Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • 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 :)

Interchangable OLPFs

BrendanLeahy said:
Jeff Cronenweth said in an interview: "The extra latitude was also great, but it was offset a little bit because we used (the Dragon’s Optical) Low Pass Filter so you almost end up (with similar latitude as the Epic)."

Was the LLO version he had for "Gone Girl" still in beta, or did he get to use a finalized one that we're now getting? I know Jarred mentioned the LLO is similar to the OLPF in the Epic-MX, but was curious how much of the latitude for the Dragon is being lost with this OLPF installed?
Click to expand...

I believe he also mentioned in that article that they were using Beta Dragons, and that now with firmware updates he believes the DR reaches way above 16 stops (I think he quoted quite a large number...18 or 19?...I was taken back actually when I read that).
 
Nick Morrison said:
I believe he also mentioned in that article that they were using Beta Dragons, and that now with firmware updates he believes the DR reaches way above 16 stops (I think he quoted quite a large number...18 or 19?...I was taken back actually when I read that).
Click to expand...

GG was Beta in every way both hardware and software.. We were definitely still harnessing the Dragon when they began shooting. Jeff was instrumental in helping us along the way.
 
Jarred Land said:
GG was Beta in every way both hardware and software.. We were definitely still harnessing the Dragon when they began shooting. Jeff was instrumental in helping us along the way.
Click to expand...

Something nice that Jeff said recently during all of the Gone Girl events was that Dragon we know of today has come a long, long way since those first beta Dragons.
 
Patrick Tresch said:
It looks like there are some problem getting those LLO out of the door. Is there any manufacturing glitch?

pat
Click to expand...

nope.. just normal overwhelming demand vs supply right now.. will catch up soon.
 
Thanks Jarred for the update, loving the STH OLPF btw...

Ah PS will you release an official PDF on how to perform the DIY conversion to the hot swap system?
 
My OLPF diy kit should arrive tomorrow depending on the snow. Can't wait till my camera comes back from the job it's on.
 
I finally found a window to send Dragon back to RED for the interchangeable OLPF upgrade. I'm pretty excited with the untapped possibilities of the new technology, with the OLPF modules under discussion.

I have a set of naive questions:

1) Has anyone built a DR chart which shows the combined range across the LLO and STH? (does this even make sense to do?). It seems like the interchangeable system *should* put the whole "which camera has the most useable DR" question to rest, but I haven't seen any of the usual measuring of the new tool's spectrum across the interchangeable system. The whole DR debate should be dead in the water with this new system, I would think, and yet it rages on....

2) I haven't had a chance to play with either Dragon V.1 or the LLO yet and am eager to get my camera back and start making my own comparisons with STH. However, if I understand correctly, LLO was based on "old" sensor tech - less highlight protection than the original V1 and allows us to dig a little deeper into the shadows for better lowlight performance at higher ISOs.

My question is...is there any reason that RED can't push even a bit harder on the sensor to develop a higher ISO sensor - some night eyes - specifically designed for shooting exclusively after dark? If I have, say, 3 consecutive nights scheduled, where we are shooting exclusively in the dark, it would be great to have an OLPF rated at an even higher ISO than LLO. Or would this just introduce a bunch of artifiacting and under-performance?

The reason I'm asking is that I believe the new system has the capacity to be the one camera that can do everything, so I look around at the cameras which people are buying for capabilities that RED is perceived as not having, and I see people buying cameras like A7s and FS7 because of their lowlight performance. Is there the possibility of a RED OLPF, not yet devised, which can see in the dark like these cameras?

I think the new system has sick potential and am really looking forward to finally getting my camera back from RED to see if my excitement is justified. I think if RED pushes the system as far as it can go - (and there are many options, I'm super stoked for the IR system's release...), then it really can effectively eliminate the need to supplement the RED with other cams.

