Sensor size isn’t everything, but it’s worth examining how many different definitions of a “Super 35mm” -sized sensor there are when thinking about last week’s camera announcements.
The Scarlet X has a larger sensor than the Canon C300, but you won’t be using it all to make movies. You can only achieve 24 fps at 4K and below—where the window you’re shooting to is actually smaller than the C300’s near exact match to the Super 35 frame width.
Canon’s APS-C HDSLRs, such as the 7D and my new favorite, the inexpensive Rebel T3i, are also very close to to the canonical Super 35 width.
On an Epic, shooting 4.5K WS gets you similarly close to the dictionary definition of “Super 35.” I don’t see this resolution listed among the Scarlet X’s options, although it’s possible that was simply for brevity.
What you’ll probably be shooting on your Scarlet X is 4K HD, where your frame size is noticeably smaller than Super 35. So is it fair to call the Scarlet a “Super 35” camera?
The Scarlet allows overcranking, but only at windowed resolutions, as shown above. As you gain frames per second, you lose resolving power, and the ability to achieve shallow depth of field at a given Angle Of View. Your lenses become effectively more telephoto as your sensor goes Costanza on you.
The Canon C300 on the other hand will force you down to 720p for any frame rate between 30 and 60—but it’s a downsample, not a crop, so your lenses will still behave the same way.