RED teases some more in preparation for November 13th

This is just mean. With 10 days to go before Red goes official with its Scarlet and Epic announcement, we get this image: a teaser for those of us already teased. Sure, it doesn't look like much now (don't bother looking at the EXIF: nothing), but it's enough to prompt RED Digital Cinema's CEO, Jim Jannard to write that "the most aggressive speculation will not come close to what we will announce Nov. 13th." Careful Jim, our expectations are already pretty high.

[aMac @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:37AM]

While I'm not going to be changing cameras any time soon, if these things are available for different standard mounts, we might be on to something.

Having to replace a lot of glass or be forced to use a new standard would make this a tough sell.

I -do- love their video cameras though. Delicious RED cameras....

[Temple @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:06PM]

For what its worth, most systems can take pretty much any lens with an adapter. Especially the Canon system due to the large diameter of the mount. You can attach Nikon, Oly, Leica, Pentax, Zeiss, lens etc to a most any system via an inexpensive adapter.

The problem is that crucial features like auto-focus(and sometimes metering) do not work with an adapter, and this will be exactly the same situation with RED's cameras (which uses adapters for PL-mounts). Also, phase-detection AF won't work anyways without a mirror-box and optical viewfinder (which the RED DSMC won't have for obvious reasons). This really isn't a problem for videographers since everybody manual focuses for film anyways, but AF is crucial for any high-performance dSLRs (much harder to get exact sharpness/focus on a 12 or 20MP photograph then a 2MP-equivalent video, plus the difference in shooting differences). My point being, RED's mounts(+adapters) are perfectly suited for video, but are far from a usable 'standard' mount in terms of photography.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:49AM]

Obvious Photoshop is obvious.

[DarkLight @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:23AM]

O RLY?

(Yeah sorry for the stupid comment, it's 6:24, have to go to sleep...)

[Ville Wilson @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:39PM]

Well, greetings Mr. Genius. As a graphic designer (but I don't have to be, because most people know this anyway), I have to inform you that most of those product pictures we put in catalogs, brochures, print and presentation materials aren't actual photos, but either 3D renders or very photo-realistic vector drawings, because for most of those gadgets with shiny or complex reflective surfaces it's easier to create a good looking render than to spend an eternity in photo-studio trying to achieve perfect lighting conditions for taking photo without unexpected reflections or light diffractions.

So if you want to enlighten us why this shouldn't have been made in Photoshop, just like a large percentage of other gadget pictures (both existing or conceptual) out there, I'd like to hear it. It might be that you have some revolutionary idea which could prove all of us in graphic design industry wrong.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:52PM]

Well of course I know that most of them are renders. That much is obvious.

But for a teaser shot, I would expect at least a BETTER vector drawing than this. It's complex, sure. But put a little effort into it! Seeing that doesn't make me want the camera. In fact, it does little to prove that the camera exists in anything more than some vaporware's wet dream.

And as I mention in my comment below (that somehow didn't get threaded under this one), it's not the fact that it's a render/shop that I object to. It's the quality. It's a product that's 10 days from launch, an obscenely expensive product at that. They can do better than a flat illustrator screenshot.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:58PM]

Okay, so now that I read the source, I'm guessing this isn't the product that will be released on the 13th. Okay, my bad. Still, it's kind of crude compared to the other renders on their own site, and certainly doesn't match the rhetoric Jannard's handing out.

[Chris @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:59AM]

"a hosting platform for those interested in sharing footage shot on the Red Digital Cinema Camera system. "
http://www.redrelay.net/

(They have clips and short films in very high quality available for download) *FREE*

[Jimmy Hoffa @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:53AM]

It's 10 days to announcement, not 10 days to product launch, or even 10 days to prototype demonstration (Jannard mentioned that he expected the whole thing to be labeled a 'scam' when they announced the details for Scarlet and Epic on the 13th).

The first time a prototype will be unveiled is supposed to be around NAB, so probably they don't have much that's photographable at this point.

