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(Page 1 of 2 pages for this article 1 2 >) Red’s new approach - modular digital stills and motion cameras - 8 new modelsEIGHT new cameras announced today from Red - new lenses too! Filed under:
Today Red announced 8 (yes, EIGHT) new cameras. Sensors range from 2/3” to 186x56mm (yep, that’s 7 1/3 by 2 1/5 INCHES), with resolutions from 3K to 28K, with prices from $2500 to $55,000 for the “brains” of the units (more on that below). Incredibly modular to a Legos or Erector Set degree. There’s a HUGE amount of information up on Red’s website here, but after the jump I’ve organized/summarized, have some analysis, and answers to questions not found on their site. Continues after the jump.... OK, first off, go read what they posted here. Got questions? Yeah, me too. So keep reading. First off, I wanted to wrap my head around this more. Also, this is as I understand it, as explained by Ted at their presentation on the Fox lot on the 13th, and he said he might get some stuff wrong, and I may have heard incorrectly, and all specs subject to change, so this isn’t gospel. Duly warned. Big Picture Red wants to build highly modular cameras that’ll shoot excellent stills and motion. A motion camera that shoots stills, and a stills camera that shoots motion, they say. They seem to be more biased towards motion, IMHO - there are no optical viewfinders to be found anywhere in the lineup (so no looking through the lens), and there are no uncompressed recording options, even for stills. Ted defends this saying users will be happy with what they get. Hmm. We’ll have to see, especially at the new incredibly high resolutions (and shallow depths of field!) these new systems will be capable of, pulling focus could be Mighty Tough, even with the new 1080p outputs (yes, two of’em) on Epic. My gut says most users will be satisfied most of the time..except for those wanting a dedicated DSLRs full functionality.
These will be incredibly modular systems - there are a bunch of accessories that attach in series, like Lego blocks, on the back - things like batteries, control panels (which are wireless up to 100 feet, super slick!), even video outputs are not part of the camera body. It looks like they’ve listened to the pros about accessories, so the balance CAN be better on this one than the Red One, but it is not that sunken football blob wrapping around your shoulder some wanted/dreamed/hoped for. Oh, and these are all preliminary renders, so I’m betting visually it’ll still change quite a bit before it ship - so give them your feedback to improve anything BEFORE they lock it down…
These will cost more than you will think at first - when you buy the “brains” of the cameras, from what I can tell, you are NOT getting any of the following:
So if you thought the $17,500 Red One was incomplete, these are even moreso. So I’d be prepared to spend at least double, if not 3 or more times, the cost of the brain on accessories, if past trends continue (I’m about $50K into my purportedly $17,500 Red One, and don’t have sticks, head, matte box, follow focus, microphones, and a slew of other stuff that would make a complete shooting package that I still itch to have). Hmm - that sounds like bitching, it isn’t intended to be - just the reality you need to be aware of. Details There are two product lines, Scarlet, which is lower end professional/highest end prosumer, and Epic, which is full on, heavy duty professional. Here’s a chart with all the hard data I could find from Red’s website and their presentation today:
(click above to pop-up the “All The Details” chart in its own window)
This chart includes product name, price, estimated ship date, sensor details (format, size, dimensions, pixel size, pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, megapixels), max frame rates at full res, max Redcode data rates, bit depth, estimated dynamic range in stops, and what lens mounts will work with the cameras. Basically, all the numeric data available at this time on all the new cameras. You’re welcome. Sensors
Basically, Red has two new sensors in a variety of sizes:
Mysterium will bump dynamic range about a stop, from Red One’s 10+ stops to 11+ stops, and is still a 12 bit A/D (analog to digital conversion)
