RED EPIC VS HDSLR

[Dustin Brown]

I too am glad to see the respectful and genuinely helpful responses. It's too easy on these type of forums to put someone down and happens too often.

The path of cinematography should start at a a Best Buy handy cam.

I don't think so. There's no problem in starting with a DSLR or prosumer camera. You'll actually learn a lot more by using a better, more professional piece of equipment. You can learn very little from a handycam that often times has little to no manual controls. It's too easy to learn bad technique. Better to start with an HDSLR that can actually use interchangeable lenses and one can learn about white balance, iris, DOF, and other manual controls.

 

[Jason Sinclair]

Or if money is not so much of a problem and you really feel like you want to get into this i would buy an Epic. The reasoning is you are starting with a professional camera and can just focus on proper technique rather than figuring out ways to get around limitations like the other cameras mentioned. Your craft will advance a lot more quickly and will be better value than a year at film school.

 

[woodybrando]

yeah, if you're really just beginning and want to learn cameras I'd say get the cheapest interchangeable lens digital camera with full manual control. It'll help you apply and retain all the info you find from doing research on the internet.

Right now, I'd say the Olympus E-pl1 is just the most amazing deal I ever hoped for as an intro to digital videography. It has a huge sensor (compared to what was available just a few years ago), interchangeable lenses, supposedly the best jpeg rendering engine, shoots 720 30p in mjpeg, lots of manual controls (except framerate and audio gain) you can get a stereo in adapter for $60 and it makes a pretty picture. It's pretty close to what I hoped a scarlet to be when I first started reading about them in 2006 or so. That said, it's not a professional tool like the Red cameras but it'll get u started learning how to control light and compose a shot.

You can get them refurbished from Amazon for $370. Which is just crazy considering I spent $6000 in 2005 for an xl2 to get a digital video camera with interchangeable lenses and full manual control.

jayson
www.woodybrando.com

 

[RivaiC]

During very early announcement of EPIC plan posted by Jim. He did mentioned about Monstro sensor. That is the one that caught my eye since it's a FF35 sensor. Im kinda hoping during that time the EPIC Monstro will be release at the same time as compare to EPIC-X. But clearly that isnt the case now.

You've got to be very clear on the limitation of dSLR technology. A friend of mine DOP, share his story with me that one of his friend was shooting with it in one government function. The room was full with people wearing traditional costume "batik". It's a beautiful costume with nice traditional pattern.

But the result of the shoot is horrible. It is flickering from beginning until the end and the footage of the wide shot is not usable at all. The batik pattern has a very fine details and lines where RED has no problem on resolving those kind of details at all. When it is in focus especially wide shot, it's a gone case, horrible flickering and looks crap. But CU and MCU is kinda ok..you still have very slight flickering but not as bad as compare to WS.

Clearly, batik is not a western costume and you might not face that. But the point remains, dSLR will just flicker if it cannot resolve those fine details. On wide shot, you can find it with bricks wall, shirt with fine stripes, wires on the road, etc.

In most cases, you cannot fix this in post.

RV

 

[albert rudnicki]

at the end it really comes down to knowing your tool; having the best-making the best is pure illusion.

 

[Lee Saxon]

I've started buying 16mm glass for my future Scarlet 2/3" and I'm thinking about renting a GH2 and seeing how it's "tele-crop" [1:1 middle 1920x1080 of the sensor, no downsampling] mode works with them. Might be a lot better with moire/aliasing and maybe even resolution than typical DSLR video.

 

[Michael Schrengohst]

I've started buying 16mm glass for my future Scarlet 2/3" and I'm thinking about renting a GH2 and seeing how it's "tele-crop" [1:1 middle 1920x1080 of the sensor, no downsampling] mode works with them. Might be a lot better with moire/aliasing and maybe even resolution than typical DSLR video.

GH2 test with old Canon 25MM C-mount lens.
About 50% of the shots were using the Tele-Crop.

http://vimeo.com/19236778

 

[Michael Millichamp]

at the end it really comes down to knowing your tool; having the best-making the best is pure illusion.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Jason Sinclair]

No better way to get to know your tool than having it close

 

[Joel Arvidsson]

I completely agree.

I spent many many months pouring over reduser before I even registered. There is more than enough info to answer any newbie question if they take the time to READ.

I'm not trying to sound rude, but you have to understand we see the same questions pop up over and over again. Take some time, read through as many posts as you can and you'll learn a TON about what the RED camera and future EPIC have to offer. This is by far my favorite place on the internet to hang out and learn from the pros. Be careful, you might find yourself addicted.

:iagree:

 

[Derek S.]

You've got to be very clear on the limitation of dSLR technology. A friend of mine DOP, share his story with me that one of his friend was shooting with it in one government function. The room was full with people wearing traditional costume "batik". It's a beautiful costume with nice traditional pattern.

But the result of the shoot is horrible. It is flickering from beginning until the end and the footage of the wide shot is not usable at all. The batik pattern has a very fine details and lines where RED has no problem on resolving those kind of details at all. When it is in focus especially wide shot, it's a gone case, horrible flickering and looks crap. But CU and MCU is kinda ok..you still have very slight flickering but not as bad as compare to WS.

Clearly, batik is not a western costume and you might not face that. But the point remains, dSLR will just flicker if it cannot resolve those fine details. On wide shot, you can find it with bricks wall, shirt with fine stripes, wires on the road, etc.

In most cases, you cannot fix this in post.

RV

He should have used GH2.

 

[Derek S.]

An hdslr is a great start. Take film AND photography classes.

Well in a way, HDSLR's are the better cameras as long as you can't buy EPIC's and Scarlet's. HDSLR is the only start.