[Jimmy Hoffa @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:08AM]

(I was confused by the 'reply' button. That was meant as a reply to Ryan, below)

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:40AM]

The text on the buttons, the knurls on the wheel (not to mention the oh-so-subtle shading behind the knurls), the lack of ANY texture whatsoever on the plastic, etc. It's a render if it's not a photoshop, but either way, it looks kinda cheesy to me.

With 10 days to go, take one of these bad boys, and use it to take a super-closeup picture of another one.

I mean it is a camera, isn't it?

[DarkLight @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:57AM]

Well, this one is a render..

But mind you, it doesn't have to be. You can achieve things like this with some carefully planned lighting

[Ville Wilson @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:46PM]

Oh God, you're right! Those evil maggots! They wanted us to think this was the actual photo of the product, and use that evil scheme to somehow take over the world and turn us into slaves. But we're lucky to have you here. With your amazing powers of insight you've exposed their lies and their pseudo-render-3D-computer-generated illusion and saved us from a great peril. Neo, you're indeed The One.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:59PM]

Calm down, take your blood pressure pill, and go outside. I promise, everything's okay. The bad man can't hurt you anymore.

[Cadillac @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:36PM]

@ Ryan... For someone that bitches so much about product shots (and seemingly everything else) you should take some better ones yourself. http://www.trevisol.com/

[Jake @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

Maybe a DSLR? with that "func./set" button i see on so many DSLR's.....could they be getting into that race?


....btw

Canon ftw with that 5d Mark II.....21 mp for under 3k.....pssh

pure awesomeness

[linuxamp @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:32AM]

A,B,C,D buttons + 3 unmarked buttons... Not very intuitive interface. If I have to read a manual to use a camera it's not designed well.

[Sheynk @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:04AM]

Agreed.... unless they are faking us out and putting fake letters for actual function buttons :-)

[waterwagen @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:10AM]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but by definition you can't label user-defined, custom function buttons. Which nicer DSLRs have.

[csnoke @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:27AM]

Yeh... but if the buttons were labeled "ISO" "WB" and "QUAL" then we'd know exactly what they were announcing.. wouldn't we?

[DC @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:58AM]

This was released on 10-29, there have been 2 more teaser images as well.

[Neil @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:04AM]

I thought that the rotational dial is patented for use on digital cameras by Canon. They call it a 'Quick Control Dial'. Surprised to see it on a Red.

Anybody shed some light on this?

[Benhur @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:10AM]

Introducing................

REDphone!!!

[OriginalAnalog @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:18AM]

Considering the price point of their cameras, I have a hard time seeing the DSLR market as a success for RED. Prosumers are already lens commited. They have to aim for the Hassy or digital medium format market at dslr prices to make an impact.

I would buy an affordable digital med. format camera rather than a Canon 5d.

[Maxskunk @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:27PM]

Wait... is this Speed Racers steering wheel?

[dentaldoc @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:46PM]

Red Needs to Render its Byline Obsolete!

Red Cinema's byline "RED RENDERS OBSOLESCENCE OBSOLETE" is starting to sound a little obsolete. After subtracting all its VaporCine products, one is left with but a single camera. And by Red's own admission, it has rendered it (Red One) obsolete. Not only is it offering to take back all those Red One cameras in trade (some day) for the VaporEpic, but before anybody ever even had a chance to see a prototype of it, Red announced that it too is obsolete!

So the camera that was going to continue in the tradition of keeping obsolescence obsolete, is now itself obsolete!

Who knows, pretty soon they may just decide to render cinema obsolete.

Perhaps it would be a little less confusing (and disingenuous) if Red changed its byline to "Red Renders Obsolescence".

The news buzz psycho head space that Red is trying to occupy makes Apple's accomplishments look positively juvenile, I mean – obsolete.

I'm sorry Red, I didn't mean it. I fear that I have just made myself an unworthy customer with my "bad attitude". Now they won't take my money. Red is about to render me obsolete.