Canon Professional Network - Canon video range draws in crowds at IBC 2011 event

September 2011

The full range of Canon professional video imaging products – including XF-series and XA10 camcorders, EOS DSLRs with HD video capability, broadcast lenses and EF lenses – drew large crowds to the Canon stand during the recent IBC event at the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre from 9 to 13 September 2011.

An eager visitor gets to grips with an EOS DSLR rig on the Canon stand at IBC 2011.

With record breaking attendance figures of 50,462, up 4% compared to IBC 2010, the 2011 IBC exhibition saw thousands of people queuing up to get through the doors of the RAI to register, network and view the latest products and technologies for the worlds of filmmaking and TV broadcasting.

The busy Canon stand was located in Hall 11 of the RAI exhibition centre and, while the key Canon launch at IBC 2011 was the DIGISUPER 95 broadcast lens, the event also marked the first time that the full range of Canon file-based pro camcorders had been on show at IBC.

Peter Yabsley, EMEA Business Development Professional – Video, Canon Europe, told CPN: “We’ve expanded our range of movie-capable DSLRs and our range of file-based camcorders over the past year so, for the first time, we’ve been able to show everything in one place. We’ve seen a really positive adoption of the XF-series of camcorders because of its quality, its specification and because it is suitable for shooting HD for the major TV networks. The adoption of our products by major broadcasters in western Europe also gives smaller production companies a good steer as to what they could be using to shoot HD programmes.”

The Canon XF300, XF305, XF105, XF100 and XA10 camcorders featured in an array of rigs, including lightweight 3D rigs, which proved to be a constant source of interest to the throngs of visitors.

Cameraman Phil Coates, who used the XF100 and XA10 camcorders earlier in 2011 to shoot a documentary about the Catlin Arctic Survey in harsh Arctic conditions, was also on hand on the Canon stand at IBC to talk to fellow filmmakers about his experiences using Canon’s current range of professional HD camcorders.

Coates told CPN: “There’s a great amount of interest in the two small cameras – the XA10 and the XF100 – in terms of asking questions about what can these cameras deliver. I found the AVCHD 24Mbps material from the XA10 and the 50Mbps material from the XF100 could be intercut seamlessly for the [Arctic] documentary. In order to create and develop the type of documentaries I specialise in – in remote locations observing and documenting scientists, adventurers and adventure athletes – I need small cameras and the huge differentiator now is being able to shoot full HD on small cameras. The XF300 and the XF100 in particular, for me, are huge game-changers in the way I can work. It’s coming down to the conclusion that they help me to tell my stories better.”

A wide variety of Canon EOS DSLRs – including the EOS 7D, EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 60D cameras – were on display at a special desk that showed them in an array of handheld shooting rigs. This allowed visitors to try out the cameras whilst using a variety of lenses from the EF lens range, including the recently released EF8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM and some of Canon’s tilt and shift lenses.

A workflow station on the Canon stand at IBC was manned throughout the event by editing software experts from Adobe, Apple, and Avid, helping to demonstrate the straightforward workflow that’s possible with Canon’s file-based video solutions.