The Canon EOS C70, a 'Fantastic Cinema Camera' With a Few Downsides

As much as photography has gained from 2020's relentless releasing of cameras, videography has arguably gained more. Canon's new, affordable (for a dedicated cinema camera) video-centric body is another stellar option with just a few caveats.

In case you're not up to date with the latest video and cinema cameras that have been released this year, we've had the highly anticipated Sony a7S III and the Canon R5 for compact, hybrid (less so in the Sony) video cameras to begin with. Then we've had the dedicated cinema cameras of the Canon EOS C300 Mark III and the Sony FX6. The issue is, the C300 Mark III, while highly impressive, is $11,000, which will rule a number of videographers out of buying one. The FX6 is more reasonable, coming in at $6,000, but if you wanted to stay with Canon, you'd have to opt for the hybrid R5. 

If you wanted a Canon cinema camera around the price point of the FX6, you now have the option of the EOS C70. Price-wise, it's cheaper than the FX6 (albeit not by much) and it boasts a strong spec. As Gerald Undone observes, there are going to be few people in the position where they're deciding between the FX6 and the C70 as you're likely already in a manufacturer's ecosystem (coincidentally, I'm one of the few people who has a foot in both and would be choosing between these two.) However, if you are, there is a lot to consider. Rather than bore you with a comparison of specs, I'll link you to B&H's side-by-side and note that Gerald Undone would go for either the C70 or the a7S III depending on usage.

Will you be buying the C70, or are you going a different direction?

Robert K Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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1 Comment

Great review. Thank you for not having a music bed underneath your talking.