LAS VEGAS — Canon (www.pro.usa.canon.com) is making several introductions at this year’s NAB show, including two new professional camcorder models. The new EF205 and EF200 camcorders build on technologies carried over from the company’s XA25 and XA20 professional camcorders and will eventually replace Canon’s XF105 and XF100 HD camcorders. The 205 and 200 offer the same small form factor as their predecessors, but with substantial performance increases.
The new camcorders each feature a wide-angle 26.8 mm (35mm film equivalent) 20x optical zoom lens with Hi-UD (Hi Index Ultra Low Dispersion), optical and electronic image stabilization, and a chip size measuring slightly larger than 1/3 inch. The camcorders support dual codec recording in MPEG-2/50mbps and simultaneous recording in MP4, making them well suited for delivering content quickly to the Web.
Dual CF card slots are available for MPEG-2 recording. The new handgrip rotates up to 120 degrees, making the camera versatile when shooting. The handle on top also integrated a stereo microphone and dual XLR jacks. Three control rings are available for focus, zoom and iris adjustment. Ethernet and dual band WiFi capabilities allow for transmitting video directly from the cameras.
The EF205 and EF200 are basically similar, though the 205 has extra jacks (3GSDI, SDI monitor port, timecode I/O port). As such, the 205 can be used in multi-camera applications, where as the 200 is better suited for single-camera shoots.
The Canon XF205 and XF200 will be available in mid-July for an estimated list price of $4,400.00 and $3,900.00, respectively.