Professional and hobbyist camera fiends have been long awaiting a hands-on experience with RED’s new super-HD digital cameras, and they finally got it this week at CES 2011. Check out Engadget’s hands-on with RED’s Ted Schilowitz

RED’s compact, high-resolution digital cameras have been in use in Hollywood for a few years now, having been used to shoot such films as District 9, The Social Network, and the upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit. So far they’ve made shooting easier and quicker, but some argue that the look of RED’s 4K digital can’t stand up to that of cinema’s traditional 35mm film. RED begs to differ, and offers statistics to back it up: 35mm film is about 3000 pixels wide in digital resolution. For reference, the resolution of typical HD video is about 1000 pixels wide. Meanwhile, RED’s 4K sensor has an approximate resolution of 3200 pixels (when converted). Film buffs may be able to notice a difference between 4K and 35mm, but the average movie-going public will enjoy it either way. On the other hand, what RED has got coming down the pipe might be enough to make even the most hardcore film-o-philes sit up and take notice: a camera with a 28000 pixel resolution. Remember how I said 3200 was high? 28,000. I’m not even sure there’s anything that can display so many pixels at once.

Will RED cameras soon be available for non-professionals? Probably not to buy, since the core of the camera alone costs a cool $25,000. But indie filmmakers out there shouldn’t despair – RED rigs are frequently rented out for rates in the mid-hundreds per day, far cheaper than standard 35mm rentals. But, as time and technology march onward, prices will hopefully drop far enough that making cinema-quality films won’t be restricted to big studios. Of course, by then we’ll all be accustomed to 3-D movies, TV, video games, and billboards, and it won’t matter how many pixels your silly 2-D camera has. Countdown to Facebook 3D photo support and Canon’s new 3D point-and-shoot starts… now.