Alexa

[Rainer Fritz]

2nd - The R1 IS NOT BULLETPROOF. While the R1 is a great, light weight, high quality, bad ass camera system - IT IS NOT BULLETPROOF. It has faults (like any other camera system), it is "a computer with a lens on it"... Too easily, this camera can "break down" requiring to be sent in.
I'm sorry, but there isn't a "bulletproof" camera system. Period.

I spend the last 11 weeks in marokko and spain on a road movie. The only self reboots I had came from the ML-120 buffer battery, the rest of the time, the cam worked like a charme.... We put the camera through hell !!!!
Temperatures sometimes around 40 celsius and then dust and dirt and really normaly not usable roads when the cam was on a car mount (38 tons truck)....
the picture was sometimes shaking like hell because we drove with this truck with highest speed over marokko's and spain's offroads.... mechanical strain on this shoot was extraordinary..... yes the cam is now on service to clean it up.... but it was running every day without any really markable problems.... we had a backup body with us but didnt need it....
so yes it is not bullet proof at the moment, but I can say you can shoot EVERY movie with it... I saw how hard you can push this camera through a production.....

best,
rainer

 

[XiaoSu Han]

A cousin of a friend of my cousins friend heard...

bashing ARRI like that.... show some respect.

 

[jonnycom]

I have a lot of Red Rocket cards BUT....It would be nice if we could also do the GPU real time R3d 4k debayer like the old days.... stop with the simple crypto.... tear down these walls Mr Gorb....

Thinking about a license plate I saw...FREEJ2K

I think the Alexa is a short term band aid until they get their 4k act together. I was at the DGA thing and it was a room full of hope wishing the old model would come back and the Alexa could somehow do it.

 

[Zaphod]

Why do you need higher res than 1080P?

It's nearly impossible to get a DI at higher res than this.
Even the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, money is no object, are all finished 1080P.

Never mind the quality, feel the width.


Nothing against Red, but 4K is all marketing guff that people are swallowing and repeating as fact.

 

[Martin Weiss]

This thread could do with a decent serving of respect.

 

[Martin Weiss]

Why higher than 1080p?

4k projection maybe?

If you spread fud, you should at least use your real name, as per forum rules.

 

[Thomas Wright]

'scuse my ignorance but I thought the D20/21 recorded onto ARRIRAW? I've never used it but I thought that's what that was all about.

Our Reds haven't had a problem in ages, just a loose connector on the EVF (cost over £1000 to fix- that hurt) and inexperienced DITs frying the firewire port (£250 a shot) elsewise they're defo approaching bulletproofness for sure.

We're getting an Alexa soon but only 'cause everyone wants the latest gadget, must say, I've always respected Arri, but to tell you the truth they botched what could've been the perfect 16mm camera in the 416. The mag doors are pants, they filtch certain aspects from Aaton but don't steal the core release mechanism so one still has a hard time getting the film out without it unspooling. The bleeding thing lights up like a christmas tree (Where's the elegance in that?) It runs so quietly and the viewfinder is so beautiful but that dovetail system on the bottom is a mess.

 

[Shawn Booth]

Fair enough. I don't know exactly how many Red Ones are working every day but I do know that there are a lot more working than shooting Arriraw. Do you believe that? Alexa can't be compared to Red. It can be compared to an F35 or Genesis. They are full frame sensor 1080P cameras. Bravin's presentation to say that Arriraw matters in BS to me and to say that Redcode is not good is an insult to Red and Graeme. 1080P is a computer standard and not cinema. Red has finally given us a real film alternative and these others that try to say that 1080p is good enough is just bullshit. What part of this do you disagree with?

None of it, I do agree.

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

This thread could do with a decent serving of respect.

Sadly ... I think there will be much more mud slingin' coming soon.

ARRI has to market the Alexa program - they have chosen Mr. Bravin.

I wouldn't make the same comments others are making - I find it disrespectful. However - Michael has chosen to post on this forum with his cute little avatar - and he has made some IMO rather silly statements. So .. of course RED is going to respond. I would.

I find dis-information about RED very frustrating. I've been dealing with it for ... years. Yesterday - I had someone tell me they heard "lower serial numbers" are less desirable - and not as good as higher serial numbers, even if the lower numbered cameras are MX!!! We service RED cameras - so obviously we know this is non-sense. But WHY do people insist on spreading mis-information??

The reality is ... the best image on the big screen is going to win the hearts and minds of the world's best cinematographers. Regardless of "brand loyalty".

EPIC might not be the right tool for everyone or every job - but I can tell you - and I have personally seen and shot things in 5K I can't discuss - and what I can tell you is these cameras (EPIC & ALEXA) will speak for themselves.

