tech talk: next gen cams


Good news for all the Richie Rich's out there. According to an announcement on RedUser.net, a prototype of their new Dragon CMOS sensor has been blowing all its image tests out of the water, exceeding already high expectations. The chip reportedly exhibited 20 stops of dynamic range on a 21 stop chart (when shot with an astronomically expensive engineering lens, but still). Combine that with resolution that Red claims is comparable to 65mm film, and you have one bad mamma-jamma. Thanks to these specs the sensor upgrade is expected to cost a "little" more than the expected $6000 for Red Epic owners. But, that isn't a concern for you is it, Richie? (I'm kidding. Maybe we can all rent one.) If anybody would like to donate one to the WSF cause, we'd be happy to accept. If there are any Red Scarlet owners out there hoping for a Dragon upgrade, sorry. You're out of luck, but there may be a trade-in offer for you.

The next-gen camera arms race continues. Its amazing how far the technology has advanced in just the past 5 years.

Speaking of the arms race, Panavision is ready to come back swinging into the digital fight. This short list of specs from Cinefii calls the camera the "Alexa Killer." I'm sure Panavision would love that to be true.

In Black Magic news, the BMCC has a new firmware update including time-lapse recording. You can get a full rundown of the updates along with reactions at EOSHD.com.