What's the future for Red CF cards?

[JIM MALLON]

Is it going to be wise to side step the CF card route and pay more to go the SSD route for the Scarlet?

Have Red said they will be sticking with CF cards and will they make a 32gb card or more?

How much footage can a 16GB card hold of 3K footage?

 

[Chuck Z]

We have no idea. This question will be far more answerable once the Scarlet is actually released.

 

[JIM MALLON]

We have no idea. This question will be far more answerable once the Scarlet is actually released.

There is some knowables out there. I just wonder if Red has said anything about CF's future direction.

I eventually found a few opinions on other threads. Its seems the 16GB is doable with about 14mins for typical shooting. But to me a 32gb with 30 mins approx. would be a perfectly good option for 3K. I'm guessing HDRx pushes these figures to half, but still an adequate compromise for price.

 

[Jesper Sichlau]

It is more future proof for sure. So if you think about upgrading a Scarlet to an Epic at some point, it would potentially save you some money.

 

[Matt Fleming]

Is it going to be wise to side step the CF card route and pay more to go the SSD route for the Scarlet?

I'd say yes but it depend what your priorities are. SSD is argueably "better" in almost all respects including price (unless you require 48 gigs or less of drive space):

64 GB SSD = $14.84 a gigabyte
128 GB SSD = $14.06 a gigabyte
256 GB SSD = $12.50 a gigabyte

16 GB CF cards = $18.75 a gigabyte

I believe we don't know yet if a SSD module will come included with a Scarlet or Epic X.

Have Red said they will be sticking with CF cards and will they make a 32gb card or more?

I think I remember them saying that they will not be developing new, larger CF cards. Not 100% sure, but I think 16 gigs is it.

 

[JIM MALLON]

It is more future proof for sure. So if you think about upgrading a Scarlet to an Epic at some point, it would potentially save you some money.

Thats a valid point.

As just an economical way to use the Scarlet CF might be enough especially if they pushed to 32gb. The different in price between a CF module and SSD one is $1000 though I guess the package deals would be a factor when we know what they have included. I kind of thought the CF would be the default and you would have to buy the SSD. I guess if CF is on the way out we should expect a SSD option package. I kind of like the idea though of smaller swappable cards. But yeah I think the upgradability tips me and many over the edge toward the SSD module.

 

[Ameer Azari]

As pointed out by Matt:

A 256GB SSD Mag translates to $12.50 per GB.

A 16GB CF card translates to $18.75 per GB.

If Jim's numbers are accurate, (30 Min per 32GB, and half that for HDRx) then the answer is simple: CF cards are obsolete.

Personally, I need AT LEAST 2-4 hours of recording time for a shoot. CF cards would work out being more expensive, AND would be pointless if you were planning on upgrading to an EPIC.

CF cards are fine for DSLRs, but pretty useless for Scarlet or EPIC in my opinion.

 

[Sean Finnegan]

CF cards are an industry standard nowadays, so I don't think they're going anywhere but there's no question that SSDs are the future. It comes down to personal preference as to whether or not SSDs are worth their ridiculous price point. For some they are, for some they aren't.

 

[Nuka Wølk]

I believe that RED is developing a smart little CF-adapter for the SSD-drive, so that you wont need to replace the SSD-drive at all, but just insert the adapter into the SSD slot for utilizing CF cards.

So what would make the most sense in this regard would be(and this is just my humble speculation), to let the SSD be default on both the EPIC and the SCARLET, but with the inclusion of the CF-adapter.

I agree that CF has now become an industry standard, and I also don't think it will be rendered obsolete - just yet, but SSD is obviously the future - if not the very near future of industry standard.

As everyone else, we just need to catch up with RED, heh heh ;D

 

[Gabe Conroy]

Don't forget you'll probably need SSDs to do high framerates. That definitely tips the scale greatly in favor of SSDs IMO.

 

[Joseph Hutson]

At 24fps, 5:1 compression, 2:1 aspect ratio in 3K on a 16GB card, you get 8minutes36seconds. Not ideal for my kind of shooting. Go into HDRx, 4minutes18seconds. Not my ideal kind of shooting either (to say the least). We have yet to hear back on the official maximum framerates and whether or not the CF cards will support that framerate.

Upon the Scarlet's release, I personally believe the "Future for RED CF cards" would really be a step back into the past. Though I am sure that some will still feel compelled to stick with CF if they have access to acquiring used CF cards for cheap...

16GB will be the max capacity for RED CF Cards. SSD is now king...

 

[Franck De Togni]

At 24fps, 5:1 compression, 2:1 aspect ratio in 3K on a 16GB card, you get 8minutes36seconds.

Thanks Joseph ! So CF's are definitely not a a good, practical and durable solution... for me... :arf:

 

[Jochen Schmidt-Hambrock]

Deceided *not* to sell my CF cards. Even if I will only shoot with EPIC, chances are I will have / rent a R1 as backup or B-cam.

Jochen