Keith, I'll admit, I don't know you. Perhaps I don't get your sense of humor, or maybe you have a bone to pick with Jim. But something is not quite in balance here. In fact, it's threads like these that really disappoint me. Not that people dislike a particular piece of technology. That I can understand. It's the lengths people go to bash it. I like RED. I like Jim. I own a camera. I support the company in what they are doing. I also love what Arri is doing, what canon is doing, etc. I especially see Arri and RED complimenting each other in the sense that they will push each other to make better products, which is good for us endusers. I've always admired David Mullen for his openminded approach. He does not write off a camera system until he has thoroughly tested it, and even then he usually has something positive to say, even if it is critical. I like to think I have a similar approach.
I truly wish that a lot of these threads could stay positive, focusing on the facts, peppered with some healthy debate/speculation. When they sink into personal attacks, deep rooted agendas, etc. it's no longer fun and informative. When you have to resort to saying RED is not being used much, or infer that high end professionals are not using it, just seems petty to me and doesn't represent reality. I've done work for a very reputable shop in New York who's RED imagery you have seen in a LOT of commercials, but they don't boast about what camera they use, they just use what works best for them on a given project and they continue to produce exceptional work no matter what the medium. They have an excellent understanding of the RED, and how to get the most out of it. They shoot a lot of tungsten and never complain about it. They just know what they're doing. It could be a film job, a varicam job, or a phantom shoot. Doesn't seem to matter. Perfect example of the old saying "it's about the people using the gear".
As I said at the beginning I don't know you. I could be missing something here. Just seems like in reading this thread, the vibe wasn't very good. If I'm wrong, I apologize.
