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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 :)

Please Share Your Interview Fan Strategy

I will probably end up making a new thread, but wanted to see if anyone has gotten experience with DSMC FAN UPGRADE 2.0 yet?
 
I have shot tons of interviews all over the planet in al kinds of rooms and situations and only once was the fan an issue. A Marble foyer. Generally I'll set the fan to 40 record & 75 standby. That said i understand the fan upgrade resolves most of the issues with the fan noise.
 
Very sad day when the fan noise dictates the focal length and the interview's look - in my opinion.

This is the right answer i wanted to read.
Thanks:)
 
I don't have an explanation why, but from the get go, I have found that some cameras tend to heat up quicker than others. Possibly from dust or whatnot on the inside or fan blockage. What I have found that in most situations if the room temp is 65-75*, when shooting at 4k HD, I will manually set the fan to 40% on record, and 85% on standby. If I am in 75-85*setting, I tend to throw the fan on 45% record/90% standby. If it is particularly hot or I have any other issues I will kick the fan up to 50/95, but that is pretty rare. It depends on how long your takes are and the situation. When shooting I constantly monitor the temp as well as everything else, as nothing is worse than the auto fan kicking in to cool down the cpu.

I don't think there is any sweet spot to keep it on at all times. You should regularly make sure the camera in/out ports are clean of debris and have proper ventilation.
 
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I don't think there is any suite spot to keep it on at all times. You should regularly make sure the camera in/out ports are clean of debris and have proper ventilation.

Hello,

How come you don t use the adaptive mode? For the heat difference between cameras, are you comparing a first Gen Epic-M to an Epic-X?

Pat
 
I haven't played with adaptive mode. Honestly I don't really want anything on an auto mode while I'm shooting. I'd be afraid of the fan getting too loud at some point. I do a lot of AC/op work with many different bodies, mostly Epic X's and Scarlet-X.
 
I can't recommend adaptive mode enough. it's wonderful to use and quiet enough for most applications. Last week I filmed 1.5 hours of live theatre in an enclosed space with hot theatre lights and it didn't blow dry once.

The night before the shoot, I put on the heater in my lounge room, and pressed record. 30 minutes later on a 64gb card, I swapped cards and nothing kicked into overdrive. Again after 1 hour and same thing. Granted I wan't capturing an image but it gave the assurance that the shoot for the theatre would go well.

And it did.
 
Honestly I don't really want anything on an auto mode while I'm shooting.

Hello Tony,

I understand your point, I was also very sceptical about this mode as I didn't want any ramping during the shoot. I must say that sometimes the camera varies a tiny bit during take but as I'm in adaptive mode in record and in Stdby the camera gets to it's steady temperature after 15 minutes switched on, and keeps the fan speed at the same setting. For example, using the FanPlate in a 23C° room I get fanspeed setting in adaptive mode equal to manual set at 30% during long takes.

Pat
 
I use the Epic in mostly ENG/EFP configurations and for the same type of projects. I've truly never understood the 'issues' others were having with the fans, as I've never had them. If you're NOT running the latest beta firmware with the quiet or adaptive quiet modes, I can tell you that terrific results are still able to be achieved! I shot with Epic in that manner for two years!

I typically set the camera to 35% for record and then 75% for standby. I'll admit that MOST of our clients want that very shallow depth of field look, so we shoot about 10-12 feet back with a focal length of 85-105 (Just like Jeff Kilgroe!). However, I've done this right on top of people with an 19mm too! As the interview starts moving along, I'll turn on my fan settings. For every TWO degrees the temp rises, I would increase the fan by 1%! I monitor and control this manually! I've NEVER had to go above 42% ever! These were on LONG interviews too, like a 60-90 minute constant run time! I've had a few audio techs ask me "How did you do that? I NEVER heard the fan, and that's a first!"

Now that I'm running Beta firmware: 5.1.23 There are some GREAT fan modes to consider. Quiet Mode and Adaptive Quiet Mode. I've spoked to Trent and Matt at RDC about each mode and their differences.

The "Quiet Adaptive Fan mode" works magnificently if you're rolling for short bursts (under 10-15 minutes). In fact, you won't believe the camera is even on! That's how quiet it is. For longer roll times, they suggest using "Quiet" mode. So what's the difference? Well, Adaptive Quiet mode tries to operate the camera at the lowest possible fan settings for as long as it can. This is why the camera will heat up and eventually shut down on you for LONG roll times with this method. Quiet mode will operate similar, however, it basically tries to operate the fan to maintain the calibrated/blackshaded camera temperature, calibration and exposure. You may have noticed the C T E in the lower section of the viewfinder? (to the right of the histogram...) When those are all green... then everything is great. When one or more of those turn colors, like yellow, for example, the camera is NO LONGER WORKING in the calibrated mode, and therefore, you can induce noise into your blacks.

If that happens, you'll need to re-black shade/calibrate. This is why RDC recommends that you run the camera for about 20 minutes at your preferred exposure. The camera will heat up to running temp, and then you conduct the calibration. Once this happens, the camera will do it's best to maintain the same conditions throughout the shoot (if using "Quiet" mode). However, those T C E indicators work in ANY fan or shooting mode! They are a good thing to pay attention to!
 
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