The real price and package with SSD

[Christoffer Glans]

I understand that the camera comes with a CF-card module, but I'm curious to know if all the features are possible on the Scarlet fixed or if we need the SSD module to take advantage of all the specs? If so, wouldn't that mean that the camera costs alot more? What is the package price for Scarlet fixed with the SSD module and two SSD's? It isn't necessary to have two large SSD's but perhaps the 256 and one 64.

As for the SSD's, how will they handle the degration of SSD's over time? Will there be a drop in performance after a while?

 

[Felix K.]

1.Prices are still unknown.
2. CF-cards have a limited bandwidth thus limiting fps and/or dataratios.
3. The numbe and size of the SSDs is dependent on your personal workflow. No one-for-all solutions available.

 

[Benoît-Joan Clariana-Roig]

I understand that the camera comes with a CF-card module, but I'm curious to know if all the features are possible on the Scarlet fixed or if we need the SSD module to take advantage of all the specs? If so, wouldn't that mean that the camera costs alot more?

40 %/50% is only the price of the camera itself : most of the time you spend half of your money in accessories.

You can check the current prices of SSD in the RED store and expect at least 1000 $ as a supplement to replace the CF module for a SSD module.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

True, but in this case Red has announced that the camera should be "ready from the delivery package". That would mean that all those specs you see should be able to be used when you get the camera in your hand, which I don't think is possible if you don't have the SSD module. So then you need the SSD module and SSD cards, which cost alot more.

 

[Felix K.]

"Everything in life changes... including our camera specs and delivery dates..." -Jannard

HDRx was not in the original specs, still you'll have it in the Scarlet now...

 

[Pascal Payant]

That'S a good question about the CF and SSD
CF card is way cheaper to buy but if you can't take all the advantages of the camera it'S a no brainer to go SSD

 

[Tom.Wong]

CF technically ISN'T cheaper. the price to gb ratio is higher on a CF card. it may look cheaper cause you can buy it in smaller capacity. a 16 gb RED cf card is 300 dollars, a 64 gb SSD is 950. 3 cf cards already put you at 900, and is only 48 gb's worth of recording. SSD is better in every way, reliability, performance, flexiblity, speed, and even price. the issue is it's a higher yield investment in one shot, when some people can and only want to get by with 3 cf cards, but would want at least 2 ssd's.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

True, but in this case Red has announced that the camera should be "ready from the delivery package". That would mean that all those specs you see should be able to be used when you get the camera in your hand, which I don't think is possible if you don't have the SSD module. So then you need the SSD module and SSD cards, which cost alot more.

I think you might be inserting your own interpretation here on what RED is promising. While they have said they will offer a package that allows you to shoot with it right out of the box, I don't think they promised you'd have "all the specs" with it. And they never promised to include media within the package.

There has actually been a lot of discussion about whether the package would be bumped to an SSD or stay with CF. From memory, I seem to recall that CF was still the default for Scarlet, probably because CF is a lot more capable at 3K than it is at 5K for the Epic. It has also been suggested that you can pay the difference and upgrade to the SSD. And, of course, in neither case was media included. So, either way you'd have to buy CF cards or SSDs.

Of course, they may make a business decision to rally around the SSD system as the default all around. And remember, there has been no final pricing so whatever you thought they were "promising" for whatever price you imagined they "promised" it at, is still just conjecture and estimate. Of course, everything is subject to change.

 

[Matt Dufilho]

In talking with the guys at the booth this year, what I was told was that you could still shoot 120 fps as well as HDRx on CF, it's just a matter of your REDCODE setting. Can't remember what REDCODE setting I was told, but what I took away was that CF cards can work for all specs...you just have to play the balance of compression.

Of course, we haven't seen that in writing, but it put my mind at ease as far as CFs go.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

After using SSD's with the Epic I have to say that CF cards sounds a bit like a drawback to go back to. The SSD's are way smoothing for the workflow.
I know that the whole thing is modular, so I persume that if you buy the Scarlet with a CF-card module, you could buy the SSD module later and replace it yourself?

If it isn't replacable then buying one with the CF-module would be less attractive.

 

[Christian Munoz D]

knowing Red history the CF-module will be replaceable.

 

[Pascal Payant]

Yes Ted told on a couple of videos that it was all changeable

 

[Kevin Olsen]

Seems like their attitude of 'go pro or go home' was reflected when they decided that the 2.8" LCD was too small and not functional enough for the needs of the camera. By the same logic one could assume that the SSD might follow a similar path and offer us a chance to stick with one medium for the whole platform.

