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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 :)

RED Raven buy in 2020???

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Fahnon Bennett

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So I used to be a RED owner, and sold my camera when RED announced they no longer have the parts to guarantee repair, which I don’t blame them for. I roll with a C200 now, which is a great midrange camera, but I think I’d like to jump back into owning a RED. I’m waiting on info on Komodo, and thought I’d either get a new Komodo or a used Scarlet-W depending on the Komodo’s specs. But now I’m seeing Raven kits going for prices that I can’t ignore, so my question is this:

If you had up to $10k to spend, and required a camera that is smaller than a Varicam LT, don’t need AF and don’t sell clients based on the camera you own, would you think about a Raven considering for a few hundred bucks you can get a factory warranty?

Seems like the negatives are market perception being the cheapest RED, high ISO performance (coming from a Canon) and the cropped sensor.

What would you do and why?
 
I still love my Raven. I've had a C200, and while I loved the form factor / built-in NDs / XLRs, etc... I kept falling back into the RED ecosystem for the out-of-the-box look I get. I think the Raven is one of the best deals out there, and have some animosity towards RED for bailing on it. It gets you the same look as a Scarlet-W (at 4K), provided you like using EF glass. I'd say it depends on the work you do. If you need something nimble and versatile, and "one man crew'ish"... the C200 is tough to beat. If you have flexibility for slower boot times, not as stellar light performance, and uncertain support in the future, the Raven is a visual beast, and REDcode RAW is a delight to work with vs. Canon RAW Lite.

Since my Raven is completely paid for, it will be in my equipment stable until it stops working.
 
Well for me not being able to use some PL glass is a deal breaker... I don't own any PL lenses, but do rent them occasionally for some jobs. But if you have clients that do not care about it then it wont be an issue.
Other than that the smaller crop on the Raven, is a bit too much for me. But I have seen some really cools projects shot on the Raven.. its a totally capable camera.
I own a Helium and I'm tempted into buying a Panasonic s1h as a second camera.. the test I've seen so far are really great.. the colors, to my eyes, looks close to Helium... Also highlight rolloff seems good (non issue at this point even though its not the best out there) and now there's the recording raw to a Atomos, which is really nice. And its full frame (have a few fulll frame lenses around).
Am also thinking on the pocket 6k.
And like you waiting for Komodo reveal to decide.
 
We love our Raven, great camera. I think most people view the Raven as a cheap RED and while it is, that doesnt mean it makes bad images. Its a great camera and will keep beign a great camera. All depends on what you want to do though.
 
Thanks everyone who’s chimed in so far. I’m on a job now shooting on Gemini and man it’s amazing and has made me sure I’m getting a RED again. Komodo not withstanding, I’m kinda leaning towards Scarlet W though. Seems like it’d give me most of the same capabilities. I’m in the middle of this gig so I haven’t researched yet, but I’m assuming the differences are largely compression ratios, max frame rates and of course no dual ISO.
 
I was in the same boat about 1-2 years ago. Went for a 2nd hand Scarlet W, mainly because of the mount with the PL lenses.
while I was really happy with the footage shot in good lighting conditions, I got frustrated at how much light the scarlet W needs. Realistically I would guess if you are aiming for such a camera, you may not always have a big crew enough to play with a lot of lights, or have the time for that.

I sold the Scarlet W and went for the Gemini for the dual ISO. And have been very happy.
Lately quite a few cameras are and will be coming out and it looks like for camera around the 10K price it will really be a fierce competition. Prices will likely drop. And then who knows when DSMC 3 will come around and price may drop again for the older bodies...
So I guess it is also a question of how fast do you plan on making your money back.

Myself I am thinking potentially of "downgrading" to maybe the new sony F9 with the autofocus (or maybe the komodo once we have a clearer picture of it) and who knows for the indie film I do with the new Z cameras S6,or F6,.... But those are just ideas and thoughts I am going through...
I am just a bit worried of taking a financial loss once the DSMC 3 is coming out, and for some jobs those auto focus possibilities with the F9 look amazing.

To come back to the first question. Now I would care a bit less about EF or PL mount if I would be on the Scarlet W or Raven market. New mounts are coming out, and things may change in the future too. But dual ISO is really something I don't want to give back anymore. So if I had to do the choice, I may think of either a Raven, or the Gemini, but not the Scarlet W (unless you got a used one for a steal).
 
If you want the RED upgrade path, a used Scarlet-W will give you more options, over the Raven.


https://support.red.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001279007-DSMC2-Cameras-and-Upgrades

What cameras cannot be upgraded?
The following cameras are NOT eligible to upgrade to the DSMC2 cameras directly through RED:

RED ONE*
EPIC MYSTERIUM-X*
SCARLET MYSTERIUM-X*
RED RAVEN
WEAPON MONSTRO 8K VV: This camera does not need to be upgraded, since it has the same sensor and specs as the DSMC2 MONSTRO
​
 
Well I’ve sold my C200 and am ready to buy what’s next. Disappointed we still don’t know what Komodo is in detail, but you all have convinced me the Raven isn’t for me.

@Russel: I wouldn’t buy any dsmc1 body now. At the end of the year RED will no longer service them (or guarantee service) because they don’t make the parts anymore. I don’t own a car or a house, so my camera is my most expensive possession. Can’t have it go down and not have service.

@Patrick: Gemini would be my 1st choice, but it’s outside my price range.

@Terry: Thanks for that info. I didn’t know that was the case. I’ve bought cameras from you over the years and you’ve always been really great, even after the sale with my Blackmagic woes. So double-thanks..
 
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