An Epic Test for an EPIC sensor - Build 30.5.0 Test results

[Ryan E. Walters]

Last week I spent a day with testing the Red with the MX sensor at Indent Studios- really putting it through its paces. With help from multiple crew members we shot the following tests:

Build 30.5.0 Mysterium / Mysterium-X Tests:
- Dynamic Range Test in Tungsten & Daylight (Over / Under at ISO’s 320 & 800)
- IR Filter Tests using Cotton, Polyester, Nylon, & Rayon (0.9ND, 1.2ND, 1.5ND)
- Rolling Shutter with Motion (4.5k to 2k & Redcode 42 to Redcode 28)
- Rolling Shutter with Flash
- Green Screen Test in Tungsten & Daylight (ISO’s 320 / 800 / 1600)
- High Speed Sharpness Test (90 fps & Redcode 42 / 100 fps & Redcode 36 / 120 fps & Redcode 28)
- “Soft Focus” Test at 2k. (Subject distance at 18’.)
- Interior High Contrast, Low Light Test
- Interior Low Contrast, Low Light Test
- Exterior High Contrast Test
- Exterior Low Contrast Test
- ISO 4000 Test
- ISO 6400 Test
- Neat Video Noise Profiling & Cleanup Test (from the ISO 4000 / 6400)
- Cooke S2/S3 Low Light Tests
- Candle Light Test
- Glow Stick Test

I just got done processing the results from the dynamic range test, and I have posted the results on my blog:
http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part01.html

My blog will be updated as I make my way down the list in processing the footage. In short- this new sensor is amazing- it really is as good as the hype.

More to come- and they are not all just charts. The low light tests are pretty fun at ISO 4000 and 6400 ...

One of the images from my blog:

 

[Martin Stevens]

Thank you very much Ryan!

Great work.

 

[Justin McAleece]

Great Test.

Great Test.

Fantastic Job. Very Well Executed. Can't wait to see the rest of the results.

 

[jimhare]

Wow, great job Ryan. Really good to see in depth testing like this.

 

[Eric Haase]

nice.

 

[Bastiaan Houtkooper]

Nice job, I was doing the same for exposure. But I am also doing key tests blue and greenscreen and exterior day-night.
Just put the first part online and will post the keypart today.
WHen I have time I will also translate it.
Later there will be an comparison with ´another camera´
http://www.redtalk.nl/en/nieuws/53-red-mx-deel-1-exposure-testen

I have also done ´correction with the FLUT™ control´to bring the image back.
Interesting results....

Basically I fully agree with your test results except I recommend rate the MX at 320 to avoid noise as long as you are safe in the highlights.

 

[Tim Whitcomb]

Nice work Ryan.

How did the IR clothing tests turn out? Was really curious to see those...

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Nice job, I was doing the same for exposure. But I am also doing key tests blue and greenscreen and exterior day-night.
Just put the first part online and will post the keypart today.
WHen I have time I will also translate it.
Later there will be an comparison with ´another camera´
http://www.redtalk.nl/en/nieuws/53-red-mx-deel-1-exposure-testen

I have also done ´correction with the FLUT™™ control´to bring the image back.
Interesting results....

Basically I fully agree with your test results except I recommend rate the MX at 320 to avoid noise as long as you are safe in the highlights.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to reading your results when they are in English. The Google translator does not do the best job- although from the visuals it looks like we are getting the same results, which is good to hear / know. The comparison with 'another' camera is intriguing.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Nice work Ryan.

How did the IR clothing tests turn out? Was really curious to see those...

That will be the next test I process and publish, so I do not have any officialy thoughts on it yet. From what I remember seeing on the day of the test, the IR filter is still needed with the MX, but it is less of an issue then with the M sensor.

 

[David Rasberry]

Very informative test. Thanks Ryan.

 

[Luca Immesi]

Great tests Ryan, very useful.

 

[Vico Martin]

useful as allways, thanks Ryan.

 

[Jannard]

Ryan... interesting test. Your methodology differs significantly from that of Hollywood DI. You might want to compare notes with Neil Smith on why they do the test by seeing how many stops over/under they can normalize to useable. Your charts are shot the same way. What happens next is completely different.

The Arri DRTC is a technical measurement of the difference between highlight held and detail seen in the shadows (with a fine line to help). It is very similar to a Stouffer test and the RED M-X sensor gets roughly the same results with both. 13.5 stops. Useable is another story which depends on your threshold of pain for noise.

Jim

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Ryan... interesting test. Your methodology differs significantly from that of Hollywood DI. You might want to compare notes with Neil Smith on why they do the test by seeing how many stops over/under they can normalize to useable. Your charts are shot the same way. What happens next is completely different.

Yep, I am sure they do- I do not claim to be a post / CC facility- and I am sure they have a lot more knowledge in that area then I can ever hope to have. Rather I am a cinematographer testing out the limits of the system trying to see how far I can push the system in a real world environment. With that Said, I'll contact Neil and get his input on the post side, as I'm sure his expertise would be greatly beneficial to processing the images in post.

I'm working on the IR tests today and I will be posting the results on my blog, and the High Res stills will be available via download from my twitter feed. Interesting results ...

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

IR Filter Test Results-

IR Filter Test Results-

The test results are in for the IR Filtering- the MX shows continued improvements in this area too. Here is the link to the full posting:

http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part02.html

Here is the chart of just the MX sensor (The M sensor can also be seen at my blog.)

 

[Tom Mitchell]

Thanks Ryan this is really useful!!

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Part 03: Rolling Shutter Test

Part 03: Rolling Shutter Test

The results are up and posted on my blog- Rolling shutter:

http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part03.html

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Part 04: Green Screen Tests-

Part 04: Green Screen Tests-

So here are the results of the Green Screen tests using ISO's 320, 800, 1600 in tungsten and daylight:
http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part04.html

One of the charts from the write up: (Video available on the blog)

 

[Tim Whitcomb]

So here are the results of the Green Screen tests using ISO's 320, 800, 1600 in tungsten and daylight:
http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part04.html

One of the charts from the write up: (Video available on the blog)

Awesome work Ryan... and for all you directors out there, Maren in the photo is also a very talented actress! Highly recommend.

She is represented by Option Talent Portland, OR http://www.ommtalent.com/

 

[Christopher Probst]

The results are up and posted on my blog- Rolling shutter:

http://www.ryanewalters.com/Blog/files/MXTesting_Part03.html

Interesting. I haven't had a situation to see the difference in the rolling shutter on the MX Red Ones yet... BUT I assumed that the rolling shutter on the MX upgraded cameras WAS at the advertised 5ms rate. Good to now know that that is not yet the case.

Bummer.

I hope that this is addressed soon, and it's now most likely the one benchmark of the Red One that can still be improved before reaching the limits of its abilities. I thought we had already hit that mark...

So Red team, get busy! (Like you're not!)