The best Canon filmmaking kit for every budget

Selecting the right filmmaking kit is a challenge, especially considering the huge variety of options available. You may have a dream camera in mind, but in reality, you'll need to choose your gear based on the size of your production and budget.

While monetary outlay is a key factor, there is a lot more to consider when deciding on cameras and lenses, including size, weight and versatility – and frequently how that kit can be customised and integrated into larger or smaller productions. Your professional video solutions must provide high production standards at all levels and be reliable and future-proof to protect your initial investment.

Here, we look at the range of filmmaking kit available for a number of budget levels, with comments from experienced cinematographers and Canon Ambassadors Elisa Iannacone and Martin Christ, plus technical insights from Canon Europe Product Specialists Aron Randhawa and Ram Sarup.

• Best cameras for filmmaking on a smaller budget
• Compact Cinema EOS cameras
• Best cameras for filmmaking on a mid-range budget
• Modular camera for HDR filmmaking
• Best cameras for filmmaking on a higher budget

If you're a solo shooter then budgets are often tight, and you'll want kit that both does the job well and allows you to be as flexible as possible.

With its next-gen 45MP full-frame Back-Side-Illuminated (BSI) stacked CMOS sensor and 8K 60p RAW video capabilities, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II delivers a high performance in highly portable camera body. It is equipped with a range of professional filmmaking features and it doubles up as a highly capable on-set stills camera.

The stacked sensor in the EOS R5’s successor offers significantly improved dynamic range. As a result, it’s the first camera outside of the Cinema EOS range to include Canon Log 2. This enables a wider dynamic range to be captured, and deep shadow detail to be retained in high-contrast situations.

The Canon EOS R5 C is also a full-frame mirrorless camera that's a great entry-point option for content creators who capture both stills and video. Like the EOS R5 Mark II, the EOS R5 C is a powerful hybrid camera with the added benefits of being compact and lightweight. "What makes it unique is that it provides highly professional output for both photo and video," Aron says.

You get many of the features of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, such as the RF mount and the ability to capture 45MP stills, but it has more in common with cameras in Canon's professional Cinema EOS range.

“For example, it comes with a dedicated Cinema EOS menu system that doesn’t incorporate photo features,” Aron explains. “It also has anamorphic lens support and a timecode terminal, which is essential for any type of professional TV drama, commercial or film. Most importantly, the EOS R5 C has an active cooling system that allows 8K recording for an unlimited duration, as long as you have have power and media card capacity to sustain it.”

The EOS R5 C’s unlimited recording ensures that you can go into any type of long-scale production without having to worry about any complications regarding heat, Aron says. “It means the camera can be easily incorporated into existing cinema workflows.”

Another great option for lower budgets is the larger Canon EOS C70, which features a Super 35mm DGO sensor and shoots 4K up to 120p. It will suit those who are more familiar with Canon's Cinema EOS range of cameras, making it a popular choice for smaller professional outfits who shoot corporate productions, more intimate events, short films or music videos.

"The EOS C70 is built for solo filmmaking specifically and offers cinematic performance in an ultra-compact design – and also shares the same sensor as the EOS C300 Mark III," explains Aron. "You're getting one of the very best imaging sensors that Canon can deliver for filmmaking, which provides over 16-stops of dynamic range. It has many of the fundamental qualities that you'd expect from a film camera, despite its small size, including built-in ND filters and XLR terminals.”

Documentary filmmaker Elisa Iannacone, who has produced work for organisations including National Geographic and Newsweek, utilises the quality and flexibility of the Canon EOS C70 when shooting in remote locations where larger kit isn't suitable. "Working with smaller cameras enables you to be a bit more nimble," she says. "I might be taking the EOS C70 into a conflict area, a humanitarian crisis, or somewhere where I want to be inconspicuous and versatile. With a bigger camera like the EOS C300 Mark III, people can get intimidated.”

