RED has released no fewer than three 8K cameras since 2015. First was the full format WEAPON DRAGON VV (short for VistaVision), notably used by Henry Braham, BSC on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Next came the EPIC-W and WEAPON HELIUM, both using RED's 8K S35 HELIUM sensor, which packed 8K of pixels into an area similar in size to the standard 3-perf Super35 format and provided a new level of noise performance, especially when scaled down to deliverable resolutions like UHD 3840x2160 or good old HD (1920x1080). Finally, last fall, RED released a replacement for that first 8K camera, incorporating the new sensor technology from their HELIUM chip, and dubbed it MONSTRO. But, aside from resolution, what are the advantages of these 8K sensors? One answer might surprise you: color.

RED's WEAPON 8K camera, announced at this year's NAB show, has many people excited. RED has always pushed the boundaries of digital cinema, and the WEAPON 8K is another great example of this. The most interesting, and perhaps confusing, aspect of this new camera is the size of its sensor.