Why 4k

[Graeme Nattress]

Even if you're thinking HD resolutions or 2k for RED, here's why I think 4k is the way:

1) Longevity: Get a nice shot in 4k and it will last years for stock photography. A programme made in 4k will be salable for many years to come.

2) Quality: There's no substitute for quality and that's what 4k gives you. On big screen, it's simply stuning.

3) Reframing: If you're doing an HD or 2k production, you've got lots of room to reframe and zoom with 4k.

4) Oversampling: Going down to HD? Now you're oversampling which is always great for image quality.

5) Unique Selling Point: Need to differentiate yourself from your competitors? Then shoot 4k when they're still stuck in HD.

Anyone have any more good 4k uses?

Graeme

[David Limpus]

Graeme what do you see as cost effective long term archive storage for the 4k data with passable transfer rates to and from the archive?

[Graeme Nattress]

Original 4k camera data can be kept in it's native REDCODE RAW form. That should keep data rates manageble to a great extent. The whole of the IT industry is working on ways to archive the gigabytes of data needed, and I personally think that normal hard drives will keep data ok until large format optical or holographic media is readily available, with data tape keeping us going through that.

Graeme

[David Limpus]

Is there a REDCode data rate table listed? With storage I will have to start look for a spectra T950 going cheap.

[Jim Arthurs]

4) Oversampling: Going down to HD? Now you're oversampling which is always great for image quality.

What I've said since the first images released is that the RED is the ultimate 2K camera due to the oversampling. Oversampling gives you desired natural sharpness, not artifical edge enhanced sharpness or an image that is overly soft, like I see from native 2K/1080 Bayer sensors.

Regards,

[Ace]

Oversampling apply directly to project.
Oversampling apply directly to project.
Oversampling apply directly to project.

[Blaine Golden]

I think this is just a no-brainer. Regarding storage: it's going to continue to grow and two years from now we'll be wondering how we ever got along with that measly 500GB hard drive.

[Michael Morlan]

This is good stuff. I've adapted it for my rental site. I re-wrote Graeme's initial thoughts as;

Longevity: A 4k frame can serve as stock and production photos. A 4K program will be sellable for many years to come.

Visual Effects: When the extra detail for a green screen key or difficult camera track is needed, 4K delivers four times the information as 2K.

Reframing: Producing an HD or 2K show? Use a 4K frame for re-frames and punch-ins.
Save time on the set by eliminating setups and performance discontinuities. DoP's like to re-light and reframe closer to the axis on close-ups, but when schedules are tight or a shot was missed, 4K can save the shoot.

Over-sampling: 4K down-sampled to 2K or HD produces more natural detail than native cameras' sharpening algorithms.


M

[Graeme Nattress]

2k downsampled from 4k can look nice, but, given a big screen and a projector, which is nicer:

4k on a 4k projector, or

2k downsampled from 4k on a 2k projector,

assuming both projectors are of equal quality.

Graeme

[Tonaci Tran]

Is this a quiz? 4K projection is inKredible and kills any 2k projector.