RED founder Jannard admits 'consumer' cam was mistake
updated 04:15 pm EDT, Tue October 5, 2010
Scarlet future becomes unclear
RED founder Jim Jannard has admitted that his company should not have attempted to engage the consumer market with its upcoming Scarlet camera. The comments come just days after RED announced that it would raise the price of the Scarlet video camera by $1,000, which was said to be necessary to integrate a high dynamic range feature.
"The concept of RED was to build a camera with as much capability as possible... for the professional market," Jannard said. "Then we thought we could extend it down a bit to the prosumer level. Apparently, that was a mistake."
Jannard went on to bash prosumer cameras, which were described as "almost right." He suggests RED will now maintain a focus on the professional market, building products for those who want to "man up."
"If you want a serious tool to use for professional projects... think RED. No more 'soccer mom' thinking," Jannard added. "Pros only. Life is short and the clock is ticking. We have decided who we are."
RED has been blunt with customers regarding development delays and changing specs for its upcoming cameras. The entry-level Scarlet pricing now sits around $3,750, while the high-end S35 edition brings the price up to $8,000. As expected, the launch time-frame remains unclear. [via EOS HD]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2007
Good for them!
Too many companies get diluted by offering too wide a variety of products. When you start competing with price conscious buyers instead of quality conscious buyers, your products tend to spin downward in quality, as the price is never low enough.