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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 :)

What do you hate about your EPIC?

Mike 'Fireman' Ross

Mike 'Fireman' Ross

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We sometimes have a reputation for being a bunch of RED fanboys, and it's sometimes deserved! I think it's past time for a thread to summarise *constructive* criticism and product suggestions.

There are a lot of cameras out there now, and a lot of experience; what are your gripes? This thread will live or die by the quality and quantity of your input. Let's try to keep it simple and on-topic; the kind of thing you might say if Jim or Jarred came up to you at NAB and said 'give it to me straight...' - what needs fixing on the EPIC? (and yes, that also means keep it civil, don't say anything you wouldn't say to someone's face (which should be the rule anyway, of course...))
 
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*placeholder to gather suggestions in the unlikely event this thread takes off :-) *
 
I hate that mine haven't been "Dragonized"! '-)
 
Hate? I don't think there's anything I actually HATE about the Epic. Things that would be nice to be adjusted might be the on/off switch sometimes not taking the push properly, that's annoying. The monitor spaz-out every time I switch to 1:1 mode, that needs to be addressed and corrected so it's just BAM, and it's on, BAM and it's off. The monitor flip definitely needs addressing so it's not backwards, that's just plain silly.
 
I'll start the ball rolling: 3.5mm audio plugs. I consider them a defect.

They're the almost the *only* thing that's caused me to lose footage. It's *so* easy to disturb those things, even touching them can introduce noise, and I hate them. It's especially an issue for people like me who run & gun a lot, with no sound recordist. Pro I/O is no solution; too big, too expensive, way overkill. A-box type devices are little help; they still hook into same 3.5mm plugs with same issues.

Solution: ANY type of locking connectors would be better than what we have. EPIC Mk. 2 should be re-engineered with some form of locking audio connectors. Even R1 style mini XLRs would be 1000% better.

Mike
 
I hate that I have to take care of IR-pollution when using ND's at bright-sun exterior shoots or shoots under difficult IR situations (e.g. snow, desert...). I know this is a problem not camera-specific (happens to other cameras as well, just in other IR-ranges usually) - but that's the one thing I hate the most...

The new electronic mount with built in ND functionality should make the situation a bit easier tho and maybe the dragon sensor will also help a little bit (I hope so at least)...
 
Love my Epic (best camera I've ever had). Still...

• I do hate the weight. I love the small form factor but it would be nice to use it without a shoulder mount or any rig. Glad it's metal not plastic so...wish it was DSLR weight.
• I also am not a fan of the built-in audio. XLR with correct wiring and a better pre-amp. It should be crystal clear when recording but there are oddities.
• I think where they put the power connection is rather cumbersome (for putting anything else around there).
• I hate that red volts don't last that long. Love the fact they go in the side handle but wish they long lasting. 2hrs minimum. Hate using big bricks.
• I hate the fan...well maybe not when the new fans come out. That said, hate that it get's hot.
• Be cool if it was shaped more like a box/cube...not sure if that's better...more curious

Overall, it's a fabulous camera but if we're talking improvements...I think it can get better as with anything.
 
I hate how the EPIC has made me loose excitement in most other cameras out there on the market because I genuinely enjoy using it on every possible occasion.

A few months ago I spent a week in Paris and for logistical reason I couldn't take my Epic with me overseas, so I was forced to walk around Versailles and Paris with a Sony RX100 instead, nice camera...but it didn't give me anywhere near the same pleasures as shooting on my Epic.

The only real "points of criticism" I have:

- REDMOTE.....bought it...used it twice...never touched it again...mine is impossible to upgrade.
- RedVolts...great for travel but dont really power the camera for a decent period of time.
- Shame that the maximum exposure time of the epic is still restricted to 1 second, I know its primarily a motion camera but still, would love to see longer exposure times or even a bulb mode....maybe with dragon.
 
I don't mind the 3.5mm audio jacks, but I do dislike the audio implementation. It's totally hit or miss. If you have your own set up it's easy to control, but go out in to the wild and it's not easy to get a consistent reult.

The Red One audio was rock solid, clean and dependable. Epic, not so much. Would LOVE for that to be addressed in firmware without having to buy a module.
 
I don't hate anything. List of things I strongly dislike:
-I have to buy a $2500 module to record to prores, and it has to be plugged in SDI?
-Not so easy removing an SDI cable from the port that's in the brain, lucky I have small fingers
-Why the torx on the mount? Another screwdriver to carry.
-Redmote is totally unreliable, no matter what redmote, what brain, and what firmware I've used. Always failed me.
-Redvolts require too much time changing and charging batteries and last barely anytime at all, practically useless. I cannot imagine needing them for anything other than hot swapping batteries (wish there was a battery just built in for this purpose a la BMCC)
-Touchscreen cannot be calibrated (if you know of a way, please PM me as this drives me crazy and it's not at all close to WYSIWYG)
-Hiccups in firmware as Mark mentioned

..... but who cares! I'll do whatever working around I have to do for these images.
 
