From Hype to Screen

[Adam Ings]

I've posted a reply very similar in another thread, but I thought it'd be good to hear other people's views on this...

Given that Red One took a long time from it's first announcement to delivery for those customers who bought it, how long is an acceptable wait for the Scarlet?

I certainly think that the pitch for Red One was for a massively higher quality camera than was available at the time and indeed the foreseeable future...today it is only rivalled by cameras costing many times it's price.

However, if scarlet turns out to be 1080P, or equivilent quality of HPX500, HVX200, EX1 et al, then a long wait wouldn't make too much sense.
Don't get me wrong, I think that a camera at that quality designed specifically for 'Digital Cinema' use would be great; having the features and functions relevant to shooting drama (big chip/shallow depth of field, PL mount), not some of the useless (to most 'film' shooters) functions designed to help 'run and gun' shooters. With a high quality VF/Monitor, it should create a very similar working environment as you get on a film shoot.

I feel certain that Red will do it at a great price, as they have done to some degree with Red One, but with the HD market progressing more quickly than ever, I wouldn't want to buy into a camera that is obsolete in the year I have to wait to get my hands on it...Not that it will be 'obsolete' of course, as it'll still be high def and more useable in the situations I like to shoot in than the HVX/EX1, especially when you have to bolt on lens adapters.

If what I imagine comes to life, this will be an amazing camera for a certain level...

Does this make sense to anyone?

Any thoughts yourself Mr. Jannard?!

[J.D. Frey]

it depends on other things besides resolution- however I don't think 1080p would be "good enough". Aiptek has a camera for 150.00 that does 720p- is it a cheap (quality) camera? yes, but it's a pretty powerful toy. I was using my old DV camera to spec scenes on site with actors etc. for preproduction, and since i've replaced it with a higher resolution toy.

Now if Scarlet has at least 2k resolution (Jim has actually written that anything less than 4k is a stop gap and that our TV's etc. should all be 4k) and the features and price of a very nice pocket cam then I'll wait for it. Of course I get to play with the red until it comes out so that helps a bit.

[Videoteque73]

Reusing the Millenium sensor at 4K, REDCINE, all the software and most of the firmware part would be great!!!
I hope they make it 4K, CF only, fixed lens and less than 8K$!!!

[Stokestack]

Remember that a single 2K chip would not give you a legitimate 2K image. After debayering, you're going to wind up with something more akin to 720P resolution.