does the CF Module come with the CF module bay?

[Matt Hall]

I have a question. It's probably a dumb one that has already been addressed in the past, but I can't find the answer by searching for it in the forum. So, here goes. I've been purchasing items from the red store a few at a time because extra dough is a little tight. I don't have a Red One yet, but I have just about everything I'll need when I finally have the $25k to buy it. So, I recently purchased the CF module, and when it came, it was only the microchip. Is this normal? Does the Red One body come with the bay for the chip? The red store would lead one to believe that it should be included, but I suppose this is probably not the case.

Thanks in advance for the info!

Matt

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Yeah, the side panel that covers the CF module is included. If I were you, I would just save your money and not buy parts like this in advance. The CF module is practically legacy tech at this point as many are switching to the SSD media now. If buying a new camera, I would strongly urge you to look at the SSD option instead of CF. It's cheaper per GB than CF, but the side module is more expensive.

RED ONE CF module plus 8 x 16GB CF cards = $2900
RED ONE SSD module plus 2 x 64GB SSD's = $3400

So... You get less physical media to manage, longer takes, fast enough media to support all recording formats and frame rates and 128GB of media plus the module is a $500 premium over the CF variant. Well worth it, IMO. The SSDs get cheaper per GB as they grow in capacity too. Here's a couple other case study comparisons:

256GB capacity:
CF Module with 16 x 16GB CF cards = $5300
SSD Module with 2 x 128GB SSD's = $5100

512GB capacity:
CF Module with 32 x 16GB CF cards = $10,100
SSD Module with 2 x 256GB SSD's = $7900

Some of the above are extreme examples for owner/operator types trying to purchase on a shoestring budget. However, there still is a strong argument for going the SSD route. I think EPIC-X will be shipping soon, next couple months and we will see a lot more used R1MX cameras on the market at a discount. You should be able to pick up a nice RED One body with SSD module (or add one) all for less than the $25K of a new one.

Depending on how you shoot and what you shoot, you will want at least 3 of the 16GB CF cards. The more the better, to a point. I don't think anyone in their right mind would want 32 of them to manage with a small crew -- especially given how much more economical the larger SSD's are now. Not saying the SSD's are cheap, but those 16GB CF cards are brutal. IMO, my ideal media configuration for a RED One these days is 3 x 128GB SSD's. That seems to be the sweet spot.

It's hard to advocate picking up the discontinued RED Drives and RED RAMs at this point. Drives especially since they are more prone to failure of moving parts and typical hard drive flakiness.

 

[Matt Hall]

Hey, thanks a lot for the advice, Jeff. I wish I had done the math before putting in $500 for the CF module, $1000 for 4 CF cards, and $250 for the card reader...I'm sure it won't hurt to have a backup to the SSD media, though.

Also, I hadn't really considered waiting for the EPIC-Xs to ship. You're probably right about the possibility of a flood of R1s hitting the market at (at least a slight) discount. Don't know how long I can wait since I'm planning to shoot a feature near the middle of August...

Thanks again for your input and advice!

 

[Thomas Koch]

There are executed RED ONES going for well under 25K on the used market. Under 20K for MX even. With a package of stuff. Check the for sale section.