Epic - W Side Pogo $10k to fix

[Grzegorz Gill]

The left side pogo stopped working one day, cam never dropped, or any damage to prior failure. Worked hours before, then stopped randomly. I use the left side for my classic bomb evf and the top for my 4.7 touch. So it's clutch for me to have both running, my work is 90% handled so need that left pogo functional. This is my 3rd Red and I've had this camera since Nov of 2016, sure it's had some bugs, sent to red one other time, but they took care of it. Red has been good to me, hooking it up with a discount upgrade from scarlet-w that never came, and giving me multiple loaner cameras while I was without a camera. Damn good, and greatly appreciated. But to fix this left side pogo I'm getting charged close to a 10k repair without any explanation as to how it happened, or how I can prevent it... so it doesn't happen again. 10k is a lot for me, as too anyone for that matter. One bomb rep said it's because I used a wooden camera cable and that shorted the side port. But WC is authorized to be a good 3rd party AKS company. So dunno what that meant; and it scares me cause I use the passthrough top plate, and the thumbless adapter for my 4.7. My current rep stated the camera side port has intermit errors and they can't determine how it was caused, just that it needs to be replaced, and will run around 10k. Honestly, it just stopped working, has no visible damage to the port at all. It would be beneficial to me to get some clarity as to how to prevent this in the future, or if there was a cheaper option for replacement. Again, Red has takin care of me many times in the past, and I get they're a business so I'm not looking for handouts. I'm not pissed at the fee, I just want to know if I did something, and how to prevent it next time.

Thanks,
-GG

 

[Mario Gonsalves]

I'm very sceptical to even buy a WC top plate after all the stories I heard, or was it the vlock thing. But yet it's a 3rd party authorised accessory. I think when RED authorises 3rd party companies they should also work closely with them to make sure quality control is met and compatibility as well.

As for the POGO being around 10K to fix it sounds very expensive. I feel your pain. RED's service team is great, the people are great. But for that money you can almost get a new SW body. :O

 

[Brendan H. Banks]

The left side pogo stopped working one day, cam never dropped, or any damage to prior failure. Worked hours before, then stopped randomly. I use the left side for my classic bomb evf and the top for my 4.7 touch. So it's clutch for me to have both running, my work is 90% handled so need that left pogo functional. This is my 3rd Red and I've had this camera since Nov of 2016, sure it's had some bugs, sent to red one other time, but they took care of it. Red has been good to me, hooking it up with a discount upgrade from scarlet-w that never came, and giving me multiple loaner cameras while I was without a camera. Damn good, and greatly appreciated. But to fix this left side pogo I'm getting charged close to a 10k repair without any explanation as to how it happened, or how I can prevent it... so it doesn't happen again. 10k is a lot for me, as too anyone for that matter. One bomb rep said it's because I used a wooden camera cable and that shorted the side port. But WC is authorized to be a good 3rd party AKS company. So dunno what that meant; and it scares me cause I use the passthrough top plate, and the thumbless adapter for my 4.7. My current rep stated the camera side port has intermit errors and they can't determine how it was caused, just that it needs to be replaced, and will run around 10k. Honestly, it just stopped working, has no visible damage to the port at all. It would be beneficial to me to get some clarity as to how to prevent this in the future, or if there was a cheaper option for replacement. Again, Red has takin care of me many times in the past, and I get they're a business so I'm not looking for handouts. I'm not pissed at the fee, I just want to know if I did something, and how to prevent it next time.

Thanks,
-GG

Did you happen to use the old WC Easy Top Plate that has the little side cable that comes down and converts the side pogo to a lemo? If you did use the one that has a battery in it, then that is correct -- it's likely the plate did it. Though they're a 3rd party vendor, that product was NOT an approved 3rd party module until they updated it and removed the battery. Many bodies have been fried or required boards replaced because of this. Their updated version (V2) is offered as a free upgrade from WC and that item is specifically an approved 3rd party module. Here's the page and there is a description at the top that explains how a 3rd party accessory that is Red Approved is different because the Red engineers test them personally -- http://www.red.com/third-party-accessories

 

[Grzegorz Gill]

Did you happen to use the old WC Easy Top Plate that has the little side cable that comes down and converts the side pogo to a lemo? If you did use the one that has a battery in it, then that is correct -- it's likely the plate did it. Though they're a 3rd party vendor, that product was NOT an approved 3rd party module until they updated it and removed the battery. Many bodies have been fried or required boards replaced because of this. Their updated version (V2) is offered as a free upgrade from WC and that item is specifically an approved 3rd party module. Here's the page and there is a description at the top that explains how a 3rd party accessory that is Red Approved is different because the Red engineers test them personally -- http://www.red.com/third-party-accessories

No I didn't use the easy top plate, it's called the pass through top plate. And on the left side pogo been using the RED Male Pogo to Male LEMO LCD/EVF as my evf cable for the last year and a half. Worked fine every show.

 

[Brendan H. Banks]

No I didn't use the easy top plate, it's called the pass through top plate. And on the left side pogo been using the RED Male Pogo to Male LEMO LCD/EVF as my evf cable for the last year and a half. Worked fine every show.

Whoa so the side pogo is toast but you only used Red's own accessories with that port? Now that I'd be fired up about. Not much more you can do as a consumer if you buy their products to work with their products and then it fails.

 

[Grzegorz Gill]

Whoa so the side pogo is toast but you only used Red's own accessories with that port? Now that I'd be fired up about. Not much more you can do as a consumer if you buy their products to work with their products and then it fails.

misunderstanding, when I said RED Male Pogo to Male LEMO LCD/EVF as my evf cable, I meant wooden camera brand. WC has been kind enough to take a look at the cable to see if it's failed.

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

$10k to fix a monitor connection port is ridiculous. That's half the value of the camera and more than half the value of some other cameras that use the same kind of port... RED has some serious design problems if they can't make a monitor connector that doesn't cost as much to fix as a new camera.

I want so much to like what RED does but as someone who has sent in RED and Sony cameras several times and had RED charge crazy amounts for inexplicable issues even with a warranty back with my scarlet-x, and had Sony fix user-error and inexplicable issues for free out of warranty I really think RED could learn a thing or two. That said RED did fix my faulty helium sensor under warranty but I went with a sketchy sensor for way too long because I was afraid to send it after the last experiences, wasn't sure they'd recognize it as a manufacturers defect and cover it under warranty without lots of back and forth with support first. They have more issues than most cameras and market toward owner-operators without tons of money yet they position their repair and warranty business as profit-making and nickel and dime on all repairs and all warranties despite what otherwise seems like a pretty personal and friendly service department. It makes no sense and it really turns a lot of users off. Just imagine what RED could be if their users didn't have to worry about hardware and firmware failures on set and then also worry about inexplicable issues putting them into further debt when they get the repair invoice... Seems like a real missed opportunity to me.

Maybe they do it because money is money and business is business but they certainly don't do it because they have to or should. I know so many people with horror stories like this and like mine I really start to wonder if I should keep buying RED products and I've been a fan of RED since the begining.

 

[David J. Buchanan]

misunderstanding, when I said RED Male Pogo to Male LEMO LCD/EVF as my evf cable, I meant wooden camera brand. WC has been kind enough to take a look at the cable to see if it's failed.

What's the news? Was it the port or the cable?

 

[Grzegorz Gill]

And again Red took care of me. Greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone for their input and notes.