Andrew Reid

Thanks. Probably doesn't help them much as this compression is designed for still images, rather than 24fps cinema. Yet it remains their best hope, that RED have infringed a Nikon patent, and then they can do a swap. Anyone know what date the trial is set for?

So RED patent was 2 days earlier than Silicon Imaging's and the work on REDCODE started in December 2005. https://patents.google.com/patent/US9245314B2 Covered on EOSHD previously during the Apple vs RED suit. https://www.eoshd.com/news/red-respond-to-apple-in-patent-raw-wars/ Apple tried to argue it was not novel and an obvious to combine the Presler patent with other work. The court decided otherwise. We are not patent lawyers so I can't say the court got it wrong. That bit is outside my understanding. From Graeme Nattress during the Apple trial: “I first met Mr Jim Jannard in December 2005. At that meeting, we discussed his desire to create the first ever digital motion picture camera that could record compressed digital motion video at cinema quality levels, including 4K. I was intrigued by the possibilities, because combining the ease and flexibility of post-production of digital video while maintaining cinema-quality frame rate and resolution would be a game-changer in the world of movie making. But I also knew that digital compression was highly disfavored in the movie camera industry… “To solve this problem, one key area I researched was the use of an image sensor with a Bayer-pattern filter. This was one of several unconventional avenues we explored at RED. At the time, such sensors were associated with lower-quality consumer-grade video cameras and derided as incapable of providing cinema-quality video due to artefact and resolution issues. In contrast, the industry consensus held that cinema quality cameras would need to utilize three sensors, with a prism to split red, green and blue light to each sensor. However, we believed that the benefits of a Bayer-pattern image sensor could be optimized if the image data remained in raw, mosaiced format for compression. We believed that such a data workflow could allow the raw digital files to operate as a digital negative, and world provide all of the post-production flexibility of being able to manipulate the original raw data.” “Immediately following my December 2005 meeting with Mr. Jannard, I began working on the design of RED’s first commercial digital motion picture camera that would become known as the RED ONE. This work would last all throughout 2006 and into 2007 when we commercially launched the RED ONE video camera. My title on the RED ONE project was Problem Solver, and it remains my title to this day.” “Paragraphs 22-28 of my 2014 declaration explain how we rejected…conventional thinking by implementing known compression techniques, such as JPEG 2000, in such a way as to operate on non-demosaiced Bayer-pattern image data, a type of image data these techniques were not designed to work on.” “Accordingly, my work on the RED ONE camera was based on a video image processing pipeline that did not include a conventional demosaicing step prior to compression.” “… The raw Bayer-pattern image data was then sent to a Xilinx processing FPGA chip for pixel correction and processing of the raw Bayer-pattern image data.” “… The pixel- corrected and processed raw Bayer-pattern video image data was then sent to Analog Devices compression chips, which utilized a mathematically lossy wavelet compression codec known as JPEG 2000, to compress the processed raw Bayer- pattern video image data.” “… The compressed raw Bayer-pattern image video data was sent to a memory device, by way of a SATA port, for storage as a raw data file that at one point in development was given a .JIM file extension in homage to Mr. Jannard and the new file type that RED had created.” “We referred to the above programing for the RED ONE cameras, and the resulting raw compressed data files that it generated, as REDCODE.”

That link is to the Presler patent I think? Yeah I remember this now. Was very interesting and a lot of controversy over the timing of RED's patent and the public reveal of the tech at trade shows. Did the SI-2K record Cineform RAW internally or was it a camera head, with separate recorder?

Of course there's a HUGE difference between doing it to 1 frame and 24 per second motion. In terms of a concept that is the difference between an SLR and a cinema camera. Patents are very specific so even slight differences in concepts and it is considered novel. I don't hear you criticising Sony for ignoring the need for compressed RAW codecs back in the early 2000s when they had a chance to do something about it. How many compressed RAW shooting digital cinema cameras were out before the RED ONE?

Come on, got to stay alive for the Panasonic GH7 with RED RAW but still no phase detect autofocus. Apparently RED Motion Mount was from a small company that could have revolutionised the industry. https://tessive.com/mechanical-shutter-comparison RED gobbled them up along with the patents. Which is probably why there is not a Tessive Time Filter and variable ND for the Panasonic GH6! Really nice technology once again being locked up on Jim's island away from commoners like us. Good job he was too distracted with sun glasses when the CMOS sensor was invented otherwise we'd still be shooting film! But again I have to ask... Where the fuck was Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji etc. when Jim was all over the Tessive Time Filter? For price of a months worth of sandwiches at Sony HQ they could have bought the tech.

