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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

AF EPIC tests finished - its the future.

You guys haven't seen anything yet... our AutoFocus team just blew Jim and my minds away a few days ago with a peak into the future :)
 
You guys haven't seen anything yet... our AutoFocus team just blew Jim and my minds away a few days ago with a peak into the future :)

Aw, come on now! You gotta give some hints when you drop nuggets like that. If nothing else, can you estimate when the firmware implementing these new features will be available?
 
The next Beta build will have some of them...
 
"There is enough room for both old and new technologies in your life... Try not to fall behind..."

I've been trying to find a way to put this same sentiment into simple words since the Red revolution started. I believe its the most important factor in who will be successful and valuable and who will fade into the background. I'm trying with all my might not to fall behind. Everything is changing and so must we. Mark is the greatest example of how a cinematographer should be conducting him or herself in this day and age. A true film guy for his whole career, but he could see the benefits of digital acquisition when most were kicking and screaming to keep their comfort zone. Now, it's the lenses that are changing. Technology is making new things possible and we should be open to the new tools we have at our disposal. I never thought I'd want to try auto focus on a cinema camera, but I can't find any reason not to. I'm betting I will be happily surprised as well. Not to mention, all I have to do is buy a Canon mount and I have a whole new camera system... Red rules :)
 
How do you control AF? With the Side Handle like a DSLR?
Can you control it without the Side Handle or the Touch LCD?

Also what display are you using? I'd love yo get a Bomb EVF to keep the setup small but the milky black problem is stopping me.

Thanks for posting your findings.
 
Here is a quick test I did about 10 minutes ago.

The 85mm f1.2 is one of the slowest AF lenses in my package...

This test is exactly that.. just a simple test to see how quick it can pull focus while recording.
No measurements, no lazar readings, no focus wheels, no camera assistant, no guessing, just turned the camera on and pressed the button, you can have it on Single or continuous, (single recommended) large AF area or small... I use small.
In my 25 years of shooting 35mm PL lenses, I have never ever had a focus puller match the accuracy and speed of this quick test, without some serious lens marking, measurements and practise...
Not taking it away from Focus pullers, as I have many great friends that are Focus pullers, but this is technology that is here now and getting better all the time.
People should be aware.

The AF system is not perfect, It will hunt if you don't frame an edge within the AF box... it will not pull focus on a plain flat surface, in a low light or ugly back light situation it will fail... But the more you practice with it, the better, faster and easier it becomes and with newer RED firmware, its just getting better all the time.

Once again, the auto focus cannot track a person / car etc.. walking or running towards you. Thats a job for a professional focus puller.
For everything else... Not a worry.


 
Where the test?
PS: Sorry, in iPad I could not see the video.....
Thank you for the test!

It is very important - as the AF will respond if necessary, move the focus between objects located close to the panorama, but yet at a great distance in depth?
Can I touch up focus manually in AF mode?
 
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The 85mm f1.2 is one of the slowest AF lenses in my package...

I actually like the slowness of the focus pull. Makes it more "human".
Imagine if it would do some kind of Bezier-curve thing of the speed gradient...

Thank you for the test, Mark!

Jochen
 
Thank you for posting your observations Mark. I've been contemplating what will happen to the PL lens market due to this coming AF, full frame & lightweight & cheap price point revolution. I'm hoping for the best of both worlds... new PL mount lenses with AF, lightweight and top class mechanics for manual focus pulling and lens uniformity. In the meantime while I'm waiting... I'll do exactly what you are doing. I can't invest in new PL mount lenses mainly just for mechanics right now. I hope that RED will be the ones to reach the market first with these new lenses.
 
all that the Canon mount has done is give us more choices and make RED cameras even more suitable for a broader range of applications...

can't seen how that can be a bad thing, in any way.

the ability to shoot one-man band style on a RAW 4K+ digital cinema-grade camera is truly breathtaking.

if RED can accomplish these things with the Canon AF feature set, imagine what they'll be able to achieve with their own line of electronic lenses....

so curious to see what Jarred's team has up their sleeve...

love to see these EPIC/SCARLET enhancements coming at us, so fast and furiously.
 
You guys haven't seen anything yet... our AutoFocus team just blew Jim and my minds away a few days ago with a peak into the future :)

Like facial recognition and tracking AF? Or might that be further down the road?
 
Mark, I so love your videos and images.

As I keep saying, you so eloquently point out the ups and downs of whatever it is you're illustrating and make it extremely easy to understand immediately.

This looks awesome.
 
Thanks for sharing. These are exciting times with many great choices. Hard to keep up with all the technology, but well worth it as more and better ways to work keep coming. Great to have so many tools to help tell powerful stories with complex characters. You write well, it is a pleasure to read your posts. And your shooting is impressive too.
 
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