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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 :)

Announcing RED RAVEN

Edry Hilario said:
Phil, do you guys have a price for the v-lock expander?
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I would guess $1950. I wrote $2000-2250 in this thread earlier and Brett said if I was playing Price Is Right, I was a touch over.

Looks awesome, though. I just wish it was available to order prior to when the Raven launches.

Phil, how are you powering your weapon? RV XL's?
 
BrandonChristensen said:
I would guess $1950. I wrote $2000-2250 in this thread earlier and Brett said if I was playing Price Is Right, I was a touch over.

Looks awesome, though. I just wish it was available to order prior to when the Raven launches.

Phil, how are you powering your weapon? RV XL's?
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Flux Capacitor Expander. Kidding :)

I've had one "big" shooting day so far where I used the Element Technica V-Lock Module attached the the Base Expander. Everything else has been REDVOLT XL.

The REDVOLT XL thing was truly going to be an experiment for me. For years I've been on V-Lock bricks and I've been doing a lot of travelling around. The size of the RVXLs is appealing and they do have enough camera up-time to get work done. I'm a little shocked it's been my primary power source thus far, but the size and weight is addicting.

If I get onto a production that requires me to shoot for 1 to 24 weeks however you'll be seeing me run V-Locks for sure. Mostly because it's rare for the cameras to ever be turned off on those days.

I have a bunch of bricks here at the hut, but I'm looking hard at the new Anton Bauer Cine V-Lock batteries. Especially when the 190Wh version comes out, though those have been delayed until 2016 dammit. I do like this lower form factor. It suits Weapon and likely Raven well.
 
Phil Holland said:
Flux Capacitor Expander. Kidding :)

I've had one "big" shooting day so far where I used the Element Technica V-Lock Module attached the the Base Expander. Everything else has been REDVOLT XL.

The REDVOLT XL thing was truly going to be an experiment for me. For years I've been on V-Lock bricks and I've been doing a lot of travelling around. The size of the RVXLs is appealing and they do have enough camera up-time to get work done. I'm a little shocked it's been my primary power source thus far, but the size and weight is addicting.

If I get onto a production that requires me to shoot for 1 to 24 weeks however you'll be seeing me run V-Locks for sure. Mostly because it's rare for the cameras to ever be turned off on those days.

I have a bunch of bricks here at the hut, but I'm looking hard at the new Anton Bauer Cine V-Lock batteries. Especially when the 190Wh version comes out, though those have been delayed until 2016 dammit. I do like this lower form factor. It suits Weapon and likely Raven well.
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Thanks Phil.

Yeah I'm rocking V-Mounts as well so I'm trying to figure out the best way to get it done on the Raven. With my pre-order for the Brain being super early in the queue, my biggest fear is getting the brain and having no way of powering it unless I buy a separate module for the time being. Seems like an expensive way to live. The Base I/O for $1750 plus the ET V-Lock for $900 seems like a lot when the Base I/O with V-Mount will come out shortly after.

I suppose this is not the worst problem to have.
 
BrandonChristensen said:
Thanks Phil.

Yeah I'm rocking V-Mounts as well so I'm trying to figure out the best way to get it done on the Raven. With my pre-order for the Brain being super early in the queue, my biggest fear is getting the brain and having no way of powering it unless I buy a separate module for the time being. Seems like an expensive way to live. The Base I/O for $1750 plus the ET V-Lock for $900 seems like a lot when the Base I/O with V-Mount will come out shortly after.

I suppose this is not the worst problem to have.
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I would suspect with the specific way that the RED Raven packages have been put together and how they will be deployed that RED will be very focused on complete pre-order fulfillment for those who pre-order.

What I mean by this is that while the V-Lock Expander might not be "available in the store" until March-ish, there's a good chance RED will be spin up the motors and make enough of those to cover pre-orders for Raven in particular.

Just a theory. It's what I would do considering the quantity of pre-orders and the amount of extra work that would be required to "piece things out". Just seems to make sense to ship those bundles out all at once.

That all said, if you do want ultimate flexibility the regular Base Expander with various battery modules is the way to go. I have a lot of different things I shoot and different ways to go about shooting. Makes sense for me to have V-Lock and REDVOLT XL solutions as far as I can tell.
 
Phil Holland said:
I would suspect with the specific way that the RED Raven packages have been put together and how they will be deployed that RED will be very focused on complete pre-order fulfillment for those who pre-order.

What I mean by this is that while the V-Lock Expander might not be "available in the store" until March-ish, there's a good chance RED will be spin up the motors and make enough of those to cover pre-orders for Raven in particular.

Just a theory. It's what I would do considering the quantity of pre-orders and the amount of extra work that would be required to "piece things out". Just seems to make sense to ship those bundles out all at once.

That all said, if you do want ultimate flexibility the regular Base Expander with various battery modules is the way to go. I have a lot of different things I shoot and different ways to go about shooting. Makes sense for me to have V-Lock and REDVOLT XL solutions as far as I can tell.
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I gotcha. I wonder if that would extend to brain only pre-orders, don't want to give up my spot for a Base I/O deposit!

When do we get to see more stuff from your Weapon?
 
12034446_10153240830315415_694099069291485392_o.jpg
 
yeah that kinda looks bad ass.

