Less new features = Less unexpected problems?

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

So I was thinking, it's awesome that RED provides constant upgrades for the RED One. From launch to today it's day and night difference.

Higher framerates, ISO problems fixed, Color science, etc.

However, one thing kinda tickles my mind, every new feature in the digital world is gonna be plagued with bugs (one way or the other), and concentrating resources in eliminating these bugs instead of adding new features, that weren't field tested only adds up to the possibility of new things getting screwed up.

So we have green footage, lines in the video and other crazy bug that I'm not aware of... Ok, maybe that's a small percentage (I guess? Hope?) but I'm pretty sure it would be even smaller if efforts were made to make the existing features trouble free.

I understand it couldn't have gone any different, hell, RED wouldn't have evolved the camera so much and wouldn't learn as much as it did without it.

But does it translate into Epic/Scarlet line being, let's say... Trustworthy 99.99% of the time and not 98%?

I think I went a little overboard with this line of thought... I'm not criticizing anything, I'm just trying to comprehend what happened so far and how it could improve.

I mean there's point where there's enough features and they need to be perfected, right?

Or I don't know jack, and all these problems are exclusive to the RED One system, that differs completely from the new cameras.

Or I have a severe problem of understanding obvious facts (which is indeed the case here).

Anyway... I'm just posting this so I get to know other people's or even RED's opinion on this (and have my thoughts clarified).

Thanks.

 

[Robert Craig]

Yes to me it seems RED does have a few faults here or there and they always are going to, electronics always have reliability issues, mix ups, etc and I say for what RED has done so far starting out and this being there first camera and all and pushing the envelope so far it has been incredible and yes I believe epic/scarlet will be that much better in the reliability department because they have more experience and have been able to field test the RED 1 to get an idea of what to improve/modify/throw out/etc.

 

[Stronz Vanderploeg]

98% and New Features or 99.99% and Old Features?

I gotta go with the 98%

All kidding aside, I see your point and while I think it's important for companies (not just RED) to bug test, there comes a point where the product needs to ship and there's no way they can cover every possible scenario in the lab.

And this schedule gets pushed even quicker since tech is improving so fast. Companies have to compete by releasing new products and competitive products come out every other day it seems like so there's a constant drive to get products out while still being "good."

I'm surprised RED has stuck so true to their "it's ready when it's ready" mantra for this long. I hope it continues because then we can have the best products that last for more than a year. But at the end of the day those products do need to ship sometime. Jim, feel free to send the first batch to me .

 

[Gary Jones]

I see it more like this...

You have the choice of a camera with 100 features and 5 of them a bit buggy or a camera with 80 perfect features. For starters you get 15 more features the buggy route, and on top of that, after the 80 perfect ones are released you are still going to find problems (hence them not being perfect) as you can't do full testing in a small sample.

The only proviso I would put on that is that you don't want problems with the core of the system. Nothing that will result in large amounts of reshooting/downtime like messed up footage, cameras overheating or bad mechanics.

I say keep bringing out the new stuff and bring the rest of the items up to full strength as you go. You also have to appreciate that the team that are inventing are often not the same team that are fixing bugs (although in some cases it has to be).

Just my 2pence worth.

Gary

 

[Gary Jones]

And another thing...

In this business 1st to market is huge!

Once people start with a company and start investing money with a company they are loathed to change. People hate changing between Nikon and Canon for instance.

Another 2 pence worth.

Gary

 

[Jannard]

We actually agree with you. We did things "different" with the RED ONE because we had to. We will take more time to get production EPICs and Scarlets "right". There may be some wailing and gnashing of teeth over the schedule needed to do that, but because we will be adding new customers that aren't familiar with the "RED way"... our philosophy needs to change this time...

Thanks for caring.

Jim

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

We actually agree with you. We did things "different" with the RED ONE because we had to. We will take more time to get production EPICs and Scarlets "right". There may be some wailing and gnashing of teeth over the schedule needed to do that, but because we will be adding new customers that aren't familiar with the "RED way"... our philosophy needs to change this time...

Thanks for caring.

Jim

RED ONE is a perfect camera design, needs just the sensor upgrade from time to time and even its motherboard upgrade if for any newer sensor that option is required.

All fast, easy and cheaper for old or new users.

 

[Steve G]

RED ONE is a perfect camera design, needs just the sensor upgrade from time to time and even its motherboard upgrade if for any newer sensor that option is required.

All fast, easy and cheaper for old or new users.

No such thing as a perfect camera design, in fact, perfection doesn't exist anywhere.

 

[Erik Bien]

You must've missed the Kate Beckinsale Esquire thread ... :drool:

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

No such thing as a perfect camera design, in fact, perfection doesn't exist anywhere.

The perfection means here that something is done in the best possible way that can reach its "price & performance" value at the market.

BTW, no any other camera as RED ONE was presented on so many stands at the last IBC Amsterdam 2009.

Don't forget that is very difficult task to sell again about 6.000 cameras to that market again.

This could happen only one time and that's camera is called RED ONE anyway.

It's about that kind of "perfection" too.

As we all know well: Nobody's perfect!

 

[Raphael Varandas]

Sanjin...100% agreed.
Red One is "perfect" for what it is.
Was the first punch to a real democratic digital cinematography.
O melhor custo benefício Pietro em termos de captação de imagens em Alta.
As jannard said : "We did things "different" with the RED ONE because we had to"...
and again he is right.
I got your point... but besides cinema and all the light stuff the business have their own time and RED co. is leading - the marketing is ( was in the RED 1's case) the product itself.

By the way I'm ridding the B. 21.0.2 testing the new 4.5K Wide Screen recording (4480 × 1920 pixels) mode, REDCODE 42

The FilmMaker and Camera owner dream comes true with a new camera every new Build.

Sorry, but i could not leave my fan speech screaming inside

arty: :cheers2:

Best Regards e um abraço!

 

[Norbert Jalitsch]

This could happen only one time and that's camera is called RED ONE anyway.

hi!

i don´t think this could happen only one time.

normally i agree with you 100% but in this case i think, it´s a very easy thing for red in the future to sell much more units of the upcoming scarlets and epics.

i´m for my part looking forward to one of the bigger versions of scarlet - in the moment they can sell it i throw my money to red, and a lot of people are also prepared to help red, in topping the sales of the huge amount of sold red one...


liebe grüsse, norbert jalitsch