Want to know what "pocket professional" means?

[Zack Birlew]

Well, I happened to wander around in Fry's Electronics today and I saw an unfamiliar video camera on display. I picked it up and played around with it and was surprised to see that it had 24p at 1920x1080. It records in AVCHD onto SD memory cards and it has full manual controls. On top of everything it was incredibly tiny and weighed practically nothing.

Here it is:

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Camcorders/Hi-Def-Camcorders/model.HDC-SD9.S_11002_7000000000000005702#tabsection

Granted it doesn't have an audio input jack, but most will record audio seperately anyway and, at $800, it's a decent trade off as it at least has Dolby 5.1 surround sound to make up for it. This is what the Scarlet SHOULD be. Yep, I said it! :gun: It was just an incredible experience to hold such a small inexpensive camera and realize that it had every digital filmmaking feature that I could ask for. I had been considering fully the Canon HF10 or HF100 ever since I saw them at CES but I can't believe I missed this little gem at the Panasonic booth.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is that we shouldn't fear the term "pocket professional". I've just seen what the Scarlet could very well be today and now I'm more excited than ever about NAB this year!:sorcerer:

P.S. What I could see RED doing is adding interchangeable C-mount lenses, and along with REDCODE as the recording option, that would be perfect.

[Jeff Deveraux]

Jack-
Sorry bro, but AVCHD is far from professional.

[Zack Birlew]

Sorry, Jeff, I think you may have missed the point. What I'm saying about the SD9 is that:

1. IT'S F-ING TINY!!! :sorcerer:

2. It offers 24p.

3. It has full manual controls.

4. It's as light as a feather.

5. Regardless of compression method, it is at least tapeless 1920x1080.

6. It's relatively inexpensive at $800 (a bit less elsewhere).

The ones that I stress for the Scarlet is #1 and #4. This thread is meant to convey how cool it would be to have such a small camera capable of such advanced features, the SD9 being simply an example. A lot of people are thinking that "pocket professional" is a bad thing and some are even going as far to say, or dare I say "dream", that the camera will somehow be DVX-sized. A DVX won't fit in anybody's pocket, maybe a suitcase pocket, but that hasn't been indicated by anybody at RED so far and it is also trying to make more out of the word "pocket" than how it has been used collectively as "professional pocket camera". I'm trying to show that "pocket professional" isn't a bad thing at all. If the Scarlet is just a sensor in a box, that isn't a bad thing either.

Of course, as I said, RED will probably step up the game and, I think, add these things over something like the SD9:

A. Add more resolution (2K)

B. Add interchangeable C-mount lenses

C. Use REDCODE instead of AVCHD

D. Have uncompressed audio in some way

E. Use CF instead of SD cards

[Mr. Guiyotinne]

I agree. Just make the block with the guts and better specs fit in a pocket and I wll carry my nikons and microphone in the others. Pocket cam.

[oldphart]

Sorry, Jeff, I think you may have missed the point. What I'm saying about the SD9 is that:

1. IT'S F-ING TINY!!! :sorcerer:

2. It offers 24p.

I want 2k@72p.



3. It has full manual controls.

4. It's as light as a feather.

I do not see that as a good sign.
Especially since the thing has 4mm CCDs, I would want >12mm (s-16 sized).



5. Regardless of compression method, it is at least tapeless 1920x1080.

6. It's relatively inexpensive at $800 (a bit less elsewhere).

Nor is that very reassuring.
I have one of those tiny Panasonics.
It takes stills in 2k, and they clearly show that the optics are not nearly good enough. Otherwise it is a nice enough camera, and quite robust. It lives in my pocket or the side pocket of my laptop bag without problems, but it is far from acceptable. It is just handy and better than my mobile phone.


The ones that I stress for the Scarlet is #1 and #4.
... If the Scarlet is just a sensor in a box, that isn't a bad thing either.

I am all for tiny (within limits), but not for lightweight. I want a robust body and a heavy battery pack. I want a high-resolution viewfinder - ideally a 2k OLED panel for a 2k camera. It is more important than price, but if it is interchangeable people may choose their own priorities.


Of course, as I said, RED will probably step up the game and, I think, add these things over something like the SD9:

A. Add more resolution (2K)

B. Add interchangeable C-mount lenses

C. Use REDCODE instead of AVCHD

D. Have uncompressed audio in some way

E. Use CF instead of SD cards

Now you're talking! :nerd:

[Jeremy Hughes]

Yes the sensors are too small, and I want CMOS bayer.

[Zack Birlew]

oldphart, I think you may be in luck with the OLED viewfinder, Silicon Imaging is going to be showing off their OLED viewfinder at NAB. It'll be $4,000 and connect via 15-pin VGA, if I'm not mistaken. Sadly, the resolution is only 800x600, not 2K native.

But of course, I don't think RED would leave us high and dry as far as quality LCD and/or viewfinders are concerned!:wink:

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Interchangeable lenses for a pocket cam?

Pocket cams should be tiny, light, and practical (like OP said). Adding interchangeable lenses breaks the whole deal.

More weight for a pocket cam? People want a pocket cam that it's not a pocket cam.

That's really confusing...

I guess they'll have Borat advertising for Scarlet: "The RED new pocket cam.... NOT!"

[dvpixl]

man this is getting tired. just weeks away guys...

[Kreisky]

Jack-
Sorry bro, but AVCHD is far from professional.

funny evereybody says something else........
but you right compared to 4K uncompressed it is,
well this is pocket if you ask me:
http://www.ikonoskop.com/gallery/index.asp

[dvpixl]

that's film.

[Kreisky]

its super16, but dam its close to pocket !