Canon has dropped its bomb — the EOS-1D C . The world’s first 4K video shooting DSLR. Equipped with a full-frame 24mm X 36mm CMOS sensor that offers an APS-H sized area for video capture, and recording 8-bit 4:2:2 Motion JPEG 4K video to CF cards at 24fps, this camera packs a punch. Both in terms of its features — and the $15,000 price tag:
On the one hand, this is incredible news — who would have thought a year ago that we’d be discussing a DSLR camera with an ISO range up to 25,600 that could output 4K (4096 X 2160-pixel) video? And to CF cards no less? The camera can do a couple of other neat things, like record Full HD (1920 X 1080-pixel) at the full sensor width or cropped down to Super 35; and of course, it can shoot great stills just like its brother, the EOS-1D X.
On the other hand — this is a $15,000 camera. For $15,000, we are throwing out the cost advantages of DSLRs vs dedicated video cameras, and are now speaking strictly in terms of what kind of video features it offers. At $15,000 dollars you expect XLR inputs and more than an HDMI output, and frankly, with other cameras like the RED Scarlet and the FS700 right in that price range (with accessories), this camera is going to have to go through the paces to prove it’s a tool that high end video shooters want to invest in.
At the same time, it’s a DSLR. It still offers the advantages of a small form factor, and a shooting flexibility that many other cameras don’t — and as many filmmakers have found out, that can be quite a liberating feature.
For those of us who were hoping for something as disruptive as the Canon 5DmkII, well, it’s looking like we’ll have to wait for the next round of innovation to provide us lower budget options.
For more details, check out the full press release here, and for images of the camera, just keep on scrolling.
Is this the 4K DSLR you were hoping for? Will this cannibalize the C-300? If you had $15k what camera would you buy and why?
What would the NAB show be without some sort of announcement from RED? This year we’ve got a slew of news from the company, including Scarlet Dragon shipping info, a 4K broadcast module to send out up to 4K 60fps over 4 3G-SDI ports, Epic-M Monochrome details, new color science and even a handy RED-specific multi-tool. Hit the jump for the details.
Scarlet DRAGON
Attempting the quell the rumors of Scarlet’s discontinuation, this RED announcement should be encouraging for Scarlet owners. Here’s some footage from the regular Scarlet and Epic that Jarred Land posted as a reminder of the DRAGON predecessors’ quality (download the 2k ProRes here):
Since RED isn’t allowing the video to be embedded yet, check it out over at the RED forums.
House of the Rising Sun - Five Finger Death Punch
$14,500
“Likely” shipping in June
6K FF: 12 fps
5K FF: 48
4K FF: 60
3K FF: 75
2K FF: 120
5K 2.4:1: 60
4K 2.4:1: 75
3K 2.4:1: 100
2K 2.4:1: 150
New RCX with Dragoncolor and REDgamma 4
Potentially the most important of RED’s announcements today, this ushers in the next generation of Graeme’s color science that the RED cameras rely on. Here is a little bit that’s new with the REDCINE-X:
Updated: New look and feel.
Added: DRAGONcolor and REDgamma4.
Added: Advanced Dragon Debayer (A.D.D.) with HDRx and motion support.
Added: Support for camera generated markers.
Added: CUDA support.
Added: Ability to filter wav files from the browser.
Added: Rating can now be applied to both clips and frames through context sensitive keyboard shortcuts.
Added: Rating a frame now automatically creates a frame marker.
Updated: Default keyboard shortcuts for rating, video out and L/R stereo toggling have been changed.
DSMC Firmware v5.2.8
REDLINK Module support (wireless networking and wireless hand controller)
4K Broadcast Module support
Switchblade Module support
Dragon Monochrome support
Scarlet Dragon support
Public REDLINK Control Protocol support
DRAGONcolor (Dragon only)
REDgamma4 as default gamma
4 User Calibration Maps available (Dragon only)
Calibration map programming time optimized (Dragon only)
Added frame processing (Dragon)
Increased max exposure time to 1 sec (Dragon)
Rack point UI enhancements
Optimize color science updates
Clean format transitions
Video markers support
Video markers / regions in playback
Pre-trigger added to trigger mode
Burst mode capture
Updated UI theme
6:5 formats added for full height 2.40:1 2x Anamorphic de-squeeze
Horizon line UI overlay
A-X track toggle in preview and playback
Added additional supported lenses
SSD fragmentation detection
Added Exposure Assist
RED 4K Broadcast Module for DRAGON
Designed for broadcast professionals, this DRAGON-only module is due to make a lot of people happy who have wanted to use their RED cameras in broadcast environments.
