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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 :)

DRAGON... A CinePhotographer's Dream!!

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until the camera can fire a sync strobe or record only one frame at the time of the operator's choosing, without sifting through gigs of data...its a misnomer to call it a still camera or a DSMC. that's my opinion. Will the Epic fire a strobe today?
 
Will Keir said:
Congratulations on wrapping your short, great work. When I first stumbled on your thread you were ready to begin an adventure while facing trying times personally and professionally. To begin this quest was difficult... You took the challenge...

Now you are far beyond those days...

I want to acknowlodge your perseverance, the work you've put in and your spirit to rise above obstacles and all the while keeping active with your community and most of all your approachability which I feel is your gift beyond the others. You dream big, encouraging some to doubt your authenticity, to look for your imperfections, your flaws or faults and despite the doubters you've kept sharing, kept answering questions, kept writing, kept dreaming, kept your humanity.

It's your personal touch and availability that sets you apart from the crowd, it's why I consider you a friend, beyond talent or great shots, keep that with you.

Here's to your dreams, wishing you the best, keep up the good work!
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Will...

I guess it is great that I can not be seen while I type this reply to you... Since I fill all soft and emotional and not very manly like... ;)

It has been a tough, very tough journey, that of mine, yet I know that I am not the only one out here going thru tuff times, and I truly believe there is absolutely nothing to gain in negativity and all to be gained in positivity to your self and towards others... Nothing could stop me for been whom I am, not even death...


My journey has not even begin, yet I fill I crossed many difficult paths, yet I truly believe that they were easier to cross because of this community, and I will continue to share them, and my next round of adventures is about to begin, with a DRAGON in hand, and a BIG bag full of hopes and positivity, in the perseverance of Dreams which makes us whom we are and define what we can achieve thru them.

It is because of fellow Reduser/friends like yourself that my continuos presence here remains one of my Pleasure/Duties, and sharing what ever little I have of knowledge here to make any one else's life a bit easier is always fulfilling to me the more when I read such hearth touching comments such as the one you just wrote...

For that, in the content of such a truly kind words all that I can humbly say is... THANK YOU!!
 
Mike Kushner said:
until the camera can fire a sync strobe or record only one frame at the time of the operator's choosing, without sifting through gigs of data...its a misnomer to call it a still camera or a DSMC. that's my opinion. Will the Epic fire a strobe today?
Click to expand...

I would have to strongly disagree with your assessment, based on my personal experience alone and with professional Photographers colleagues.

Strobes are so yesterday... I only shoot Continuos light sources, yet I do understand also the alternate need for strobe most powerful light sources, and I have also used that on some very special projects, were four sets of them used to illuminate and entire Airplane, which would have been very costly to do with Continuos lighting, yet I still prefer hands down the continuos lighting approach.

Can I shoot 1fps on the Epic? Yes. Can I use synchronized Strobe firing? No. Can I still use Strobes? Yes, just need to go thru some frames to extract the ones illuminated by the strobe.

Time consuming? Yes, however there is also NO other Still or motion camera in the world capable of giving you 86fps of 19megapixels 6k quality like the Red Epic Dragon does, and allowing you to capture images in representation of moments frozen in time, like absolutely NECER possible before!!

can I called a Still Digital Motion Camera? Of course I can, because it truly is a replacement to BOTH, just need to know how to use it, and using it well can give you incredible images to treasure for life, or to make some serious money off of it.


