UPDATE: Canon is unveiling its new camera today, in an event being broadcast at 15:00 EDT / 20:00 BST / 05:00 AEST.
The video is embedded below, so you can watch the launch as it happens.
Following the initial teaser image released online, the new preview image for the event video gives a wider view of the camera – though crucially still makes it unidentifiable.
You can read my speculation as to what it is below, and we'll see later on today whether I was right or not!
ORIGINAL STORY (June 03 2024): Canon is teasing the announcement of a new camera this Wednesday, June 05, with an image being shared on its social media channels.
The tease comes just a few weeks after the development announcement of the Canon EOS R1, the company's flagship professional camera. However, despite rampant speculation about a successor to the Canon EOS R5, it looks like this week's announcement will be for a cinema camera.
The teaser image reveals very little about the new camera, but does give us some important clues as to what it will be. Take a look below:
Obviously the key is the red "C" logo – which indicates that this is a Cinema EOS product. I've been hearing camera rumors for at least the last two years that we'll be getting a new Cinema EOS camera, so this isn't a huge surprise.
Another key is the shape of the red lens marker at the top of the mount. While it's shrouded in shadow, you can see that it's an elongated red line – indicating that this is an RF mount camera rather than an EF mount (which is indicated by a red dot).
While some people might be saying "Well duh," it's worth remembering that the EF mount is one of the standards in the cinema industry (next to the PL mount) – so this signifies that Canon is serious about establishing RF as a legitimate choice for cinematography (and of course, it's easy to adapt EF glass on it).
The final telltale sign in the teaser image is the shape of the body. Compare it to the shapes of the existing Cinema EOS lineup below:
As you can see, the body silhouette resembles that of the C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II – the two "current" EF-mount cinema cameras, which have long been rumored to receive replacements.
So, which one is it – a successor to the Super35 C300 or the full frame C500?
Well, the EOS C70 is effectively a C300 Mark III in an RF body – and the R5 C is a hybrid, rather than a dedicated full-frame cinema camera. Thus, I think we're getting a new guns-blazing member of the full-frame 500 family. That, or a new model altogether (interestingly, the teaser features the C700's perforations for an internal scratch mic).
That being said, aside from specs, another crucial question remains: will Canon simply release this new camera as a numbered successor – as in, the Canon EOS C500 Mark III – or will it introduce new nomenclature?
Guess we'll have to wait until Wednesday to find out!
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