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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 :)

REDs performance at altitude?

J

JohnF

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Hi folks,

I'm considering using RED for a project that will be shot between 2000m-2400m (6000ft-7200ft) above sea-level and knowing that some electronic/computer equipment (hard-drives esp) have performance issues the higher up one takes them is there anything I should know or watch out for?

Do REDDRIVEs work reliably at altitude?

Last time I took a camera up to 3000m-4000m (Mont Blanc) all kinds of odd things started happening to the kit (sticking buttons that activated or deactivated various modes plus a few mounting screws working loose) - though it was a fairly rapid ascent 15mins in the cable car!

This will not be shot on board an aircraft so vibration is not an issue I'm more concerned/interested in the effects of lower air-pressure on the gear.

I'm sure others here have shot at altitude (and I know some have done parachute work!) I'd very much appreciate any "real world" experience/advice.

Thanks

JohnF
 
Thanks Dylan,

Operating reliably at 15,000' that's good to know!

Were you shooting with REDDRIVEs or CF cards?

All the best

JohnF
 
Cheers Dylan

JohnF
 
This is not real world for Red but I've done lots of high altitude work before. Id consider the cold effects on the rear LCD and any LCD monitor you may use. I think the EVF should be OK, Red runs quite warm anyway. Condensation may be an issue though temperature gradients.

If your using the 18-50 lens, its not constant volume so could be an issue from pulling in humid air.

Please let us know how you get on. Good luck.

Dave
UK
 
High Altitude Drives

High Altitude Drives

Hiya, there wont be any problem at the altitudes you are talking of. However higher there may well be problems. On Everest at about 20,000ft there were problems with computer drives and external hard drives. The problem it seems is due to pressure changes inside the case preventing the read write system from working properly. Solid state media was not affected. If you want to discuss further I would be happy to answer your questions. Contact details are on my website.
regards
Rob
 
daveb said:
This is not real world for Red but I've done lots of high altitude work before. Id consider the cold effects on the rear LCD and any LCD monitor you may use. I think the EVF should be OK, Red runs quite warm anyway. Condensation may be an issue though temperature gradients.

If your using the 18-50 lens, its not constant volume so could be an issue from pulling in humid air.

Please let us know how you get on. Good luck.

Dave
UK
Click to expand...

Dave brings up a good point - not RED specific though.

We did have some serious lens fogging as we descended from 15,000 feet down to sea level to get coastal shots. We had to land and wait for acclimatization. Bit of a drag!
 
DOPRob said:
Hiya, there wont be any problem at the altitudes you are talking of. However higher there may well be problems. On Everest at about 20,000ft there were problems with computer drives and external hard drives. The problem it seems is due to pressure changes inside the case preventing the read write system from working properly. Solid state media was not affected. If you want to discuss further I would be happy to answer your questions. Contact details are on my website.
regards
Rob
Click to expand...

Rob is correct. Hard Drives to have an altitude ceiling. Base camp is beyond most drives warranted altitude, hey differ but most are rated to 10,000 ft. However most seem to work up there in laptops and other devices. I've also had quite a few that have failed. Please could Red advise the altitude ceiling for the HD's

Dave
UK
 
JohnF said:
Hi folks,

I'm considering using RED for a project that will be shot between 2000m-2400m (6000ft-7200ft) above sea-level and knowing that some electronic/computer equipment (hard-drives esp) have performance issues the higher up one takes them is there anything I should know or watch out for?
Click to expand...

I live and work at about 6000ft, I often have the RED operating in the 7000-8000ft range. The highest I've had my RED is about 14,125ft or so. All worked fine. Even the drives at that altitude worked fine.

RED Drives are officially rated to 10,000ft. But like I said, I've used them at higher elevations.

That said, you should be aware that rapid changes in altitude can cause a variety of issues. Especially if there is also drastic changes in humidity and temperature as well -- there often is. But if you're only going to roughly 7000ft, that really isn't a whole lot different than taking the camera up for some sky diving action or driving up into the mountains.
 
I also live and work at 6000 ft. and have shot Red with the Red Drive at 10000 ft. with no problems at all--except it was windy and cold. People were cold, camera was fine.
 
Worked fine at 14,500' ASL...

5_1225078258.jpg


CF, that is. Any spinning media reacts poorly to rapid altitude changes.
 
Awesome shot, Brook

My Red lives at 7200'. I have used it extensively with the hard drives to 12,000 ft.

I have used it with the CF cards to 15,000 ft. No problems.

I would not rely on ANY hard drive above 15,000 ft. I have worked up to 24,000 ft. with various media, and hard drives are a problem.

for RED - When's the flash drive coming? The new solid state drives are hitting the market now for under $800. You'll probably RAID two of them for write speed. ??????
 
Fantastic responses everyone, many thanks.

So in summary:

1. Under ~3300m (10,000ft) REDDRIVEs will be fine

2. If possible let equipment acclimatise to altitude/operating conditions.

3. Watch out for the effects of rapid ascent/decent.

4. Pay close attention to the optics (for fogging/condensation) during changes in humidity and whilst crossing inversion layers etc.

5. Pay attention to ones accessories like LCD displays - make sure they're insulated and/or kept within operating temps?

Is that about right?

Is there anything to watch out for with support gear like batteries computers, RAID drives and, if anyone has used them at altitude, LTO-3 drives?

Once again many thanks for the responses.

JohnF

PS: Great shot Brook... Looks like fun!
 
I work all the time at 8600ft using CF and Red Drives, no problem.

I also use RAIDs and computers at this same altitud, no problem.
 
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