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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Fixed vs. Interchangeable lenses...

Jannard

Jannard

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OK. I've read so much about this that I guess it is time to respond.

Here is why Scarlet lens is fixed.

1. There are not enough B4 or S16 PL lenses to satisfy 1/10,000 of the potential Scarlet customers.

2. A Nikon or Canon mount would be manual everything only. No auto functions at all, including rocker-zooming. And you would need a separate follow-focus unit to make these work.

3. The Scarlet lens is designed specifically for this sensor (while none of the above lens options are...). B4 lenses are the right size but made for 3 chip systems and are NOT good with a single Bayer sensor.

4. Scarlet is not intended to be a RED ONE replacement (said that before). If you want ONLY a manual everything, professional grade camera... buy a RED ONE. Scarlet is targeted to wreak havoc to the pro-sumer camcorders that do offer auto-manual everything... but Scarlet will ALSO generate professional images.

5. Cost. If we sold Scarlet with interchangeable lenses, we would sell less than 5% as many. So the cost of each would be much higher. Plus whatever lens you need to buy (and accessories). The total solution would NOT be "under $3K". Not even close. Think $8K. Plus lenses. This is "Volume 101". You can thank wealthy soccer-dads for helping you buy three of these instead of one. We fully believe that everyone that has a DSLR should own Scarlet as the motion companion. With new workflow announcements, it will be as easy to see your footage and extract stills from the motion. Easy enough for everyone.

6. Scarlet has a fresh sheet of paper lens design. Pro quality. Full auto. Full manual. Wide. Long. Included. And you can lock two together for 3D. Focal length, focus and aperture. Can't do that with two Nikons.

We did not take this decision lightly. The ONLY alternative we considered was to make an interchangeable set of RED lenses. But quite frankly, we weren't exactly sure what the other lens(es) would be given the overall range of the one that comes with the camera. Or how many we could actually sell of the others.

The fact that you CAN shoot Scarlet like a pro camera (full auto with wireless control) places this camera in a very new category.

You may not agree with the decision, but at least now you know the thinking behind it.

Jim
 
Thank you very much!
Finally there's hope of ending the discussion about the interchangable vs a fixed lens.

You mentioned "wide" in there so I'm having a party here :)
 
thanks

thanks

Jannard said:
You may not agree with the decision, but at least now you know the thinking behind it.

Jim
Click to expand...

thanks for letting us know.
please sign me up for Scarlet #2. :love:
(I assume that you're reserving #1 for yourself.)


locking together for 3D ~ cool!
locking together for 3D ~ cool!
 
5. Cost. If we sold Scarlet with interchangeable lenses, we would sell less than 5% as many.
Click to expand...

Jim, I think you might be mistaken about this. You have recruited a band of followers here who want maximum flexibility when it comes to lenses. Just like you would never settle for a fixed lens on your 1Ds MarkII, Red worshipers expect the ability to match a lens with their project. This is why you see this "mild rebellion" here about fixed. Actually, it's just people responding to the atmosphere you have set up here -- the ability to give user feedback. None of us would ever shoot our serious DSLR stuff on a point-and-shoot digital camera. We want lens options. It's understandable.

Maybe one option would be to offer Scarlet with an interchangeable lens option for a couple grand more? My guess is that 70% or more of your orders would go for that, but I could be wrong.
 
Jim,

Why are B4 mount lens' not good with Bayer sensors?

Thanks
Dave
 
This is the description of a product that will enjoy a tremendously high sales volume potential. Give the reputation of the RED ONE, the competition must be scared sh*tless about the SCARLET!

If it has features that I don't need and this allows it to sell for a third of what it would if this were only geared toward professionals, well that's just fine by me.

Can't wait!
 
Everyone should remember the "secret features" statement as well...
I'm really excited about that :)
 
David Birdy said:
Jim,

Why are B4 mount lens' not good with Bayer sensors?

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

It's not a question of quality, it's that they are designed to focus colored light through a prism block onto three separate sensors. Now of course you could use an adaptor that compensated for this as people using B4 lenses on the RED ONE can do.

In theory, you'd want to use lenses made for the 16mm / Super-16 market on a 2/3" single-sensor camera, but as Jim is suggesting, there aren't enough to go around and the prices (as with the B4 lenses) are not in ballpark of a $3000 camera.
 
Just for reference, when the S16 used market dries up, you could buy a new Cooke S16 12mm T2.0 prime lens for $14,400. Or a new Cooke 9.5-53mm, T1.6 Zoom for $42,500.

Jim
 
The BOSS is back with a bang! There you go, from the very top, only God is higher, why the Scarlet is going with fixed lens. Whoever owns a Red One should not complain about this nor say that everybody is willing to pay thousands more for the interchangeable lens option. Scarlet is going to be a great camera with a fixed lens. With a fixed lens there is actually wide angle, normal, telephoto and everything in between lens options to choose from. I said it before and will say it again, I am 100 percent sure Jim and company are going to produce a great fixed lens to go with Scarlet.
This camera is basically an entry level camera for many people wanting to get into the business of filmmaking with a magnificent, yet inexpensive, tool. If you are able to afford a $30,000 Red package please let the people not as lucky afford the Scarlet at the wonderful price it has been set to cost.
 
I'm very pleased with the decision you made. It fits my needs perfectly. Thank you! :)
 
Hey Jim - I just want to say THANK YOU for thinking to produce something like the Scarlet.

If I want a Red ONE, I'll get/hire a Red ONE...

If I want to shoot green screen elements in high resolution for FX work (where I don't care about shallow DOF at all) then Scarlet sounds like it will be for me.

If I want to shoot amazing high FPS slowmo footage of skateboarders/bmx bikers hand held with a fish eye stuck to the front (like a huge amount of current shooters do - except they get nothing like 180 FPS burst with anything else on the market) then it sounds like Scarlet will be for me.

If I want amazing footage of my mates stock cars crossing the line at the monthly race meet, again with a fantastic slow mo option - then it sounds like Scarlet will be for me.

Anyone running down the fixed lens status are really people who should be buying/renting a Red ONE, because they are looking to have the flexibility of doing high quality narrative work and the creative option of shallow DOF and cinema quality output, or have a specialist need in terms of lenses that they are using professionally (e.g wild life documentary etc.)

Some people will be blinkered as to whose lives that Scarlet may end up changing - simply because it isn't going to change THEIR lives the way they want it to.

I think I see what you are doing with Scarlet - if it is what I think then you only confirm yourself and your company as continuing to be as visionary as you have so far proven to be.

Some people don't get it - clearly you do - I suspect that's why you're the billionaire who gets to make his own cameras.

Thanks.
 
Interchangeable set of RED lenses is exactly what I was thinking, so we would have the option to go real wide, or primes for low light. I will buy regardless, but it would be nice :)
 
People will be able to buy 2/3" lenses, one way or another.
 
It sounds like I'll want to put two Scarlets on reserve when you start taking money. An enviable place for a businessman to be, your customer begging you to come on and take my money already!

I'm not in the trenches developing the fixed lens so I'll just say that I wish a 16-135mm (s35mm equivalent) was feasible rather than the 28-225mm that it looks to be at this (subject to change) point.

For every time I venture above 135mm I'd probably drop below 28mm a couple dozen times.

But that could just be me.
 
I have no problem with the fixed lenses having worked with prosumer cameras all my career. But I need greater zoom than 8x. As was driven home this past weekend at my favorite church to work in the 12x zoom I have now on my panasonic is barely enough to give us a nice closeup of the B&G when we are banished to the balcony to shoot.
 
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