Why this Camera Wins Hands Down | Canon R5C vs C70

The Canon R5C and The C70 are two very equally matched cameras, but there can only be one winner.




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[bwashmedia]

I am not doing a giveaway. If you see a comment saying you won something this is a scam. I am trying to fix this issue but I'm not sure what else todo other than blocking them.

[JakeGleim]

Having owned 2 C70's for about 8 months and shot over 50 weddings with them (about 500 hours of hands on use, not to mention personal work) I can safely say the C70 is the winner for video only.

My interest in the R5c came from two key things the C70 lacks.
1. The C70 doesn't take photos. (well it'll take 4.2k 12bit DNG's but... yeah)
2. The C70's autofocus isn't... perfect. It works really damn well in 70% of situations but like most cameras it fails to pull tack sharp focus when doing gimbal work when the subject is right near the edge of your lenses hyperfocal distance.

Having used the R5 for photos, I would love that AF system in the C70. After doing some digging though, the Canon R5c does not have eye detect when in cinema mode.

If you are on the fence I agree with Brandon. If you NEED a top of the line photo camera + amazing video, get the R5C. If you don't need a top of the line photo camera then I would look at getting the C70 + used R6 etc. Heck I just bought another Nikon Z7 for $800 off ebay and the AF on Nikons Z line is more than good enough for killer photos.

The three major reasons you'd want/need the C70 over the R5c.

1. 4 Channel, 24bit 48khz audio with auto leveling. (With two phantom powered xlr ports, built in stereo mic and 3.5mm mic port)
2. 10 Stops of built in ND Filters. These are so key for good footage.
3. Battery Life.

To elaborate...

4 channels of audio means you can have two wireless lavs and scratch (or even 3 wireless lavs! etc) With auto leveling you don't even need to check your levels, just set the gain in the middle, let the auto leveling do the rest. With 24bit audio files you'll never run into clipping even with it auto leveling. I have yet to have clipping. My audio game has never been better. With the ND filters, you can then use a CPL filter on the front of your lens or you could use your lens hood to prevent unwanted glare. Glare is one of the number things I see from armature videographers. Thread on ND filters only cause more glare. Battery life is self explanatory but I typically get through an entire day with only swapping batteries once.

Hopefully this helps someone.

[neblackshirts]

Excellent video as always! I bought the R5C because of what you said at 9:33...photography. The R5C is a weapon that can't be touched currently if you need to shoot both video and photos. If you're only a video shooter, the C70 is the right choice most likely.

[phramephotographyllc]

Great video Brandon! I have them both, and can't bring myself to feel that there's much of a comparison. Photography aside, if I have to pack one in my bag, i'm choosing the C70. I say this because it just requires a lot less to function the way I need a camera to at the 4-5k price point. I often work in fast-paced, uncontrolled environments. The C70 is just ready for anything you throw at it in terms of video. The thought of having a cinema camera that I immediately had to start purchasing "workaround" accessories for, immediately took the fun out of using it. So the R5C is Cam B for me. It's great, but I just enjoy the C70 more. The R5C is like getting into the electronic vehicle space...It's shiny, fast, capable of so much, but kinda buggy in the beginning. Sometimes you just need your car to crank up, run on normal fuel, and be reliable. They both have their place.

[MrMoviePhoneEx]

Don’t forget about longevity during your shoot day. Rain, snow, heat, the c70 just works. I’ve heard there are some updates to the r5c that allows it get hotter before needing to preserve for a bit, but 70 is my first cam personally that just doesn’t care, it’ll shoot and sip power for all it does for days without complaint.

[luucamNY]

After that raw update for the C70 it was a no brainer as I shoot a lot of run and gun documentary style of content and can’t always dial in every single setting but for content creators the R5C does make a lot of sense you get a huge package built into one body

[brandonpeterson]

The C70 has better dynamic range and definitely holds on to the colors in the shadows and skintones much better than R5 C. That's what makes that DGO sensor of the C70 / C300 mk iii so good. Look at the shots at 7:49 to see what I'm talking about.

