Friday, November 14, 2008

Red Epic camera (Updated)

Update again: Mike has a couple of good links.

I find it interesting that there's no "design" at all about the Red products. They are stark and hard and utilitarian, but just from being so well made, they become beautiful after all.

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Update: I thought this was the "DSLR-killer" they'd promised. It's not. (They have a lot of clout, sure, but I will still wait to get excited until we actually see this thing.)
Update: Reichman has a nice overview. And so has wikipedia. (It seems from wiki that the Epic/Scarlet is the "DSLR-killer" after all. Very confusing.)
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When Leica announced the S2 system, I said "I must admit I didn't see this coming!" Well, you can take this to the second degree with the Red Epic still/video camera announcement. They have a lot of work to do yet before it'll be for sale, but one thing shocks me: it'll have sensors up to 6x18 centimeters! An 18 centimeter long sensor! The biggest (and very expensive) one we have right now is less than 5cms, and I really didn't think that would ever be trumped significantly.

RED seem to want to be original in everything, for example the Epic brochure is not a PDF file, it's one hugely tall JPG. Odd. :-)



I like the look of their lenses. Yum.
They have plans of a radical 3D system:


I am amazed at how this upstart company can make these amazing developments when big Japanese companies with decades of experience are getting mowed down in the market.

What I want to know is, who needs to shoot video at 261 megapixels!? That's over 100 times HD resolution!

One thing I like is that these future RED cameras promise to deliver on something I've long said was the final frontier for digital cameras: high dynamic range. I hope to see the day soon when the constant attention you need to apply to avoid burned out highlights etc (when you can avoid it) is no longer necessary.

2 comments:

1001 noisy cameras said...

The two upcoming Lord of the Rings movies could perhaps be a good field-test for the Epic 617 with the 200+ megapixels? :-) They could make some really nice posters!

Anonymous said...

Very true. Technology has been suppressed long enough. We're really a lot further ahead that we think or believe. The really high tech is being held back to generate revenue for those in control and keeping the sheeple JUST happy enough to exist and work even harder so they can afford the next 'technological breakthrough' - even though it already exists.