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Canon C300 Audio


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I went through the menu on this camera, went to the audio section, but couldn't find any audio recording settings.

Where in the heck do you change the audio sampling rate to 24 bit, 48kHz?

Looks like it's only 16/48. Below from the Canon website on the C300:

"Audio

Linear PCM; 2-Channel; 16-Bit; 48kHz

Built-in Microphone: None

External Audio Inputs: 2 - XLR inputs (Auto and Manual level settings)

Recording Channel Selection: Two channel recording

XLR Mic Trimming: Available; -12dB, -6 dB, 0dB or +12dB

Recording Level Adjustment Range: - Infinity to +18dB

Phantom Power: Available: +48V

Headphone Adjustment: 16 Settings; Volume is muted at lowest setting

1KHz Tone: Available: -12, -18 or -20 dB"

Looks like it's mic level input only.

Eric

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Looks like it's only 16/48. Below from the Canon website on the C300:

"Audio

Linear PCM; 2-Channel; 16-Bit; 48kHz

Built-in Microphone: None

External Audio Inputs: 2 - XLR inputs (Auto and Manual level settings)

Recording Channel Selection: Two channel recording

XLR Mic Trimming: Available; -12dB, -6 dB, 0dB or +12dB

Recording Level Adjustment Range: - Infinity to +18dB

Phantom Power: Available: +48V

Headphone Adjustment: 16 Settings; Volume is muted at lowest setting

1KHz Tone: Available: -12, -18 or -20 dB"

Looks like it's mic level input only.

Eric

There are line/mic/48 V. mic selector switches, auto/manual level switches and level controls up next to where the onboard screen is attached.

The trims are available in the menus and are just that - a trim for the mic level input.

The headphone level is on the lower left side of the camera towards the back IIRC.

It's 16 bit/48 KHz. all the time.

Best regards,

Jim

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I would love to hear your thoughts - I have a project coming up that may go with the c-300

I've done several days with C300's. Outside of how stupidly small it is, limiting accessory attachment, the biggest gotchas are the single timecode connector (a BNC) which must be menu-selected as an input or output and how easy it is to get the camera to loose a jam. It does have a genlock input, for what it's worth. But once you figure out where everything is, it's an OK-ish camera sound-wise.

the weak link is the pair of multipin connectors that connect the audio I/O module to the main camera body, although there is a mini TRS stereo mic connector below (I think) the XLR connectors.

It's a reasonably inexpensive camera body, it feels like it and the sound section looks and performs like you'd expect a camera in that price range to perform.

Best regards,

Jim

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C300 is ok. It holds TC jam pretty well for a mid-range camera. I didn't like the sound of it at all--reminded me of the old Canon DV cams. The ergonomics are pretty goofy, with its externally cabled extra module that has the monitor and audio controls on it, and as was said, there is really no place to attach anything much to the camera body. But lots of them in use around here, pretty common on shoots all of a sudden. If I knew I was going to have to have a wireless RX and or a Lockit on it I'd have to have a serious talk w/ the camera dept ahead of time to see how we were going to manage all that on the camera. The cam looks small in pictures--but I was surprised at how big and heavy it is. BUT....quiet fans!

phil p

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I guess Phil's right about size vs. weight. Now that I think back to my first encounter with them, I didn't think of them as small once I had picked one up - they are quite heavy. A better word is awkward. I couldn't imagine the discomfort involved in a day of handheld shooting with a C300.

But like Phil also said, lots of them in use here as well.

Best regards,

Jim

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I didn't like the sound of it at all--reminded me of the old Canon DV cams. The ergonomics are pretty goofy, with its externally cabled extra module that has the monitor and audio controls on it, and as was said, there is really no place to attach anything much to the camera body. But lots of them in use around here, pretty common on shoots all of a sudden.

phil p

Yes! That external audio/viewfinder module is goofy and sort of a throwback to the notorious xlr audio module on the Canon XL1, kind of a Canon tradition. All I've heard about this camera is the meandering TC. But hey, who needs long takes. ::)

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Yes! That external audio/viewfinder module is goofy and sort of a throwback to the notorious xlr audio module on the Canon XL1, kind of a Canon tradition. All I've heard about this camera is the meandering TC. But hey, who needs long takes. ::)

For us the TC was pretty good. Not totally Ambient/Denecke solid, but way better than Sony/RED/Panasonic.

phil p

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For us, TC jam wasn't too good and that reminds me I read results vary with the cam (if memory's good there was a thread here on JWS about that and the possibility that different batches of cams lead to different results). We had something like a three- four seconds shift between cam and audio on a half day.

If you go double system with lots of files to eventually manage, you'd better put a TC box on the cam to keep it in sync.

It will not hold TC between battery changes/cam on-off if you simply jam it. No big deal there; prod packages usually includes them , you just have to ask (at least here ).

Audio speaking; it's indeed like lots of cams you already know...same switches but at different places on the cam.

