I would love this! You are both great companies who only want the best for their customers. Teamwork can only be positive.
I have noticed in a few threads over the last couple days a lot of people asking alot of questions on what the improvements are with Weapon and DSMC-2 System, which means we probably should list them all in one thread to make everyone's life easier.
The top highlights I think most of you know:
-Built-in-ProRes ( and another format coming soon )
-Lower REDCODE Compression ratios
-Auto Sensor Calibration
-3D lut support
-Built in Wifi
-Lower Weight with an improved mechanical design
-3rd party module support
I thought I would take a few photos and highlight some of the other improvements that we talk a little less about.
With the Introduction of the Scarlet-W on Thursday, There are now 5 RED cameras that share the new DSMC2 Body. From left to Right below, The 6K Weapon MG, The 6K Weapon Carbon, The mighty 8K Weapon ( Forged ), The 5K Scarlet-W , And the 4.5k Raven.
The DSMC2 RED Dragon Sensor related improvements:
All the RED DSMC2 Cameras share the same Dragon pixel design that most of you know and love, applied in various sizes and configurations.
On the DSMC2 system, The Dragon gets to perform better.
The Dragon Sensor in the new system is surrounded by brand new everything. Better sensor board designs, better components and better connections between them make for a noticeable improvement in image quality, From the highlights to the noise floor, improved sensor streaking, and better control of temperature variances. We also designed a completely new sensor cover glass to squash out a lot of the flare and improve that last level of defense against IR contamination.
Phil Holland did a great test that shows the bounty of all these improvements over here: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?137883-RED-Weapon-Dynamic-Range-and-Latitude-Examined
RED ASIC Improvements
Most of you know that we make our own sensors, less of you know that we also make our own ASICs. ASICs are the the processors inside the cameras that put everything together, and we make a few different ones to do different things. In cameras, it is easy to 2 of the 3 things. Resolution, Dynamic Range, or Frame Rates. To do all 3 like RED cameras system do, it is incredibly difficult. You need an incredibly talented team of engineers that can make incredibly talented sensors and you also need incredibly talented processors to keep up with them.
Making your own Processor ASIC is incredibly expensive, resource draining, and very, very, time consuming .. which is why most companies just use generic processors ( and rebrand them as their own ) or use generic FPGAs . Nothing wrong with that.. but you get stuck with " good enough " rather than exceptional. When you make a industry surpassing sensor, you need mate it to something that doesn't cripple everything.. which is why we make our own ASICs.
Here is a photo of one of our ASICs in wafer form. Might be boring to some of you.. but these ASICS are a work of art. They have dozens of layers of magic in them and they ones in the DSMC2 cameras are stupid fast. It is how we can offer so much more bandwidth and do so many things all at the same time.. i.e 8k resolution at a bat-shit-crazy-75-mother-fucking-frames per second.
This isn't a step or a skip or leap above anything else.. This is a get-in-a-rocket-ship-to-the-moon kind of jump.
Cooling System improvements:
More like a complete redesign rather than an improvement.
When you put 4k or 4.5k or 5k or 6k or 8k into a camera the size of the Epic/Weapon/DSMC2 camera, your quite literally playing with fire.
On DSMC2, we changed the fan intake from the front to the top and the exhaust from the top to the bottom back and reversed the entire flow of air.. and sound, away from whatever it is your shooting. This one personally surprised me, and I actually would of bet money on it not working in reverse , as my armchair-backseat engineering- google searching head just always went with the " heat rises " concept. I was dead wrong. The new cameras run cooler, quieter and the sound guys get a lot less offended.
OLPF Improvements:
This is another piece that has had a lot of work done. The Swappable OLPF system that we introduced with the Epic Dragons really has been an exciting opportunity for users to tweak their cameras to different shooting conditions and Creative styles. We have an array of filters available and 3rd parties like John Marchant's Kippertie filters give a plethora of creative possibilities.
The OLPFs in all of the DSMC2 bodies that have a swappable OLPF ( all except the Raven ) Have a new design as well.
The DSMC2 OLPFs are now " Smart " meaning that the camera knows which one you have in your camera so you don't need too change that in the camera menus every time you change filters.
Also we did away with those 4 little pain in the ass screws and developed a quick release system that ejects the filter with one turn of a single allen key. Since we moved the quartz off of the OLPF and onto the Sensor Glass, alignment of the filters also has become less critical for those less than ideal field changes.
Two RED monitor ports on the brain instead of one, and no monitor cables (if you don't want them).
The Epic and Scarlet have a single monitor lemo on the brain and to get another RED monitor you need to add a specific module. The DSMC2 system has 2 new ports on the brain one on the top and one on the side, that allow you to direct connect a combination of RED LCDs or EVFs in various configurations without cables getting in the way or cable failure ruining your day. You can still use the DSMC2 Lemo Adapters if you do want to run one or two of the ports to an offboard monitor or EVF, you get it both ways.
Internal Scratch Microphones built in, and a redesigned back focus adjustment .
The Microphones on the front are pretty self explanatory, but the new Sensor adjustment for back-focus is a hidden little jem. It has been repositioned below the front logo coin, away from top plates and monitors and easy to get to when you want to, and easy to get to when you don't.
Nope, googled international incident between wooden camera and red users and got nothing relevant.
