We have a duel! RED has followed up Canon's announcement that they will debut something "historic" in Hollywood on November 3rd, 2011 with a pre-announcement of their own: RED will also debut SCARLET on the same day (and, if their claims are to be believed, start shipping right away). Never a bunch to shy away from competitive statements, that line about bringing a bazooka to a knife fight is a direct quote, further bolstered by Jim Jannard, who stated, "Canon announces... we announce. The best one wins." Some more quotes direct from RED:
"What a big day! RED announces the new Scarlet. Canon announces "something really important to Hollywood". Everyone wins. November 3rd is the day that RED announces all the changes to Scarlet and shipping info. You get to see the future Nov. 3rd. You get to compare RED's latest directly with the newest from one of the "big dogs" in the industry."
"It is gonna be pretty simple.. Announce and Ship. No dicking around." As for when the camera will be available to order exactly, "Ordering opens November 3rd at 7pm PST, both UK and US."
As for what final form SCARLET will take -- or the price -- no one knows. Is this the 2/3" chip SCARLET we originally heard about with a fixed lens, is this the camera formerly known as the EPIC-S, or is it something different?
There are some rumors that Canon's announcement will be of a 4K camcorder; pictured above is a 4K prototype they showed a year ago. That camera, however, was only a 2/3" chip, and I would be surprised if both Canon and RED announce small chip, high-resolution camcorders on the same day. My personal opinion -- and I'm betting the opinion of most shooters -- is that I'd rather have a 1.9K (1080p) large sensor camera than a 4K small sensor camera. We'll see on November 3rd.
