If you have time on your hands to geek out.. the Wiki page is fun to read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RED_Digital_Camera_Company
I particularily love the "neutrality of this article is disputed" on top of the page.
They spent a year marketing the dang RED CAMERA. Over a year. The Red.. the RED. Did you see the RED? Have you shot on the RED? .The Red! The RED! I wanna shoot on the RED. I'm a real filmmaker... I'm gonna shoot on the RED. Yes, its' gorgeous. But...
Frankly, sigh.
The thing is quirky. The company has now abandoned the RED ONE.
If you go on the RED site, you will see this,
RED RENDERS OBSOLESCENCE OBSOLETE"
The interviews on the site are amazing..however.
Perhaps it's changing filmmaking... as Soderberg suggests.
WE are out of the tents where the HD apparatus put us. We are now back on set. We work now more like with a film camera.
We are back to getting a quality in our optics that we started to get used to with the Vision family of stocks.. however different. But, it's quirky and there's still something missing, I say. Its not just that it's not rugged. Software issues have happened. Something in the optics.
RED has moved on to the newest latest RED incarnation.. and abandoned the first. Panasonic gave birth to the HDX as a cheaper Varicam. The Varicam costs $80,000. The HDX $20,000. THe HDX, however midly solid for most field work.. is somewhat more trustworthy than the new hot RED, albeit similar in cost. One is 4k though.. but, I don't trust it.
The lack of trust and cost.. that's why it's exciting. That and oh, yeh.. the 4k thing.
The optics are more amazing in terms of clarity and yes, the workflow easier, more like a film workflow. Yeh, Yeh, Yeh, Amazing that it's raw 4k files at that cost. Yeh, yeh.
But what are you shooting? Does it call for this type of clarity?
I argue, the RED is NOT field friendly and the hype doesnt support the companies behavior... of abandoning their first incarnation of the beast. I mean, flower.
Now, it's all third party bullshit and they're onto the newest version and abandoned the first. Doesn't this make you wonder?
Why would I care about the next RED when the RED ONE was abandoned ?
I love Panasonic and Sony. I love engineers and camera manufactors I trust because I was weened on when I starting eating HD babyfood. I also can't stand the hype. The thing is in it's infancy.
Who cares who shoots on it first?
Its about what you shoot and how you shoot it.
Soon, we will all have 4k files. Not just RED 4k files.
The workflow is easier.. maybe.
Panasonic and Sony have a historical science in their engineering and there's a consistentcy with a few exceptions. This is where I get trust.
Maybe they won't look as good as the secret technology inside the RED... right now but soon it will. The most flexible camera with the most beautiful optics will always be debated.
The Red looks different. There is no "passion" to it.
What is the look of the RED?
pure clarity. high resolution. Other than that.. I think it's up to who is shooting. Like a hundred years ago.
The Red has a very scientifically correct -look. , almost an understated piercing clarity. It is an uber duber clarity. I would argue.. not all projects call for that, however. Even with soft glass.
In time, I may learn to LOVE the RED and if I work with it more. I might. But, I'm waiting for it to grow out of it's infacny. Trust develops over time with optics. In every situation.
To think the best optics, highest res, easiest perfect workflow camera has arrived...poof... you may be right.. but, I won't take projects down a road unless I trust it.
But, filmmakers are those that have historically taken risks? And isn't it true our lives are a risk? So why not risk it with the red to get low cost 4k files?
I say it's a learning curve...with this baby. If you have the time on your show.. great.. quirk out! In most situations, esp in todays economy.. If not, I'd say skip it... until it evolves more. Most projects don't call for 4k quirk and unknown powerful optics like that.
The product is not ready. Why put your crew and producer through the hair raising edge now? Is it the status of it? Trust is all I need in a camera.
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