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R5 C, EOS C70, EOS C80 and EOS C400 all feature Canon's groundbreaking RF mount, meaning you can use any of Canon's growing range of RF lenses, including hybrid RF lenses such as the RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z, designed to meet the needs of photography and videography alike. This lens is ideal for both filmmaking and stills, combining a fast f/2.8 aperture, exceptional sharpness and the versatility of a huge focal length range.

For solo shooters who need a flexible filmmaking tool that delivers a step up in performance, an excellent option is the compact Canon EOS C80. It doesn’t replace the EOS C70 – which, as Aron points out, is still a “highly capable camera with its Super 35mm 4K DGO sensor and attractive price point” – but it elevates the concept of an all-in-one solution.

The EOS C80 shares the same small form factor as the EOS C70, complete with a flip-out LCD touchscreen monitor, but gains two of the most user-requested features: a full-frame sensor and 12G-SDI connectivity.

Its full-frame 6K BSI sensor with Triple Base ISO expands the capabilities of what the camera can achieve – particularly for documentary filmmakers and camera operators who are shooting live events where the lighting is out of their control.

“You now have the flexibility of three base ISOs – 800, 3200 and 12800 (when shooting in RAW or Canon Log) – which means it can adapt to any shooting scenario regardless of whether you’re on a film set, filming an interview or shooting a landscape at dusk or dawn,” Aron says.

If you've moved past solo shooting and into bigger budget productions – but aren't quite at a prestige studio budget yet – then you'll find you need to be using industry standard kit that can be adapted to suit a variety of shooting scenarios. The Canon EOS C300 Mark III is the next step up in production size, with the larger, modular body giving access to plenty of direct control and advanced connectivity. The EOS C300 Mark III features a Super 35mm 4K DGO sensor that delivers low-noise images and a wide dynamic range, making it a great choice for HDR output. The full-frame 6K BSI sensors in the EOS C400 and EOS C80 take low-light filmmaking to a new level, but the EOS 300 Mark III and EOS C70’s DGO sensors deliver half a stop more dynamic range in well-lit environments.

The EOS C300 Mark III is also more attuned to professional production workflows than the EOS C70 and has various file formats, colour depths and codecs to choose from. This includes 12-bit Cinema RAW Light recording up to 1Gbps, which provides high fidelity capture and more flexibility in post-production, making it an ideal solution for short films.

In addition, the EOS C300 Mark III adds greater workflow customisation, necessary for working with larger crews. This includes support for electronic viewfinders, simultaneous SDI/HDMI outputs, custom User LUTs and industry-standard V-mount battery solutions. In addition, the camera features an interchangeable lens mount, allowing either EF or PL mount lenses to be used for even further flexibility.

"The EOS C300 Mark III is rugged and easy to carry around; you can build it up and strip it down," says Elisa. "You can do perfect cinema work if you pair it with compatible lenses and you can also do broadcast work. It's a camera that has become an industry standard in my mind.”

At this stage in your career, you'll probably already have a selection of lenses you've invested in. When you do need to expand your kitbag, you'll be looking for lenses that offer good compatibility with industry standards. The EOS C300 Mark III is well-complemented by the Canon CN-E18-80mm T4.4 L IS KAS S and the CN-E70-200mm T4.4 L IS, Compact Cine Servo lenses designed for 4K Super 35mm cameras and with built-in servo control. Together, they offer a flexible range of focal length, and their size and weight mean they're ideal for fast-paced shooting environments such as news gathering and documentary.

Monitoring on the EOS C300 Mark III also takes a step up, with a 12G-SDI terminal enabling 4K 60p playback through a single cable. In addition, the support for Canon's optional EVF-V50 or EVF-V70 viewfinders allows operators to closely monitor the image in a range of challenging lighting conditions. The camera's modular design also means it can be built up or down according to the specific needs of a production.

If you’re a filmmaker wanting to achieve uncompromised cinematic performance, then the mighty Canon EOS C400 is the camera for you.

This cutting-edge cinema camera is designed to elevate the art of filmmaking. A small but mighty model, this camera boasts the qualities of similar high-end counterparts but in a smaller form. This makes it extremely versatile, being suitable for handheld use, gimbals, live production and more.

