RED has announced that the HELIUM 8K S35 and GEMINI 5K S35 sensors will be incorporated into the RED RANGER camera ecosystem. These two new alternatives create a robust lineup for creators who prefer an integrated, all-in-one system.
This is an interesting move from RED. The RED RANGER MONSTRO 8K was announced earlier in the year as a rental only item, but it seems that there is a big enough demand for RED to now expand the RED RANGER range and make them available to purchase. Just to be clear only the RANGER HELIUM 8K S35 and RANGER GEMINI 5K S35 are available to buy. The RED RANGER MONSTRO 8K is still rental only.
“In collaboration with rental houses to bring the RANGER MONSTRO to market, we have heard great feedback from customers, inspiring these two new variants. We’re excited to offer the RANGER line-up to a wider variety of professional productions and look forward to seeing the amazing images that are created.”
RED Digital Cinema President Jarred Land
Key features
- Integrated I/O’s
- Three SDI outputs (two mirrored and one independent)
- Support for wider input voltage (11.5-32V)
- 4V & 12V power outs (two of each)
- 12V P-Tap port
- Integrated 5-pin XLR stereo audio input (line/mic/+48V selectable)
- Genlock, timecode, USB, and control
- Shimmed PL mount
- Large diameter fan provides improved thermal performance
- Available in V-Lock or Gold Mount variants
All three sensor variants of the RED RANGER camera system include the same benefits of the compact, standardized camera body, weighing around 7.5 pounds (depending on battery). The system can also handle heavy-duty power sources to satisfy power-hungry configurations and boasts a large fan for quiet, more efficient temperature management.
The RED RANGER camera system consists of three SDI outputs (two mirrored and one independent) allowing two different looks to be output simultaneously; wide-input voltage (11.5V to 32V); 24V and 12V power outs (two of each); one 12V P-Tap; integrated 5-pin XLR stereo audio input (line/mic/+48V selectable); as well as genlock, timecode, USB, and control. Both V-Lock and Gold Mount battery options are supported.
As with all current RED cameras, the RANGER can simultaneously record REDCODE RAW plus Apple ProRes or AVID DNxHD or DNxHR at up to 300 MB/s write speeds. It also features RED’s end-to-end color management and post workflow with the enhanced image processing pipeline (IPP2).
RANGER HELIUM and RANGER GEMINI ship complete with:
- New Production Top Handle
- Shimmed PL Mount
- New LCD/EVF Adaptor D with improved cable routing when used on the left side of the camera
- New 24V AC power adaptor with 3-pin 24V XLR power cable, which can also be used with 24V block batteries
- Lens mount shim pack
- Compatible Hex and Torx tools
Additionally, RED plans to introduce Canon EF Mount versions of both RANGER HELIUM and RANGER GEMINI later this year.
Price & Availability
The RANGER HELIUM 8K S35 and RANGER GEMINI 5K S35 are available to order now from participating rental houses, and directly through RED and resellers. Since the trade-in program starts in October, you can expect these to ship around the same time.
Pricing for the two new variants is $29,950/€27,450/£24,750 for RANGER HELIUM and $24,950/€22,850/£20,650 for RANGER GEMINI.
Let’s compare the pricing to a standalone DSMC2 body.
DSMC2 BRAIN with Gemini 5K S35 Sensor – $19,500
DSMC2 Production Kit – $6,500 USD (DSMC2 Production Module, Top Plate & Extended Top Handle)
This comes to a total of $26,000 USD so not only is the Ranger cheaper, you get a few other advantages like the larger fan for better cooling. For those who like the modularity of being able to break it down to barebones for aerial or gimbal work than the Ranger may not be for you.
It’s important to note that while the Ranger is an all-in-one, you will still need to add an LCD screen or EVF, media storage and batteries. So make sure to account for these in your budget.
Can I upgrade?
For existing DSMC2 camera owners wanting to move to the Ranger system, the trade-in price is $15,000 USD and will start in October.