Since RED isn’t allowing the videos to be embedded yet, check it out over at the RED forums.
RED 4K Broadcast Module for DRAGON
RED QUICK START: 4K BROADCAST MODULE from RED Digital Cinema on Vimeo.
Live uncompressed YCbCr 4:2:2 video feed
Up to 4K / 60 FPS via Quad 3G-SDI
BNC ports for timecode and genlock
RED Switchblade-M
An alternative to the touch-screen REDmote, this machined-aluminum attachment goes in place of the side-handle and will be helpful for camera assistants who want information on the side.
$950, availability TBD
Side-mounted tool-less camera control interface
OLED
DRAGON Epic-M Monochrome
The Fincher-tested Monochrome camera finally has price and shipping dates.
$31,500
Shipping April 28th
REDlink and REDLINK Development Kit
This is an open protocol that allows 3rd parties to control the camera via the REDLink module or via Serial/Ethernet. This could be a useful tool for controlling the camera when on a Movi, a crane or other rigs where the camera is not immediately accessible. Foolcontrol is an example of a 3rd party utilizing the REDLINK SDK.
Since RED isn’t allowing the video to be embedded yet, check it out over at the RED forums.
$395, shipping now
Integrated THC wireless lens control
REDMAG 1.8″ 240GB
This new faster SSD is replacing the previous REDMAG 256GB. Also, all media purchased from RED in the past 6 months and in the future will come standard with a 1 year warranty.
$1,450
Shipping in 6-8 weeks
Includes 1 year warranty.
RED Sidewinder Multi-tool
This is a custom tool that covers all the standard screw sizes found on RED equipment, with threaded holes to carry spare bolts.
$28 (tool-only) or included in the DSMC Bolt Set ($50)
Carbon RED Mini-Mag Side Module + Magnesium Mounts
Carbon mini-mag side modules can now be ordered with all Carbon Dragon orders. Red is also expanding their Magnesium mount options for Carbon Dragon owners to Leica, Canon, Nikon and PL mount.
Side modules shipping by the end of April
Phew! That’s it for now from RED. Stay tuned for more NAB announcements throughout the week and join the discussion in the comments below.
Link: Recon — REDUser Forum
New gyro stabilized camera gimbals are redefining the possibilities for camera movement
Two new gyro stabilized camera gimbals redefining the possibilities for camera movement in cinema – the FreeFly MōVI M10 and Novo Stabilized . Both handheld devices incorporate breakthrough camera stabilization technology to easily and quickly solve one of the biggest challenges faced by filmmakers – moving a camera in a steady path.
Radiant Images, an LA-based rental house and digital cinema innovator, is one of the few to have the MōVI M10 available for clients and is the lone rental house in the U.S. renting both advanced gimbals.“The MōVI and the Novo Stabilized represent the future of digital cinema,” said Michael Mansouri, VP at Radiant Images. “Cinematographers now have the freedom to almost effortlessly create camera moves and execute shots that in the past would have been either impossible to obtain or too time consuming. It truly is a new frontier.”
MōVI M10
Freefly Systems introduced the gyro-stabilized MōVI M10 camera rig earlier this year at NAB, where it received an award for outstanding achievement. Production has not been able to keep up with demand, resulting in months of waiting for delivery on purchases, according to Freefly.
The MōVI has been used in more than a dozen film, television and commercial productions, receiving glowing praise from high-end filmmakers such as JJ Abrams, Alfonso Cuaron and any number of ASC cinematographers.
