4. Theory of Operation
The RED ONE Digital Cinema camera provides high performance digital imaging over a wide
range of frame rates and optical formats including Super 35mm, 35mm and Super16mm. The
camera is supplied as standard with a PL mount, and may be configured with 19 mm rods to
accommodate most cinematography lenses, matte boxes and follow focus systems. Adaptors
for 15mm offset studio and 15mm lightweight rods are also available.
In addition to compatibility with existing PL mount cinematography lenses; a select range of
S35/35mm format PL mount prime and zoom lenses are available from RED Digital Cinema.
Other lens mounts, including Canon FD, and Nikon F will be available from RED and 3
rd
par-
ties, permitting the use of Nikkor and Canon photographic lenses. To use these mounts the PL
mount must be removed. This should be done in a dust-free environment, as the camera’s op-
tical path will be exposed to the elements.
A B4 mount to PL mount adaptor is also available to permit use of 2/3” HD lenses on the RED
ONE camera. The optical coverage is provided is equivalent to S16 mm. Hence, the maximum
recording resolution with these lenses will be 2K RAW.
Mysterium™ Sensor
The Mysterium™ sensor has been specifically designed for use with the RED ONE camera,
and provides variable frame rate imaging over 1- 60fps (1-120fps in 2K windowed mode).
Mysterium is color balanced for 5,000 degrees Kelvin, but may be electronically compen-
sated for operation at any color temperature in the range 1,700 to 10,000 Kelvin. White
Balance presets at 3200K and 5600K are available for Tungsten and Daylight lighting.
Mysterium includes an integrated 12bit resolution analog to digital converter for each pixel,
and is capable of delivering up to 66dB dynamic range (11 stops) when operating at the de-
fault Exposure Index of 320 ASA.
Image Processing
The data received from the Mysterium sensor is formatted as unprocessed 12 bit RAW data,
(pixel defect corrected but not color processed) a technique common to digital photography.
RAW data may be recorded in-camera using wavelet based compression (REDCODE RAW)
to compact flash, hard disk drive or flash drive media.
The RAW output data of the sensor is also converted to white balanced RGB 4:4:4 monitor
video that conforms to the SMPTE/EBU REC709 color gamut. It may be lightly color proc-
essed to illustrate a “look”, and feeds the RED-EVF, RED-LCD, HD-SDI and HDMI outputs.