I was kind of joking with double system but I so much like to ask/propose when they call me for a DSLR or "new modern state of the art camera" shoot ( the C300 being one of its "derivates" imo; a kind of DSLR with attaching box for audio ) .

The bottom line is probably "depends of the project" .

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For us, TC jam wasn't too good and that reminds me I read results vary with the cam (if memory's good there was a thread here on JWS about that and the possibility that different batches of cams lead to different results). We had something like a three- four seconds shift between cam and audio on a half day.

If you go double system with lots of files to eventually manage, you'd better put a TC box on the cam to keep it in sync.

It will not hold TC between battery changes/cam on-off if you simply jam it. No big deal there; prod packages usually includes them , you just have to ask (at least here ).

Audio speaking; it's indeed like lots of cams you already know...same switches but at different places on the cam.

I was kind of joking with double system but I so much like to ask/propose when they call me for a DSLR or "new modern state of the art camera" shoot ( the C300 being one of its "derivates" imo; a kind of DSLR with attaching box for audio ) .

The bottom line is probably "depends of the project" .

We might have gotten lucky with temperature stability etc when we tested. I too think of the C300 as a sort of fancy DSLR (although I keep that sentiment to myself around owner operators). So far the C300 shoots have been of the simple less-serious sort, so its all worked fine. But I know that sooner or later I'm going to have to fabricate some kind of plate or holder for a Lockit for the thing, and then get real diplomatic about getting it attached to the cams.

phil p

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I've been on two C300 shoots where I had the TC from the camera feed my 552. Never heard any negative reports back from post. Last shoot I used my new snake with TC return from Remote Audio, worked great. Used a Comtek to send audio to a 5d III that was being use as a second camera.

Now on a shoot with a Panasonic 100, got burned a little because I thought wrong in thinking the line was -20. It is -12. Caught it when we did a playback and the audio touched red. Potted it down from there and everything else was fine. Had back-up on the 552 but the 100 has no way to send TC which I wish it had. Can't wait to get to work with an Alexa again. Epic's give me few problems, but then I always do double system with a slate for those shoots.

Scott.....

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I've been on two C300 shoots where I had the TC from the camera feed my 552. Never heard any negative reports back from post. Last shoot I used my new snake with TC return from Remote Audio, worked great. Used a Comtek to send audio to a 5d III that was being use as a second camera.

Now on a shoot with a Panasonic 100, got burned a little because I thought wrong in thinking the line was -20. It is -12. Caught it when we did a playback and the audio touched red. Potted it down from there and everything else was fine. Had back-up on the 552 but the 100 has no way to send TC which I wish it had. Can't wait to get to work with an Alexa again. Epic's give me few problems, but then I always do double system with a slate for those shoots.

Scott.....

This is a perfectly good way to go-- I used to do this with REDs when the shoot was calm and no Lockits were avail--we just all drifted along together....

phil p

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" That's dumb. "

and that is subjective...

" I'm skeptical that their analog input sections are clean enough to handle that, but that's where they're spec'd out on paper. "

and that is what they deliver: 24 bit audio files... nut not all 24 bit audio is equal...

The Fostex FR-2, some zoom's, etc can create 24 bit 192KHz files, but the audio quality is only 16 bits, barely....

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Now on a shoot with a Panasonic 100, got burned a little because I thought wrong in thinking the line was -20. It is -12. Caught it when we did a playback and the audio touched red.

Yeah, I've encountered this kind of thing before. I always send the camera a hard-limited feed and try to err on the side of being a little low for the scratch track. It is bewildering that we've had a -20dBfs AES standard for more than two decades (-18 in Europe), and camera manufacturers blithely choose to ignore it.

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I've been on two C300 shoots where I had the TC from the camera feed my 552. Never heard any negative reports back from post. Last shoot I used my new snake with TC return from Remote Audio, worked great. Used a Comtek to send audio to a 5d III that was being use as a second camera.

Now on a shoot with a Panasonic 100, got burned a little because I thought wrong in thinking the line was -20. It is -12. Caught it when we did a playback and the audio touched red. Potted it down from there and everything else was fine. Had back-up on the 552 but the 100 has no way to send TC which I wish it had. Can't wait to get to work with an Alexa again. Epic's give me few problems, but then I always do double system with a slate for those shoots.

Scott.....

I too have done the same exact thing with the AF100, but didn't catch it until we wrapped. Post was actually thrilled with the nice hot levels of my mix. Go figure. I guess fortunately for me I wasn't pushing levels too hard on that one and being conservative saved the day for me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did a series this spring with a c300 and currently on a commercial with several of them. There are very few places, (one?) to mount anything. The Zaxcom ErxTc fits perfectly on the back side of the flip screen adhered with tape or Velcro. I Sent scratch track and timecode. Be sure to set the voltage out of the Erx to 0.125v or higher or else the camera may not recognize it. You will know it has a lock when an "E" appears next to the timecode.

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