Red Epic pixel distortion

[Thomas Pohl]

Hi,

I have terrible a problems with my Epic since last year. As you can see on the attached pictures distortions
appear especially at the high contrast parts of a motif. I sent the camera in for repair and received it back
(after 3 month and an dirty OLPF at the end) with a new motherboard.
Comment from Red: "We have tested the camera thoroughly and it has passed all out-going quality control." But the mistakes still appear from time to time.
Now I should send it back for "repair" again. But I have my doubts that the repair service is able to solve
the problem because I have the impression that they don' t know the reason for the defect.
So here my question in the round: Does anybody has simular problems or has an idea what the reason could be?
Backround: - Errors appeared with several builds - last time with build 4.0.10
- problem should be located in the brain because the problem didn`t occur with another brain using the same peripherie (Sidehandle, Nikon Mount, LCD,..)

Cheers

Thomas.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Does it appear in overheated sensors situations?
Could you send any R3D grab?

Pat

 

[Thomas Pohl]

Overheating can`t be the reason. The problem apperas even when the camera is just switched on with moderate temperatures otside. Here are 2 R3D Snapshots

http://www.departmentstudios.de/upload/Dist_A014_C026_1119YI.0000000_S000F.R3D.zip
http://www.departmentstudios.de/upload/Dist_A002_C001_0308Q3.0000000F.R3D.zip

Cheers
Thomas.

 

[Andy White]

What shooting conditions does it appear in - only stark contrast (such as poles against sky) etc?

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Never seen such a thing. Really strong artefact. You should send it in and they should give you a new one. Your camera is a "pointillisme" collector camera.

I'm sorry for you.

Pat

 

[Thomas Pohl]

What shooting conditions does it appear in - only stark contrast (such as poles against sky) etc?

It appears in all different situations - with high contrasts it`s just most obvious.

 

[Andy White]

It appears in all different situations - with high contrasts it`s just most obvious.

Another question (just looking at this & thinking about ideas)... does this issue exhibit in offset/dutch angles more so than straight subject framing?

I'm asking as on the examples (I'm on a web laptop so only going by the original source images), but it seems on the 3rd image that the issue is less visible on one of the left hand cables.

It really looks like some type of compression/edge detection error - that is affecting the information being recorded - like reducing compression settings with a file.

Could this be Nkon mount related? I only ask as this could be something electronic related - I only use dumb PL, so there are no electronics involved... just a thought.

Why not send Graeme N a link to this thread... he might have an idea or two.

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

Faulty compression chips? What level of compression do you use?

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I had a similar problem. It also affected the camera's ability to successfully complete a black shade successfully. I had to send the camera back twice (and a month of downtime) to finally get the problem fixed. It is an internal problem with the camera and can only be fixed at the factory.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Thomas do you also have the blackshade problem Bruce told us?

Pat

 

[Dan Kanes]

Very strange. can you try this one thing:

Install the latest release build firmware 4.0.10.

Only do the firmware install with just your Side SSD, (no side handle) and with your Nikon Mount attached using the force update firmware method.

after firmware install, connect your LCD and boot up.

Restore factory defaults.

Reboot.

Plug in Your side handle.

Reboot.

go to Rediscover HW in the maintenance menu.

Rediscover

Reboot.

See if it still happens?

 

[Thomas Pohl]

Hi guys,
my Epic is now once again back to the service center. By the way: I received a loan camera next day. They told me that they want to change the sensor now. I chatted with a technician at the Red Store in Berlin and he told me that it sounds like as if the sensor already produced the failures from the beginning. And that this is quite normal - the sensor always produces errors which should be compensated by the internal processor. The new motherboard has a better failure compensation which could explain why the failures appeared much less after the first repair.
Okay - that`s the status - I keep you up to date.
Cheers
Thomas.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

- the sensor always produces errors which should be compensated by the internal processor.

Hello Thomas,

That's freaking news!

I understand some pixel cleaning to avoid dead pixels or blackshading to zeroing some pixels levels. But this explanation is really strange...

Pat

 

[Thomas Pohl]

Hello Thomas,

That's freaking news!

I understand some pixel cleaning to avoid dead pixels or blackshading to zeroing some pixels levels. But this explanation is really strange...

Pat

I'm not a technician (and I wished to spend no time on this) but as far as I know all digital processes have to deal with a certain amount of errors.

Cheers
Thomas.