I say give us the SSD only option, bump up the price $750 and take advantage of the economy of scale and the lack of problems that the data rates of CF create.

basically...KEEP IT SIMPLE

 

[Jesper Sichlau]

Seems like their attitude of 'go pro or go home' was reflected when they decided that the 2.8" LCD was too small and not functional enough for the needs of the camera. By the same logic one could assume that the SSD might follow a similar path and offer us a chance to stick with one medium for the whole platform.

I say give us the SSD only option, bump up the price $750 and take advantage of the economy of scale and the lack of problems that the data rates of CF create.

basically...KEEP IT SIMPLE

I completely agree, but I'm sure those $750 matters to a lot of people. You could also say the same thing about the whole 3K/4K issue.

 

[Lee Saxon]

Seems like their attitude of 'go pro or go home' was reflected when they decided that the 2.8" LCD was too small and not functional enough for the needs of the camera. By the same logic one could assume that the SSD might follow a similar path and offer us a chance to stick with one medium for the whole platform.

That probably IS why the CF option was dropped for the 5K cameras (ie frame/data rates were so limited as to make the camera "not pro").

But the same may not be true at 3K.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

Seems like their attitude of 'go pro or go home' was reflected when they decided that the 2.8" LCD was too small and not functional enough for the needs of the camera. By the same logic one could assume that the SSD might follow a similar path and offer us a chance to stick with one medium for the whole platform.

I say give us the SSD only option, bump up the price $750 and take advantage of the economy of scale and the lack of problems that the data rates of CF create.

basically...KEEP IT SIMPLE

To be realistic when making a movie, be it an independent feature film or whatever, you need two cards, one to transfer at the DIT station and one to keep shooting with.
So you need two cards at a good size.

The module cost $1500, two cards at 128gb cost together $3600 and the red station for transfering the files cost $250, a total sum of $5350.
How can you bumb up the price $750 if the total package costs $5350?

 

[Terry VerHaar]

To be realistic when making a movie, be it an independent feature film or whatever, you need two cards, one to transfer at the DIT station and one to keep shooting with.
So you need two cards at a good size.

The module cost $1500, two cards at 128gb cost together $3600 and the red station for transfering the files cost $250, a total sum of $5350.
How can you bumb up the price $750 if the total package costs $5350?

The "package" was never expected to include SSDs or a RED Station unit. So, those were costs that were always going to be extra. So, knock $3850 off your number.

As for the module itself, the thinking would be that the CF module had some value that would offset the cost of the including the SSD Module. And since RED would theoretically be standardizing on SSDs, perhaps the cost of the SSD module at this higher volume would be lower. Who knows if $750 is the right number for the difference. I think this was just meant to be a guess - and probably not a bad one at that.

 

[Lawrence Bansbach]

Seems like their attitude of 'go pro or go home' was reflected when they decided that the 2.8" LCD was too small and not functional enough for the needs of the camera. By the same logic one could assume that the SSD might follow a similar path and offer us a chance to stick with one medium for the whole platform.

I don't think the folks at Red were ever enamored of the 2.8" LCD. I suspect including it rather than the 5" in the basic Scarlet kit was a way to keep costs down. If you'll recall, the nonmodular Scarlet was specced to have a 4.8" LCD. Regarding the SSD module, it will be able to take CF cards via an adapter.

 

[David Rasberry]

Final prices and configurations for any packages haven't been announced yet anyway. But I know of no pro camera maker that includes their proprietary media or external card readers with a basic camera package. Does Panasonic include a P2 deck and cards? Does Sony include SXS cards and players?

Whatever Scarlet prices out at, it will be an exceptional value for its quality, performance, and features. Whether one can afford the camera and everything needed to support it is a separate issue.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

I still don't know how much the SSD's degrade after a while. You cannot use it an unlimited number of time and the degration of speed takes less time. Is it SLC or MLC based drives?
This is superimportant to know. Also, might the prices for the SSD's drop until Scarlet comes out?

Still, they said it will be ready out of the box, if some features aren't avalible because you need SSD, then it isn't "out of the box ready" in my opinion. I'd rather see a "package price" where you get the basic SSD card for a little less then it's worth in store if you buy it with Scarlet.

But I'm still very interested in what type of SSD's these really are... a SSD drive degrade alot if you use the entire space, erase it and use it again.