Red Digital Cinema Releases Scarlet-X

In an announcement that nearly knocked the internet out (at least for those who are interested in these cameras), RED announced on November 3rd their latest camera: Scarlet-X.

OK, I come from a TV background starting in the early 80's. So 4x3 SD video, 16mm and 35mm film were pretty much your only choices (ok, I suppose VHS camcorders 'could' be considered an option-let's not got there-shudder). Life was simple. These days, not so much, there's a plethora of formats, delivery destinations, etc. So which camera works for you? Which camera works for the project you are working on? Future proof?

I have to say that I think no camera (or anything) is truly future proof, but how about 'long term' proof? Well, that's how I look at these newer cameras. When I look back at the 'production workhorse' Betacam of the 90's it was the 400a. These were ~$65k new without lens so add another minimum 10k on. They shot great looking video, beautiful color and pleasing 4x3 SD video. And I used it faithfully for many years and it paid for itself time and again.

A few years ago I sold mine (for a mere pittance, sadly) and bought the Panasonic HPX170 for $6k. And the image I purchased was in many ways better than the $65k 400a. For 10% the price. The HPX170 was always, for me anyway, an interim camera. I knew that the war over formats, etc. would change and will continue to change. I didn't want to invest heavily into a camera/format until the dust had settled a bit. When RED stormed onto the scene I was captivated and have followed the progress since day 1. And a few years back I just about bought a Red One. But when the announcements started to talk about the 3k for 3k I sat back & watched. I, like many here, waited patiently for the Scarlet to become a reality.

Now with the release of Scarlet-X, I can see that incredible quality video (for lack of a better word) can be had for $11k.

What? Yes, for ~$11k I can get a camera that can shoot incredible images, give me dynamic range that, when coupled with a RAW format, gives me options beyond my imagination. The options within this camera allow me to shoot however I need for almost any project I can think of. Whether it is my kids birthday party to a news/ENG shoot to a TV commercial to documentary to feature film, I can use this camera. I don't know about you, but I pre-build my rig to suit what I'm shooting prior to going out and shooting it. It's pretty similar most of the time but I always have on hand the other tools I may need in case I need them (handles, shoulder mounts, lenses, filters, matte box, etc.). My point is that I can use this camera and shoot for the next 10 years easily, comfortably and confidently because it has what I need, to shoot almost anything. Indeed it's not the camera that makes magic but its your skill set that creates magic. So, yes, one could make a multimillion dollar feature with an iPhone. I myself don't want to, but if you have the skill set you could.

Will I sell my HPX170? Maybe, maybe not, truthfully I think I will still use it in certain situations where I won't need high resolution, like a seminar or presser. I may even keep it nearby as a B camera. Or rent it out. If you are a stills guy and are starting to shoot video, your DSLR will work handily. I have a Nikon D7000 and love to shoot video with it. And of course the stills from it are fabulous. It doesn't a/b so well with the HPX170 but it does shoot very pleasing images. It'll be interesting to see how well the D7000 a/b's against the Scarlet-X, especially when using Nikon glass. I plan to do a comparison someday but my gut tells my I could use the D7000 as a decent b camera (obviously it doesn't shoot 3, 4 or 5k images but depending upon what you are trying to achieve/shoot it just may work).

Published Scarlet-X data rates:

So my point is this: Scarlet is one helluva camera for $11k! Shoot with an old Betacam then maybe you'll see why Scarlet-X, et al, are truly amazing & revolutionary cameras.

If only I could have a camera that captured what I see with my eyes and have it look exactly the same. I guess that's where everyone is ultimately heading towards.