Usually when we send our RED cameras to California, it’s because something is broken. An audio card decided to die after a rental or a mysterious blue line is now running down the middle of the picture or it became possessed and renamed itself Damien Thorn. If you can imagine it, it’s happened.

But this trip out to the West Coast is a time of jubilee. Rejoice with us, please. As you read this, the RED cameras are getting the new Mysterium-X sensor upgrades. Since only nerds (and Scott Brookens) knows what this means, let me brief you.

One of the easy complaints about the RED camera is that it records too much grain. It stinks in low light. You have to bring a Mack truck worth of lights in to get a good looking picture. RED has been notably criticized for this little mishap, especially at high ISO levels, and so they decided to do something about it. (They have to stay competitive with the new Canon 5D and 7D, eh?) The answer is the Mysterium-X sensor (heretoafterfor known as the MX sensor).

The MX sensor is bringing a much improved image — 4520 x 2540 pixels — and includes a new optical low pass filter. It’s the same sensor that is going to be in the upcoming EPIC-X camera. The MX will allow us to shoot at a high ISO (rumor boasts of 1200!) and say adios to the grain and noise. With our ARRI Master Primes opening up to a stop of 1.3 and an ISO of 1000+, who needs lights? And of course, rental on all of this is available!

As Beyoncé once said, “Let me, let me upgrade ya…”