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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 :)

Premium Production Pack

david farland said:
So maybe at the next public showing of a Red One, someone should bring some bathroom scales....and a bath towel.

Dave,
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Picking up the non-functioning touring prototype at SMPTE I estimated the loaded weight (one battery, 18-50 CF lens, drive shell but no drives) between 7 and 12 kilograms - however most of that weight was towards the back of the rig, so some careful rigging would be required...
 
david farland said:
1030HD carries 30lbs @ $4,000
1030HDS carries 41lbs @ $5,370
2060HD carries 65lbs @ $7,650
2575C carries 100lbs @ $11,777
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Also note that the 1030HDS is identical to the 1030HD, but gets its extra load capacity by sacrificing its tilt range. This can be a huge issue for some people.

And like donatello said, personal preference plays a role. I personally like O'Connor heads a lot -- even though I've never owned one. My second choice is Vinten. I have little experience with Sachtler, other than playing with them at trade shows and in rental shops, but they seem nice. I still prefer O'Connor's motion though. Cartoni is nice too, but I haven't tried their larger heads (Gamma / Delta). I owned a Focus head for a while for my HVX, but it failed under use in extreme cold and then I had nearly 3 weeks down-time as it was "fixed" (replaced with refurb unit).

I'm planning to use ViewFactor's Mirus MoCo head as my primary support for RED in studio or fully loaded configurations. But will probably get a Vinten Vision 11 or O'Connor 1030 if I need to be more mobile with a smaller setup. My local rental shop usually has one or two Vinten packages from their rental fleet for sale and prices aren't too bad.
 
donatello said:
" has no lumpiness stopping and starting like some Sachtlers do"

it's all personal taste ... i would take the above sentence and replace Sachtler with O'conner but then would take a Cartoni over all of em ... and i prefer a smaller hear ( max in the 40-50lbs area) vs. a heavy head ( max 75-100lbs) for a camera in the 15-28lbs range
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I just found an almost new Cartoni Gamma for a reasonable price. It's supposed to be rated up to 35lbs. I have a Focus now and it's not really very happy with cameras over 10lbs though it's supposed to be rated higher. I bought it thinking it would handle RED, but I really don't think so after seeing RED in Vegas.

Add a lens, viewfinder and battery to RED and you've got to be close to 15lbs right there.
 
There's no way the Focus will handle RED. Been there and had this discussion already. Gamma should do well though, unless you load it up with "everything".
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
There's no way the Focus will handle RED. Been there and had this discussion already. Gamma should do well though, unless you load it up with "everything".
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Yeah, I'm hoping the Gamma will end up working out well. I want to keep the camera as light as I reasonably can so it should be a good match. I like the action on it and think it's a nicer head than the Focus. Though I do love the focus for HVX size cameras.

I'm guessing there are a lot of guys upgrading to this camera who are a little shell shocked at the price of these heads. I just feel lucky I found a good deal on a head in perfect shape. A lot of used heads have had the hell beaten out of them and now they're on eBay with no chance to really test them before you buy.
 
I'm surprised at the statement "there's no way the Focus will handle RED"...the focus will counterbalance to 22lbs. Although admittedly, you don't want to be at the end of the weight capacity for larger shoots.
Although an heavier capacity O'Connor would be nice, and probably required for a loaded production pack...for those travelling light with a minimal package (not in a film set environment), the Focus should be fine...especially with wider or medium focal length lenses.
I mean we've had fairly discerning users with HDX900s (with Dionic 90 and Clip-on Chrosziel) use the Focus and be happy with its performance relative to size/weight.
 
Brian Broz said:
Focus should be fine
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I dunno - if I don't sell my Focus before I get RED I'll try it on both Gamma and Focus heads. I do know my Hd-100, IDX, Micro35m, 35mm lens, FF and RODS puts the Focus at the edge of its limit and it doesn't respond in the same way as with just the HD-100 and IDX alone (which is perfect). It's a physically long rig which I believe adds to the stress and may make it act like a heavier camera.

All I know is I can clearly feel the difference in performance and it's much more difficult to get balanced with the larger weight. Will it hold the camera? Yeah sure... but that's not the same as peak performance. Throw that big camera on there and point 35 degrees down or up and see if the Focus stays there rock solid without bouncing around. Put an 8lb camera on and do the same thing... it'll be rock solid if you're set up right.
 
I might have missed it while scanning this thread, but I haven't seen the use of a sliding base plate mentioned. This is important for the proper use of whatever head is chossen. Also makes for quick balance adjustments when changing configurations. Lots easier then remounting the whole assembly to a different tripod screw hole.
 
I think it goes without saying that any statement here is a reflection of personal taste. I operated a lot of projects with Sachtler 80s and then switched to Oconnors later for the smoother control in CUs, even though the Oconnors couldn't match the counter weight of a Sachtler 80 with a Platinum and a Primo zoom on.

