Epic X Black Shading Calibration Failure

[Curran Giddens]

So, Curran, are you saying that if you are going to be shooting at 2K at higher frame rates, or even at 4K or 5K, you shouldn't have the camera set to all of the format and frame rates settings you will be using?

All the tips I listed come directly from posts by Red. The only tip that I added that didn't come from Red was the one where I suggest to put something over the lens mount in addition to the body cap.

 

[Christian Munoz D]

Yes, if there's a change in altitude or sizable change in ambient temp. Then yes you should do a BSC. Not for a fast shutter speed. I haven't seen any artifacts from running the shutter at max speed, even at 96fps or 300fps with relative shutter on.

I agree with your statement. I did asked Deanan directly about that fact, but no answer, so the official position from Red Co. still is what Curran posted earlier:

My recommendation is to blackshade:
1) upgrading to new firmware
2) big ambient temperature changes
3) long exposure times (longer than ~1/15th sec)
4) very short exposure times (shorter than around ~1/1000th)
5) beginning of a project
6) as often as you feel like

Remember to black shade at default after long/short exposure black shade when your finished.

More convenient/flexible black shading coming later.

 

[Andrae Palmer]

The answer is you don't. As I understand it you just calibrate for 5K 24fps 1/48th. If your going under 1/15th a second in shutter speed then another BS is needed.

Thank you Andrew & Curran.

 

[Russ Campbell]

I spent the whole day testing BS options on my Epic-M and Epic-X. No failures on either camera, regardless of frame rate and shutter. I could find no difference in visible noise with frame rates from 25 to 300fps (shutter speeds ranging from 180 degrees to 45 degrees), whether I did BS at 25fps/180 degree shutter, 300fps/90 degree shutter or 300fps/45 degree shutter. When shooting at 2K and 2K WS, it was clear that shooting at ISO320 resulted in noise free images from 25 to 300fps. ISO800 does show some noise in the shadows, but nothing that would be unacceptable. Firmware build was 2.0.5. BS was done with the lens cap on and another cover over the mount to make sure that there was no light pollution possible. BS sensor temp was at 50 degrees Celsius. Care was taken to ensure correct exposure. Hope this helps.

 

[Steve Marshall]

Very helpful Russ, thanks.

 

[Meryem Ersoz]

I had very different experiences - I definitely had substantial noise in my footage at 300 fps, without black shading. There have been a number of posts here with examples. If you're not getting noisy footage without doing the black shading, then that is good for you. But I would not dispense that advice globally. Somewhere around here is a post from Stuart English who advises doing this, under these circumstances - it has come from RED and from users as well. I don't have footage to post, because I already dumped my test footy. I didn't realize this would become a larger discussion, or I would have held onto it.

I guess cameras will have individual behaviors, and you need to do your own testing to find out how yours will respond to the extremes of shutter speed. Mine absolutely requires a black shading calibration if I'm shooting either timelapse or overcranking - at either extreme, I re-calibrate.

 

[Russ Campbell]

Hi Meryem. Not advising anyone but simply indicating my findings. I have to say that I was surprised at the results myself. Also the noise that was visible at ISO800 in 2K WS was definitely much finer and less noticeable with build 2.0.5 than with previous builds. More testing today at 240fps 2K with BS done at 25fps and again good results at ISO800 and no noise at ISO320.

There are a lot of different experiences with noise on Epic cameras. Personally, I have found my Epics to be much better than my MX, where others are experiencing the opposite. I am looking forward to having the ability to store a few general BS scenarios as the 20min downtime each time isn't viable for TVC shooting.