The RED camera has been in development since 1999. Its claim to fame is the record-breaking resolution: roughly 11.4 Mega pixels. That’s 4520 by 2540 pixel resolution which is about five times the resolution of a $100,000 Sony F950 camera, by far the leader in the field.
Another major advantage is the size of the sensor. It’s 24.4 x 13.7 mm which is equivalent to a Super 35mm film frame. This means you get simmilar (if not identical) depth of field and you can probably use a lot of the 35mm lenses as well.
The camera was presented at NAB2006 and stole the show – got a Best of Show vote. I still haven’t found anyone who’s actually done some shooting with it. Once I do, I’ll post it here. Overall, all great news for indie producers.
Update: RED camera will likely be released in April 2007. Units will be available for testing starting December though.
** help ** im looking at purchasing the sony hvr a1u to use in recording concert videos, but i am scared by the min lux rating of 7, will this camera work ? help please
There’s no easy answer to that. Sony HX2100 was lux 2 and a lot of people verified its strength in shooting in the dark with only minimal lighting. I bet there are still sample images around.
Sony A1 is obviously a lot less sensitive (higher resolution, small chip = less light per pixel). On the positive side, concerts are always brightly lit (at least in my experience).
That’s why the challenge with concerts has more to do with the actual contrast range than with the light sensitivity. My advice in your specific case: Rent a similar camera and bring it to a concert. Seeing is believing.
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