The Red Digital Cinema camcorder set digital filmmakers into a tizzy when it was introduced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention last April, because it's really hard to make a digital camera capable of 4K (4,520 x 2540 pixels) image acquisition for a price the company quoted at $17,500 (all near-competitors cost well over $100K). During its introduction, many were skeptical, and that doubt was fueled by the lack of any working prototypes. Now, Mike Curtis, a cinematographer who has been following the development of the Red camera, laid his own eyes on some of the first footage from its so-called "Mysterium" sensor. He was impressed:
"Red is onto something here. Something BIG. Something that if they continue to fulfill their stated specs and objectives, could and probably should substantially alter the landscape. The test footage I saw off the Mysterium ... makes me think Red is truly going to be a force to contend with, that it will compare favorably with existing high end digital cinema cameras...at ANY price."
Maybe this low-cost, high-quality camcorder is for real after all. Red Digital Cinema, started by Oakley sunglasses founder Jim Jannard, didn't say when the camcorder would be available.
Mike sees footage from Mysterium sensor [HD for Indies]
Red Digital Cinema Intros Red One 4K Camcorder [Hollywood Industry]