[andrewbrilliant]

The C70 has about 9 Megapixels and the R5C has about 45 Megapixels: for cinema, less is more! That's why the ARRI Alexa Mini has less than 10 Megapixels, and why even RED’s highest resolution 8K cameras still have fewer Megapixels than the R5C. The C70 can be used to shoot films, the R5C can be used to shoot Instagram Ads and Vlogs.

This is not just a matter of 4K vs. 8K, it is a matter of Cine sensor vs Photo sensor. Mirrorless camera video looks like a photo in motion; cinema camera video looks like the movies.

This is not to say the R5C is bad - I own one, along with a C300iii. The mirrorless, pixel-dense look can be a great creative tool because it is more hyper-realistic, and I opt for the R5C when shooting digital-forward content, like Instagram Ads. It is phenomenal that Canon added their full Cinema software to the R5C, along with the fan for cooling, so the tool is actually usable, but I would never consider the two cameras interchangeable.

Hope this helps!

[SipandFeast]

I am so close to buying both of these cameras. It's useful to know the issues I might face. This is a big step for me since up until this point I've been filming with some very entry-level cameras to say the least. I love the built-in ND and the audio options. I think the C70 would allow me to work faster. I know a few people who own it and they have told me it's no contest what my A-cam should be. That being said, I've been watching a ton of C70 videos to reaffirm my decision. Yours was one of the best. You have great delivery!

[aaronjonellhall]

Yeah, I'm going with the R5c as well. I'm a hybrid photo/video shooter and I already have an R5. If it were literally just up to me, I'd buy a second R5 and just do the Kolari heat sink mod again to have extended recording. Just did 4k60/4k120 a full day and no overheating with the mod.

[louie]

You won't see the difference in dynamic range when shooting in controlled environments like in this video, but it is definitely there. Also the softness on the C70 compared to the tack sharp R5c is desirable for some (myself included) as it has less of a video kind of feel. The sound options (two mini XLRs) and full sized HDMI also help, not to mention the battery life. ND's are a must. I own a C70 so I'm obviously biased, but if you're not planning on taking photos, there's no comparison.

[EmeraldAudiovisual]

Since you allowed the Canon Speedbooster on the C70, you should also have allowed for the Canon R5C filter adapter and hence getting VND filters in the adapter. Can't make an exception on one end and not on the other and then giving out.

[AllThingsFilm]

Well done comparison. Recently, I've been looking at both as my next step up to a higher end cinema camera. The key word being "cinema". That being said, the R5C would be a great choice because I already have excellent ND filters and an adjustable step up ring - by Revoring - that is designed to adapt to filter sizes between 49mm and 62mm, with a filter thread of 67mm on the front. Although I have found some used C70's for a price around the same as the R5C. I'm not ready to purchase anything, yet. But, I think I would be happy with either one.

[virtualartteacher]

C70 offers a better work flow. The R5C has Poor battery life, no ND filters, and not enough button options over the C70

[dvang]

Very informative. Thank you! You got me really thinking and i now have some great questions to ask my DPs. The R5c has been a game changer for documentary film making for me because of the versatility of taking video and stills, the lighter body and ease of use with a gimbal, and the eye autofocus is faster. Shooting raw 8k also is a selling point, and if you are run and gun filming on the streets or in a volatile situation you are going to want ease of capturing scenes.

[RockyMaiviaMiami]

If you take pictures, R5C. It’s literally a no Brainer. I use the nd adapter as well. Idk how the comments can give credit to c70 for having the speed booster but not nd adapter for the R5C, if I’m in an ND situation, I switch back to my 24-70 that has my nd adapter already on it (clear filter). HQ modes are great too.

[RHStevens]

Your editing and motion graphics are fantastic. Product shots, fantastic. Instant subscribe.

[OG_predatorproductionz]

Didn't know you and marcus new each other! Worked alongside him on some craft beer promos, good guy! I personally still have not switched from my GH5's I have but I am loving how the R5C is looking rn!

[domtomas]

Great video as always! I just got my work to purchase me a R5C for the exact reason you mentioned, I do 50% video and 50% photography. So this is a no brainer! Use to have to take my C200 and 7D2 with me everywhere, this saves me so much weight and hassle.

[aeonjones]

Great breakdown. even 1 year later it's still valuable information. Thank you.