Red's EPIC/Scarlett Problems {Update}

July 6 Update: A new Jannard post says the EPIC bug has been found and demented (and insinuates that it was the same bug that was holding back the Scarlet) and insists that they are back on the road of building the most best great and ultimate. A hint that the manufacturer is found, by saying that it will be built in the US, though that is not explicitly stated. The delivery dates are not hinted at, though some versions will definitely be in 2011 since the 28K sensor won't be available since then. 

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Jim Jannard continued his excellent client experiment by filling everyone in on further bug and manufacturing delays in a 14 June reduser.com post;

 

... we have a bug. It has held us up now for two months. We have working cameras, as you know. But we aren't going to release anything until the cameras are done and bug free. And we have stumbled on an issue that has caused us considerable grief. It is unexpected and it has us baffled.

The fix could be tomorrow. Or not.

We have been a "lucky" company up to this point. The moon and stars lined up for us for the RED ONE (since we didn't have a clue what we were doing in the beginning) and the RED ONE did all we asked. The M-X sensor is incredible... as you know. Our new ASICs for the EPIC and Scarlet are complicate times a million. And they work. Another miracle. Everything was late but on track. Then we hit a snag.

We have an army working on this. 24/7. Trust me when I tell you that we have been humbled. I have questioned our aggressive goals every day.

So what does this mean? Obviously another delay. To compound matters, the company that was to make Scarlet has made an incredible announcement recently and has significant issues. You can probably figure out who this is. This will force us to find a new manufacturing partner for that product. When we 1st got wind of this, we decided to make EPIC in the US, hoping that the company would find a solution in time for Scarlet production. That now seems unlikely so we are now scrambling for a new partner.

The manufacturing problem that is mentioned is presumed to be tied to Foxconn in China who is undergoing some major restructuring. It has to have several manufacturers scrabbling. For example, Apple has long made iPhone and other products with this group.

The EPIC and Scarlet camera are meant to bridge the original RED ONE, the Scarlet with 3K resolution and 5K or better for the EPIC. As recently as April, the EPIC was slatted for shipping in July, the Scarlet in August. 

Richard Lackey's http://dcinema.wordpress.com/ has a great synopsis.

 

Bloom Compares DSLRs [Updated]

Details of the damned, but for just this one moment, these are those details for a handful of cameras that make the cut, manual control being the main hurdle. Take away point: There will be something better soon, so concentrate on lenses and skills.

Which… “Video DSLR” to buy? | Philip Bloom

The comments section is just as important...

[Update - 26 August] There is now an announcement for a Canon 60D, in between the Ti2 and the 7D. As one of the commenters says: "The camera you have always takes a better picture than the one you are waiting to be released."

Out Of The DarkAges; Digital has finally won over | HD User

After shooting 2012 with Panavision’s Genesis, we began searching uncharted territory for an upcoming feature film project that had a considerably lower budget. Most of the film would be shot in low-light scenarios, and lots of scenes, again, would play in front of blue or green screen. So we knew that we needed a low-grain, high-sensitivity recording solution. My digital compositors, and me personally, have preferred digital noise over film grain for a long time. But not every Director of Photography would think the same way. Some because they’re simply afraid of working in a different medium than they had been for the past decades, and others for more valid reasons like, for instance, dynamic range.

We started testing the RED One with the new Mysterium-X sensor, which has been shipping for a few weeks now, and then the ARRI ALEXA joined the race. The ALEXA is currently a prototype and scheduled to ship in mid-June of this year.

Now, because I’m so excited about what I saw, I’ll give you the test results upfront.

Read more ...

Great Camera Shoot Out...Film Not Dead [Updated]

Regarding the Great Camera Shoot-Out 2010, Philip Bloom says on his site (where there are also behind the scene photos: 

The webisodic series showcases the top performing hybrid HD-DSLR cameras: Canon: 5D MKII, 7D, 1D, 550D/T2i Rebel, Nikon D3s, Panasonic GH1 and compares the image quality of these cameras against the gold standard of 35mm film. In addition, the Canon 5D MKII test includes the new 24p firmware. 

The Vimeo site where the films prints files are also posted:

Each webisode of the series features various controlled camera assessment tests which include: resolution, latitude, sensitivity, speed & ultra high speed, noise, color & green screen. The battery of tests were administered under strict controls and conducted by Robert Primes ASC, Gary Adcock, Philip Bloom, Jens Bogehegn and colorist Ryan Emerson. See the reactions to this test following 2K screenings, where “HD DSLR is compared to 35mm Film”. The test results were projected in a 2K theatrical environment at three screening locations: Stag Theater at Skywalker Ranch, LucasFilms Ltd., AFI (American Film Institute) Theater in Hollywood and the FilmWorkers Astro Color Timing Theater in Chicago. Hear commentary from the screenings by top ASC, Hollywood, Indie Film and Event & Convergence Photographers.

There is nothing this author can say that the Zacuto website and comments don't.

[Update: There are now 3 in the series. Look out for the tabs at the same Zacuto Shootout link.]