Canon upgraded its EOS C100 camera to "Mark II" status, adding a number of refinements to the original design. New in the revised version are MP4 recording, expanded frame rates of up to 59.94p in full HD (1920×1080), standard dual-pixel auto focus, and improved video processing.

The EOS C100 Mark II has Canon's Digic DV4 image processor, which the company says will provide better picture quality by separating RGB output into three individual 8-megapixel signals, rather than 2 megapixels in the processor employed by the original C100. The DV4 also has a new debayer algorithm that should reduce moiré and video noise, Canon said.

Additionally, the original C100 topped out at a maximum recording bit rate of 24 Mbps, while the C100 Mark II can hit 28 Mbps in AVCHD and 35 Mbps for MP4. The C100 Mark II can even be used to record AVCHD to one memory card as MP4 is recorded to a second card simultaneously. Alternately, the dual card slots can be used for seamless recording by spanning a single recording session from one card to the other.

The C100 Mark II has a new built-in LUT that allows its live signal to be viewed in wide-dynamic-range or Rec. 709 color space on the OLED display or via HDMI output.

Dual-pixel CMOS auto-focus was offered as a paid upgrade for the original C100, but it's standard on the new camera, which is also the first Canon Cinema EOS camera to include face-detection autofocus.

The new camera has been redesigned with a hinged 1.23 megapixel OLED display panel and a large detachable eyecup for the 1.23 megapixel color EVF. And a mono mic has been built into the camera body for use when the top handle is not attached as a way to capture audio notations or to help with sync later. The rest of the camera body has been reworked, too, with 17 recessed function buttons and a simplified battery release.

The C100 Mark II also gets wireless file transfers using dual 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies and wireless remote control via phone, tablet or laptop (or Canon's RC-V100 controller).

The Canon EOS C100 Mark II is expected to ship late in December with an estimated retail price of $5,499 for the camera body only.

For more details on the C100 Mark II, or to compare with the rest of Canon's offerings, visit Canon's Cinema EOS camera product listings on the web.