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What is the lowest compression settings and FPS with the scarlet?

Corey Benoit

Corey Benoit

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I was thinking about starting with a scarlet dragon but I am concerned about the lack of good compression ratio options. I don't want to be forced to shoot @ 10:1 just to get 60fps. Whats the lowest compression and highest FPS for the scarlet dragon if I have the new mini mag?

Thanks!
 
Corey - According to the DSMC Media Ops Guide, Scarlet doesn't benefit from the faster Mags.
Below is a grid I built when I got the camera – a Scarlet-D with 240gb mags. While the Dragon compression is supposedly better than the M-X is, it's a bit rough-looking viewing the files at 100% when you get up to 16:1. However, by the time the image has been bumped down to HD and posted to the web, 16:1 more than acceptable. For what I've been working on lately, I've been banging off the rev limiter with the Scarlet. I'm psyched to be able to upgrade to Epic next month.

6K – 12.08 – 6:1
5K – 48.73 – 16:1
5K2:1 – 51.4 – 16:1
5KWS – 60.92 – 16:1
5KHD – 48.73 – 15:1
4K – 60.92 – 13:1
4K2:1 – 64.25 – 13:1
4KWS – 76.14 – 13:1
4KHD – 60.92 – 12:1
3K – 81.22 – 10:1
3K2:1 – 85.66 – 10:1
3KWS – 101.53 – 10:1
3KHD – 81.22 – 9:1
2K – 121.83 – 7:1
2K2:1 – 128.49 – 7:1
2KWS – 150 – 6:1
2KHD – 121.83 – 6:1
 
Last edited:
I don't see the spreadsheet. Thanks for the reply Bill!
 
Looks disappointing. If 16:1 is the lowest the scarlet Dragon will shoot in 5k HD/WS or 4k HD/WS I may have to look to another camera. Unless its different at 23.98 & 29.97? What is the lowest ratio at those frame rates in 5k/4k?
 
Corey Benoit said:
Looks disappointing. If 16:1 is the lowest the scarlet Dragon will shoot in 5k HD/WS or 4k HD/WS I may have to look to another camera. Unless its different at 23.98 & 29.97? What is the lowest ratio at those frame rates in 5k/4k?
Click to expand...

Corey,
Do some more research into Dragon compression - it is quite good and an evolution from M-X. My understanding is that Dragon 12:1 is equivalent to M-X 8:1.

23.98
5KFF – 8:1
5K2:1 – 8:1
5KWS – 7:1
5KHD – 8:1
4KFF – 5:1
4K2:1 – 5:1
4KWS – 5:1
4KHD – 5:1

29.97
5KFF – 10:1
5K2:1 – 10:1
5KWS – 8:1
5KHD – 10:1
4KFF – 7:1
4K2:1 – 6:1
4KWS – 5:1
4KHD – 6:1
 
The SCARLET DRAGON is a fantastic 5K/24p camera that can do 48fps or 60fps in a pinch. REDCODE is a fantastic capture format that really excels at up to 8:1 compression and is solid at 10:1. It can work well beyond 10:1, but it must be verified on a case-by-case basis and depends both on how picky you are and how your scene is set up to succeed or fail. (And perhaps by your definition of success or failure.)

I used my RED cameras as digital still motion cameras, meaning that I shoot motion, but I also want to extract beautiful stills from the motion sequence. SCARLET gives me beautiful 5K imagery with REDCODE 8:1 at 24p. At 16:1 compression, digital stills are not as clean as they are at 8:1 (no surprise).

If I expected to shoot 60fps every day, I'd spend the extra $10K and get an EPIC DRAGON. If I expected to shoot 60fps once a month, I'd either get comfortable with the parameters that SCARLET offers, or I'd take advantage of the fact that I can rent an EPIC DRAGON brain for $133/day (just the brain) and I'd swap out my SCARLET BRAIN for the EPIC brain for that one shot. It would take 75 months (more than 6 years) before renting one day per month cost $10K, by which time, we'll all have jetpacks and robot overlords.
 
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