in time the Sony FS7 had already gained a strong grip on the market. (of course the C300mk2's high launch price and lack of 4K 60fps didn't help! But if the C300mk2 had came out a few months before the FS7 then the C300mk2 might have prevented the FS7 from becoming a runaway success)

Is the C300mk3 going to suffer the same fate again in being too late to the game? Perhaps not, FX9 has had a slow roll out due to needing a few firmware updates. 

But additionally almost nobody has been making big camera purchases in recent weeks, and likely most will be holding off on a new camera purchase over the next few months while the dust of this economic crisis settles. Sony won't be selling too many more bodies between now and July 2020 when the C300mk3 is meant to ship. 

Normally a company having most of a year as a head start over their competition gives them enough of a good solid lead that it is an uphill battle for anybody to overcome, but not this time. As much of that time has been lost in limbo while we're trapped by the impacts of the coronavirus. Canon C300mk3 has a real shot at this.

Edited April 21, 2020 by David Peterson

[Phil Connolly]

I guess the proof will be in the footage 

4K S35 RAW

Vs

4K downsampled from 6K FF with weaker codec.

Different strengths and weaknesses - so probably quite close but the FX9 has a head start.

But at this point I wonder if many people will be investing in a new camera this year.  I work at a Uni and we were looking at upgrading from our FS7's - a prospect that I think is no longer necessary for at least this year.  Both because we don't know when productions will start and also we are going to have to be much more mindful of expenditure. Lots of belt tightening going on, whos going to have the cash to spend on shiny cameras? At least in the medium term....