Rian Johnson on the Red Camera

He does not seem to like it at all:

RED BULL

Straight talk about the technical realities of the RED ONE digital cinema camera

So you're an independent filmmaker, and at some point you start hearing the buzz about this new RED camera. Big time directors are using it. Articles in movie, music and tech magazines declare it to be the sounding death knell of 35mm film. It promises quality that surpasses both film and high-end HD, at a fraction of the price, and with a camera that looks like a weapon out of HALO.

And if you're like me, you start getting excited. Why not? Why wouldn't somebody put all the best new technology in one camera and do it right? Why couldn't the RED be everything it claims? Just because it all sounds too good to be true, does that really mean it has to be too good to be true?

You bet your ass it does.

The RED camera does not do what it claims. Which is not to say it's a bad product, or that it doesn't have its place - in terms of quality it's a good alternative to things like Varicam and HDV. But it does not hold a candle to regularly used high-end HD, let alone film. And we're going to tell you why.

The RED ONE camera claims to achieve "4 times the resolution of the very best HD camera." That's misleading at best, and they can only get away with saying it because the term 'resolution' is a bit hazy. The RED people do not outright lie, but they are agressivlely misleading and tricky with the language they use in their specs.