RedScarlet
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Red gets Epic price cut, drops M, X and Scarlet brains by up to 45 percent
Competition is heating up in the high-end digital cinema market, and Red is responding with a slew of massive price cuts. According to CEO Jim Jannard, this "attitude adjustment" is simply a benefit of scaling up production, yielding a decrease in component and assembly costs, and an enormous reduction in assembly time -- the first Epic took 12 hours to build, while current models require just 13 minutes. As a result, the Epic-M has dropped to $24,000 (from $39,500), the Epic-X is now $19,000 (formerly $34,500), the Scarlet is $7,950 (from $9,700) and the EOL'd One MX is priced at $4,000 (once $25,000). The Dragon sensor upgrade will not be included with any new Epic models, and will remain priced at $6,000. Red customers who took the plunge on cameras with former pricing within the last month (on or after October 1st) will receive a discount off future accessory purchases of $4,000 for Epic and $1,000 for Scarlet. With this latest round of discounts, Red cameras are by no means inexpensive, but they're certainly more affordable. If you were already planning to pick one up, Christmas just came a couple months early. [Thanks, Mike]
Red offers 'truckload' of one-time rental Scarlet-Xs for almost $5K off each
If you were thinking of getting a Red Scarlet-X 4K baby cinema cam for that pet film feature, but were on the fence because, well, $11,900 is a lot of cash -- there's good news. The company just announced they would be selling "a whole truckload of Scarlets" for $7,100 each instead, as they had been used on a rental for a "pretty special 3 second shot." As such, the camera body has less than a minute of recording time, and would come with an SSD module, Canon mount and full warranty for that sum -- along with the option to change out the MX sensor to Red's upcoming Dragon model, presumably. Bear in mind that you'd still lack the SSD drive, LCD, batteries or charger needed to shoot, but even with all that would still be under the regular basic price -- meaning you might be able to stop saving up and start shooting.
Red claims Dragon is 'single most significant sensor in the history of image capture'
Red Camera's bombastic CEO, Jim Jannard, says that internal testing of the new 6K Dragon sensor proves that it's the new "resolution and dynamic range king." He also claims it will be "the cleanest sensor you have ever seen, ISO 2000 looks better than MX [the current sensor] at ISO 800." The imaging chip was first outed at NAB in April, promising 15+ stops of DR and 120fps at a full 5K of resolution, with $6,000 upgrades for Epic customers by the end of the year. Owners of the $9,700 (brain only) Scarlet-X will also get the Dragon, though no price or date has been given yet for that camera. Needless to say, some independent testing will be needed to substantiate his claims, but Jannard sure does sound confident.
RED goes beyond cameras with $15,000 REDucation X showbiz immersion
RED's dabbled in the workshop arena with its three-day REDucation classes, but the cinema company's new program ups the session time to a full 16 weeks. REDucation X, which kicks off on October 1st, will run you a cool $15,000 -- approaching the cost of an entire Scarlet-X package. While getting REDucated at RED Studios in Hollywood, you'll learn from high-end film pros alongside 20 other deep-pocketed students as you cover digital production from A to Z, including lighting, shooting and equipment brass tacks, followed by a one-week shoot, and finishing with editing, grading and big-screen delivery. So given the choice, should you buy a new Scarlet, or take the training? We'd love to own one, but it would be nice to know how to use it properly, too.
RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on (video)
Deep-pocketed RED owners take heed. The company just demoed some pretty nifty module updates, including an OLED EVF, a new 9-inch touchscreen and the crown jewel Meizler Module, which brings to the table such features as wireless 1080p transmission, a wireless timecode transceiver and full wireless lens control -- we're particularly taken with that last feature, which effectively enables remote-controlled follow focus, aperture and zoom control. The new 9-inch will also come in handy with wireless control, making it easier to verify sharpness and exposure. It features the same touch functionality of its smaller sibling, giving you full control of the camera. The display will likely draw some attention when mounted on an EPIC, which is noticeably smaller than the LCD itself, but once you toss on a lens and power pack, the rig looks slightly better proportioned. That's the good news. The bad news is the price -- you're looking at a cool $13,000 for that wireless module, which is named after its designer, assistant camera Steven Meizler, while the Bomb OLED EVF can be had as an upgrade for $1,200 (if you're willing to trade in your LCD version), or $3,900 if you plan to buy it outright. You can head over to the Red Store to pick that device up today, though you'll need to hang tight for the Meizler and 9-inch LCD, both of which are expected to launch later this year. You'll get an up-close look at all the new gear in the gallery below, and you'll also find a video overview with RED's Ted Schilowitz when you venture past the break.
