sony f55 vs canon c300 mark ii

david jenewein · June 27, 2021

hey all, i am quite new to the game, and i am about to buy my first camera setup.

therefore i am considering to buy either a used sony f55 or a canon c300 mark ii, as of their afforadability right now and quality they deliver.

in the last weeks i've read lots about these two cameras and others, and still not really sure which one to go for!?

i've read in other posts that decisions which camera to go for is often determined by the productions you mainly work for.

in my case thats not really the case, as there are no real requirements from my clients side regarding this.

what i would like to be able to do with this camera is having a decent camera for local productions, but also and mainly, a camera i can travel with and shoot documentary content handheld as a single operator.

so factors which are important for me and which would influence my decision which camera to go for are:

- skin tones resp colour science of the sensor, resp general quality of the sensor and dynamic range and low light capabilities

- internal recording quality/codecs (as i primarily will shoot without an external recorder)

- general power consumption (i know that probably depends lots on which codec one shoots, but would be just interested how many v-lock batteries one would recommend for travelling)

- ergonomics (i've shot with the c300 mark ii shoulder mounted once and wasn't too happy, but also think i didn't necesarily balance it well)

i am sure there are other factors to consider which i am probably not aware of.

i would be more then happy if i could get some advice resp recommendations on which camera to go for.

many thanks

david

Patrick Quesnel · June 27, 2021

I have used both the canon C300 mkii and the Sony F5 (not F55, but similar enough to compare) when I was in film school to shoot short films. These cameras were built for 2 different styles of shooting, one for more doc style solo shooting (c300), and studio film production, where there are camera assistants to deal with the camera (F55). Ergonomically I prefer the F5 when shooting with it on my shoulder, I like the size/shape of it more than the c300. Mainly though I prefer looking through a viewfinder and the oled viewfinder for the F55 is better than any solution you will get for the C300, and I never been able to find a position I liked when using the lcd that comes with the c300. The c300 will be faster to work with than the F55 as a solo shooter as it is easier to change most settings on the c300 than the F55. Although the F55 has that nice lcd panel on the side with quick access to the most commonly changed settings, a lot of the options are dependent on settings in the deeper menu of the camera. The F5 also uses a lot more scientific/advanced wording in their menus, which I think deterred a lot of people in my program from using it, it does have a slight bit more of a learning curve if coming from most other cameras to understand what each setting does and how it will effect other settings.

As far as colours go, the canon leads a little more into the magenta/reds, and the Sony is a little more neutral in its look, similar to most other canon/sony of that era. I didn't do much low light stuff, but i did find with the F5 having a proper exposure was more critical for a clean image than the canon. On a personal level, I find the Sony cine cameras of that time have a look that I can't seem to explain but there has been moments like when watching "A Million Ways to Die in the West", where I was able to tell that was shot on a Sony.

For both cameras you need an external raw recorder to shoot Raw, but for the F55 you will need an R5 or R7 unit that uses AXS cards. The F55 also has the ability to shoot in ProRes and DNxHD codecs if you have the optional board installed. Internally I have shot in XAVC on the Sony F5 and probably all codecs on the C300 Mkii. I rarely touched the files as I didn't do any editing or colour work, but I can't remember having any issues when I did use them in premiere.

The C300 Mkii is a newer camera by a few years, but like always it comes down to the user and I am sure you can get a great image out of either of them. Personally I prefer the overall image quality and options of the C300 mkii, it does feel a little more modern of a camera over the F5. But I do prefer the body, viewfinder, shape, menus and lcd side panel of the F5 over the C300 for my uses on short films, with an assistant. All of this is just from memory of my experiences using them a few years back as a student, and I am sure there are a lot more people who have worked with them professionally and have more knowledge on them than I do.

Giray Izcan · June 27, 2021

I would take the Sony. I worked with the f55s on quite a few commercials. I can guarantee you that the f55 has a better dynamic range than the c300s. And for the ergonomics, with the Sony, you could just lens the camera and put it on your shoulder; whereas, with Canon, you would have to build it to be able to put the camera on your shoulder. I personally prefer full size cameras under most circumstances - also a little bit of weight to cameras for better hand-held shots.

Also, during their heyday, bigger productions would opt for an f55 as opposed to a c300. All my C300 shoots were low budget productions - mostly documentaries.

Giray Izcan · June 27, 2021

Also, though it's been a few years since I worked with an f55, I remember it being surprisingly lightweight despite its full size. It is actually balanced well on your shoulder. It feels like, with shoulder rigs etc., cameras don't sit as right on my shoulder as with full size cameras. And also the vf is very good on the Sony which is a delight to operate as opposed to monitors etc on c300 as their own viewfinder on the back is a joke...