Dealers Set Pre-Orders of EF- and PL-Mount Versions at $15,999

Dealers in the U.S. started taking pre-orders for Canon's EOS C300 and C300 PL digital-cinema cameras today at price points significantly below the $20,000 announced by Canon. The camera is available in either EF- or PL-mount versions for $15,999.
It wasn’t clear how the $15,999 price was settled on – in a press release, B&H Photo Video referred to the tag as a “significant discount” from the camera’s “estimated list price of $20,000.” According to B&H, the cameras will begin shipping in February. (Canon had previously set the EF-mount version for January shipment and the PL for March.)

In a video posted to Youtube, embedded above, Burbank’s Filmtools said it will be one of 17 U.S. dealers for the C300. Accessories from manufacturers including ARRI, Redrock Micro, Chrosziel, TV Logic, and Zeiss should be available as the cameras ship, Filmtools said. “This camera is being looked at as the perfect complement to the ARRI Alexa, particularly in relation to night shoots,” Filmtools’ Jimmy Martin says in the video, explaining that studios see the camera slimming down the crews required to shoot night exteriors.

Los Angeles saw the big C300 launch last November with an event on the Paramount studio lot. Next week, Canon’s Larry Thorpe introduces the camera to the New York market with an event starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, at AbelCine’s offices on Greenwich Street in downtown Manhattan. Thorpe will be back in L.A. for a February 16 event at AbelCine’s Burbank location. If you can’t make it to either of those, Zacuto has The Bui Brothers website.)