RED Dragon 6K sensor upgrade eyes-on (video)
"Obsolescence Obsolete" -- that's RED's tagline for the just-announced Dragon sensor upgrade, which is set to bring 6K resolution to EPIC and Scarlet cameras beginning later this year. The sensor module was on display at the company's NAB booth today, under a backlit case that could only have been designed to make photographing the new chip a near-impossible task. We did manage to snag a few frames of the device, which appears as a mere silhouette to the naked eye. Sensors aren't designed for us to look at, however -- they're supposed to do the looking -- so we won't get any more hung up on the presentation. Existing RED camera owners can look forward to an incredibly impressive 15+ stops of native dynamic range and up to 120 frames-per-second at resolutions up to 5K. And as we discovered earlier today, the upgrade will roll out to EPIC owners sometime in 2012 for $6,000 while Scarlet users will need to hang tight for a release date, and a price tag. That's all we've got as far as details go, so click on through the gallery below for a flashlight-enhanced peek at the Dragon.
RED unveils Dragon sensor upgrade, turns Epic and Scarlet into a 6K camera
Love gadgets named after Hannibal Lecter movies? Good, because RED's announcing the RED Dragon upgrade kit that'll bolt onto your EPIC or Scarlet camera to provide resolutions of 6K at 85fps or 5k at 120fps with 15+ stops of Dynamic Range. Company founder Jim Jannard has said that the sensor is slightly larger than that of the Mysterium-X, but the pixel size is smaller, promising that "most of the current lenses will work" with the new hardware. It'll cost EPIC users $6,000 and arrive "late in the year," but bad news if you've got a Scarlet: it's back of the queue time for you until 2013, with no word on what it'll cost you, either.
Sony to launch NEX-FS700E 4K cinema camera for $9,000 at NAB?
What would you pay for the ability to capture cinema quality 4K video? $36,000? $18,000? Try $9,000. That's the expected price of Sony's rumored NEX-FS700E, which could launch at NAB next month with a June ship date. EOSHD reports that the camera will pipe 4K video to a dedicated external recorder over 3G HD-SDI. It will reportedly use the same NEX E-mount as its predecessor, the FS100, and may include a trio of neutral density filters to increase versatility. We haven't been able to track down an image of the rumored cinema cam (the model in that image above looks identical to the FS100), but we wouldn't be surprised to see another detail or two leak out before the broadcast community's annual Vegas gathering kicks off in a little over two weeks. For its part, Canon is also expected to announce a 4K EOS-format DSLR at NAB, as a less-expensive alternative to the $16,000 C300, while RED's Scarlet already has 4K capabilities, and a $9,000 price tag.[Thanks, Andrew]
The Engadget Show 29: Red Cameras, MakerBot and the coolest gadgets of CES 2012
Consider this one last hurrah for CES 2012. Sure, we've happily left the Las Vegas Convention Center in the rear view mirror of the magical mystery Engadget trailer, but there's still plenty to talk about. We kick things off with a recap of Apple's textbook announcement, discussing what implications the move might have for the industry, before taking you on a tour of the Engadget CES trailer and stage. Next up, with got a pile of the Consumer Electronic Show's hottest devices on the gadget table, including the HTC Titan II, Acer Aspire S5, HP Envy 14 Spectre, Pantech Element and Burst, Nokia Lumia 900, Samsung Galaxy Note, Sony Xperia S and the $79 Ainovo Novo7 Paladin -- one of which will find its way into a tank of water. We also take you on a tour of the CES show floor and get some serious hands-on time with the new Red Scarlet camera. MakerBot's Bre Pettis joins us on stage to discuss the company's new Replicator 3D printer and we close things out with a performance by NYC's Ducky and a few of her dancer pals. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Darren Murph Special guests: Bre Pettis, Richard Lai, Richard Lawler Producer: Guy Streit Director: Michelle Stahl Executive Producers: Joshua Fruhlinger, Brian Heater and Michael Rubens Music by: Ducky Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 029 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 029 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 029 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Red (update: video embedded)
If you've been to the movies lately, you've seen through Red eyes. This is some of the tastiest cinematic tech around -- some people like them so much, they've even been known to name them. Ted Schilowitz from Red swings by our stage at 5:30PM ET, and we can't wait. Update: Interview video is now embedded.
