Why 4K?

[Jannard]

Why shoot 4K? If the world is currently finishing in 1080P and 2K, what is the real advantage to 4K?

The key word is "currently".

Sony has placed several hundred 4K projectors in theaters. Christie, Barco and Meridian have 4K projectors. Epson just showed their 4K projector for the home. Panasonic has released its 152" 4K plasma. Sony, Sharp and Samsung all have shown 4K display prototypes. Why? Because the future is 4K delivery. We think on RED Ray (RED 4K).

So what does that mean? It means that Hollywood Studio libraries can be re-released in 4K. But ONLY if shot on film or RED. If you shot on a 1080P camera... it just won't work. Uprezzing from 1080P to 4K is a 430% jump.

Film resolves around 3K measured (from a 4K scan) and the RED ONE about 3.2K. Those will scale to 4K delivery no problem. EPIC is a 5K sensor that delivers a full 4K measured resolution. More than just about anything you can shoot and exactly what the doctor ordered for the future.

We encourage you to consider the future possibilities of what your footage can be used for when making a camera selection. Why would you shoot SD now? If 4K delivery is the future, why would you shoot 1080P and limit future options?

Jim

[Tim Sutherland]

I think that's one of the great selling points for indie films as well, even if you're finishing in 1080p now, if your film gets picked up for distribution, no matter how they want to finish it, you've got that 4k 'digital negative' to go back to. And that's a great backup to have.

Tim

[Michael Hastings]

Originally Posted by Jannard

Why shoot 4K? If the world is currently finishing in 1080P and 2K, what is the real advantage to 4K?

The key word is "currently".

Sony has placed several hundred 4K projectors in theaters. Christie, Barco and Meridian have 4K projectors. Epson just showed their 4K projector for the home. Panasonic has released its 152" 4K plasma. Sony, Sharp and Samsung all have shown 4K display prototypes. Why? Because the future is 4K delivery. We think on RED Ray (RED 4K).

So what does that mean? It means that Hollywood Studio libraries can be re-released in 4K. But ONLY if shot on film or RED. If you shot on a 1080P camera... it just won't work. Uprezzing from 1080P to 4K is a 430% jump.

Film resolves around 3K measured (from a 4K scan) and the RED ONE about 3.2K. Those will scale to 4K delivery no problem. EPIC is a 5K sensor that delivers a full 4K measured resolution. More than just about anything you can shoot and exactly what the doctor ordered for the future.

We encourage you to consider the future possibilities of what your footage can be used for when making a camera selection. Why would you shoot SD now? If 4K delivery is the future, why would you shoot 1080P and limit future options?

Jim

Totally agree. I get very frustrated looking at my wall of Standard Def tapes that I shot of some of the most exotic places in the world (many that have been irreparably damaged).

Of course I also want to get my hands on that 9K 645 Epic too, but that's another story!

[Felix K.]

I'll try to save up my 5k to get my 3k when it's ready :) Gotta wait for the 4k a while, but I also see that it will be the future... If nothing else it will keep an industy alive.

Side-note: HD Television is just starting in Germany and it's a mess...

[Cüneyt Kaya]

for me the reasons to shoot 4k.

lets say 2k is the standard now...i have enough material to really do what i want to do with the image (scale etc.). 2nd 4k is future proof for a very very long time. (i dont know much cameras who can produce stack footy now to advertise the tomorow 4k displays hehe)

last but not least, you just cant stop technology, my attitude: be a cool surfer, ride the wave and enjoy what will happen the next years.

as long as i dont get mad, me personnaly wont buy a 1080p 100k usd camera which is tape based...thats like trying to save the dinosaurs status artificially alive...( i know people invested heavily in hd cam decks etc. and its prooved, and its working now, but this will change really really fast, sorry but it also sounds like dinosaurs whining to me)

i am waiting for the 4k RT internetstream straight to my 4k Plasma (guess 5 years..hehe)
what about a redtunes jim? :)

[Eric Lange]

Frankly that’s the only thing that really makes sense for cinematic S-3D from capture to final presentation.

[Adam Clark]

can't wait for epicx... shooting high speed at full res. i'll drink to that. i'll drink to about anything though. cheers!

[Mohammed El Sharqawy]

and where is the place of 3K in the 4K projection?
I bet more than 70% of the 3K shoots will output as 1080p HD res.. that few will keep a copy of their 2.5K (real res) files.. unless RED RAY RRD will be a really interesting format to go with...

[Frank Weeks]

.i have enough material to really do what i want to do with the image (scale etc.)

This is the reason I want 4k. It allows for a better final product at any resolution.

[Sarah C.]

I think 4K is going to be the new "minimum".. it's just that Red is way ahead of the game. Case in point: I used to scan my film negs and chromes at 4K as far back in 1997!! It was mind-boggling to me even at that time 1K - 2K were common scanning resolutions for feature film.

Always best to capture at your best resolution you have available to you at the time.
(shoot Red!) :)
~s