Canon EOS C700 / C700 PL Review

The Canon EOS C700 is a flagship Super 35mm cinema camera built for high-end film and broadcast production. Launched in late 2016 at $33,000, it sits at the top of Canon's Cinema EOS line and competes directly with ARRI, RED, and Sony's professional cinema bodies. The C700 records up to 4.5K internally in ProRes and XF-AVC at bit depths up to 12-bit 4:4:4 RGB, with external Codex CDX-36150 support for 12-bit RAW capture at frame rates up to 5.9K 60p. It offers interchangeable lens mounts (EF or PL), a triple Digic DV 5 image processor, and 15 stops of dynamic range with Canon Log 2.

The camera's modular design includes four SDI outputs, genlock and timecode I/O, built-in ND filters from 2 to 10 stops, and extensive color science options including Cinema Gamut and ACES support. Dual Pixel CMOS AF covers 80 percent of the sensor, which is unusual in this class. At 3.4 kg body weight, it's lighter than many competitors but demands a full cinema rig with V-Mount batteries, external monitoring, and professional workflows. The C700 is meant for productions that prioritize Canon's color science, lens ecosystem, and straightforward integration into broadcast and post pipelines.