I am about getting Red epic used. would you please give me any advice before I get?

[Minu Park]

Budget of 22-23k

After reviewing Red users' recommendation, I decided to move on red epic.

Honestly, I don't know how much will be different between new and used - Yet I can get an university faculty discount(10%) If I get new one.
There are many options that I could consider, but I wonder what's necessary when you get red firstly. Red camera will be used as in cinema and some commercials.
People says the more memory capacity you have the better. - Yet I still don't know How big capacity memory card that I will need.

Honestly, I don't know whether Used one is such a cheap solution either.

In any case, without researching I will definitely regret myself.

Would you please help a newbie and gives him a humble advice?

Best,
Minu

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Minu, welcome to Reduser...

Buying used can always save you a substantial amount of money which in turn you can put in to accessories, definitely saving you a lot more then 10%, however the savings will be worth only if you make a good and honest deal, otherwise you risk to just loose it all, so be extremely careful as there have been doe frauds unfortunately and I would hate you become a victim of one in your first RED purchasing experience.

I have Brokered a great deal of gear, including RED cameras, and one of the most important aspects when buying used, is to buy with caution, from a Reduser that is not at his first posts, and follow my advises below listed...


A) Do not make a CASH transaction with any one, or at list NOT before you have done the below listed...

B) Have the camera sent to RED for Evaluation and Transfer of Ownership (you'l need to open a RED account before proceeding to this step) Any honest seller would agreed to this, and be responsible for any repair costs.

C) Once RED has confirmed thru their Evaluation that the camera is in perfect status, you can THEN and ONLY then pay in full the owner so that He/She can then authorize the transfer of ownership of the camera in to your name.

Now that the camera is in your name you have full access to downloads of Software for all your upgrades, and are able to send in the camera at any given time for any repairs thereafter and or upgrade the camera there were possible.


As far as Memory goes, I would say that the minimum is "2" SSD cards, 3"3 been ideal in order to allow for Download of one with one always ready while one always recording, as for their capacity, this depends entirely on the range of shoots, and it can be good with just 64GB or you might dimly need to step it up and go for the 240GB, which I would strongly suggest you to do...


However if the camera you buy has a Mini SSD Side Mag reader, then your options are cut down to only ONE, which is to get the Mini 512GB, the only ones available currently.


Best of luck with your purchase!!

 

[D Anderson]

Minu, welcome to Reduser...

Buying used can always save you a substantial amount of money !

I dont see great savings - the price of well used (500 hour plus) cameras is too high. Once you pay for red armor and transfer fee it is too close in my books to justify not just buying new.

Too often I see 10 to maybe 20% off on a good day. Not worth the hassle.

 

[Nick Fury]

I dont see great savings - the price of well used (500 hour plus) cameras is too high. Once you pay for red armor and transfer fee it is too close in my books to justify not just buying new.

Too often I see 10 to maybe 20% off on a good day. Not worth the hassle.

Copy that, for the larger ticket items.

Thank you very much

fury

 

[Brian Merlen]

Ketch I couldn't get Red to do this for me when I bought my Scarlet used. They insisted money had to change hands before they would accept the camera because they aren't an escrow service and didn't want the liability of being put in the middle. I did get them to confirm the serial and that the seller had registered the camera so I ended up making a deal with him where he sent half the camera pieces up front and then I paid in full and he sent the brain.

I don't think buying used on the brain is worth it, too much liability if it randomly bricks. Insurance won't cover a camera bricking, only a warranty does and 90 days frankly isn't enough coverage. I'd buy a Scarlet used and upgrade to Epic just to get a year of warranty if I were you...or i'd buy a new brain with armor...

buying every thing else besides the brain used from trusted sources is fine i think...part of the problem with used gear is the discount rate won't matter if someone robs you for a piece here or there...so you just gotta go into it safe is all...i'm glad my used purchases have always worked out but i think its because i'm very untrusting and make sure that the seller is reputable and has had many posts here and isn't sketchy at all regarding contact info, previous happy buyers, stuff like that

Minu, welcome to Reduser...

Buying used can always save you a substantial amount of money which in turn you can put in to accessories, definitely saving you a lot more then 10%, however the savings will be worth only if you make a good and honest deal, otherwise you risk to just loose it all, so be extremely careful as there have been doe frauds unfortunately and I would hate you become a victim of one in your first RED purchasing experience.

I have Brokered a great deal of gear, including RED cameras, and one of the most important aspects when buying used, is to buy with caution, from a Reduser that is not at his first posts, and follow my advises below listed...


A) Do not make a CASH transaction with any one, or at list NOT before you have done the below listed...

B) Have the camera sent to RED for Evaluation and Transfer of Ownership (you'l need to open a RED account before proceeding to this step) Any honest seller would agreed to this, and be responsible for any repair costs.

C) Once RED has confirmed thru their Evaluation that the camera is in perfect status, you can THEN and ONLY then pay in full the owner so that He/She can then authorize the transfer of ownership of the camera in to your name.

Now that the camera is in your name you have full access to downloads of Software for all your upgrades, and are able to send in the camera at any given time for any repairs thereafter and or upgrade the camera there were possible.


As far as Memory goes, I would say that the minimum is "2" SSD cards, 3"3 been ideal in order to allow for Download of one with one always ready while one always recording, as for their capacity, this depends entirely on the range of shoots, and it can be good with just 64GB or you might dimly need to step it up and go for the 240GB, which I would strongly suggest you to do...


However if the camera you buy has a Mini SSD Side Mag reader, then your options are cut down to only ONE, which is to get the Mini 512GB, the only ones available currently.


Best of luck with your purchase!!

 

[Ketch Rossi]

I have not been in the Brokering business since early 2011, so I guess things are changing faster then I tough, however there are still some great deals to be had out there as I assisted with two recently were over 30% saving was made, and all went pretty smooth.

Buying Brain only can too bring serious savings, for one I sold my Monochrome at 15k with but few hours in it, and that was a 25%+ off sticker.

So there are deals, good deals, just need to be on the alert.

There is always of course the risks in buying used goods, no matter the goods, but such risk can be lowered with proper proceedings.

Yes RED will of course not be in the middle of anything, you can't ask them to be, but you can still make an agreement with the seller to first send in the camera for Evaluation, and only after the results decide if to buy or not.

Say you pay the seller, and He/She agrees to pay what ever repair costs, but then this turn out too high to make any sense selling the camera, and He/She refuses to pay, then what? You are out of money and with a broken camera to repair and still pay for it out of pocket???


NO!!

Evaluation first!!

Any one can send in their camera for evaluation.

Especially in international deals were is impossible to do a transaction in person, there are always do diligence when dealing with some one you don't know.

I learned the hard way in my first deals when something when wrong and foundry self out of tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs with Deals I took responsibility of...

So listen and act upon toy what I have said, and save yourselves some possible serious financial losses...


NOW... As far as worth or not buying use, that is entirely up to you, the individual buyer, to decide based on the saving and the current economical situation, if it is worth or not.

 

[Bobby Farokhzad]

I for one would not risk buying used for the sake of saving ten to twenty percent. The overall savings would have to be far greater for me to do that.