I notice that the pixel size and sensor width on the medium format 645 sensor equals the HEIGHT of the ultrawide 617 format - perhaps is just 2 1/2 or so of those chips laid out wide.... Bodies These sensors will live in one of two bodies - Scarlet (smaller, lesser featured) and Epic (bigger, more robustly featured) Scarlet will be about 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 by 5 1/4 inches, and Epic will be about 3/4” wider and 3/4” deeper as well (both are same height). Target weigths are under 3 and about 4 pounds, respectively. Very good. Key to the program is that accessories are interchangeable between ALL Epic and Scarlet pieces. There is one little riser piece with an adaptor somewhere Ted was saying, but other than that, interchangeable EVERYTHING. The accessories look much smarter than the original Red One stuff as well - they’ve been listening. GOOD. Modules can be added to the back or sides or bottom - there’s a side grip and a bottom grip (batteries can go in both), and stacking on the back in Lego block fashion you can add things like bigger batteries, video outputs, and the control surface. Which comes off, for wireless remote control (even of iris/focus/zoom) from up to 100 feet away. Sexy SCHAWEET! Ahem. Pardon. Enthusiasm, etc. You can even have two of ‘em on an Epic - assistant and operator. Even on the front, the lens mount comes off to put on other mounts. Between Scarlet and Epic, you get choices of the new Red Mini Mount, the bigger Red mount, Nikon and Canon still lens mounts (electronic? With all the hookups to drive stuff? Dunno, but want to!), PL mount, Mamiya and medium format mounts, C mounts, and B4 mounts. Obviously, not all at the same time or on the same box, but you get the idea - LOTS of choices with each unit. The “brains” are SMALL - here’s Ted holding an Epic brain with a WORKING prototype (#2, couldn’t let anybody touch/hold) of one of their new prime lenses:
Improved Redcode They’ll obviously have to tweak Redcode a little bit to handle the new pixel sizes - adding 3K, 6K, 9K, and 28K to the mix, in a new slew of aspect ratios. I asked Ted what this new naming scheme means for Redcode - he said is different from the current Redcode measurements, which is predicated on 4K 24p datarate per second. With these new numbers being bandied about (especially the 225 and 500 numbers), those are based on max frame rate at max resolution. So if I understand it right, 225 MB/sec for 100 fps would yield 2.25 MB/frame, which would be about 50% more datarate than Redcode 36 (36/24=1.5 MB/frame)...UPDATE - nah, ditch all presumptions - asked, and was told apparently is new & complicated system to figure out but will make sense once we see in the UI on camera. Anyway, it’ll be mo’ betta’ is what they’re saying. I trust’em. Lenses Red will be making their own electronic lenses, in a Red-Mini Mount (for the 2/3” Scarlets) and larger formats as well. They showed a 15-25mm model on screen, and Ted had the 2nd prototype lens on a mockup he was carrying around as well - details are on the Red website, same link as above, no pricing given, just some sizes for the Red Mini (2/3") lenses. They’ll have larger Red Mount lenses for the bigger sensored cameras as well. Think of’em as tiny mini-DigiPrimes - fraction of size and cost, but probably a fraction of the quality as well. Hopefully a big fraction of the quality. We’ll have to wait and see. (On a vaguely related note, I got my 18-85mm lens and am looking forward to testing the snot out of it - everybody says it is sooooo much better than the 18-50 I currently have, and will probably sell soon - wanna buy it?) UPDATE - oops, I missed the stats on these earlier, here you go:
PL Mount Prime S35 lenses (previously announced):
PL Mount S35 Zooms (previously announced, all shipping, prices on website already)
Red Electronic Lenses, FF35 format
645 and 617 format lenses TBA
mini-Red primes, 2/3” format, Red Mini-Mount
note the VERY low T-stop numbers on the smaller lenses - nice! Lets in lots of light, I’ll chug the DoF numbers some other time using ISee4K on my iPhone… 3D They showed off a 3D rig that would even work for handheld using Scarlets mounted side by side. They are clearly thinking about this stuff (picture on Red’s site at that link) Further Tidbitty Details The chart (linked above) includes all the hard tech stats, here’s some additional info picked up during Q&A or pestering Ted after the session: CAMERAS: -no reflex (through the lens, optical) viewing/viewfinder. Durn. Scarlet probably won’t have ramping -that’ll be an Epic feature -Epic will have two 1080p outputs (separate looks/feeds on each? RAW vs 709 vs false color etc.?) -even higher