Red Digital Cinema

History

Red Digital Cinema is a company that specializes in the manufacturing of digital cinematography and photography tools. The company was founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, who had previously founded Oakley. Red's flagship product, the RED ONE, was announced in 2006 and began shipping in 2007.

The RED ONE quickly became popular in the film industry due to its ability to record raw, uncompressed footage at a resolution of up to 4K, which was a significant improvement over the HD standard of the time. The camera's modular design and relatively affordable price also contributed to its popularity.

In 2010, Red announced the EPIC and SCARLET cameras, which featured an improved sensor and a more compact design. The EPIC has been used to shoot several high-profile films, including The Hobbit trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gone Girl.

Products

Red's product lineup includes digital cinema cameras, lenses, and accessories. The company's cameras are known for their high resolution, wide dynamic range, and raw recording capabilities. Red's cameras use a proprietary sensor technology called REDCODE, which allows for efficient compression of high-resolution footage.

Cameras

Red's current lineup of cameras includes the MONSTRO, HELIUM, and GEMINI models, which are part of the DSMC2 (Digital Still and Motion Camera) system. The MONSTRO features a full-frame 8K sensor, while the HELIUM has a Super 35 8K sensor and the GEMINI has a Super 35 5K sensor.

Lenses

Red offers a range of lenses designed for use with their cameras. These include prime lenses, zoom lenses, and specialty lenses such as anamorphic and macro lenses.

Accessories

In addition to cameras and lenses, Red also produces a variety of accessories for their products. These include media storage solutions, power options, and camera modules for additional functionality such as wireless video transmission and advanced audio recording.

Technology

Red's cameras are based on a modular system, which allows users to customize their camera setup to suit their specific needs. This includes the ability to swap out different sensor modules, lens mounts, and other components.

The company's cameras also feature a proprietary raw file format called REDCODE RAW. This format allows for efficient compression of high-resolution footage, enabling users to capture high-quality images with a manageable file size.

Red's cameras also support HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging, which allows for a greater range of luminosity in an image, from the darkest blacks to the brightest whites.

Impact

Red's cameras have had a significant impact on the film industry. The high resolution and raw recording capabilities of Red's cameras have allowed filmmakers to capture images with a level of detail and flexibility that was previously only possible with film.

The company's cameras have been used to shoot a number of high-profile films and TV shows, including The Hobbit trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gone Girl, and House of Cards.