# Canon EOS-1D C vs Nikon D5 for 4K Video



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jan 11, 2016)

```
Which flagship DSLR is better for 4K video recording, the released in 2012 Canon EOS-1D C, or the recently announced Nikon D5?</p>
<p>Andrew at EOSHD says the Canon EOS-1D C is still the superior 4K DSLR for cinematographers.</p>
<blockquote><p>This time it’s a win for Canon. Although it was released nearly 4 years ago in 2012 the Canon 1D C remains superior to the current Nikon D5 flagship for 4K, which I find puzzling because technology goes a very long way in 4 years. <a href="http://www.eoshd.com/2016/01/nikon-d5-versus-canon-1d-c-cinematic-4k-video-wins/" target="_blank">Read the full comparison</a></p></blockquote>
<p>There is a ton of talk about 4K in Canon’s next generation of full frame cameras, namely the EOS-1D X Mark II, which will have it and the EOS 5D Mark IV, which is still up in the air. There just hasn’t been any reliable information about whether or not Canon will put 4K into the EOS 5D Mark IV. If Nikon hasn’t implemented 4K as well as Canon did 4 years ago, that would be quite an interesting development and may be telling about 4K development in DSLRs going forward.</p>
<p>Based on specifications, do you agree with EOSHD’s assessment of the EOS-1D C vs D5?</p>
<span id="pty_trigger"></span>
```


----------



## YuengLinger (Jan 11, 2016)

As usual, reality bites the ranting rabble.

In any tech, periods of plateau.

Steady on, Canon.


----------



## neuroanatomist (Jan 11, 2016)

The 1D C is currently $500 more than the D5.


----------



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jan 11, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> The 1D C is currently $500 more than the D5.



You can find them for $4500 used.


----------



## expatinasia (Jan 11, 2016)

That was a very interesting article to read, thanks for sharing.

And how true is this:



> Nikon must get real and start doing their research properly, first and foremost by asking the right people and not just those who only ever agree in order to sweeten their relationship with the manufacturer, or put their names to workshops and sponsored shooting opportunities. These people will never give bluntly honest feedback or shout Nikon down when they have made a mistake. Only independent filmmakers and the enthusiast video community will judge the situation in the cold harsh light of day.



Made me think of one review of the D5, where you could almost see written between the lines the photographer begging Nikon to keep using him for future pre-release models!


----------



## dash2k8 (Jan 11, 2016)

The obvious reason for the D5's disappointing video performance is Nikon doesn't give a crap about video in their DSLRs. There's just no other way around the bush. The D5 is a stills camera through and through, and they only do themselves a disservice by hyping up the 4k video. If they had just promoted it as a tremendous stills camera, pros will still buy a lot of them. I guess because everyone else has 4k, Nikon had to have it, but don't hype it, for heaven's sake. This is like a regular sedan being marketed with a top speed of 200mph, even though it can't realistically do that and not fall apart. Bad advertising execution by Nikon IMO.


----------



## Bennymiata (Jan 11, 2016)

Canon must be breathing a sigh of relief.
Seeing the new Nikon competition, they don't have to wory about putting GOOD 4k into the 1dx2 or 5d4. They can just use their 4 year old 1dc technology with the new cameras and they will still beat the competition.

However, I really do hope that Canon has listened to videographers and brings us good 4k in the new cameras and blow Nikon away.


----------



## Ozarker (Jan 11, 2016)

Sony.


----------



## AndreeOnline (Jan 11, 2016)

As a Canon 1Dc owner myself, I can testify that the IQ in video mode is still excellent, even with today's standards. It was designed around the original Canon Log which is 12 stops and optimised for 8 bit.

Many C300 mkII users still fall back to the Canon Log (as opposed to Canon Log2) in various situations. There are numerous misunderstandings when it comes to log image capture, and I think too many always always try to shoot "15 stops", even in 9 stop scenes—not realising it can be to their disadvantage.