Just give me SIX months to get my planned trips and shoots done, and then check back, google my name, visit my site, and then judge for yourself if I am right or not about calling a "CinePhotographer's Dream Camera".
 
no doubt, you do beautiful work, are one of the good guys, have a great career, and are satisfied with the gear as a still camera solution. Respectfully, my perspective is that pound per pound, you can have 50,000 watts of light with strobes and handle that with one assistant. With hot lights you need a 4 man crew, a tie-in or genny and a 5-ton grip truck. ideally, you would be able to use a DSMC camera for still photography with either strobes or hot lights. I'm having trouble understand the engineering hurdle that apparently exists in hooking up the sync port to make the camera fire a strobe. This technology has been around for 75 years and comes standard with a still camera body that costs less than $1000. When the marketing literature has been calling it a DSMC for so many years...why not hook up the sync port??
 
also, shooting a portrait outside, if you want to overpower the exposure of the sky with hot lights, it may be hard for the subject to keep their eyes open. With a strobe duration of approx. 1/50,000 of a second, there won't be as much squinting. Hard not to squint with a 12K HMI in your face...and that's the wattage needed if you want to turn a bright, mid-day sky dark in a portrait background.
 
Thanks for the kind words Mike!!

I do understand completely were you are coming form, however the technology behind it is a bit more complex then most people know, the Epic camera is a Motion Cinema Camera before all, and the sync port, how easy it might seem it is in fact not easy at all.

I also very well understand the need for Strobe lighting, do to it's power and portability vs. Continuos lighting, yet after years of using Strobe lighting I just absolutely love the way I can lit my subjects with continuos lighting sources, yet I too, have found myself in situations were as you well described, was just not worth the time, the cost, and the overall set up and complications of extra gear and people.

Yet it can be done, just needs to be properly orchestrated in camera settings, and have a bit of extra patient to go thru the acquired frames, but then again, I have seen it at work and it does give such a opportunities like no other camera can, and in my next few trips around the world, I'll show off exactly such powerful capacity.
 
Ketch the man and the Hero's Journey ...

Ketch the man and the Hero's Journey ...

Will Keir said:
Congratulations on wrapping your short, great work. When I first stumbled on your thread you were ready to begin an adventure while facing trying times personally and professionally. To begin this quest was difficult... You took the challenge...

Now you are far beyond those days...

I want to acknowlodge your perseverance, the work you've put in and your spirit to rise above obstacles and all the while keeping active with your community and most of all your approachability which I feel is your gift beyond the others. You dream big, encouraging some to doubt your authenticity, to look for your imperfections, your flaws or faults and despite the doubters you've kept sharing, kept answering questions, kept writing, kept dreaming, kept your humanity.

It's your personal touch and availability that sets you apart from the crowd, it's why I consider you a friend, beyond talent or great shots, keep that with you.

Here's to your dreams, wishing you the best, keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

Well said Will and agree wholeheartedly .... I've been following Ketch's adventures from afar over the last few years waiting to see how he would realize his dreams ... when Blair came to me and asked us to do the post on 'The Red Dress' I was somewhat reluctant due to the subject matter (rape is a tough subject no matter how you present it) ... however, once Ketch and I sat down I understood the integrity of his intentions it became a labor love to work with him.

After we finished cutting and grading 'The Red Dress' I did an informal, off the cuff interview with Ketch in our lab ... as you might suspect it's not a short interview (1 hr and 20 mins) but through it Ketch opened up his heart about his early childhood, love life and the roots of his artistic vision ... if you haven't seen it, you should watch it ... provides a great insight into the many struggles that Ketch has been through to make it this far plus what it takes to hone your trade craft and creativity .... during the interview (which was totally unplanned and unstructured - hence the length) I suddenly realized that Ketch has indeed been on the 'Hero's Journey' to bring his creative vision to life.

Here's the link to Ketch's interview .... the first half is mainly abouthis personal life and second half about the making and finishing of 'The Red Dress' with lots of details on his technical and artistice choices - enjoy!

http://youtu.be/ug5r8l_9LBE

Cheers,
Neil
 
Neil W. Smith said:
Well said Will and agree wholeheartedly .... I've been following Ketch's adventures from afar over the last few years waiting to see how he would realize his dreams ... when Blair came to me and asked us to do the post on 'The Red Dress' I was somewhat reluctant due to the subject matter (rape is a tough subject no matter how you present it) ... however, once Ketch and I sat down I understood the integrity of his intentions it became a labor love to work with him.

