With RED’s latest announcement that the new Dragon sensor may offer up to 20 stops of dynamic range, it has many wondering what’s in store for the insufficient 12-bit RAW based linear file format we’ve all known and grown to love since 2007. Will RED completely gut out it’s EPICs for the Dragon update – or will there merely be a new shell with new ADC boards, upgraded SSD modules, fans and power systems?

My speculation is that if RED want’s to keep its 12-bit file format for the new 20 stop capable sensor they will need to move over to a Log encoded recording format similar to Sony, Canon, and ARRI. That or seriously jack up the bit-rates used in their current 12-bit based REDCODE format. Currently RED’s REDCODE format uses linear encoding which means the linear signal from the sensor is digitized and stored that way. Log encoding however applies a logarithmic curve before it is encoded and stored.

I could be wrong to imply that Log would allow MORE dynamic range to be captured within the same bit-depth size, but even so Log has several other benefits over linear such as a more even distribution of data levels per stop throughout the entire tonal range. And less bit-depth means smaller files and less file space to store “more” information. A good example of this already in place is with the Alexa using a 10-bit Log signal to carry almost as much information as a 12-bit linear signal, or a 12-bit Log signal to carry almost as much info as a 14bit linear signal.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what becomes of this.