Red One Price and Your Opinion On My Situation

[Robert Knoll]

My two cents..

Based on your replies, the Red is not for you BUT if you want to find out for yourself, rent one. It will save you from making a bad call.

 

[Elsie N]

R-1 or Scarlet, tough call.

The R-1 has almost reached its full depreciation, so you would be getting a camera that is second only to the Epic for all around performance at its lowest cost. And unlike the Scarlet, the R-1 already has its modules built in. Once you get all the modules on a Scarlet, the weight gap is going to get closer. The R-1 MX is a time-tested commodity. I'm sure Scarlet is going to be trouble free, but there may be a few hiccups before getting to that state. (Who knows?)

Run and Gun? Scarlet strips down to an operator-friendly package if you have the required accessories (side handle, for instance.) R-1 is very doable with the proper kit and operator strength and durability.

Availability? R-1 now. (if you are working regularly, this could be a financial windfall)
Scarlet? Guess... and then add a couple of months, at least, to your longest guess. ;-)

Maintenance? R-1s should all be out of warranty. If you are doing the transfer of ownership, then you get the camera inspected and a 90 day warranty, but at an additional cost.
Scarlet comes with a standard one-year + two year option at an additional cost.

I'm glad it's you who has to make the choice between the two and not me.

EDIT: Ideally, you might buy the R-1 now for immediate use and add a Scarlet later. For locked off jobs, the R-1 MX is a solid performer and with a large Red Drive, you could do two-camera shoots by setting up the R-1 and letting it roll while getting a different angle with the Scarlet. When editing, that second camera angle gives you the opportunity to get creative.

 

[paulherrin]

matt, you seriously have to consider support equipment and ease of use for run&gun filming with the red one. it is more akin to a traditional, expensive movie making camera and as such requires bulky, expensive, and heavy gear. if you don't already have extremely sturdy equipment, and i'm going to assume you don't for your hvx, i really wouldn't go for it just for that reason. i guarantee you won't be running around handheld with a r1 all the time...

i went through the same debate, but i can already use the scarlet with the equipment i have, and new equipment is a lot cheaper. only real cons are available hi-res framerates, in which case renting an epic (or R1, probably) should be a serious consideration, as you don't always need those framerates. i can use lenses i have and get good quality, low cost still lenses on there without an adapter that voids the warranty. also, a lot of those lenses can be rented, there's a lot more still glass out there than PL mount stuff (for sale/rent). you CAN handhold the scarlet, all the time if you want, and it's size and modular system, plus the upgrade path is a plus (accessories too). i'm not sure that we won't see r1 prices drop even lower though, i have a feeling supply is going to go up and demand is going to go down... so if you wait 6 months you could get an even better deal. on the same note, if you buy one now, i'm not sure how much value it's going to retain if you are trying to sell it off later. anyways, make an informed, educated, and wise decision... i'm sure you can