My main wishes for 1Dx mkII are: DPAF and 10bit internal 4k video. It would also be good if the codec was XC10's .mxf codec that would come in at maybe 350Mb/s intra frame 4:2:2. Unfortunately, I don't think this codec is available unless Canon integrates a DV chip…


----------



## nicksotgiu (Jan 11, 2016)

How 'bout that... 1D C still superior. :]


----------



## Nininini (Jan 11, 2016)

None of these are good cameras for video. The 4k video is limited to 3 minutes on the Nikon for crying out loud. This isn't a good video camera for anyone, not even hobbyists, 3 minute video limit is pointless and inexcusable.

Heating issues are behind this of course. Large sensor creating lots of heat and weather sealing not allowing the heat to escape, are why these full frame DSLR are limited and why an iPhone can record 4k without limits.

The iPhone can record 4k video without any limits, the only limit is storage capacity.

And if you think comparing them to an iPhone is unfair, it's not. It shows how much both Nikon and Canon have fallen behind. Bringing up smartphones shows how retarded the DSLR situation has become, how far they have fallen behind. 

Rebel DSLR still can't do 60p @ 1080P, it is pathetic.

Real pros are using Arri, unlimited 4k. Hobbyists should be looking at Panasoni and Sony for 4k of course.


I recommend DLSR for photography. For video? Hell no, not even to my worst enemy. They have fallen hopelessly behind mirrorless and smartphones.


----------



## bsbeamer (Jan 11, 2016)

Nininini said:


> Real pros are using Arri, unlimited 4k.



That statement is far from accurate. REAL pros realize what their budget(s) are and work within those limitations to the best of their ability, choosing the right tool for the job. That often means NOT shooting with an Arri Alexa, or shooting uncompressed 4K.


----------



## bsbeamer (Jan 11, 2016)

Canon Rumors said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > The 1D C is currently $500 more than the D5.
> ...



One of the biggest issues with the 1DC is that they are still about $8K new. If they were $4500 new, I think there would be a fantastic second life market arising for the 1DC with minimal effort on Canon's part. Instead, many are waiting/wishing/hoping for a 5DMk4 (or similar) for "budget" 4K usage.


----------



## PureClassA (Jan 11, 2016)

I would expect another not-insignificant price drop in the near future with the 1DX2 coming out. I'm not certain, but I suspect the 1DC is no longer in production.



bsbeamer said:


> Canon Rumors said:
> 
> 
> > neuroanatomist said:
> ...


----------



## douglaurent (Jan 11, 2016)

My 1DC is still an excellent tool and even in lowlight not far behind the A7S2 up to iso 25.600.

Tilt screen, focus peaking, EVF etc are very useful which is why for 4k video only, the A7II series is the much better choice - but if you want to shoot pictures as well, their buffer is a disaster and the 1DC is the only pro film/photo combi tool on the market to date.

The D5 might be a bit better as photo camera, but is weaker regarding 4K video - plus the D5 has to work with the weaker Nikkor lens lineup. No 8-15, no 11-24, no strong 100-400 available. So the result is: yes, the 1DC remains the combi king.

The very bad thing about the D5 is that Canon might decide to cut video specs on the 1DX2 now, as there is no pressure coming from Nikon. Which means the 1DC might still be on sale after the 1DX2 is released, as it remains to be a different and better 4K camera. Canon could cut stuff like C-Log and full 4096 cinema 4k size, which would make the 1DX2 still a good full 4K camera, but different to the 1DC and less interesting for film people (which is what Canon tries to achieve so they buy the C300II). 

If Canon wants filmmakers and me to buy an 1DX2, they need to overexceed expectations and implement focus peaking, 4K 60fps, maybe even 4.5K video for cropping and other useful stuff. This is where the disadvantages against the A7II series would have a set of advantages towards the 1DX2 that makes it interesting. If Canon disappoints with specs and just remains on the 2012 1DC level, anybody aside from sports photographers can ignore the 1DX2.


