Canon unveils high-end camera for filmmakers

[November 04, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Camera maker and office equipment giant Canon Inc. on Thursday unveiled a new high-end digital video camera, called Cinema EOS, and set up a support center in Southern California to help filmmakers use it.

The camera is similar in shape to a traditional still camera but works with a variety of mounts.

CEO Fujio Mitarai unveiled the product on the Paramount Pictures movie lot, saying its digital images had the warmth of film and brought out skin tones well. The company showed a number of short films that used the camera to show off how it functioned in action sequences, especially in tight areas that made use of its compact size.

The Japanese company touted the camera as aiding its return to Hollywood after an absence of 40 years.

The camera draws on the popularity of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a single-lens reflex still camera that independent filmmakers embraced because of its ability to take full high-definition video at the 1920-by-1080 pixel resolution known as1080p.

"This is the camera that gave us the opportunity to work with you today," Mitarai said.

The company did not immediately say how much the camera will cost.

[Associated Press]

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