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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 :)

Epic-X Monochrome ... what is it good for?

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George Butterfield

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I apologize for the provocative title. As soon as I get an extra $20K I will purchase an Epic-X Monochrome body, then also get a PL Mount and side SSD.
This camera really turns me on and I want one, but what is it good for?
 
Matt Gottshalk said:
The camera has a much lower noise floor because they don't have to debayer a color image.
Click to expand...
Also correlated, is 5k r3d is 5k pixel resolution since there is no debayer (i.e. color 5k is less then 5k pixels). This also means that the geometric solve (for like camera tracking), is also good at 5k.
 
The Monochrome is a relative bargain compared to a relatively simplistic new Leica M.
However, the new Dragon sensor is so amazing with new DR and significantly improved noise,
it's imprudent to buy one when you will be able to get decent B + W in post.

When the Monochrome goes Dragon, the bar will be set higher again, presumably, but you
should be able to see those previous benefits with the new color Dragon sensor and a post process.
 
PatrickFaith said:
Also correlated, is 5k r3d is 5k pixel resolution since there is no debayer (i.e. color 5k is less then 5k pixels). This also means that the geometric solve (for like camera tracking), is also good at 5k.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I doubt that since it's only giving you a luminance track... I think in most cases your track will actually be better when it also can use chrominance for your track, depending on the scene off course.

Also another thing with this camera that is not being mentioned much here is the fact that the monochrome image, even if it got splendid DR and low noise, actually limit your ability to selectively adjust the exposure / grading post. In other words if you shoot color for black and white you actually have the possibility to key in brightness etc into the image using chroma key tools before making the picture BW. But when shooting Monocrome you only got shades of gray, so then its quite hard to only increase contrast only in the "skintones" and such as nothing can be isolated except for using luminance keys.

So for me I think I would pick a normal epic for most BW footage and by doing so have more control in the grading.
 
Björn Benckert said:
Hmm, I doubt that since it's only giving you a luminance track... I think in most cases your track will actually be better when it also can use chrominance for your track, depending on the scene off course.

Also another thing with this camera that is not being mentioned much here is the fact that the monochrome image, even if it got splendid DR and low noise, actually limit your ability to selectively adjust the exposure / grading post. In other words if you shoot color for black and white you actually have the possibility to key in brightness etc into the image using chroma key tools before making the picture BW. But when shooting Monocrome you only got shades of gray, so then its quite hard to only increase contrast only in the "skintones" and such as nothing can be isolated except for using luminance keys.

So for me I think I would pick a normal epic for most BW footage and by doing so have more control in the grading.
Click to expand...
Well there is a difference between the track point and the geometry solve. So your right on the automated track, but on the geometry solve, i'm finding the epic monochrome at 3:1 RC to be amazing. For example in nuke, you do the track points first(which color does help a bit on), but then when you generate geometry solves to create the camera/point_cloud/scene(for the new deep pixel math) that's where the monochrome geometry shines. i should probably blog on the monochrome vfx workflow if i have some time.

Overall you are right, in "puddles of light" my b and c camera's are color scarlets and they do a great job in most situations when i just flip the saturation to 0 in redcinex. I do love my monochrome though, it is a special camera.
 
I couldn't do this with a Standard EPIC... with out huge amounts of noise.
It was a life saver on the night.

These were shot @2000 & 4000 asa and completely useable.

EPIC_MONO_RETREIVED.jpg
 
Is it 100% certain that epic monochrome will be upgradable to dragon? Because I think that alone is enough to scare most people into just buying a regular epic, at least it is for me.
 
Shanon Fernald said:
Is it 100% certain that epic monochrome will be upgradable to dragon? Because I think that alone is enough to scare most people into just buying a regular epic, at least it is for me.
Click to expand...
I might be wrong but I think the monocrome had a free dragon upgrade included.
 
Gunleik Groven said:
Been said a number of times that the mono is upgradeable to a mono dragon...

Not included anymore (if it ever was), though
Click to expand...


Did they say it or did they SAY it, if you know what I mean? Did they say it like they said the Scarlet would be upgradable? Because it seems like it is such a niche product that if it doesn't sell well they likely won't ever bother to come out with a dragon version.
 
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