----------



## PureClassA (Jan 11, 2016)

douglaurent said:


> If Canon wants filmmakers and me to buy an 1DX2, they need to overexceed expectations and implement focus peaking, 4K 60fps, maybe even 4.5K video for cropping and other useful stuff. This is where the disadvantages against the A7II series would have a set of advantages towards the 1DX2 that makes it interesting. If Canon disappoints with specs and just remains on the 2012 1DC level, anybody aside from sports photographers can ignore the 1DX2.



I don't think they do. I dont even think Canon necessarily means this machine to truly take the place of the 1DC per se. It seems Canon (according to multiple rumor mills) is putting more stock in the 5 body to be their video DSLR. Yeah, they will have 4k in the 1DX2, but I'd be really surprised if they push this as a cinema device. I think they have 4k on it to say "We have 4k on it" but I don't expect this have anything more than 30FPS in 4k with maybe a C-Log profile if we're lucky. I don't think it will be nearly AS choked as the Nikon D5, but I don't it see it having a C100II type interface and cinema whistles. That said, the 1DX2 is still going to sell very, very well to not just sports guys but journalists, and high volume shooters alike. I just don't see a lot of cinema use (no matter what they do, in a body like a 1 series.


----------



## Nininini (Jan 11, 2016)

douglaurent said:


> 4K 60fps



It already uses massive heat sinks to keep the heat off the large sensor. For 60fps it would need water cooling or massive fans, no joke.

The Nikon is limited to 3 minute recording to prevent overheating.

The larger your sensor and the more weather sealing, the more problems heat causes for video.

A smartphone and many point ans shoot, APS-C and micro 4/3 cameras record 4k without heating issues. But all full frame sensors either overheat (Nikon / Sony), or they use massive heatsinks (Canon).

I don't think anyone really has a solution to this problem. Sony's cameras are simply shutting down, Nikon is limiting their clips to 3 minutes, and canon has chosen massive heat sinks. Neither is a real solution.


----------



## scyrene (Jan 12, 2016)

Bennymiata said:


> Canon must be breathing a sigh of relief.
> Seeing the new Nikon competition, they don't have to wory about putting GOOD 4k into the 1dx2 or 5d4. They can just use their 4 year old 1dc technology with the new cameras and they will still beat the competition.
> 
> However, I really do hope that Canon has listened to videographers and brings us good 4k in the new cameras and blow Nikon away.



Well as others have said elsewhere, the 1DxII is almost certainly finalised now, bar software tweaks. So this release can't have much, if any impact.


----------



## douglaurent (Jan 12, 2016)

Nininini said:


> douglaurent said:
> 
> 
> > 4K 60fps
> ...



Canon had 4 years to figure out how to make 60fps work. A small sized GH4 can do 1080p 100fps. 4K25fps do rarely make the small A7 bodies stop, it just happens in hot places, with battery grip installed and when used for very long minutes. Canon could give us 4K60fps with a 3 minute limit! That would be a nice compromise.


----------



## douglaurent (Jan 12, 2016)

scyrene said:


> Bennymiata said:
> 
> 
> > Canon must be breathing a sigh of relief.
> ...



I am pretty sure within several months time left, Canon has the chance to cut some features, or add something they have prepared as an option. Unless manufacturing begins they can always do at least software tuning. Why should they give away this great timeframe opportunity?


----------



## douglaurent (Jan 12, 2016)

PureClassA said:


> douglaurent said:
> 
> 
> > If Canon wants filmmakers and me to buy an 1DX2, they need to overexceed expectations and implement focus peaking, 4K 60fps, maybe even 4.5K video for cropping and other useful stuff. This is where the disadvantages against the A7II series would have a set of advantages towards the 1DX2 that makes it interesting. If Canon disappoints with specs and just remains on the 2012 1DC level, anybody aside from sports photographers can ignore the 1DX2.
> ...