Red's Scarlet-X 4K camera gets video review: you've never needed $11,700 so badly
Native 4K recording? Check. A built-for-war body? You bet. Backordered despite a downright shocking $11,700 price tag? Most certainly. As with Red's prior products, the Scarlet-X seems to be wowing just about every shooter lucky enough to come into contact with one. Luck for you, the folks over at Cinema5D have spent an inordinate of amount of time with this beast in order to deliver the full skinny on whether it's worth the price (and wait). We won't bother spoiling any conclusions for you, but if you've been toying with the idea of blowing your (and your SO's) bonus on one of these in a bid to start your own movie house, there's a vid just after the break that deserves your attention.
RED Scarlet starts shipping for $9,750, first customer takes one home today
Announced at a curiously-timed event just minutes after Canon's C300 made its on-stage debut, we expected the RED Scarlet to be a hit with cinematographers the world abound. But we're perhaps even more impressed to see one actually make its way to a customer just two weeks after launch, than we were when RED revealed the 4K cam's low $9,750 price tag. Rental service owner Tonaci Tran (pictured front and center above) is the lucky winner, and if you happen to have a Scarlet loan scheduled with him, you could be too. Haven't had enough of the 4096 x 2160-pixel 4K cam? Check out our hands-on from RED's Hollywood launch event.
RED makes the Scarlet official, 5K stills and 4K video for $9,750
It's been quite a day for all you cinephiles out there. First Canon outed its pair of Cinema EOS cameras, and now RED has finally released the Epic's baby sister Scarlet. Scarlet packs a similar punch as her older brother, so she takes 5K (5120 x 2700) resolution stills at 12fps, or can shoot your next cinematic masterpiece in 4K (4096 x 2160) at 25fps. The Scarlet also can use all of the Epic's accessories and comes with a Canon mount so there's plenty of glass to choose from, too. Best of all, Scarlet can be all yours for the low price of $9,750. That's right, for the price of a used Honda Civic, you can shoot video that essentially looks as good as those made by pros like Peter Jackson and John Shwartzman (assuming you've got their moviemaking skills). We're about to get our hands on one, so stay tuned for our first impressions. When she's all by herself, Scarlet cuts a rather petite figure. She weighs the same as an Epic, but trades her elder brother's ebony exterior for one that is, according to RED founder Jim Jannard, "battleship gray." Not the most feminine color, but we must admit we like the two-tone appearance when you start adding on extras like a RED remote or an external view screen. Unfortunately, we didn't get to shoot any video with Scarlet, but we did get to hold her for a bit and found the build quality to be top notch. The camera has a solid feel, and while we wouldn't want to lug it around all day by hand, it's easy enough to maneuver for several minutes at a time. We're hoping we can do some serious shooting with Scarlet with sometime soon for a fuller impression -- RED aims to start shipping them on December first -- but given her low price point and copious cinematic capabilities, we imagine her dance card will be filled for quite some time. %Gallery-138423%
Canon C300 makes an appearance in Vincent Laforet's Mobius, find the short and behind the scenes right here (video)
A New York Times photojournalist turned Hollywood director, Vincent Laforet has become synonymous with DSLR video, after his short film Reverie helped catapult Canon's 5D Mark II into the world of digital filmmaking. And after playing such a significant role in launching that camera, we certainly weren't surprised to see Laforet make an appearance at today's Canon Cinema event, with his short film Mobius getting some time on the big screen. The film follows a photojournalist who stumbles upon a Cartel execution, but it also tells the story of Canon's tightly-veiled C300 cinema camera, which the company launched just moments ago. Laforet used a pre-production C300 (note the green tape button labels) to shoot Mobius in the Mojave Desert under a variety of harsh conditions, including powerful sunlight and near-darkness, in both extremely hot and chilly temperatures -- the camera appears to have performed extremely well, given both the remote shooting environment and tight production schedule. Canon has yet to reveal the C300's price tag, which we expect to far undercut the $120,000 Arri Alexa kit, but its sheer portability makes it a more appealing option for filmmakers -- especially those with limited time and other resources. Laforet was able to shoot his film with a very small crew, since the C300 can be operated by just one photographer. The director used the camera mounted on a tripod, tethered to a variety of helicopters, sitting on the road and even hand-held, like a camcorder or DSLR. Laforet shot with Canon's new FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom PL-mount lens, along with a variety of EOS mount lenses, and notes that the camera's form factor makes it even easier to shoot with than a DSLR like the 5D Mark II. Its cost -- somewhere in the range of $20,000 -- should also put it within reach of not only Hollywood cinematographers, but also television directors and even documentary filmmakers and news photojournalists. We won't see the C300 hit the market until late January 2012, so jump past the break for a sneak peak at Mobius to see Canon's new cinema flagship, along with a rather comprehensive behind-the-scenes video.%Gallery-138348%
