Peter Jackson’s new film The Hobbit will be shot in 3D using RED DIGITAL CINEMA‘S EPIC Digital Cameras. The EPIC has 5K resolution, can shoot up to 120 frames per second and has a new HDRx mode for the highest dynamic range of any digital cinema camera ever made. Taking everything they had learned from building their first camera, RED designed the EPIC from scratch and has produced a smaller, lighter camera that is an order of magnitude more powerful.

The Hobbit will be amongst the first productions in the world to use the EPIC and at least thirty cameras will be required by the 3-D production. The EPIC’S small size and relatively low weight, makes it perfect for 3-D – where two cameras have to be mounted on each 3D rig. The Hobbit will start shooting in New Zealand early next year.

Announced via: REDUSER.net

There’s some new wrinkles to Red‘s camcorder lineup. First off, everything you knew about Scarlet? Forget it. They’ve revamped the whole thing and have a new version of the Scarlet alongside the Epic. The idea is that you can have a fully modular camcorder setup that is prepared for digital cinema at whatever resolution you want to shoot. You can start with the Scarlet “brain” for $2500, add a compatible (2/3″) lens, batteries, and as much monitoring, I/O and recording modules as you like. Then if you feel so inclined, you can graduate up with a new “brain”, lenses, etc.

The traditional camcorder manufacturers (and, really, film camera manufacturers too) are probably more than a little worried watching the Red lineup evolve. The pricing is fierce. The stuff looks cool. There are some Hollywood productions on the drawing board that will be using Red’s technology. We expect hard drive manufacturers to be rubbing their hands together in anticipation of big sales (on the order of terabytes, easy) of drives to Red camcorder owners working on big productions.

The lone problem? Red is mum about the exact date when the new stuff will become available. The original Red One is now shipping, though.