RED’s $35,000 V-RAPTOR XL 8K Vista Vision camera is now available to pre-order

RED’s latest flagship camera, the V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV, is now available to pre-order. As with previous ‘XL’ versions of its camera systems, the V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV uses the same 8K Vista Vision (VV) sensor (40.96mm x 21.60mm) inside the standard V-RAPTOR, but wraps it inside a unified body that offers additional ports, connections and interfaces for high-end productions and studio-oriented shooting.

Whereas most of RED’s camera designs, barring the RED Ranger, focus on modularity so you can build out the camera to fit your needs, this XL model sacrifices size for having all the bells-and-whistles right on board.

At the heart of the V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV camera is the same 8K full-frame Vista Vision CMOS sensor found inside the standard V-RAPTOR, the largest sensor in RED’s arsenal. It measures 40.96mm x 21.60mm (Diagonal: 46.31 mm) with a resolution of 8192 × 4320 pixels. For comparison, your standard full-frame sensor measures 36mm x 24mm (Diagonal: 43.27mm), meaning this Vista Vision sensor is about 1.4% larger by surface area and equates to a roughly 0.93x crop factor compared to full-frame.

RED claims the sensor offers 17+ stops of dynamic range. It also has a 6K Super35 mode and has an integrated electronic ND system (2–7EV compensation), something its non-XL counterpart lacks. In front of the sensor is an interchangeable lens mount, a change from the native RF mount used in the standard V-RAPTOR. It will come with a PL-mount by default, but an optional EF-mount can be attached if needed.

As for the integrated I/O, there isn’t much RED missed. Onboard are three 12G-SDI ports (capable of outputting DCI 4K/60), USB-C ports, a genlock port, a Control port, a gigabit ethernet port, an array of audio inputs/outputs and three power ports: a 19.5–34V DC input, a 12V input and a 24V input. It also features wireless timecode and genlock for remote production.

Size comparison between the standard V-RAPTOR and the V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV model.

Based on the price and build of this camera, it’s clear this is designed for more commercial-level shooting, where it makes more sense to rent this on demand when needed rather than keeping it on-hand. For smaller operations or even one-person shooting, the standard V-RAPTOR with a few add-ons would make more sense, both financially and operationally.

The RED V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV is available to pre-order for $39,500. It comes in two battery options: V-mount and Gold Mount, and for an additional $10,495, you can snag yourself the RED V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV Production Pack, which includes a 7” touchscreen monitor, four batteries, a dual charger, two 2TB RED PRO CFexpress cards, a card reader and rigging equipment.