The switch menu button (top-right) and annoying/useless "lock screen" are the same button. Many times I have locked myself out of the touch screen - SUPER ANNOYING.

Audio is all around crap - bad quality, hard to control, el-cheapo little plugs. Red One audio was fine, and could be used for more than just as a guide track.

Fan noise, fan noise, fan noise (really bothers actors when you cut, annoys everyone on set) This will be fixed soon, but for $450 more. Fan fix should be almost free, because fans as they are bad enough to be considered a design flaw. $450 is a bit rich.

Super time-consuming black shade.

No in-camera scaling. I wish I could record a 5K field of view as 2K raw and save space and processing.

We still use our Red One Mx sometimes, because Epic is mostly better, but not only better in every way, in some ways it's a step back.

This is not to say we don't love our Epics. We do.
 
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No hate here. Love the camera. Some improvements (already said here) that i would like to see:

Redvolts (regular size) with more Power. They are bigger and carry less power than the competition. Please develop an new one that at least lasts double the current time.

In camera scalling for different modes- make cropping optional.

The rest is just Fantastic.And it will get better with the dragon!
 
Mike 'Fireman' Ross said:
I'll start the ball rolling: 3.5mm audio plugs. I consider them a defect.

They're the almost the *only* thing that's caused me to lose footage. It's *so* easy to disturb those things, even touching them can introduce noise, and I hate them. It's especially an issue for people like me who run & gun a lot, with no sound recordist. Pro I/O is no solution; too big, too expensive, way overkill. A-box type devices are little help; they still hook into same 3.5mm plugs with same issues.

Solution: ANY type of locking connectors would be better than what we have. EPIC Mk. 2 should be re-engineered with some form of locking audio connectors. Even R1 style mini XLRs would be 1000% better.

Mike
Click to expand...

I'd prefer there not be a mk2 version as I like the idea of just upgrading bits as needed. However, like the an upgrade they did, I would love it if they did a 3.5mm audio jack to a mini-xlr DIY upgrade kit where we could pop off the front grille, and pop on a new one with mini-xlrs instead of the 3.5mm jacks.

I agree with you 100% that they are the weakest link of the camera.
 
Hate that you can lock the touch screen. I have locked it accidentally and often as not, it will not unlock. Would be nice if it had better audio. Hate the fan noise, will get the upgrade as soon as it is available. Fan is just one more think you have to worry about. There are times it would be really nice to have a zoom that has the same coverage and zoom rocker that a broadcast zoom has. When shooting docs, I work faster and get more shoots with more traditional broadcast and/or video cameras. Pictures aren't nearly as pretty, but the coverage is better.
 
OK, I'm going to say I don't think this is going to be very productive, sounds a bit grade school. "Let's all say what we HATE about Johnny." Seriously? I can think of better ways to foster constructive criticism, but a "pile on" thread is counterproductive.
 
I compare my Epic to an Arri 35BL1 that I once owned. The Arri was a great camera in every way, and the Epic surpasses it in every way.

I do wish I could split the input from one mic input into two tracks, record one high and one low for hdrx audio. I could do this with my HVX200 but not the Epic. Good solution to those of us that record audio and and also shoot.

I have a Canon HV20 that is just a tiny miracle. It's faster, smaller, easier, simpler than my Epic but it does not make footage that looks like 5293 and the Epic does, and more.

Fan kicking in is odd but not nearly as god awful as reloading a 400' mag in a changing bag for 4.5 minutes of shooting at a dollar per second. Perspective.
 
Oh one more...

• Instead of a list when viewing back your footage, I prefer thumbnails. It helps to see the shots. At least have the option to switch between the two.
 
Nothing that I hate, just a list of welcome improvements:

1. Ability to power up/down the brain remotely
2. Magnify 1:1 while recording
3. HD-SDI port difficult to access
4. Inability to erase last no good clip
5. Menus not showing on HDMI and HDMI outputs after firmware upgrade when touch screen not connected
6. Lack of multiple assignable GPIO ports on the brain

Also, lack of visibility into future upgrade path and accessories does not assist prudent purchase planning.

For example: Is FF 36x24 mm sensor on the roadmap?

Other than that, it is the best camera ever created.
 
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