After we finished cutting and grading 'The Red Dress' I did an informal, off the cuff interview with Ketch in our lab ... as you might suspect it's not a short interview (1 hr and 20 mins) but through it Ketch opened up his heart about his early childhood, love life and the roots of his artistic vision ... if you haven't seen it, you should watch it ... provides a great insight into the many struggles that Ketch has been through to make it this far plus what it takes to hone your trade craft and creativity .... during the interview (which was totally unplanned and unstructured - hence the length) I suddenly realized that Ketch has indeed been on the 'Hero's Journey' to bring his creative vision to life.

Here's the link to Ketch's interview .... the first half is mainly abouthis personal life and second half about the making and finishing of 'The Red Dress' with lots of details on his technical and artistice choices - enjoy!

http://youtu.be/ug5r8l_9LBE

Cheers,
Neil
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Neil, thank you for you continuos very kind words in my regard... Meeting you has been and continues to be a truly welcome gift in a time were I am but to start a NEW definitive chapter in my life, I sure can use friends like you!!

The interview...

It is my very first one, as I never really wanted to do any, apart one given to the Digital Photo Pro magazine Chief Editor, when they asked me for it to make a several pages spread on their great Magazine, which would included several of my Red Epic Pulled Sill Frames...

With you seating right in front of me, I for the first time realized that actually talking to people about what is truly in my hearth, and not just leaving it buried deep inside of me, awaiting to only come out thru my "Perseverance" Film about my life story, it has refreshed my way of thinking, and also brought a new found strong sense of confidence, in that is also ok to tell people, let them know what is deep inside of you, let them judge you when they think they have the right to, let them fill your joy and pain, your most deep toughs are still okay to come out and be heard, and life is a wonderful thing that can be enjoyed, and I mean truly enjoyed if one lets itself do so... And I surely intend to make my self enjoy what ever I have left of my life!!

And some of my absolute most joyful moments always are when I am behind a camera...

Dreaming...

Creating...

Capturing...

Share...

A precise moment... An image or a series of images, which will represent a particular time and place were I have been, were I sow something I tough deserved to be shared.

A story... Which I wrote out of my own imagination, my own interpretation of itself, for which I tough important to bring it to life by putting on paper what I see in my mind, to capture it and tweak it till almost perfection, yet with the outmost simplicity, and never with nothing else in mind but my own pleasure to be derived form seen it done... From seen it shared... And even so the hope that every one else's would also gain pleasure form it by enjoying it, and understanding it's message, to in turn help them or help them help others make our lives better... It is because of my Passion, that I do what I do, and it is because of this passion, that I never worked for any one in this media, and never will, nor will I ever except to sale out any of my Screen Plays or make any of my Movies were the money would come with rules, or regulatory frame works which would dictate what and how I can tell my stories...

And this believe is also why I never committed any crimes and never will, because aside form the fact that I have become a man of thru inflexible Integrity and Honor and respect...

My freedom and that of my expression with words, light and imagery, must always be free... And I will continue my Journey to making my dreams a reality, no matter if I was to spend what might remain of my life trying!!


And the interview I have done with you, opened up something within myself that I had closed in there since I left that country side home at 17 years of age, and it fills great to have it out, so while I said thank you for the kind words on the starting of this reply, what I really meant to say was... Thank you for having helped getting that out of me!!
 
Hi Ketch,
Looking forward to seeing the finished film.
I know the image Dragon produces is impressive, but I also wanted to ask about sound.
There was some talk about the Dragon sensor being cooler then the MX sensor - I guess I'd like to know if you feel the camera is any quieter. Or more specifically if you can do longer takes before the fan kicks in.
I haven't been keeping up to know if the new fan algorithms have been implemented into the latest build yet.
 
