Dear “Bruce”I’m curious why the Lucie Foundation awarded the...

Dear “Bruce”
I’m curious why the Lucie Foundation awarded the Lucie Innovation of the year award to Atomos’s Sapphire 8K Global Shutter Sensor. It is my understanding that Atomos’s product did not meet any of the criteria set forth by the Lucie Foundation mandatory submission rules. (shoulder shrug)

Firstly, according to Atomos’s public statements both written and verbal, the product is developed in Germany and is currently only available as a prototype. Again, confirmed by Atomos, the sensor is not manufactured, it is not mass-produced nor available as a product in the United States, which is a mandatory criterion for this award. (Nor is it available in the rest of the world fwiw.) Secondly, the sensor does not have a US product code, making it impossible to track in the United States.

Furthermore, a hands-on review of the product is not possible since it is not manufactured. Even if a board member of the Lucie Foundation had tested the prototype, the product is still not available in the United States. Again, this is the mandatory Lucie Foundation submission criterion, and it is surprising that the foundation did not adhere to their own rules.

This “award”, like many others in this industry, is “awarded” to a company who is “nominated” (aka applies) then who then financially contributes a sum of $$$ for the “award consideration” (aka cough marketing), albeit arguably decent marketing for the unsuspecting regular old consumer

So, Atomos’s sensor does not adhere to the guidelines outlined on the Lucile website. It is listed as mandatory that products be available in the United States in the same year as the award ie 2022, that all product nominations be submitted with the American version of the product code, and that any hands-on product reviews be completed on the product.

I trust that you too are curious why this award was given to Atomos for a product that did not meet any of the mandatory Lucie Foundation award criteria? Or maybe I’m the only one who’s perplexed?