More details on RED's DSMC (Digital Still & Motion Camera)

You heard that Nikon busted out a DSLR with a 720p movie mode, right? Even that is going to pale in comparison to RED's alternative, or at least that's what RED would have you to believe. In a recent post over at the REDuser forums, Jannard points out that its DSLR "replacement" should be ready to rock by late 2009, and while an official name has yet to arrive, it's going by DSMC (Digital Still & Motion Camera) for the time being. Also of note, Jannard casually mentioned that this piece would be more advanced than Nikon's D90 and an undisclosed 1080p DSLR from Canon; that's the first we've heard of such a beast, but given the natural progression of technology, we suppose it fits. C'mon guys, 3K 4K 5K shooting in a DSLR, we know you can do it.

[Tony Bowman @ Sep 10th 2008 2:08PM]

i LOVE the stuff RED is doing.

[nerdtalker @ Sep 10th 2008 2:13PM]

5K shooting in a DSLR = finally a way to fill up those 16 and 32 GB flash memory cards in a quick hurry.

Of course, they're gonna need to be fast, what with the bitrate of even a compressed VC-1 stream (it's probably MPEG4?)

[konshuss @ Sep 10th 2008 7:27PM]

i'm going to reasonably assume there is some method of spooling in effect to removable media, so it writes at a rate slightly less than what would cause it to go flying like it's shot out of a high calibre rifle.

[rob @ Sep 10th 2008 2:39PM]

red uses there own redcode codec... its raw lossless compresion via red.com

[rob @ Sep 10th 2008 2:43PM]

i meant "their" not "there"

[j_g_puff @ Sep 10th 2008 3:54PM]

Ouch. That is going to DESTROY solid state memory.

[Viaono @ Sep 10th 2008 2:37PM]

I kinda like PRODUCT (RED) - We got ultra HD pictures, useful for high quality editing.

but I don't understand why our engadget comment have to fade-by-rating.

[loosely_coupled @ Sep 10th 2008 4:26PM]

RED != product(RED)

[Apreche @ Sep 10th 2008 2:40PM]

If only I could afford it.

[timmytimetravel @ Sep 10th 2008 2:59PM]

I'm presuming already that they are not going with the rolling shutter design of the D90. Combine that with 24fps and its really killing anything that involves slightly above turtle-speed pans...

Check out the polo video from the d90 amongst these ones, and look at the trees in the background during quick pans, and you'll see what I mean....

http://www.vimeo.com/d90

http://vimeo.com/1695189

[FilmCaptain @ Sep 10th 2008 3:28PM]

Not speaking for them, but wishing I could - I can't imagine them putting something like this together with these claims with a restriction like slow-pans. Jannard isn't cutting corners.

[Jimmy Hoffa @ Sep 10th 2008 3:41PM]

So it probably will still have the rolling shutter effect (I think all CMOS sensors have that problem); but the effect will probably be miniscule in comparison to d90, since the red camera will be specifically designed to avoid those kinds of problems.

[kadajawi @ Sep 10th 2008 3:59PM]

Yeah, while it's awesome footage, that really sucks. Well, at least Saving Private Ryan 2 can be shot with it. But smooth pans... :( Still, awesome thing. And I expect the RED DSLR to be really nice.

[Filmcaptain @ Sep 10th 2008 3:16PM]

It will likely be far far less expensive than you imagine. RED is amazing with the things they're doing, and also with the price.

[Fred @ Sep 10th 2008 3:30PM]

Red is kicking ass and taking names. It's not much of a stretch to think they'll do just what they say.

[Foof @ Sep 10th 2008 6:19PM]

Huh? Undisclosed 1080p camera from Canon? Might this not be the real news tidbit in the article?

Personally, I don't know what I'd do with video > 1080p. Sure, I'll take it I guess, but what would I display it on? My home IMAX theater?

[neofolklore @ Sep 11th 2008 12:46AM]

brb, photoshop.

[Herbal Ed @ Sep 12th 2008 2:46PM]

Re. Huh? Undisclosed 1080p camera from Canon? Might this not be the real news tidbit in the article?

Personally, I don't know what I'd do with video > 1080p. Sure, I'll take it I guess, but what would I display it on? My home IMAX theater?


It could be displayed on a plasma that can display 1080p.

[Jeff @ Sep 10th 2008 7:10PM]

If you read the whole thread over at reduser.com you would get a slightly more accurate picture of exactly what was going on, and as someone there mentioned Single Lens Reflex just doesn't work when you do anything approaching 24/30 fps because the mechanism to turn the mirror only lasts about 300,000 times so they kinda have to redo the whole viewfinder approach. They would have to use a video feed from the sensor. Also, why would red make a 5k picture/video camera that directly competes with their own Epic camera. They will both use the same Monstro sensor.

this is all from this thread http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=277174#post277174

[foof @ Sep 10th 2008 9:19PM]

This makes no sense. They don't need to do anything different than any DSLR with live view or video capture. No DSLR displays a video feed by actuating the reflex mirror or the mechanical shutter 24-30 times a second. The mirror goes up, locks up (same with the shutter) and the sensor captures at a framerate determined by the hardware/software, just like any camcorder. The "shutter speed" of all of these cameras in video or still mode is now handled via an electronic shutter; the mechanical shutter merely protects the glass in front of the sensor. Only when the video is done do the mirror and the shutter then unlock and come down.