Mike Kushner said:
no doubt, you do beautiful work, are one of the good guys, have a great career, and are satisfied with the gear as a still camera solution. Respectfully, my perspective is that pound per pound, you can have 50,000 watts of light with strobes and handle that with one assistant. With hot lights you need a 4 man crew, a tie-in or genny and a 5-ton grip truck. ideally, you would be able to use a DSMC camera for still photography with either strobes or hot lights. I'm having trouble understand the engineering hurdle that apparently exists in hooking up the sync port to make the camera fire a strobe. This technology has been around for 75 years and comes standard with a still camera body that costs less than $1000. When the marketing literature has been calling it a DSMC for so many years...why not hook up the sync port??
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i agree with you about the flash sync....i mean the handle has a still-motion switch built in....and i don't think it can be that hard to actually activate it...maybe as hard as actually turning the camera OFF when i turn the camera off? without draining batteries?
but i think that continuous light technology and especially battery technology as well have changed drastically in the last couple of years....i use battery powered lights outside all the time and the only reason i use them is because they require less set up and gear then flash.....or at least just about the same....flashes still provide more light but there are problems there as well....flash sync speed for one is a real problem....
horses for courses but i haven't used flash in maybe 2 years now and i can't think of anything right now that would require it.....of course your completely drowning out the sun example is absolutely valid and there are others, but at this point i would probably prefer to light any situation with continuous light or at least try to make it work.....
 
Mike Kushner said:
until the camera can fire a sync strobe or record only one frame at the time of the operator's choosing, without sifting through gigs of data...its a misnomer to call it a still camera or a DSMC. that's my opinion. Will the Epic fire a strobe today?
Click to expand...

Yes, the Epic can fire a strobe from it's sync port. You can program a button of your choice in the keys menu to fire "Strobe: Trigger". I was trying for a long time to get this to work without success until I contacted Red support. If your sync port is black, you have to send it in to Red to have them install a gold sync port. Mine was black; it's the gold one that works. Once I got the gold sync port installed, it's been a lot of trial and error testing different strobes with different combinations of sync cables and wireless triggers. I still haven't settled on an optimum setup, but I have been able to trigger strobes at will with a Side Handle button. Some frames will be randomly half exposed; some frames randomly fully exposed. The Motion Mount (which I don't have yet) is supposed to take care of the partial exposure problem. What's missing is the ability to combine firing of the strobe with recording a single frame. I just now noticed there is now a keys menu item called "Record: External Frame Trigger". This sounds like something promising to look into.

All in all, there is something to be said for having the flexibility of being able to choose a still from dozens of images per second. But I also feel there is something to be said for having the vision, skill, and artistry of being able to pull the trigger at the best unique moment of time. I will certainly be elated if Red ever enables the option to combine a strobe trigger with the recording of a single frame. I had always thought that that is what the Stills switch on the handle was going to be for...
 
If you set the camera to time lapse and set the same key as hot key for both strobe and single frame record, then it could work, no?
 
This is a stunning image KETCH. And VERY inspiring... Thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks Rick!!

This was not a typical beauty shoot, were the detail and beauty of subjects was prioritized, but the particular look of each scene to play out it's part in the Short was, yet I am just astonished how rally great the Dragon made everything look, so much so that we actually had to push the files so far out to get a bit more of the "Noir" and some just on the border of been over saturated look, key in some of the scenes were it mattered most, as to serve as a strong contrast against the Monochrome scenes... Absolutely LOVE the DRAGON!!
 
Isn't it a bit illogical to try and make the Dragon shoot stills, when you can spend $500 on a Nikon and do much better twice as fast?
 
António Fagundes said:
Isn't it a bit illogical to try and make the Dragon shoot stills, when you can spend $500 on a Nikon and do much better twice as fast?
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If you read carefully what and how I wrote my fillings about that, you'll understand that I can "NOT" ever do on any current DSLR what I can do on the RED EPIC DRAGON... ;)
 
Hey Liam, treaded it as with my normal Photoshop process for any Still work, at only difference that I ONLY applied 10% of what I usually apply, I am loving DRAGON more and more... And continuos lighting and or NATURAL lighting will continue to become more and more a favorite of mine on Dragon... And I will never use Strobes again, unless absolutely necessary.
 
Amazing mate! Can't wait to put my hands on the Dragon!!!:)

cheers,
 
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