In the previous post we introduced the ultra high definition Red One digital camera. At 4,096 horizontal scan lines, it has the highest resolution of any HD camera currently on the market.

The camera also has the lowest price of any camera in its class because it is sold factory direct without a middleman. The next cheapest camera is five times more expensive and offers a quarter of the resolution! Let’s take a closer look at this revolutionary camera.

Camera Dimensions

The Red camera body is made out of cast aluminum. Unlike most other digital cameras on the market, no plastic is used in its construction. The camera body is 12″ long and 6″ high. It weighs 10 pounds. Fully configured with lens, matte box, and media recorder, it weighs 30 pounds.

Resolution

The Red One gives you the option to record using 4K, 3K, or 2K lines of resolution. By comparison, the next best HD camera offers only 1K recording. The Red camera cannot natively record in the lower HD resolutions of 1080 and 720 lines. The clips, however, can be scaled down to these resolutions in post-production. They can also be scaled down to standard definition (SD) video.

Format

Competing HD cameras use formats and recording CODECS that involve some form of compression or color subsampling of data, which ultimately degrades the image. The RED camera records the signal in RAW, which is uncompressed and unprocessed. Each frame has as much information as you might find in a digital still photograph, and indeed, RAW is the same format used by digital still cameras.

Image Sensor

Competing HD cameras use three CCD chips with three corresponding channels for the red, green, and blue signals (RGB). The Red camera uses one CMOS sensor and the data travels in a single path through the camera. The design is much more simple and streamline compared to conventional video cameras.

The CMOS image sensor is a large one. It is 12 megapixels and measures  24.4mm x 13.7mm (.96 x .54 inches). With a trademark name of Mysterium, the sensor is proprietary to Red Digital Cinema, its designer.

4K recordings use the full surface area of the sensor, while 3K and 2K recordings use windowed areas. It’s best to shoot in 4K  and scale down later because it offers more flexibility. The benefits of shooting in 3K and 2K are that it allows higher frame rates and longer recording times.

Audio

The red camera has four channels for audio recording. There is no microphone. Instead, the camera has four mini XLR input connectors for external microphones.

We hope this information gives you a better understanding of the form and function of the Red One digital camera. In the final post of this series we will investigate how the camera records and stores image files. You may find it interesting that the manufacturer doesn’t consider the Red One a video camera in the classic sense. What is it then? -Antonio Fox