Clear, concise differences between the Scarlet-W and the Epic-W?

[James Layton]

I'm looking for the real world differences between the Scarlet and the Epic. I spend most of my life on Alexas and have shot Epics for Netflix due to the 4k requirement, but otherwise they rarely come up. I'm looking to get a setup of my own and obviously the price difference is massive. I find that there is so much out there about Red's but I'd love a clear and simple explanation of the price difference - i.e. when something appears too good to be true... etc!

I'd also like to know what extra bits you need to buy to get a good shooting kit - excluding the head downwards - i.e. to add V-Lock batteries and so on, not the small batteries you can get for Red's. Do they still do EVF's for Red or is it down to the screen only, now?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

after having both cameras, id take the scarlet w over the epic w. Dragon sensor is just a superior sensor in terms of look and highlights. Especially when coupled with the kippertie olpf's.

Thats just my two cents.

 

[Michael Hastings]

Get the v-lock io expander and some MiniMags and a reader. (Obviously you need a lens mount) The new side DSMC2 side handle is pretty handy too.

http://www.red.com/store/products/dsmc2-base-io-vlock-expander
http://www.red.com/store/products/dsmc2-side-handle

After that it is pretty much up to your personal shooting style what other bits you get (and there are a number of third party accessories too.)

The just announced ability to swap sensors back and forth is pretty huge and makes it less of a gamble choosing a particular model. It may be better to get the Epic-W for this purpose since the electronics are a little beefier and may be necessary for some of the other sensor options. See the picture below for Jarred's announcement about swappable sensors. It isn't clear how that would work with Scarlet-W.

BTW AFAIK the Scarlet-W is not on the netflix approved list but that may just be an oversight.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

The two cameras you reference are pretty dramatically different. I think you'd do well to undertake your own research and look at them in the context of your own specific needs and biases.

The Scarlet-W is a 5K Dragon sensor while the Epic-W is an 8K Helium sensor. So, their shooting characteristics will be very different. And from what I have read here on RU, there are people who pretty clearly favor the Helium over the Dragon, and vice versa. The one consistency between the cameras is that they are both second generation DSMC, which means that outfitting them is pretty similar in accessories and cost. And, if you were to switch from one to another in the future, the accessories would still work.

Have fun!

 

[James Layton]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks all, that's good to know. In terms of their capabilities i.e. frame rates etc, is there a big difference? I just can't seem to work out the reason for such a massive price difference and I assume it must be pretty big, given the differential in cost...?

Would it be safe to say that if you don't need extremely fast frame rates and 99% of your life is 24/25 fps up to 48/50 fps, and 4k is way big enough, then the Scarlet-W would be the right choice?

 

[Terry VerHaar]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, start here: http://www.red.com

If you look at each camera in the PRODUCTS section, you'll get all the technical specs. To dig deeper, go to DOWNLOADS and look at the respective manuals for each camera and for the media. In the SHOT ON RED tab, you can see how others have used the equipment and in the LEARN section, there are a lot of resources to explain best practices for shooting RED. Don't feel bad if you haven't scoured the RED web site, you're not alone. I often get the feeling that a lot of people on REDuser are in the same boat. I am just one of those people who reads manuals. LOL

 

[Alan Piper]

Thanks all, that's good to know. In terms of their capabilities i.e. frame rates etc, is there a big difference? I just can't seem to work out the reason for such a massive price difference and I assume it must be pretty big, given the differential in cost...?

Would it be safe to say that if you don't need extremely fast frame rates and 99% of your life is 24/25 fps up to 48/50 fps, and 4k is way big enough, then the Scarlet-W would be the right choice?

You are most welcome to come in to Pinewood and try them out James..

 

[Brent G Miller Jr]

Thanks all, that's good to know. In terms of their capabilities i.e. frame rates etc, is there a big difference? I just can't seem to work out the reason for such a massive price difference and I assume it must be pretty big, given the differential in cost...?

Would it be safe to say that if you don't need extremely fast frame rates and 99% of your life is 24/25 fps up to 48/50 fps, and 4k is way big enough, then the Scarlet-W would be the right choice?

There's quite a bit to absorb regarding why one needs a sensor that captures higher resolution. Often, if a filmmaker want to deliver in 4K, they'll shoot the source material at a much higher resolution for added flexibility in post, i.e. reframing shots, FX work, and getting more texture / higher resolvable deliverables when you scale down. We now have a 2 Scarlet-W and a Raven because we generally still deliver in 2K and 1080p. In a couple of years when our deliverables move to native 4K, then we'll have to upgrade to at least Epic-W cameras. Not sure if that helps, but maybe I've tossed out a couple of ideas to google and read about.

 

[Tom Hanmer]

Jim
Think you need to get really hands on with a red setup before making this decision. Can't yet show you the difference between the dragon and helium sensor, haven't been allocated yet but I can help with coming up with a good shooting kit based upon your needs. Give me a ring, I may be able to help you work it all out. Would also be worth taking up Alan's offer and heading out to Pinewood for a morning/ afternoon.