On a side note: was wondering if it was possible for engineering to create basically a redvolt dual module like this
http://www.red.com/store/products/dsmc2-redvolt-xl-module
but that instead takes two original redvolts side-by-side. That would solve some problems for me. Would be great to use these 8 redvolts I have (and I know a lot of users have those lying around as well). Basically have both in there. One runs out you pop it out and the camera auto draws from the other until that one is done and then cycles to the other one which you put back in eventually. That would be awesome. And with DC in of course but doesn't need to charge. Since we have the travel chargers anyway.
 
Matthew Quinn said:
can't believe more people are not commenting on how slick this module is.. I mean... V-mount-hdmi/sdi all in one backpack for RED? woah.. Am I the only one excited about this?
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Well most of it is integrated in the epic and scarlet bodies :)
I think I prefer the lemo power port on the old body, it seems easier with a right angle cable and battery belt clip. Nothing goes past the body back. I'm curious to see the difference in size and weight between the old and the weapon body then as the older body doesn't need a module with the belt clip.
It's a nice module though.
 
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Matthew Quinn said:
can't believe more people are not commenting on how slick this module is.. I mean... V-mount-hdmi/sdi all in one backpack for RED? woah.. Am I the only one excited about this?
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The unit looks incredible, but I'm having a real hard time wrapping my head around using mic level 3.5mm jacks. I realize size and cost were considerations in the design, but would it really have been so tough to put a TA3 connector and line/mic level switch on there and just charge us a few hundred dollars more?

EDIT: Noticed they found room to add a USB connector, and yet stuck with the 3.5mm jack. :(
 
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Nathan DuMoulin said:
The unit looks incredible, but I'm having a real hard time wrapping my head around using mic level 3.5mm jacks. It is after all, nearly 2016, on a $10k camera. I realize size and cost were considerations in the design, but would it really have been so tough to put a TA3 connector and line/mic level switch on there and just charge us a few hundred dollars more?
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There are other options, though not for a few hundred dollars more. And perhaps even more options coming from places like OMOD.

The DSMC² REDVOLT EXPANDER has two full size XLR ports with Phantom Power and it's on the horizon.
 
Phil Holland said:
There are other options, though not for a few hundred dollars more. And perhaps even more options coming from places like OMOD.

The DSMC² REDVOLT EXPANDER has two full size XLR ports with Phantom Power and it's on the horizon.
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I hear you Phil, as at least we have other options. Hopefully more are coming, as the expander almost doubles the size of the camera, and at a hefty cost. It's a really nice unit, but when I don't need any of those features or use Redvolts, it's a bit overkill.

Red clearly makes amazing cameras. There's no doubt of this. However sound is half the equation, and yet, it's 2015 and we still have a consumer connector (3.5mm mic level jack) on a $10k camera, and even more amusing is that it's sitting alongside professional level lemo connectors for all other I/o. Those two contrasting connectors should never be on the same device. lol

Anyway, that being said, the I/O module is very nice. If you're just recording scratch audio, then the unit is absolutely fantastic. The design is clean, looks bad ass, and is very compact. It's one of those situation where something is so close to perfect, and yet there's one giant glaring error that disrupts what could otherwise be an enjoyable workflow.
 
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This would've been perfect with interchangeable mounts. Very disappointed you went with Canon. With the terrible lifespan of cameras now, I refuse to make my lenses consumer electronics too. I don't buy any lenses which require any electronic communication with the camera to do anything. That means no lenses without iris rings, no lenses with focus-by-wire, nothing to be bricked in 5 years when Canon changes mounts again and sends EF users to the same purgatory as FD users. Really hoping for a Nikon version.
 
Lee Saxon said:
This would've been perfect with interchangeable mounts. Very disappointed you went with Canon. With the terrible lifespan of cameras now, I refuse to make my lenses consumer electronics too. I don't buy any lenses which require any electronic communication with the camera to do anything. That means no lenses without iris rings, no lenses with focus-by-wire, nothing to be bricked in 5 years when Canon changes mounts again and sends EF users to the same purgatory as FD users. Really hoping for a Nikon version.
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Lee, just something to consider with everything you listed above ending with "hoping for a Nikon Version".

Nikon F mount glass is alarmingly easy to adapt to Canon EF, especially the AIS full manual lenses. I have a few of those I still whip out every now and again.

Canon is pretty damn invested in EF in a way that they weren't in FL or FD. It's been around for nearly 30 years now, which is interesting. It's also, in terms of electronics and design, fairly forward thinking. I wouldn't be too concerned with EF vanishing overnight. The market is massive on that front. Plus Canon makes money from other manufacturers who license their AF lens tech.

Also, Canon is about to create several revisions of some of their previous popular focal lengths as well as introduce a few new things. Zeiss just reinvented their ZE/ZF line with Milvus and are about to announce their next Otus. Sigma, Rokinon, etc..... Some have electronic iris, some don't. Lot's of classic glass can easily be adapted as well. I have my beloved OM set that I use often with full manual everything. Leica-R, etc...

The only thing an EF mount is limiting really is the use of MFT, Leica-M, and E-Mount glass. Which is actually a whole bunch of glass (well at least the wides) you don't necessarily want to be shooting with on Raven due to those lenses specific designs. You'd get smearing in the edges and corners and possibly colorized vignetting.

Some PL can be used. If somebody makes a better adapter, there's potential for more. But honestly, most modern sets of Canon, Zeiss, Schneider, and Rokinons have interchangeable mounts (which I'm a huge fan of).

In my mind there's 60-70 years of glass available for Raven and EF, plus where the most interesting modern developments are occurring at the moment.
 
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