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Scarlet-W - Would you Purchase One today?

J

Jason Montalvo

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Hi All,

So I've just sold my Trusty FS7 and am thinking of jumping into the Red ecosystem. In terms of a "buying cycle" for lack of a better word, do you think its a smart choice? What I want to avoid is making what is for me a pretty large purchase to find out in 6 months that the new Scarlet-_ is out?

What are your thoughts? Obviously I know a camera now will be better and can generate revenue, I do own an Ursa Mini Pro which can hold me over for a while.

Thanks in advance hoping I can get some insight from you guys.
 
Don't want to limit Red Sales ;-) but RED has come out with two new sensor technologies since Dragon (not to mention that Scarlet-W has been out for two years.) If you didn't have a similar camera Scarlet-W is a lot of bang for the buck, but I would let the URSA MP hold you over for a few months to see what shakes out with the new sensor tech (Maybe announcements around NAB or Cinegear). One would think that one of the two sensors would filter down to the lower priced cameras pretty soon.
 
Wait for a monstro version surely coming this year
 
I'm in the same predicament....hmmm. Was about to buy a Scarlet-W too.
 
No. You have a camera, use that. The difference between the two is negligible for the work you will do.
 
Scarlet is better in low light than UMP, but worse in rolling shutter.
Just wait for NAB.
 
It would perhaps be unwise not to wait till NAB if you are in no rush ...however (and I say this as a Monstro owner etc) I think the Scarlet W is the best bang for buck camera they ever made and the true fulfilment of the initial Red dream! There is nothing meaningful in film you can't do with that camera (apart from obvious niche shooting...)!!!
 
Thanks everyone for the insight, truly helpful! I've decided to sit tight for a bit.

Really appreciate you guys!
 
I think sometimes in these discussions it is helpful to remember that ANY RED camera is a great tool because....it shoots REDCODE Compressed Raw. You can worry about sensors or specs and the like. ROI and a ton of things. But. The real beauty of this camera is that code. And for my money, whether it is a Scarlet-W, or an old Scarlet MX or even a RED One, get one and start using it. Maybe wait for NAB, but whatever you get, get it out shooting and you will learn a ton and have a lot of fun.
 
Redcode is the reason i love my Raven

It's the main factor that pushed me to spend the extra bucks over something like an ursa mini pro (which, even with its quirks, i am sure i could pushed to give me the images i wanted )

redcode is absolutely amazing.


Depending on the pricepoint, i still think Raven is best bang for the buck if you can get it cheap enough ... even vs scarlet (unless you absolutely need the PL mount and builtin lut support)
 
Tough call. To wait for a new body would mean another 12-18 months realistically before actually receiving it.
 
I have a Weapon Helium and a Scarlet W. I had previously the Epic Dragon and before that Epic MX. Get the Scarlet W. Its a dsmc2- better colors and low light- Epic Dragon (yes no 6k but not needed) at a much cheaper price. The Dragon sensor shot the Great Gatsby for chrissakes. Think about it.
 
It's a tough call and it will always be a tough call. Once the new tech comes out, the problem will be should I spend double for it, or paying half as much for an amazing SW? Basically if you need a new camera, buy one whenever you need it and don't worry about what's coming next, it will always come.
 
To add another interesting thought into the mix.

RED provides an upgrade paths for certain camera models (minus Raven). DSMC2 has a lot of legs, especially in the face of recent camera announcements.

No matter when you jump in with any camera system there will always be incoming technology advancements. The benefit with RED is there's a reasonable upgrade path that allows you to grow as you go.

My personal thoughts anything DSMC2 with Dragon, Helium, and Monstro are going to be very useful tools for a while.
 
Elias Tejeda said:
Raven owners get the short end of the stick on a lot of lil niche things
Click to expand...

Everyone feels like they get the short end of the stick. I'm a SW owner and I keep waiting for an upgrade path. Who knows, maybe it won't come. And Epic owners feel like they should get a monstro option, and Weapon owners feel like they paid too much. And that's kind of the point of this thread, get a camera if you want, and don't worry about the other things you can't control.
 
IMHO I would take a step back and take a really good look at the market where you live, and the industry on a whole . In 2018, where iPhones can shoot 4k 60fps, Galaxy s9 can shoot 240fps, Red’s renting for $250 a day, and Alexa Mini are renting for $500 a day.... If you don’t have the jobs lined up to justify the purchase , or if you aernt shooting your own personal project (feature Film or documentary ).... I would advise against spending $20,000 on any camera in hopes of making money off of it .

If the clients wants a red , or Arri, put it in the budget ($500) .... and kee your $20,000 in your pocket ... put towards good glass, or a your personal project . The days of buying cameras and renting them out are long gone . With everything being consumed on YouTube , Vimeo on a 5” screen with super compression, in most cases , a gh5 is more than adequate . The industry has changed . We have to adapt to it .
 
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