2 month of using red scarlet. My impression.

[Minu Park]

I had been using Sony F5, FS700 mostly and moved into the Red just two month ago.

My impression of Red.

It creates a beautiful image, but it's not an easy camera.

If you ever used Sony cine line cameras, you ever question your self, why these sony logs create such a video look?

Although you shot in Raw and grade, it still affects on your product, unless you are professional colorist.

Here is pro and con of Sony VS Red

-Egornomic-

Both fair

- It seems FS-7 (Sony's new camera) comes out with great economics with a light weight, in that case I don't know whether who's winner.

- If you have an easy rig with side handle on your red, red wins-it just works. But, I don't know why, red camera shoulder rigging is really pain in the ass comparing any sony cine lines.

- Internal ND : I can't say who wins - because red has a motion adaptor - again that god damn motion adaptor make your lens a step up- Good thing, it makes global shutter - yayyy.

I really miss sony's internal ND: I hate using ND FILTERS OR MATTE BOX IT'S TOO BIG AND ANNOYING- WASTING MY TIME.

-Image-

I think, Red gamma is way better than sony - I am interested in more indie cinema look, comparing TV - commercial LOOK

But, Red sucks at ISO sensitivity

Here is the thing, I used to use most likely Tungsten + Led, because sony's S log could handle really well for high iso sensitivity - I often go between 1600 -3200

Now, I never go over 800( Red's 1600 is equal to Sony F5's 6400 or even more)

It means you need an expensive set now, this really sucks for indie film makers.


- interface -

Fuck RED, THEY JUST MADE A COMPUTER NOT THE CAMERA.

Black shading really makes me sick, what kind of camera that I can't change my shutter speed for it's sensor calibration?

Sensor is too sensitive that you should take care your camera like your baby.

Not only that fan sound really makes me sick.

Sony

Everything works, but their firmware stay as it is always - NEVER FIX BUGS, AND SOMETIME IT REALLY SUCKS.
Good thing about sony is that, I have never seen anyone gets such a crazy fan sound like RED.

- Codec -

Red

RED WINS.

I won't say anything about Sony's. It's just a shame - This gigantic company can create a such a good camera but provides a shitty non-sense codec.

----------------

At the end,

Red creates really better image, if you have enough lighting equipment. Additionally Red cam has 10x better codec - which is more important than any others.
However, Red just forget the fact that they didn't give us any convenient tools like sony did.

Honestly, I like my scarlet, and I am about to upgrade to epic. However, if I upgrade to epic, every single shot will be needed to expense 2 - 3 times more expensive than Sony's solution.
I might not ready to use RED yet or I think I will invest Arri sun instead of epic I think...

I am truly sad about Red's iso sensitivity... just two-three step higher would make my life so much easier.

I miss using tungsten over the big HMI's.... It was cheap, and easy ughhhhhhh

 

[Wil Wong]

Interesting opinion. I did like Sony's interface but to me, Red's interface is so much more easier and direct. Love that there isn't buttons and dials all over the camera. All the main camera/lens settings are on the top with secondary settings in the menu. Audio settings are not as useful if you wanted to dial it up or down during recording but then again, this is not an ENG style camera and sound is taken care of by someone else usually.

Personally, I prefer the Red workflow and interface over Sony. Although I do like Sony's thumbnail images in the menu when playing back media footage more so then Red's name list. Also hoping touch screen becomes better responsive like an iPad (perhaps the 7inch is...haven't tested that yet).

 

[Mike Garrick]

Red UI. is now a new ball game with Foolcontrol. Iphone/Ipad.

 

[Robert Hart]

Now for a bit of vexatious mischief. - Has anyone tried Silicon Imaging's DVR2/SI3D touch-screen or the P+S body "mouse" interfaces? It's rather unfortunate that real-world circumstance decreed going to 35mm/Super35mm even at 2K for the SI2K line was unviable.

http://www.siliconimaging.com/DigitalCinema/SI3D_KeyFeatures.html

Yep. - I know. Very cheeky to do this but the webmasters have also shown great forebearance in the past.

 

[Ben Scott]

I've just sold my Scarlet and am buying an FS7 because I think I can make more money with it but after using for close to 2 years once you have set it up how you like it the only real downsides for the Scarlet for me and the way I was working are the price/amount of media needed, cropped lower res images, lack of 50fps at 3k, and the fact that it eats batteries for breakfast which, along with the weight and cost of spare everythings, makes running and gunning or one-man-band operation a bit tough.


In terms of image quality I have never once had an issue or complaint.

 

[Brian Merlen]

which sony are we comparing it to? F3, F5, F55, F65, FS700, etc? They put out new cameras every 2 days or something (ok slight exaggeration)... I didn't even bother listing the prosumer stuff cuz its like dozens of models... "a7s so good lights are obsolete brah"!! (at least that is what some say) all of these sonys have different features, form factors, codecs, workflows, some do raw, some don't...etc

sony has in camera sharpening/denoiser which is different then red which makes the sharpening/denoising (or grain additions) done in post...so its a different thought pattern on grain levels and whether it should be done in cam or in post processing... other than ISO you basically have to add grain in post or remove it in post depending on tastes

have you considered getting a scarlet dragon with low light olpf? might be better for you dynamic range wise vs an epic MX...

i think the black shade situation does suck, its gotten better but its still like the slowest camera out to blackshade lol! my phantom i blackshade on every shot cuz its a 2 second operation.. I'm not getting rid of my red stuff but i am really into the idea of getting arri stuff (but XT Plus is gonna take me a while to save up for)... new fans kits better on red too, if you don't get a scarlet dragon or epic dragon at least get the new fan kit, it will be amazing for you.. comes standard on epic dragon already but needs to be ordered separately for MX models...

 

[Mike Quill]

Hi Brian, I didn't know the new fans come with the Dragon upgrade. Are you positive about this?

which sony are we comparing it to? F3, F5, F55, F65, FS700, etc? They put out new cameras every 2 days or something (ok slight exaggeration)... I didn't even bother listing the prosumer stuff cuz its like dozens of models... "a7s so good lights are obsolete brah"!! (at least that is what some say) all of these sonys have different features, form factors, codecs, workflows, some do raw, some don't...etc

sony has in camera sharpening/denoiser which is different then red which makes the sharpening/denoising (or grain additions) done in post...so its a different thought pattern on grain levels and whether it should be done in cam or in post processing... other than ISO you basically have to add grain in post or remove it in post depending on tastes

have you considered getting a scarlet dragon with low light olpf? might be better for you dynamic range wise vs an epic MX...

i think the black shade situation does suck, its gotten better but its still like the slowest camera out to blackshade lol! my phantom i blackshade on every shot cuz its a 2 second operation.. I'm not getting rid of my red stuff but i am really into the idea of getting arri stuff (but XT Plus is gonna take me a while to save up for)... new fans kits better on red too, if you don't get a scarlet dragon or epic dragon at least get the new fan kit, it will be amazing for you.. comes standard on epic dragon already but needs to be ordered separately for MX models...

 

[Nick Morrison]

Yes the new fans I believe DO come with the upgrade.

Also, Scarlet Dragon with Low Light OLPF answer most of Minu's Scarlet MX concerns (ISO, etc).