The Canon EOS C80: precision and power for live productions

Live productions demand the most from your crew and your kit. It can be challenging to handle conditions you can’t always control, cope with unpredictable lighting, or simply co-ordinate several cameras to ensure you get the shots you want.

Whether you’re a small team or a solo shooter, when you’re filming any kind of live event or concert, the Canon EOS C80 is designed to make your job easier. It delivers cinematic quality and extraordinary performance in a compact, ergonomic package with cutting-edge technologies.

Here, we’ll look at the features and capabilities that make the EOS C80 ideal for live productions, with insights from rising cinematographer Carolina Nunes and Canon Europe Senior Product Specialist Aron Randhawa.

Carolina Nunes has extensive experience in live productions and tried out the Canon EOS C80 on a variety of shoots. As its controls and interface are designed to feel familiar to users of other Canon Cinema EOS cameras, she found the EOS C80 very easy to start using.

“I was very familiar with the EOS C70,” she says, “and the Canon EOS C80 feels like the same body. Plus, it’s super lightweight and very easy to rig.”

Carolina likes to shoot handheld, and so she appreciates its compact size. But the Canon EOS C80 is also easy to attach to a gimbal, tripod or crane arm as required. You can use the top handle or remove it, strip it down or build it up, giving you the flexibility to shoot your way. The advanced multi-function shoe makes it simple to attach even more accessories, from directional microphones to additional XLR inputs and more.

The improved operability extends to the LCD screen, Aron observes. “Brighter than the screen on previous models, it enables operators to see clearly even in strong lighting conditions, whether that’s bright lights in a concert venue or blazing sunshine on location at an event or festival.”

In live productions, of course, lighting conditions can be unpredictable, and you can go from bright lights in the studio to low-light conditions in the field. Carolina found herself shooting at dawn and dusk, and for the Triple Base ISO in the Canon EOS C80 is one of its most impressive features.

Triple Base ISO means the EOS C80 delivers the best signal-to-noise ratio at multiple amplifications. You can choose between 800, 3200, and 12,800 ISO (when shooting in Canon Log or RAW), or use auto-switching and let the EOS C80 select the optimal setting for the conditions.

The EOS C80’s next-generation 6K full frame stacked back-illuminated (BSI) design maximises light sensitivity, Aron explains.

“The BSI architecture places circuitry underneath the sensor plane, and the benefits include powerful low light performance – with 16 stops of dynamic range in the EOS C80 – as well as improved autofocus performance and significantly reduced rolling shutter distortion, thanks to the sensor’s faster readout.”

Full frame also has benefits, Aron adds. “Most video cameras for live events have a 2/3 sensor, but a full frame sensor, like that found in the Canon EOS C80, provides a much more cinematic look with shallow depth of field, wider angle of view and improved low light performance.”

This in turn delivers new creative options, Carolina notes. “Full frame gives you more creative control over the depth of field,” she says. “I like to play with foreground and background, and full frame can help your subject stand out.” When filming busy events, this added control can help you focus attention where you want it.

In addition, the EOS C80 has Canon’s acclaimed Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system for ultra-responsive autofocus, with face, eye, head, body, and animal tracking covering the full sensor.

With Detect Only mode (previously known as Face Priority), Aron explains, “the camera only focuses once a person’s face has been detected. This helps eliminate the risk of focus hunting onto background or foreground elements, providing a professional and stable image.” Once a subject has been acquired, EOS iTR AF X provides intelligent AF tracking that continues to focus on a subject’s head, even when they look away from the camera.

To make the most of the footage it captures, the EOS C80 offers a range of professional recording formats, including 12-bit Cinema RAW Light LT up to 6K 30P and 4:2:2 10-bit up to 4K 120P. Oversampled 4K is available via XF-AVC and improved XF-AVC S / XF-HEVC S (MP4) formats, all featuring detailed metadata and filename structures.

“This allows productions to have full control of the data workflow produced during live events, as well as easily manage footage from multiple cameras,” Aron says.

For live productions, possibly the biggest advances are in the Canon EOS C80 ’s connectivity options, which include built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet for seamless connectivity . It also has mini-XLR terminals, as professional audio input and monitoring is essential for live events.

Carolina loved being able to operate the EOS C80 over a wireless connection.

“You can connect it to a tablet or phone with the Canon Multi-Camera Control app, you can see your framing and all your settings, and you can start and stop recording. It really helps you in situations where the camera is rigged up out of reach, for example.”

For large-scale multi-camera setups, the Canon RC-IP1000 controller allows for remote control via XC Protocol of up to 200 cameras from a single device.

“This enables you to adjust settings remotely on multiple cameras to ensure consistent exposure and colour when switching between live feeds,” Aron explains.

What’s more, the camera’s ability to output 4K 60P signals via 12G-SDI, without the need for external adapters, is a substantial advantage. SDI connections, which lock into place, “are essential for live productions that take place within large venues,” Aron says. “This is due to SDI’s ability to transmit high quality 4K 4:2:2 10-bit signals over long distances, as well as be distributed or daisy-chained to multiple devices at the same time. This makes it possible for multiple people such as the camera operator, control room and event director to view the camera feed.”

The stakes in live streaming are high; there are no second takes.

To meet this challenge, the Canon EOS C80 includes advanced SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) streaming capabilities. SRT is designed to maintain the highest possible quality of video and audio transmission, even in less-than-ideal network conditions or public internet environments. This is a big win for live production and broadcasts, where any lag or desynchronisation between video and audio can disrupt the quality of the content.

“IP Streaming is particularly useful for journalists who are streaming live breaking news to a newsroom,” Aron adds, “as well as live event multi-camera events where the entire infrastructure operates on a IP network and is then streamed via the internet to various platforms.”

SRT IP Streaming protocol available in the EOS C80 helps produce stable, high-quality footage while utilising minimal network bandwidth.

“With all its connectivity options, the Canon EOS C80 is a perfect solution for live productions,” Aron concludes. “It offers all the essential I/O options to meet the demands of any production, whether on-set, out in the field, or part of a live multi-camera production.”

The Canon EOS C80 delivers outstanding quality in a compact, familiar yet highly adaptable design. The lightweight body and ergonomic features make it a practical choice for many shooting scenarios, while its connectivity options, particularly 12G-SDI, built-in mini-XLR terminals and the ability to be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi/Ethernet, make it an ideal component in any multi-camera scenario.

“I had a lot of fun using the EOS C80,” Carolina admits. “It has a lot of the features that people ask for, and it’s a big step up from anything I’ve used before.”