Details on Jim Jannard's Red camera surfaced today. If you don't know about Red, you've probably been off-line for the last few months. It has been -- and continues to be -- developed as a radical, iconoclastic digital cinema camera. Many people are saying this could be the biggest step forward since the DV revolution in the early 90s. Could it be so? Possibly. The camera has yet to be manufactured, so until we see footage, let's keep our socks on. On paper, though, it must be said: Red doesn't look like "a step up." It looks ground-breaking -- from specs to its physical design.
Some people have suggested that because Jannard & Co. haven't been in the day-to-day business of camera manufacturing that this won't work. In fact, the opposite is true. Revolutionary technology usually springs from mavericks and Red is, in essence, a hacker project by a maverick with the DIY spirit. The notable difference, of course, is that Jannard has a ton of resources to put into R&D. Anyway, we're rooting for its success.
StudioDaily interview with Jim Jannard
DV.com interview with Ted Schilowitz, head of the Red development team
UPDATE:
Red Camera Company Wikipedia article
Shooting Modes on Red (HD for Indies)