Cinegear Expo 2006 Part #1: RED Up Close

the main object of my visit of the CineGear Expo was to check out the RED Camera booth. I wasn't the only one. It was one of the busiest booths I saw there, popular not only with 'tourists' like myself, but with expo workers. While I was in the booth, several people from Panasonic came by to check out the competition.

If you're just tuning in, the RED camera has stirred up a lot of interest from indie filmmakers (and others) on account of its claims of high resolution and adaptability at low cost. But with no working prototype -- not until first quarter of next year, they said -- others remain justifiably skeptical.

Seeing the displays up close, I could sympathize with the skeptics. In rather cheesy industrial-looking cases were some rubber shapes...

See the photos and continue reading about RED's Cinegear presentation...:



The main change to the external design since NAB is that the cylindrical body has been extended an inch. This would seem to indicate nothing is very far along in terms of manufacturing.

On top of that, the crux of the camera, the RGB 'Mysterium' sensor, is "not ready for public scrutiny," according to booth rep Stuart English. He said images from the sensor had circulated within the company, but they didn't anticipate releasing any for the public until next fall. The sensor, English said, is equivalent in size to a frame of 3-perf super35 film.

What else did I learn about the RED One? Familiar to users of such cameras as the Sony VX Series, the Panasonic AG-HVX200, or Canon GL-2, the RED camera has a flip out screen on one side. Where this display beats the pants off those others is its HDMI resolution and on-screen displays. A demo image showed A1/A2 audio channel monitors and a histogram, none covering the image. They are also working on a visual representation of focus for the display, English said. This is a very much needed feature. The program they are developing does not, however, blow up an area of the image on the screen for focus by eye. You set the object you want to focus on, and a graphical display tells you when you are approaching focus and when it is peaking. He did not know what visual representation this 'focus helper' would ultimately take.

On the lenses: English was mildly embarassed that the RED lens in the display case (their 300mm F2.8, I believe) had a Cooke cap on it. I asked him if the lenses were making use of Oakley's optics technology. English stressed vigorously that even though Oakley and RED shared a CEO, they were different companies. They have a relationship that allows for "access" that involves paying for Oakley's research. English's denial of tech sharing was somewhat subverted by the fact he was wearing a bright red Oakley shirt, and he and everyone working the booth were wearing Oakley sunglasses.

The people in the RED booth didn't seem like snake oil salesmen. I believe they are genuinely working to have the camera meet or exceed the high expectations that have been set by the buzz. I hope Sony, Canon and Panasonic are losing sleep worrying about RED's business model. If you can upgrade a camera module by module -- and the camera is adaptable enough to be used in everything from home movies to broadcast to feature films -- then all this 'proprietary mounts and tapes' baloney is out the window. Sony, especially, makes a lot of money on that baloney. They all manage to squeeze more money by limiting features on their cheaper models, and cycling obsolescence every few years. Instead of dropping a few thousand on a camera every few years, people will have to decide if dropping $17,500 (RED's ballpark price, sans lens or recording unit) is worth the massive gains in performance.

Beyond the (H)DV world, the RED will be attractive for filmmakers looking for a 35mm film-equivalent output for greatly reduced cost and increased portability. Since most studio films go through a 4k digitization process (called a DI or Digital Intermediate) anyway, the RED could save a lot of money, labor and time right there.

SCANS FROM R.E.D. FLYERS:
Red One Brochure
Red One Recording Matrix
Red One 300mm Lens
Red Obsolescence

EARLIER POSTS ON THE R.E.D. CAMERA:
Post-NAB price reveal; links to HDforIndies' posts
RED engineer Ted Schilowitz interviews
CEO Jim Jannard interview

MORE FROM THE CINEGEAR EXPO:
Part 2: Gear for Indies

POST CINEGEAR RED UPDATES:
Zak has gethered them together