Check back in March for our full, in-depth review of the Red Scarlet-XCan't wait to see The Hobbit? Try shooting your own Middle-earth adventure. The Scarlet is a slightly simplified version of the rigs Peter Jackson used to film his Lord of the Rings prequel. Its Super 35 image sensor and 4K resolution (4096 x 2160 pixels) capture four times the detail of typical HD, making top-of-the-line DSLR footage look like an '80s home movie.
The Scarlet is fully modular, so you can buy the "brain" (the gray box), then accessorize it with viewfinders, grips, even mounts for lenses from other manufacturers. And when sensor tech improves, just ship the camera back; for a price, Red will swap in the latest and greatest.
WIRED Takes indie film projects to Lucasfilm levels. 5120 x 2700 resolution for stills (even in 12-fps burst mode).
TIRED Can't shoot 4K video at more than 30 fps. Precise controls for pros = steep learning curve for amateurs.
$9,700 (brain); $15,965 (kit shown here)
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