Controlling Raven? Side Handle Equivalent?

[Roger Alexander]

So I'm just going over the available options for controlling the Raven and adjusting settings, menus etc. In the past I was used to using Scarlet and Epic with the side handle seen at the link below.
http://www.red.com/store/products/dsmc-side-handle

But looking at the compatibility section and Raven body, it appears this side handle will not be compatible with Raven to control it?

So I guess that leaves our options as:
1. Controlling RED using the foolcontrol IOS app ($150) via iphone or ipad and view on an external monitor (price depends)
2. Buy one of the RED LCD touchscreens starting at $1450

Does anyone know of a third option? Has there been any talks about a new module coming out from RED or a third party to physically control the camera with buttons?
Foolcontrol app seems pretty cool, but I would prefer not to rely on a separate device all the time to control Raven. Plus I'm #TeamAndroid lol
I've already got a slew of external monitors, so if possible I'd like to avoid buying the touchscreen just to control the camera. I wanted to see what other options are out there.

 

[Luca Perin]

The DSMC² SIDEKICK also! And you'll get it for $1,150.00

 

[Phil Holland]

Does anyone know of a third option? Has there been any talks about a new module coming out from RED or a third party to physically control the camera with buttons?

There has been lots of talk here on REDuser and a lot of R&D going on at RED and Element Technica. What has been developing hasn't been fully revealed yet.

Previously on my Epic Dragon I was a LCD Touch + Side Handle "guy" mostly. On Weapon thus far I've been LCD Touch + Sidekick.

 

[Stacey Spears]

I do miss the side handle on Weapon. Makes it easy to pick it up. With that said, I really like the side kick far more than I ever thought I would.

 

[Darius Lyles]

I haven't used the sidekick yet but I have been waiting on the side handle as I prefer to hold the camera that way when its not rigged up.

 

[Matthew Quinn]

don't forget about fool control, i know its not hardware, but a very nice alternative for controlling the camera settings

 

[Stacey Spears]

Good point, I have foolcontrol too. When the camera is recording, you don't really want to touch the side of it as it my move the image. There is where foolcontrol comes in handy.

 

[Karel Šimůnek]

I guess DSMC2 Side Handle for Redvolt batteries for the Raven/Weapon/S-Weapon will be released at NAB

 

[sam karr]

1. Controlling RED using the foolcontrol IOS app ($150) via iphone or ipad and view on an external monitor (price depends)

The foolcontrol app license is 79$ for Raven. And you can buy a cheap ipod touch V6 if you don't have an iphone or ipad already.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

The foolcontrol app license is 79$ for Raven. And you can buy a cheap ipod touch V6 if you don't have an iphone or ipad already.

Hi Sam,

small correction

79 for RAVEN (camera PIN locked) is for foolcontrol OS X version running on Mac...
iOS app is 149 on Apple App Store for now and works with any camera model or serial number... (like UNIVERSAL version on OS X)

BTW will keep adding a lot of new stuff in both apps for recent beta FW and DSMC2 cameras in the coming weeks...

 

[sam karr]

Hi Sam,

small correction

79 for RAVEN (camera PIN locked) is for foolcontrol OS X version running on Mac...
iOS app is 149 on Apple App Store for now and works with any camera model or serial number... (like UNIVERSAL version on OS X)

BTW will keep adding a lot of new stuff in both apps for recent beta FW and DSMC2 cameras in the coming weeks...

Sorry about that. Anyway it's a steal. Wonderful app.

 

[Daniel Reed]

I'm curious if fool control, perhaps the OSX version, can get raven/weapon running out of the box w/out first needing to use a sidekick or touchscreen.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

I'm curious if fool control, perhaps the OSX version, can get raven/weapon running out of the box w/out first needing to use a sidekick or touchscreen.

At the moment I think the firmware will have the wifi disabled upon first boot. But it should be possible to use a force preset setting on a SSD to enable it without a touch screen or sidekick.

