Dual Pixel CMOS AF measures phase on the sensor itself, so focus holds on a presenter walking towards the lens even while the zoom moves. Contrast AF, Face AF, Tracking, Continuous AF and AF-boosted MF sit alongside full manual control. Panning spans ±170° and tilting −30° to +90°, each at speeds from 0.1° to 100°/s: slow enough for an on-air creep across an orchestra, quick enough to reach the next speaker between cuts. Up to 100 presets, home position included, can be recalled by speed or by travel time, so pan, tilt and zoom arrive together. Trace captures a move made on the joystick and replays it on cue, while Auto Loop, a paid add-on, holds up to five automatic routes.

Three video paths leave the camera in parallel. The BNC 3G-SDI output (SMPTE 424/425) carries 1080p up to 59.94 or 1080i, sampled 4:2:2 at 10 bits, and embeds both audio and VITC/LTC time code. HDMI adds 2160p at 23.98, 25 or 29.97, sampled the same way. Both share one format, and 2160p on HDMI blanks the SDI, something to settle before rigging. A genlock input locks the head to house sync, and an RS-422 port on RJ45 handles serial control.

Over Gigabit LAN, as many as three H.264 streams (4:2:0, 8-bit) leave at once, with 4K offered at 29.97, 25 and 23.98 Hz frame frequencies. Protocols include NDI|HX2 (NDI 6-compatible since firmware 1.7.0), SRT that adapts its bitrate and reconnects by itself, RTMP/RTMPS and RTP/RTSP. FreeD feeds up to four virtual-set renderers, and control commands arrive in Canon XC or the Standard Communication protocol, serial or IP. A hardware switcher can take the SDI feed while an IP stream goes to a software mixer or a remote gallery.

Two balanced XLR sockets take mic- or line-level signals and supply 48 V phantom, while a 3.5 mm jack with plug-in power suits a radio-mic receiver. Both sources travel inside the SDI, HDMI and network outputs, so the lectern microphone stays in lip-sync with the picture. Power arrives over PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) from a Class 4 switch port or from the 24 V adapter supplied; standard PoE will not run it. Control works over IP, RS-422, Wi-Fi for Canon's Remote Camera Control Application on a tablet, and infrared through the supplied WL-N01 remote. Canon's RC-IP100 and RC-IP1000 panels drive it directly, while wireless operation from an iOS device comes through the Multi-Camera Control app. Canon's free Webcam Driver also turns up to five of its PTZ heads into 4K webcams over Ethernet.

Auto Tracking comes in two tiers. Since firmware 1.5.0 the camera has carried Auto Tracking App RA-AT001 (Lite) at no cost: it chooses whom to follow, holds that person mid-frame, knows two subject sizes and saves a single configuration. Under the paid RA-AT001 licence, the target is picked by hand or by the camera, response is tuned over ten levels, five subject sizes are offered and the person can sit anywhere in frame. Priority and fixed-angle areas, five stored set-ups and Auto Framing (Face Direction, Sit/Stand, Multi-Person) come with it. With firmware 1.8.0 of 15 October 2026, tracking profiles attach to presets, so recalling a position can start or halt tracking; a room-control system can also toggle it by Standard Communication command.

Slovakia's TV JOJ shows what this means for a budget. The broadcaster built PTZ-only studios around eleven CR-N500 heads run from Canon's RC-IP100 controller. According to Canon's case study, each studio now needs one operator instead of five. Equipment savings came to about €40,000 for each camera chain and operating savings to around €200,000 per studio, enough to open three studios instead of the one planned.

Packed with the camera are the WL-N01 remote and its batteries, a mains adapter, the ceiling plate with its fittings and two safety wires. The white body stays discreet under pale hotel or lecture-theatre ceilings; operation is specified indoors only, from 0 to 40 °C. On multi-camera orders we help calculate PoE+ budgets per switch, confirm each head works with the chosen controller and judge where the tracking licence for a Canon CR-N500 White pays back.

Upgrade your content with a new firmware update available August 2025
Download the latest firmware and take advantage of newly added Auto Tracking App RA-AT001* features. Auto Framing features include Multi-Person Framing, that detects and includes multiple people in the frame, while Face Direction Framing and Sit/Stand Framing deliver natural composition for a single person in frame. Additionally, RTMP/SRT auto reconnection and improved camera control from the iOS app is now included.

*Free Auto Tracking App RA-AT001(Lite) available via FW, 1.1.0 or later. A paid license is necessary for full functionality of auto tracking.

Specifications