Aaron Lochert
Well-known member
No they're not.
DSMC2 used to mean the form factor alone, under this distinction, Scarlet-W, Epic-W, and Weapon were all DSMC2 as they all can use the same accessories, but that's where the similarities stopped.
DSMC2 now means form factor and top-tier (Weapon-class, if you want to think of it that way) internal hardware. Under this distinction, Scarlet-W and Epic-W were never Weapon-tier. Only Weapon was Weapon-Tier because it was, well... Weapon.
It's confusing at first, but if it makes it any easier, always remind yourself that anything referred to as DSMC2 in current RED literature that says means Weapon-Tier. And "old" DSMC2 cameras are only DSMC2 in form factor and accessory compatibility, not internals. Scarlet-W and Epic-W never had the sensor swapping ability that Weapon did so now that they're calling these new cameras DSMC2, it doesn't retroactively give your camera that ability.
If you can't afford current upgrade options, I would hold tight. RED have shown themselves to reach far back in their product line for upgrade paths. Maybe when DSMC3 rolls around (if they call it that), they'll have a Scarlet class camera with an upgrade option that might be more in your budget (purely speculation by me, so take it with a huge grain of salt). For now, keep using that Scarlet-W and making money with it. It's still a very capable camera and will be for years to come. A lot of my friends are still shooting Epic Dragons, so clearly the market isn't demanding bleeding-edge tech, as fun as it is to gawk over.
Edit:
Perhaps what they should have done was call these new cameras DSMC2.5 to indicate that they are in-fact different from previous DSMC2 offerings, but still have the same form factor and accessory compatibility.
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