RED released this system to little fanfare but I think it is the feature that they should be whipping and riding the hardest... they should build all the OLPFs they can, as quickly as they can and market the shit out of them.....don't buy an A7s, buy our NightVision OLPF instead, for one tenth of the price and no-compromise form factor..... Here's our slight halation/low con OLPF, why do you want those clunky expensive competing form factors? Et cetera.
 
The LLO OLPF has almost no density to the optics, in other words it's not getting in the way of the sensor's "sensitivity". A new OLPF will not make the Epic a better low Light camera, or rather make it more sensitive in Low light, that is a function of the sensor it's self. The reason some other DSLR type cameras perform better in the dark is that they have larger photosites. Full frame cameras with moderate pixel count can afford to use larger photosites and will naturally capture light with greater sensitivity. The Epic, with is smaller sensor and aggressive resolution is going to compromise on its "night vision" capabilities. It's just physics, things constantly improve over time but FF cameras are always going to have an advantage in the dark.
 
I received the "DSMC Interchangeable OLPF Installation Kit-Skin Tone-High" today.

AWESOME High-Five Goodness x Infinity !!!

Unfortunately no instructions are included.
Where can I get instructions on how to use the included tools/etc?

Also, I am under the impression a one-time firmware upgrade procedure is required.
How do I go about getting that special firmware patch?

Thank you for any & all help in this very serious surgical matter! :thumbsup:
(hopefully I'm not being too dense here... I don't wanna mess anything up)
 
Last edited:
Mark Andersen said:
The LLO OLPF has almost no density to the optics, in other words it's not getting in the way of the sensor's "sensitivity". A new OLPF will not make the Epic a better low Light camera, or rather make it more sensitive in Low light, that is a function of the sensor it's self. The reason some other DSLR type cameras perform better in the dark is that they have larger photosites. Full frame cameras with moderate pixel count can afford to use larger photosites and will naturally capture light with greater sensitivity. The Epic, with is smaller sensor and aggressive resolution is going to compromise on its "night vision" capabilities. It's just physics, things constantly improve over time but FF cameras are always going to have an advantage in the dark.
Click to expand...

sounds logical. thanks.
 
I got sorted out w/ instructions/etc - Thanks Team RED for the super fast help so late in the work day! Massive Appreciation!!

Daniel Reed said:
I received the "DSMC Interchangeable OLPF Installation Kit-Skin Tone-High" today.

AWESOME High-Five Goodness x Infinity !!!

Unfortunately no instructions are included.
Where can I get instructions on how to use the included tools/etc?

Also, I am under the impression a one-time firmware upgrade procedure is required.
How do I go about getting that special firmware patch?

Thank you for any & all help in this very serious surgical matter! :thumbsup:
(hopefully I'm not being too dense here... I don't wanna mess anything up)
Click to expand...
 
Daniel,

My kit is on the way from Red so can you share where you find the installation instructions and apparently there is a video?
 
In the same boat here . Appreciate some incites on degree of difficulty or otherwise with the process.
Thanks ...
 
Daniel Reed said:
I got sorted out w/ instructions/etc - Thanks Team RED for the super fast help so late in the work day! Massive Appreciation!!
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. Waiting for the email with the video and instructions etc. Who did you talk to at Red?
 
It's a very easy process for the OLPF self install kit. Contact tech support or your Rep, they will talk to the tech support doing the kits, and will send you the instructions and video link. When they ship it, tech support usually emails you at the bottom the instructions and video link.
 
Mark Andersen said:
The reason some other DSLR type cameras perform better in the dark is that they have larger photosites. Full frame cameras with moderate pixel count can afford to use larger photosites and will naturally capture light with greater sensitivity. The Epic, with is smaller sensor and aggressive resolution is going to compromise on its "night vision" capabilities. It's just physics, things constantly improve over time but FF cameras are always going to have an advantage in the dark.
Click to expand...

If this was true, the large sensors of digital medium format backs would be the ultimate nightvision tools with a sensor size twice as big. Except they are really horrible at low light. I personally never shoot them above iso 200 for that very reason.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top