New RED Scarlet to be announced November 3rd
Well, it looks like Canon won't be the only company making a big camera announcement on November 3rd. RED CEO Jim Jannard has now confirmed that it will also be officially announcing its "new" RED Scarlet camera on the very same day (no coincidence, it seems), at which point it will detail "all the changes" the company has made to it. Unfortunately, that's about all the company is saying right now, although Jannard promises that "when we announce the changes, we will be ready to ship." [Thanks, Lucario]
RED Scarlet captures Hollywood-style street scene at 120fps (video)
The bad news is that the RED Scarlet is a still a prototype two and a half years after it was announced. The good news is that the folks at RED have shot some stunning test footage with the 8x fixed lens version to show off the Scarlet's prowess at 120 frames per second. Remember, every one of those frames is a 3072 x 1620 RAW masterpiece -- and while the video after the break obviously can't deliver that resolution, it can nevertheless give you a feel for the slow-mo power of this thing. Prepare yourselves. [Thanks, Jarred]
Best of CES 2011
Maybe, just maybe, you've noticed that Engadget relocated this past week to the City of Sin for CES 2011. Oh yes, we set up camp in a double-wide trailer, liveblogged our hearts out, combed the show floor, and worked our rear ends off to bring you more gadget news than you ever thought possible. It's true, we've written over 720 posts (40 or so about tablets alone!), shot more than 180 videos, and brought you over 350 photo galleries in the last seven days. That's a ton of technology news and products, but naturally, only certain ones have been able to rise above the rest and stick out in our scary collective hive-mind. With that said, we've complied our annual best of list for you, so hit the break and feast your eyes on what are bound to be some of the best products of the new year.
Working RED Scarlet appears at our trailer, we go hands-on! (video)
Last year at CES, we had a surprise visit from RED's Ted Schilowitz showing off their non-functioning RED Scarlet prototype. Ted just stopped by our trailer again, this time with a working version and it's a seriously impressive piece of hardware. We grabbed a camera and sat down with Ted for an in-depth hands-on, so head on past the break for the exclusive video and some details! %Gallery-113292%
RED Scarlet fixed lens camera shown in public (video)
It may never ship at a price point we peons can stomach, but we're no less thrilled to see RED's fixed lens Scarlet being handled by a mere mortal on video. One Tonaci Tran was fortunate enough to brush into Jarred Land at a 3D workshop, and he just so happened to have a fully functional Scarlet on his person. Tori noted that the unit was a touch lighter than the Epic, and the top-mounted 5-inch touchscreen was obviously rather captivating. We'd bother going on (and on), but chances are you've already clicked through to catch the video. And if not... why? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
RED founder Jim Jannard calls prosumer Scarlet 'a mistake'
Perhaps it should be no surprise, considering the heartbreaking delays (and $1,000 price bump) the Scarlet has already endured, but it looks like the project is undergoing a major shift in focus -- namely, it will no longer be targeted towards prosumers. EOS HD quotes RED founder Jim Jannard thusly: The concept of RED was to build a camera with as much capability as possible... for the professional market. Then we thought we could extend it down a bit to the prosumer level. Apparently, that was a mistake. He also says that "plenty of companies [are] dedicated to selling prosumer (short for 'almost right') cameras. We aren't going to be one of them." And later, "we had no idea what we were doing... Nothing works like it is supposed to." Ouch. Although we respect the man's candor (if not his eyewear), it's hard to say exactly what this all means: is the Scarlet camera going to be scuttled completely (probably not), or merely priced out of consideration for the (well-heeled) consumer? Either way, you can officially consider us bummed out.