Will this 2060 handle the Red and a long zoom like any Optimo? I'm curious about that. Still didn't really get any feedback on how to extend the rods for a zoom in the Production Premium Pack without dropping the batteries off the other end. Seems a shame to have to drop out everything to add longer rods in those situation, but I of course may be missing something in that pic.
 
Sam Druckerman said:
Brook, do you remember if that was a 1030 HDS or HD at NAB?
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Two weeks before NAB when I visited RED to shoot the DSLR pics of Boris with the RED 18-50 CF zoom, for my "RED at NAB Part 1" magazine article, Jarred had Boris mounted on what I remember as a 1030HD.

I really like the 1030HD. Since most of my equipment setups will be around 18 to 23 pounds with RED One, I'm seriously thinking about getting one for general use.

I'll also get a Miller Solo with carbon fiber sticks for my mobile, hiking in, lightweight setup tripod.

For the occasional need for a 2060, I'll rent one.
 
Brian Broz said:
I'm surprised at the statement "there's no way the Focus will handle RED"...the focus will counterbalance to 22lbs. Although admittedly, you don't want to be at the end of the weight capacity for larger shoots.
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OK, perhaps my statement was a bit heavy-handed. But I personally would not use a Focus for any RED setup that I can think of. Having owned one, all I can say is that I loved the Focus head and it performed beautifully up until it gave out on me...

As I mentioned before, the "Acapulco" thread showed RED being used with very minimal configuration -- base plate, top rods, top handle, CF FLASH unit, rear mount battery, LCD and the 18-50 lens. Jim said that configuration was about 19lbs. IMO, 19lbs is borderline too much for a Focus head. Add at least another pound to that if you're recording to RED DRIVE... And then if you want a mattebox and FF on there... The Focus isn't going to keep up... That's where my statement was coming from. If you go with the 18-50 zoom or smaller primes, canon or nikon glass, etc.. You might be able to get away with a Focus head and a very minimal RED configuration. But it seems entirely too restrictive to me.

For those on a really tight budget who don't mind used gear, pick up an old used Oconnor 50D or something like that on eBay and clean it up. Usually, just a quick service to replace the old cork pad with rubber, oil check and a cleaning and off you go, they're built like a tank and can be had for less than $300 if you catch it at the right time.
 
Are those holes on the "cage brackets" tapped? Just curius if they're there for functional reasons or what?
 
Gibby said:
Two weeks before NAB when I visited RED to shoot the DSLR pics of Boris with the RED 18-50 CF zoom, for my "RED at NAB Part 1" magazine article, Jarred had Boris mounted on what I remember as a 1030HD.

I really like the 1030HD. Since most of my equipment setups will be around 18 to 23 pounds with RED One, I'm seriously thinking about getting one for general use.

I'll also get a Miller Solo with carbon fiber sticks for my mobile, hiking in, lightweight setup tripod.

For the occasional need for a 2060, I'll rent one.
Click to expand...

Thanks Gibby,

Hmmm, if you (Like me) could only afford one?

Jeff Kilgroe said:
For those on a really tight budget who don't mind used gear, pick up an old used Oconnor 50D or something like that on eBay and clean it up. Usually, just a quick service to replace the old cork pad with rubber, oil check and a cleaning and off you go, they're built like a tank and can be had for less than $300 if you catch it at the right time.
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Jeff, the price of that 50D sounds to good to be true... Can you shed a little more light on the short comings compared to say, the 1030? LOL it probably weighs a ton.

Thanks Jeff.
 
So here is something that I have been wondering since the prices were first announced...why the heck is the premium model double the price of the basic?? I sure don't see it.
 
Unwounded said:
Are those holes on the "cage brackets" tapped? Just curius if they're there for functional reasons or what?
Click to expand...

They're 1/4 20 mounting holes used for mounting the LCD, EVF, a mic...etc.
 
Sam Druckerman said:
Jeff, the price of that 50D sounds to good to be true... Can you shed a little more light on the short comings compared to say, the 1030? LOL it probably weighs a ton.
Click to expand...

When you come across an older head like the 50D (and I'm not kidding around when I say "older"), they have usually had a long service life at this point. We're talking about a head that was manufactured in the early '80s, maybe even before. They have a 50lb capacity and are not as elegant as current offerings. Here's one on ebay -- as long as it's in good working order, these may be a place to start.

So yeah, it's older, well used and is a bit bigger and heavier than a 1030... But the price may be just right for some. And I would definitely go this route over buying something like a brand new junk head from Bogen/Manfrotto... I already did that one and couldn't send it back fast enough.
 
hey, I just saw an old thread about O'connor heads and bulk purchase discounts. They were saying you could get a 20% discount if you bought 5 heads. If someone was looking to get an O'connor and save a few bucks this might be worth the effort. I'd be down to go in with some people.
 
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