Red Epic Mysterium X - Sensor Damage or ?? - What to do?

[Ash Will]

Hi Guys,

I'm wondering if anyone would know what my problem is in the image attached. There are permanent purple streaks in the footage.

Is it a damaged sensor or can this be fixed with black shade calibration? If it is a damaged sensor, what are the options as Red now do not support the Epic M anymore.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Andrew Gentle]

Are you sure that's not just dust in or on the lens? Does it change character on different lenses, at different apertures or different focal lengths?
Also, if you provide a 100% crop of the worst of it, that would be helpful.

 

[Ash Will]

It appears the same on each lens. It's a permanent mark. I've attached another image.

 

[Andriy Trofymenko]

I had something that looks just like this on my MX sensor a couple of years ago. At the time Red still replaced those sensors. They told me it might be caused by laser damage. I really dont know where it comes from. I suggest contacting them for answers, as far as I know it's real permanent damage. Maybe someone else has a better idea. Hopefully I'm wrong

 

[Ash Will]

I had something that looks just like this on my MX sensor a couple of years ago. At the time Red still replaced those sensors. They told me it might be caused by laser damage. I really dont know where it comes from. I suggest contacting them for answers, as far as I know it's real permanent damage. Maybe someone else has a better idea. Hopefully I'm wrong

Yeah when i've rented it out before, they did shoot at a dance festival and I figure it was from that. Most of our shoots are action sports.

I contacted Red about a replacement sensor and just said I need to do a trade in because they don't have any parts for this model which is ridiculous. I'm hoping there is another solution because to just throw this camera away is a horrible thought and I can't sell it like this nor rent it.

 

[Andriy Trofymenko]

Yeah when i've rented it out before, they did shoot at a dance festival and I figure it was from that. Most of our shoots are action sports.

I contacted Red about a replacement sensor and just said I need to do a trade in because they don't have any parts for this model which is ridiculous. I'm hoping there is another solution because to just throw this camera away is a horrible thought and I can't sell it like this nor rent it.

YEP! I was pissed too. These are perfectly good cameras that red wants to phase out. It's sad. I was lucky to still get a replacement, I hope mine lasts a while longer, I dont see the need to shoot with the newer cameras when what I have is perfectly fine for what I do.

 

[Jan Balster]

Looks like dust on the sensor to me. Does this camera have interchangeable OLPFs. I know interchangeable OLPFs was an add-on option for the Epic. If it has interchangeable OLPFs, try putting on a different OLPF an dsee if the problem persists.

- Jan

 

[Mike P.]

Looks like sensor damage via laser (which dance/music festivals are full of). Can you claim this under the production insurance of whomever rented it?

In the meantime you can use RCXp's Pixel Masking or Resolve's Dead Pixel Fixer as a temporary workaround. It's cumbersome/slow, but it can generally cover up those kinds of things (and I think you can batch apply it to all clips... though you'd have to render out of raw).