I don't think any 1D or Nikon D# ever has been or will be a big seller, compared to the rest of the business these companies do. They make money with it because the cameras are really expensive. With an overexceeding 1DX2 and filmmakers starting to buy it, they for sure can sell 30-100% more of it. Right now Canon does lose a lot of money because many filmmakers want a C300II, but instead do buy a Sony FS7 which is half the price, but has even better specs like 4K60fps. 

Canon can not lower the price of the new C300II by half too soon. They can also not release a cheaper C200 which has better specs than a C300II just to compete with the FS7. A 1DX2 for 7000-8000 bucks would be a perfect product for all those who have only that much budget, and prefer to have the Canon look and feel. But it can't just be the minimum of video and 4K specs.


----------



## rrcphoto (Jan 12, 2016)

douglaurent said:


> scyrene said:
> 
> 
> > Bennymiata said:
> ...



ever think of manuals, legal, translations, UI's, etc?


----------



## Tugela (Jan 12, 2016)

Nininini said:


> douglaurent said:
> 
> 
> > 4K 60fps
> ...



It isn't the sensor that generates the heat, it is the processor that does. The problem with Canon and Nikon (and to a lesser extent, Sony) is that they use old tech for their processors. An example of this is the original a7S, which could shoot 4K, but only when recorded externally because the processor would overheat if it tried to process onboard. Even now the a7RII has heat issues when recording. Panasonic use more modern processors, as do Samsung, and neither of those have heat issues at all.

Ultimately the practicality of 4K video in consumer cameras comes down to how up to date the manufacturer is with the processor technology they use. This is the limiting factor, and the reason why both Canon and Nikon are coming to the 4K party late.

IMO neither Canon nor Nikon are going to be able to enable 4K in their consumer cameras in 2016. For Canon you are probably going to see consumer products that still use the Digic 6 for that reason. Anyone who wants a consumer camera that can do both stills and video at a high quality level will have to look to either Sony or Panasonic.

Samsung would be capable as well, but they are getting out of the camera business. Rumor has it that their mirrorless tech was sold to Nikon, and if that is so, then expect to see VERY capable cameras coming out of Nikon and being announced at around Photokina (or even earlier of they adopt the NX system), with release in early 2017.


----------



## Tugela (Jan 12, 2016)

douglaurent said:


> PureClassA said:
> 
> 
> > douglaurent said:
> ...



Inclusion of 4K in cameras like the 1DX2 is not intended to make them front line video cameras for professionals. Professionals will use cameras designed for video. Instead, the purpose of such a function in a stills camera is to allow a photographer to record video for supplementary purposes in support of the stills they are taking, but without having to drag a dedicated second camera along solely for that purpose.


----------



## neuroanatomist (Jan 12, 2016)

Tugela said:


> It isn't the sensor that generates the heat, it is the processor that does.



Well, I guess all those companies that put Peltier cooling on the backs of sensors in my scientific cameras are getting it wrong. Do me a favor – call up Zeiss, Q-Imaging, Leica and Nikon and tell them they're wasting their time and my money because image sensors don't generate heat. Thanks!

:


----------



## scyrene (Jan 12, 2016)

rrcphoto said:


> douglaurent said:
> 
> 
> > scyrene said:
> ...



Good points. I was only repeating what I've read, although it sounds sensible to me. The prevailing opinion is it should be available for the Olympics, and I'd imagine shipping a few weeks before that. Aside from software, can there really be much other tweaking possible with ~5 months to go? And even less if they announce it with most details in a few weeks from now.


----------



## aceflibble (Jan 12, 2016)

Well, no amateur is paying out for either a Nikon D5 or a Canon 1D series, and no professional is using them for video, either. So I'm not sure what on Earth the point of this sausage-measuring is. 4K in DSLRs is nothing more than a bullet point for the marketing department to show off so people online who read spec sheets but never actually use the cameras can be happy. The professional word got over and moved on from DSLR years ago, once cameras like the C100/300/500 and FS7 gave them the full lens range of DSLRs with more appropriate bodies and accessories, and the amateur world has scaled downwards toward mirrorless/micro 4/3rds. The only people still using DSLRs of any kind for videos are the few who picked it up years ago and haven't yet moved on, and nobody who changes bodies that rarely is going to suddenly buy a D5/1D.