“The camera has incredible image quality and connectivity, but at the same time, its new lightweight and modular form makes it the most versatile Cinema EOS camera to date,” says Ram.

“That means it can be used in any type of way, regardless of whether you're solo shooting by yourself or you're in a large production crew.”

Equipped with a revolutionary full-frame BSI sensor, the Canon EOS C400 delivers stunning 6K resolution and 16 stops of dynamic range, capturing clarity, detail, and depth in every frame. This new sensor technology also significantly reduces rolling shutter, enhances autofocus capabilities, and improves low-light performance. The aspect ratio of this sensor is 17:9 and includes a ‘crop mode,’ so you can still use the camera with traditional Super 35mm and Super 16mm lenses. In addition, its RF mount allows compatibility with Canon's most cutting-edge cinema, hybrid and photo lenses, as well as being adaptable to industry-standard PL and EF mount lenses via Canon Mount Adapters.

Speaking of low-light performance, the Canon EOS C400 has taken things up a notch. Or three notches, for that matter – like the EOS C80, the EOS C400 offers Triple Base ISO, providing three distinct Base ISO options (800 / 3200 / 12800 when shooting in RAW or Canon Log) to deliver optimal signal-to-noise performance, regardless of the shooting environment.

The Canon EOS C400 also introduces the next generation of autofocus technology (AF) with Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus II, offering faster and more responsive AF performance for smoother, more accurate focusing – so that you can concentrate on your creative vision without technical distractions.

Another standout feature of the Canon EOS C400 is its ability to adapt to cutting-edge industry workflows such as Virtual Production and VR content capture. Thanks to high-speed lens metadata output to Canon's Live Link plug-in for Unreal Engine, real world footage and virtual elements can be effortlessly merged together in virtual production studios with large LED walls. In addition, Canon EOS C400's compatibility with Canon's 5.2mm Dual Fisheye lens means breathtaking 6K 180-degree stereoscopic content can be captured using a single camera setup for immersive VR experiences.

Another option is the Canon EOS C500 Mark II, which features a full-frame 5.9K sensor, full customisation and professional recording standards that enable it to integrate seamlessly with large-scale productions, making it an ideal solution for professional, large-scale film.

Filmmaker Martin Christ, whose work has included high-end TV commercials and behind-the-scenes documentaries, is a regular user of the EOS C500 Mark II. He likes the flexibility of the modular system, which enables you to attach optional accessories according to the demands of the production. "I'm shooting a series for Amazon right now, where I need the big 'establisher' shots on dolly and crane, but I also sometimes need to shoot handheld with a small camera," he continues.

If you're working with a higher budget, prime lenses may be essential if you want to create a truly cinematic feel. Pairing the Canon EOS C500 Mark II, EOS C400 or EOS C80 with Sumire Prime lenses will give you a vintage, full-frame look with a touch of softness, delicate skin tones and silky bokeh.

Canon's Flex Zoom lenses also offer outstanding optical performance and full-frame support, while maintaining a constant T2.4 iris across the entire focal range.

Another key part of the workflow at the top-end level of film production is a high-quality 4K monitor. Canon offers a range of options, including the Canon DP-V3120, a 31-inch 4K professional display that provides industry-leading 2,000 nits of full-screen brightness and 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio with exceptional accuracy and consistency, ideal for post-production and colour grading. The more compact 18-inch DP-V1830 provides outstanding HDR performance for on-set monitoring.

All Canon Cinema EOS cameras provide various high quality recording formats including Cinema RAW Light and XF-AVC, alongside consistent colour science and log gamma enabling you to mix and match footage seamlessly. Canon's efficient Cinema RAW Light format offers all the benefits of RAW processing – maximum highlight and shadow detail – but generates much smaller files, which can be recorded to CFexpress cards on the Canon EOS C400, EOS C80, EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III.


Whether you're a filmmaker at the start of your professional journey or an accomplished DoP working on high-end productions, there is a camera in the Canon range that can help you realise your creative vision.