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Canon ME200S-SH Review

With products from Sony and Blackmagic, not to mention the Alexa Mini and Canon’s own ME20F-SH low-light specialist, the cube appears to be the most

Paul

With products from Sony and Blackmagic, not to mention the Alexa Mini and Canon’s own ME20F-SH low-light specialist, the cube appears to be the most popular form factor for newly announced cameras.

Aimed at gimbal or drone users who want a smaller, lighter camera, the ME200S-SH offers specs comparable to those of the C100 MkII in a cube-like form similar to the ME20.

The ME200S-SH is, in fact, more akin to mounting a sensor than a complete camera because Canon has virtually removed everything from it to reduce size and weight. The camera instead provides HDMI and SDI outputs to mount external recorders or EVFs because there is no display and no option to record internally.

The Canon Cube would work well with an Atomos Ninja Star or a Video Devices Pix-E5, and since the output is HD only, a more affordable option like Blackmagic’s Video Assist might even be suitable for recording purposes.

The camera itself has a locking EF mount similar to those found on the C500 and the ME20F-SH, as well as Canon’s Dual Pixel AF. At Newsshooter, we’re big fans of this particular EF mount variant, in part because it handles torque when using remote follow focus units on a gimbal or drone much better.

Additionally, there are built-in ND filters, and the SDI-out connectors are a major improvement over the C100 Mk II. The release of an HD-only camera in 2016 may come as a surprise, but it appears that this model was intended to serve as a smaller B-cam to go along with its larger Cinema EOS siblings. And there are still a lot of productions concluding in HD.

The ME200S-SH is somewhat less expensive than an Alexa Mini at an anticipated £4,369.99 (including VAT), but on paper, Sony’s recently announced (and unpriced) UMC-S3C outperforms it in terms of specs. The footage, er, is the proof of the pudding, though? And if you’re trying to match other Canon cameras, this could be a great production tool. We’ll be evaluating Canon’s newest cube at NAB next week to see how it compares.

Canon ME200S-SH Specs

SensorSuper 35mm
PixelsTotal: 4206 x 2340 (approximately 9.84 MP)
Effective: 3840 x 2160 (approximately 8.29 MP)
Output Resolution1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
Color Filter SystemRGB Bayer array
Lens PortCanon EF Cinema-Lock-type
Interface (Inputs/Outputs)Outputs
HD/3G-SDI: 2 (#1 with selectable OSD, #2 clean)
HDMI: 1 (selectable OSD)
Inputs
Genlock: Black burst or Tri-Level reference
Mic: 1 x 3.5 mm stereo mini jack (plug-in power mic supported)
Remote Control A: 1 x 2.5 mm stereo mini jack (Canon unique protocol)
Remote Control B: 1 x circular 8-pin connector (Canon unique protocol)
Format3G-SDI
Bit Depth: YCbCr422 10bits (effective bits: 8)
1920 x 1080p: 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98
1920 x 1080i: 59.94/50
1280 x 720p: 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98

HDMI
Bit Depth: RGB444, YCbCr422, YCbCr444 (effective bits: 8 for each format)
1920 x 1080p: 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98
1920 x 1080i: 59.94/50
1280 x 720p: 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98

Please Note: You cannot set framerate and output size separately by SDI and HDMI. Also, when outputting via HDMI, 640 x 480: 59.94P & 768×576: 50P will be output when connected with a monitor that support 480P and 576P inputs. This cannot be set from the menu and the on-screen display will not show.
ExposureAuto: Iris, Gain, Shutter and ND operating together (cannot set auto / manual separately)
AE shift / AE response selectable
AGC limit can be set from 36dB to Off/75dB (3-dB intervals)
Min Illumination0.015 lux or less (at 56dB, F1.2, 29.97P, 1/30 sec shutter)
ShutterManual: 1/3 to 1/2000 (1/4 stops); 1/3 only at 23.98p
Auto: Iris, Gain, Shutter and ND operating together
IrisManual: 1/2 stops (push auto iris can be set to an assign button)
Auto: Iris, Gain, Shutter and ND operating together
GainManual: 0dB to 56dB @ 3dB intervals (approx. ISO 204,800 equivalent at 56dB)
Auto: Iris, Gain, Shutter and ND operating together
Built-in FiltersND: 1/8 & 1/64 Built-in (auto or motorized manual)
IR Cut Filter: On/Off (motorized manual)
Focus ControlManual focus (when used with RC-V100)
One-Shot AF (used with assign button)
White BalanceAWB (2,000K-15,000K), Daylight, Tungsten, Custom Set A, Custom Set B
PowerInput: 11 to 17 VDC
Consumption: approximately 11 W (body only)
Input Connectors
1 x 4-pin XLR
1 x 2-pin Phoenix
Operating TemperatureApprox. 32 to 104°F /0 to 40°F
Dimensions4.0 x 4.6 x 4.4″ / 102 x 116 x 113 mm
WeightApprox. 2.2 lb / 1.0 kg

Packaging Info

Package Weight4.45 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)11 x 10.3 x 9.6″

Price

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