I would still recommend having access to a touch screen interface or physical navigation keys (up/down/left/right/enter/back/menu) for initial settings.
Some settings are still not all available via sidekick menu / RCP menu and would either need to be set via nav keys on an external screen or directly on touch screen.

foolcontrol keys page have some nav keys so it could work without any other control interface I guess but you should consider it more like an very convenient and advanced remote system for camera start / stop, playback, to adjust record, slate, look + menu settings, save presets, control EF lenses etc rather than the only way of controlling your camera on set.

 

[Nathan DuMoulin]

At the moment I think the firmware will have the wifi disabled upon first boot. But it should be possible to use a force preset setting on a SSD to enable it without a touch screen or sidekick.

This is of significant interest to me. I don't think ill have a touch or sidekick when my Raven arrives.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

This is of significant interest to me. I don't think ill have a touch or sidekick when my Raven arrives.

I will verify fresh FW wifi status and let you know.
If RED does not provide one in their DSMC toolkit I will look into making a WIFI AdHoc enabled force preset file available so you can connect to the camera wifi.

 

[Daniel Reed]

Awesome Mikael - thanks for looking into this!

If no wifi, can the OSX app work via a Gig-E cable out of the box?

I haven't used the OSX version,
but it would supper cool to just pull a raven out of the box, plug in a cable, and do all your settings from a laptop.

Although, isn't there an app from RED that creates force preset files from a computer?
I remember playing w/ something like that once, but it may have just been for hotkeys.

I will verify fresh FW wifi status and let you know.
If RED does not provide one in their DSMC toolkit I will look into making a WIFI AdHoc enabled force preset file available so you can connect to the camera wifi.

 

[Kevin D'Haeze]

I would still recommend having access to a touch screen interface or physical navigation keys (up/down/left/right/enter/back/menu) for initial settings.
Some settings are still not all available via sidekick menu / RCP menu and would either need to be set via nav keys on an external screen or directly on touch screen.

Hmm. Can you elaborate on this? What settings would not be possible with a Sidekick attached? I had contemplated a sidekick + third party monitor as a setup, but now you have me wondering.

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

Hmm. Can you elaborate on this? What settings would not be possible with a Sidekick attached? I had contemplated a sidekick + third party monitor as a setup, but now you have me wondering.

If you are driving the menus on the third party monitor with a Sidekick (or foolcontrol) you can set up everything on the camera.

The restrictions are only if you use the menu tree on the sidekick itself. That is, looking at the LCD on the sidekick and navigating the menus on it (and not on the HDMI/HD-SDI monitor). In this case, you are limited to a (fairly large) subset of the menu tree. At the moment you can't do things like create a preset, create an overlay or initiate a black shade.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Hmm. Can you elaborate on this? What settings would not be possible with a Sidekick attached? I had contemplated a sidekick + third party monitor as a setup, but now you have me wondering.

If you have a sidekick and external monitor you are all good.
Just some settings cannot be set directly on sidekick screen menu yet and will need a screen with menu overlay (using navigation keys instead of touchscreen in your case).

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Awesome Mikael - thanks for looking into this!

If no wifi, can the OSX app work via a Gig-E cable out of the box?

I haven't used the OSX version,
but it would supper cool to just pull a raven out of the box, plug in a cable, and do all your settings from a laptop.

Although, isn't there an app from RED that creates force preset files from a computer?
I remember playing w/ something like that once, but it may have just been for hotkeys.

It is similar with ethernet / computer, most settings you would require on a typical shoot day are available but not everything yet compared to navigating the camera menu itself.

Several stuff are easier / better on a computer or mobile screen with a specific UI (focus control, lift gamma gain for example) but the on-screen camera menu is, as of today, still more complete than any external device.
This is due to some commands not yet in RCP (red command protocol) or not yet enabled in various available apps.

If you use navigation keys (on sidekick or in an app) you can still access everything thru an external screen (if set to be the first priority display with menu overlay enabled)

just note there is no GIG-Ethernet on DSMC2 brain itself like there is on EPIC / SCARLET.
So far the only announced module with GIG-Ethernet connector is the REDVolt Expander.