EPIC is going to be the most desired digital camera for major motion picture production BEFORE 2011.

 

[Shawn Booth]

Shawn... with regards to #2, I have to ask you what you are referring to. While we have acknowledged along the way many problems, we now are getting very few cameras back with issues. What specifically are you talking about?

We recently had a rental company tell us that the RED ONE M-X was the least problematic camera they had... and the easiest to service. I really am curious what you are talking about.

Jim

Specifically, I have a camera that only powers through DC power. I haven't tested with other RED Bricks yet, nor have I filed a support ticket. I have been shooting away using DC power instead. (I wasn't referring to this issue specifically before however.) In general, I'm just saying there isn't a bulletproof camera system...

As I have said before though, I love the R1 and can't wait for EPIC. I still love film, but will shoot RED when celluloid isn't possible. I mean shit, the R1 saved our asses on the Five-O pilot when the D21 failed "to roll"...

 

[XiaoSu Han]

It seems that 1080p is good enough to make a 2.7 billion USD box office record for Avatar.

Can't believe that people are still so uptight about different formats and companies when it all comes down to the right camera for the right job and the right budget.

 

[Shawn Booth]

Perhaps they want to go film a documentary in the middle of a firefight in some battle. In which case, I would fear more for the cameraperson than the camera.

Well no, and yes... I wasn't referring to the "bulletproof" part in the literal sense... But we are headed for the M.E. later this year for a documentary.

Trust me, cameras don't like bullets. I had 2 shot in Bosnia...

 

[Robert Frank]

I find dis-information about RED very frustrating. I've been dealing with it for ... years. Yesterday - I had someone tell me they heard "lower serial numbers" are less desirable - and not as good as higher serial numbers, even if the lower numbered cameras are MX!!!

That is crazy Mark. Everyone knows the vintage old REDs are best!

 

[Thomas Wright]

Can anyone tell me why the D21 and all its productions aren't ARRIRAW? Or was the fella at the BSC show equivocating?

 

[Jim Retar]

We have people on here slating the Alexa who have never used one... i'm certain we have people on here slating the Alexa who haven't even used a Red One let alone an Alexa!

I think both companies are well established enough now to just let the products do the talking.

The people who are important to either company are smart enough to work out which is the better product for their needs.

 

[Scott Crawley]

But WHY do people insist on spreading mis-information??

Well, this must be a rhetorical question, but since this thread is full of rhetoric I'll add a cheeky remark.

The answer to the question comes in two simple parts. First, people will repeat anything they hear. (If they are saying this stuff to YOU, I'd suggest they are looking for a reputable rebuttal.) Second, some people will talk any time they sense that someone, anyone might be listening. It often doesn't matter to them what they say, just so long as someone is listening. As an aside, some people say inflammatory things just to provoke a reaction.

 

[Graeme Nattress]

So that's why The Social Network is doing real time 4k DI at this very moment then?

Saying 1080p is enough is like you'll never need more than 640k RAM.

Graeme

 

[Thomas Wright]

Yeah, I'm just trying to find justification for what people have said about ARRIRAW, but to no avail...

 

[Francesco Bonomo]

We have people on here slating the Alexa who have never used one... i'm certain we have people on here slating the Alexa who haven't even used a Red One let alone an Alexa!

I think both companies are well established enough now to just let the products do the talking.

The people who are important to either company are smart enough to work out which is the better product for their needs.

Amen to that, Jim.
Maybe it's just me, but I'll never understand brand-bashing, especially when it originates by word of mouth or on internet boards. In this case, there are at least three established cinematographers, ASC members, that have spoken quite well of Alexa. Is that the end of the world? Does that make Red a lesser camera for the ones who own it and successfully use it? i don't think so.
Marketing is one thing, using real cameras in the real world is another: everyone gets to choose their favourite tool(s) according to their needs and to the job.

 

[David Battistella]

I see these thread titles and I know that they can only be bad, bad, bad.

This is REDUSER. I actually do not care what ALEXA is doing, I'll go and see the dog and pony show tomorrow night in Toronto and I am sure that people will like the products and some won't.

Marketing is not truth. We all know that.

This thread is getting a bit pety and I wish we would keep a more positive vibe and talk about things like this.

1. RED is doing 4K now
2. REDCODE RAW is the best invention in the whole program. ANy major player has to envy it and no one has duplicated it.
3. RED have done more in Digital Cinema in the past three years than any major player cares to admit.

Please. RED, do not get drawn into this bullshit. You are already way better than that. Keep on the EPIC train and take the highroad.



David