Upgrading Epic-X to next Generation After Dragon

[Joe Taylor]

Does anybody know if Red will permit upgrades for Epic-X brains to the next generation sensor after Dragon? By this I mean can Epic-X owners bypass Dragon and still be eligible for future upgrades?

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Good question. My 2 cents are that they will upgrade the body for next generation but keep the modular system.

Pat

 

[Shane Kelly]

It is a good question but I don't think that you'll need to worry about that for a couple of years. As Patrick suggested, the body will probably be upgraded in order to fix the current complaints regarding audio, outputs etc. I would imagine that there will still be an upgrade path as Red has done this so far.

 

[Nikhil Kamkolkar]

I think it'll be much sooner than a couple of years. My take (desire) is simple -

The EX-Meizler becomes the piece that rounds out the camera and makes it an Alexa+. The current epic really would only be used in situations where a small footprint is desired, with the accessories changing to support that concept (instead of the current thinking behind accessories which seems to be all about building out the camera).

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

That would be interesting, BUT, if the Meizler can fit seamlessly into the current design, wouldn't the added flexibility in being able to take it off be a bonus? It's hard to imagine red squeezing more into the little epic box

 

[Nikhil Kamkolkar]

I think RED has probably realized that the base brain of the EPIC could have been a little more full featured. So I'm expecting a further reduced-in-size meizler module that SHARES the cooling system of the brain. This is key. I'm assuming the meizler needs a cooling system and having two is wasteful and not the best design.

That'll be the new brain. Additional modules then will be smallish enough in functionality to not require active cooling.

Theories on my part - but I think the brain needs to be revised such that it can take on a meizler and share its cooling system/ducts with it, and when needed can ditch the meizler-type add-on to go very small form factor.

Ofcourse, independents like myself will always frankenstein the camera (see what people are rigging up the blackmagic pocket camera to do). But RED's focus should now be a slightly larger brain that incorporates the meizler (or a modification to existing brains that incorporates the meizler and shares the cooling system), AND, a small footprint brain that is functional but small, small, small.

 

[Phil Holland]

Does anybody know if Red will permit upgrades for Epic-X brains to the next generation sensor after Dragon? By this I mean can Epic-X owners bypass Dragon and still be eligible for future upgrades?

Nobody knows for sure and I think it would be improbable for Red to even know for sure at this point. You're likely looking at over 3-5 years for a new sensor after Dragon.

However, based on history we can make one observation. Red One had an upgrade path to Epic. Red One was able to upgrade to Mysterium-X, but not Dragon. Epic and Scarlet have an upgrade path to Dragon.

Based on this I'd say it's unlikely an Epic or Scarlet with Mysterium-X would be able to upgrade directly to what's after Dragon.

I agree with others that there might be a new body coming down the pipe eventually, and for the historians still around, Red did always state they would eventually make larger format sensors.

Epic Dragon's release and launch are the priority at the moment, but who knows what sort of future Dragon has beyond Scarlet Dragon. Heck. There could be a Dragon-X in the future that does some fancy things even. We just don't know today as it's too far away.

 

[Will Keir]

I would guess no. After Dragon, I'd bet that RED will be done "beta" testing and the new camera will be a completely new design, with all the improvements and adjustments taken from their predecessors. Just my guess after owning R1 to Epic for the past years.

Does anybody know if Red will permit upgrades for Epic-X brains to the next generation sensor after Dragon? By this I mean can Epic-X owners bypass Dragon and still be eligible for future upgrades?

 

[Robert Hart]

It is a pity in a way that RED did not buy the camera division of Dalsa. The Evolution camera with RED Dragon gizzards and modern recording media would have been the killer combination. You could have had an optical finder on it too. "If wishes were horses etc----".

 

[Jean Maurizio]

Hello Phil.

"Red One had an upgrade path to Epic. Red One was able to upgrade to Mysterium-X, but not Dragon"

Did you know this for sure? Because i always wondered, but i never asked for respect to Red, since i see they have an agenda full of things to make and deliver. But when the water will be calm, with all the room inside the Red One, i don't see impossible for them put new stuff inside that will works with Dragon sensor. That is my guess, but i don't have informations, or tech skills to say that (and i don 't ask them for it now), so if you are totally sure that R1 will never have the Dragon update, your statement will be taken (from me, and maybe other R1 people) in the highest consideration.

Thank you.


Jean

 

[Phil Holland]

From the founder of Red Digital Cinema:

There is no path for Dragon to the RED ONE. That upgrade path was RED ONE to EPIC.

Jim

 

[Les Dittert]

Robert, not if you want to fit the whole thing into a photo backpack . I like having a 65mm camera equivalent in a 25lb pack ( with glass and power in there as well ) !

It is a pity in a way that RED did not buy the camera division of Dalsa. The Evolution camera with RED Dragon gizzards and modern recording media would have been the killer combination. You could have had an optical finder on it too. "If wishes were horses etc----".

 

[Jean Maurizio]

Thank you Phil, i missed that one.