Cinematographer Alex Buono, known for his Film Unit work for Saturday Night Live (SNL), told Freefly, “I’m completely sold on the MōVI…It’s ability to smoothly pan, tilt or roll remotely while it’s being operated allows me the ability to create camera moves that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen and yet are incredibly easy to execute.” Watch the MōVI in action in this demo reel -https://vimeo.com/79506918 - from Brain Farm, a Wyoming-based production house specializing in action sports cinematography. Filmmaker Ty Evans, an award-winning skateboard film veteran, used Radiant’s MōVI M10 and RED Epic to shoot a group of skateboarders in Los Angeles. An ARRI/Zeiss Ultra Prime 8R lens was used to capture the action.The heart of the handheld 3-axis digital stabilized camera gimbal is Freefly’s proprietary high performance IMU and brushless direct drive system, designed in-house by its engineering team.The MōVI M10 weighs less than 3.5 pounds bare and supports cameras setups of up to 12 pounds, making it ideal for the Canon C300 and C500, RED Epic, Canon EOS 1DC, Blackmagic Cinema Camera and others. Read about other key features of the MōVI M10.Full tutorials are available in the MōVI product section on the Radiant Images website
The MōVI has been used in more than a dozen film, television and commercial productions, receiving glowing praise from high-end filmmakers such as JJ Abrams, Alfonso Cuaron and any number of ASC cinematographers.
Cinematographer Alex Buono, known for his Film Unit work for Saturday Night Live (SNL), told Freefly, “I’m completely sold on the MōVI…It’s ability to smoothly pan, tilt or roll remotely while it’s being operated allows me the ability to create camera moves that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen and yet are incredibly easy to execute.” Watch the MōVI in action in this demo reel -https://vimeo.com/79506918 - from Brain Farm, a Wyoming-based production house specializing in action sports cinematography. Filmmaker Ty Evans, an award-winning skateboard film veteran, used Radiant’s MōVI M10 and RED Epic to shoot a group of skateboarders in Los Angeles. An ARRI/Zeiss Ultra Prime 8R lens was used to capture the action.The heart of the handheld 3-axis digital stabilized camera gimbal is Freefly’s proprietary high performance IMU and brushless direct drive system, designed in-house by its engineering team.The MōVI M10 weighs less than 3.5 pounds bare and supports cameras setups of up to 12 pounds, making it ideal for the Canon C300 and C500, RED Epic, Canon EOS 1DC, Blackmagic Cinema Camera and others. Read about other key features of the MōVI M10.Full tutorials are available in the MōVI product section on the Radiant Images website
Novo Stabilized
The design team at Radiant Images has created an easy-to-use lightweight stabilized handheld specifically for its 3.2-ounce Novo digital cinema camera, giving professional filmmakers a powerful and easy-to-use new tool with the tiny action camera.The high-performance, 3 axis stabilizer offers 360 degrees of continuous rotation using magnetic fields and no mechanical parts. The high-torque servo drive, designed with reduction of vibration in mind, is capable of the highest precision possible.Radiant’s design team, led by on-site engineer Sinclair Fleming, created the Novo Stabilized to help filmmakers more fully utilized the versatile action camera. (Fleming and his team will soon release a handheld stabilizer for larger production cameras, specifically the ARRI Alexa and RED Epic.)“Our Novo Stabilized is revolutionary because it’s so small and so precise and made specifically for the camera,” Mansouri said. A fully-outfitted Novo gimbal weighs in at a mere four pounds, complete with the camera, lens, wireless video and batteries.The Novo Stabilized is available for rental ($995 daily, $2,985 weekly) only at Radiant Images in the U.S. and European rental partners P+S Technik, Ovide, Sparks and Movietech. Watch the Novo Stabilized in action at http://vimeo.com/78843061.
In addition, Cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Iron Man) worked with Radiant to shoot action footage at a soccer practice using the Novo Stabilized. His footage is included in a Novo gimbaldemonstration reel, which also includes aerial shots that follow a motorcycle rider, at http://vimeo.com/72911516.Demo Novo camera + gimbal from Radiant Images on Vimeo.The groundbreaking Novo (www.novocamera.com) camera, developed by Radiant Images and View Factor Studios, offers key cinematic features missing from other action cameras in its class, including interchangeable lens, back focus adjustment and exposure control capabilities. The camera won a MARIO Award for innovation at NAB 2013.The Novo has been well received in the film industry since its February release, used in such upcoming feature films asTransformers 4, Ten, Fast & Furious 7 and In the Heart of the Sea as well as NBC’s Revolution, and is on the sets of multiple other features, TV programs and commercials.