frame rates than what mentioned here possible - as with Red One, as you window down, frame rates go up on Epic, not necessarily so on Scarlet -those max frame rates YES are or full res - so yeah, 100fps at 6K...wow. -5K and 6K likely sweet spot for feature film work -they like having more resolution, just like in the DSLR world - oversampling can be a GOOD thing. Not concerned that home viewers are limted to 1080i/1080p at best. Sensitivity - gonna go up from Red One, dunno how much yet -ALMOST complete compatibility across Epic - there’s a step-up ring to get to the thicker form factor - other than that, pieces to work across both lines -electronically - the accessories are cross compatible between Epic and Scarlet - some features in Epic obviously won’t work on Scarlet (resolutions, frame rates, etc.) -storage capacity stays the same, so recording duration goes down as data rate goes up (good question Jim Mathers) -while CF and Red Drives WILL work with Epic, might not for all frame rate/resolution/Redcode modes if not fast enough -Red will ride the tech curve - as faster/bigger storage stuff comes out, Red will adopt -uncompressed stillls? Don’t see that as their future - when see the Redcode results, will quiet them the way the uncompressed outputs and - in the end, the orders were in the single digits for the uncompressed version - if it makes sense, there’s enough demand and biz model, but they are happy with the wavelet as the future - was great in gen 1, will get better in gen 2 -existing Red drives WILL work on future stuff - for 3K Scarlet yes, but under certain configs won’t be fast enough -PL CAN be put on the FF35 stuff, WILL be able to do anamorphics -most popular Epic? FF or S35? FF is $35K, isn’t much difference in price, that small price bump is worth it for the coverage and frame size and stuff -FF35 WILL work with traditional anamorphics - aspect ratio for FF35 -1080p multiple outputs on Epic? - YES! FF35 is full frame 4x3 sensor something new called DNRX technology to get better dynamic range (is that for DyNamic Range eXtension or something?) -existing reel & stuff is at Redcode 28 & 36, the new stuff goes up to Redcode 42 (this hints that Redcode 42 is the nominal datarate, whereas 225/500 are “max” datarates for 100fps etc. - not sure, just a thought) can have TWO remotes - one for assistant, one for operator (but if don’t have two completely separate processing engines to allow separate monitoring (709 vs RAW vs Redspace vs false color vs focus assist) is of limited usage) WILL have SSD module for Scarlet there’s a swiss company that makes a 617 format camera that shoots 1fps for something 2.5x bigger than IMAX doing up to 25fps on this unit LENSES: -no comment on stabilization technology (vital to be competitive in the stills market) at this time. Somebody next to me, who knew more about lens stuff in general, said those lenses were too big to stablize internally....so hmm… -electronic lenses will allow for REMOTE control of iris/focus/zoom...but with a manual focus mode too (vital!) and I’d imagine gearing for follow focuses as well… 3D RIG - I asked about the interocular distance of that 3D rig, Ted didn’t know off the top of his head they specifically designed it longer rather than wider - viable for 3D 3K @ 2/3” they have mini-Red mount lenses, from 6.5 to 75mm - think of them as tiny DigiPrimes (at less cost and probably less quality, but hey, stilll way fun!) POLICIES: -yep, you’ll get full credit of your $17,500 spent on Red One for an Epic, or a discount on Scarlet stuff -demand likely high for the new stuff, Red One owners get priority -a number of ways Red One owners will get benefits, probably will have a wait list for Epics for Red One owners, details TBD keep watching Reduser.net and red.com for further details and policies -moving from one sensor to another (like S35 to FF35) for a given Epic body - maybe, no policy on that yet, technical and biz factors to be figured out OK, and if that isn’t enough, all my raw (haha) notes are on the next page, from which I culled all this, and has more workflow, lens, current projects, and other details I’m getting too tired to type in now. I’ll also try to update this one with the pictures I took today, haven’t downloaded them yet. Is midnight, had little sleep, time to crash, but don’t forget to read the next page for more details and info… -mike (Page 1 of 2 pages for this article 1 2 >) 
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