----------



## PureClassA (Jan 13, 2016)

I agree (see previous posts) that neither the 1DX2 nor D5 will be bought in any meaningful number (if at all) for 4k capabilities. I don't however think that's the same for a 5 series body or other more compact DSLRs. The problem is that at the moment, no one is offering a competitive DSLR for video short of the 5D II and III, which with video are often hacked with MagicLantern. If Canon indeed develops a video dedicated 5 body, which is been rumored several times, then it will likely sell very well (short of it being a total dud, spec-wise) because there is a lot of desire have native EF mounts for small/indy film production in compact bodies. There's a decent number of wedding shooters who use 5 series bodies for video. So, I wouldn't say "it's dead". If a 5DC comes out and doesn't sell, then we can say it's dead 



aceflibble said:


> Well, no amateur is paying out for either a Nikon D5 or a Canon 1D series, and no professional is using them for video, either. So I'm not sure what on Earth the point of this sausage-measuring is. 4K in DSLRs is nothing more than a bullet point for the marketing department to show off so people online who read spec sheets but never actually use the cameras can be happy. The professional word got over and moved on from DSLR years ago, once cameras like the C100/300/500 and FS7 gave them the full lens range of DSLRs with more appropriate bodies and accessories, and the amateur world has scaled downwards toward mirrorless/micro 4/3rds. The only people still using DSLRs of any kind for videos are the few who picked it up years ago and haven't yet moved on, and nobody who changes bodies that rarely is going to suddenly buy a D5/1D.


----------



## LetTheRightLensIn (Mar 23, 2016)

Canon Rumors said:


> Which flagship DSLR is better for 4K video recording, the released in 2012 Canon EOS-1D C, or the recently announced Nikon D5?</p>
> <p>Andrew at EOSHD says the Canon EOS-1D C is still the superior 4K DSLR for cinematographers.</p>
> <blockquote><p>This time it’s a win for Canon. Although it was released nearly 4 years ago in 2012 the Canon 1D C remains superior to the current Nikon D5 flagship for 4K, which I find puzzling because technology goes a very long way in 4 years. <a href="http://www.eoshd.com/2016/01/nikon-d5-versus-canon-1d-c-cinematic-4k-video-wins/" target="_blank">Read the full comparison</a></p></blockquote>
> <p>There is a ton of talk about 4K in Canon’s next generation of full frame cameras, namely the EOS-1D X Mark II, which will have it and the EOS 5D Mark IV, which is still up in the air. There just hasn’t been any reliable information about whether or not Canon will put 4K into the EOS 5D Mark IV. If Nikon hasn’t implemented 4K as well as Canon did 4 years ago, that would be quite an interesting development and may be telling about 4K development in DSLRs going forward.</p>
> ...



It does seem like the 1DC is better than the D5 but personally I'd say A7R II is even better than the 1DC.


----------



## LetTheRightLensIn (Mar 23, 2016)

Bennymiata said:


> Canon must be breathing a sigh of relief.
> Seeing the new Nikon competition, they don't have to wory about putting GOOD 4k into the 1dx2 or 5d4. They can just use their 4 year old 1dc technology with the new cameras and they will still beat the competition.



Except that the A7R II exists.

Also the 1DX/1DC/D5 class DSLR aren't really the ideal first choice for many who are also into video so it's really the D820 they need to worry about. One would hope it would be the A7RII video at the least (maybe even improved to 10bit) and more features, but Nikon does seem to be dropping the ball a little in taking advantage of things so gotta hope they don't end up foolishly bungling the D820 video.


----------

