Custom S35 Sensor – GEMINI 5K: RED Goes Dual ISO
In January 2018, RED announced they made a “very special custom S35 low light sensor for a very special customer for use in outer space…”
“We made a very special custom S35 low light sensor for a very special customer for use in outer space. Super sensitive ( 2 stops more sensitive than Helium ) Big pixel, 5K @ 96fps and 30.72mm wide by 18mm tall. “Gemini” is a Vampire… Loves the dark but you literally need to put ND’s on it if you want shoot it in the light. This is quite special and just goes to show how awesome our sensor team is. I was allowed to make 5 extra sensors and put them in some custom ‘almost Black’ DMSC2 bodies so if anyone who shoots mostly in the dark wants to get a little piece of something special ( and ‘subsidized’) let me know. This is not a normal product and is not in the RED stores or on RED.com so you will need to send me an email Jarred@Red.com. #R3D #GEMINI.”
…and now they’ve made that “special” sensor available to us all.
Bring on RED’s GEMINI 5K, that beautiful sensor made for the dark, now with a mode made for the day.
Easily switch between GEMINI’s sensor exposure modes
GEMINI is a dual ISO sensor giving us 800 and 3200 ISO modes. We’re not talking changing metadata here… There are two separate modes that fundamentally change the way the sensor captures light here. Think of the dual ISO modes on the Panasonic Varicam and EVA 1. This is something that is totally new for RED, but something that’s been asked about for a while now – bigger pixels to soak up more light for better low light, which will also give you higher frame rates per larger field of view, and there’s something special for all you anamorphic lovers out there too: an 18mm tall sensor.
The RED Gemini is a perfect match for Anamorphic Lenses
I’ll let RED describe it from here:
Not only does the GEMINI sensor look incredibly clean in the shadows, but it looks like it’s holding highlight detail better than ever before, check out this little stress test:
So let’s take a quick recap on those EPIC-W with GEMINI 5K S35 sensor specs according to RED:
- Gemini 15.4 Megapixel Dual Sensitivity CMOS
- 800 and 3200 native ISO
- Touch of a button change between Standard and Low Light Modes
- 5120 x 3000 effective pixels
- 30.72 mm x 18 mm (Diagonal: 35.61 mm)
- 16.5+ stops of dynamic range
- 5K up to 96 fps at 5K (5120×2700)
- 4K up to 30fps and 2K upto 120fps using ProRes or Avid DNxHR
- Simultaneously record REDCODE plus ProRes or Avid DNxHR
- 33x33x33 3D LUT support
- In Camera IPP2
- Up to 275 MB/s write speeds
- Interchangeable lens mount
- DSMC2 Body
Sample Footage:
Price:
You can order the RED Gemini now from B&H or Maxx Digital now for $24,500.
Maxx Digital has some great financing options too, if you don’t feel like forking out 10’s of thousands of dollars at once! Haha.
Upgrade/Sensor Swap options:
- DSMC2 WEAPON HELIUM > Can upgrade or RA-W to GEMINI for $4950.
- DSMC2 WEAPON DRAGON > Can upgrade or RA-W to GEMINI for $4950.
- DSMC2 EPIC-W HELIUM > Can upgrade to GEMINI for $4950.
I’m really excited to see all the great footage this baby captures, so stop reading about it already and get out there and shoot!
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