If there was a long line of compressed RAW cinema cameras before 2005 from Sony and Canon, then the RED patent wouldn't be novel. But there wasn't. I am not angry at RED any more. I am more annoyed at corporate Japan for failing us.

Well we'll see what the Z9 case brings. I can't see Nikon getting anywhere with it to be honest.

The novelty is they applied it to 24fps RAW video in a solid state recorder/camera. Yes they were. Otherwise the patent wouldn't still be standing. It wasn't broad at the time. Sony, Canon, Panasonic, etc. were all asleep and most top films were shot on film. Canon had MiniDV cameras at the time when RED were patenting a very niche raw codec. It's a pathetic showing by the corporations.

Stabilisation seems to work pretty well at first try. The camera feels pretty unbalanced with large lenses though. Also there is one major annoyance I am having... In stills mode mainly. To avoid banding with the electronic shutter in stills mode under artificial light I really have to use one shutter speed... 1/50 for 50hz PAL countries. So it really limits your exposure options for stills. Out come the NDs pretty much all the time. Not too bad for video as ND with 180 degree shutter is kinda default for most people. But I've had a lot of stills shots ruined because I used Aperture priority mode and something like 1/60 shutter or 1/250. Probably the worst possible camera for sports and event photography! For photography the Sigma Fp line will get a lot better if they progress to having a global shutter or stacked sensor in there.

It sort of gives with one hand and takes with the other though! It is a tempting piece of kit. It does show it is possible to keep the size of the camera right down, while still having a filter wheel behind the mount. Blackmagic probably kept it EF as it is an open mount whereas the newer mirrorless mounts are a closed and recently patented system. Maybe also they couldn't fit the filter into a mirrorless mount but FS5 manages it doesn't it?

They need to make the next step: They can keep the same small hybrid bodies, but just make the LCD larger. Why is it still only 3 inch, for example. Would be great to have total confidence in focus. The issue of 180 deg. look to motion and fine tuning exposure has to be brought into 2022. No more dicking about with ND filter glass. If they can't add an ND filter due to physical size constraints, patents or cost, then they need to find a way to get the look of 1/50 in bright light without NDs. A lot of good progress with things like codecs, but compressed RAW is obviously still a big thing missing. Stills photographers wouldn't accept only shooting JPEG! So perhaps they need to get more serious about getting round the table with RED and sorting something out for the future? IBIS is a nice-to-have but they can make it work more creatively and make the look more natural. OM-1 is the benchmark in this regard! Also let's see manual focus take the next step. A ring on the lens barrel is hopeless for video. It should be a smooth dial on the camera all under one hand driving the lens elements semi-intelligently with subject snap on.

Scene... nothing Take... nothing Roll... nada Director nobody Sound blank Cameraman missing. Just about sums up modern filmmaking world!!

It makes a Canon EOS R5C look like a biscuit tin. The transition ARRI made from film cameras to digital has been masterful. Some of the best engineering ever in any industry ever. Must be such a huge challenge to keep the electronics cool when they are so densely packed and sealed in. And that they are made to last a decade without going obsolete, is also a huge difference between ARRI and the rest.

The male model dancing was clearly an attempt to break the usual mould of attractive woman and shallow DOF. However given that maybe 80-90% of the customers for this camera are men, it has probably backfired as a marketing tool failing to be attractive eye candy and failing to demonstrate the capabilities of the camera. So a double win there by Fuji. I have an idea for their marketing work-from-home chinless wonders. Why not shoot a SHORT FILM WITH ACTORS if you want to demo a new filmmaking tool!

Compared to X-T4 although it is certainly the better camera, it's also much more expensive. When it comes out, inevitably in short stock at £2500 or so in the UK, you will be able to pick up a mint X-T4 on eBay for about £1000. Main differences are 4K/120p (cropped), anamorphic modes and the ProRes. For me ProRes LT should be in there as it stands up really well. ProRes 422 and HQ have enormous file sizes so are less practical. LT is just as fluid to edit and grade. If I want 700Mbit/s file sizes I'd probably just shoot BRAW instead. On the other hand, if main selling point is the 4k/120p and one has £2500 to spend then for not a huge amount more you could get a full frame 4K/120 camera or even an EPIC-X (5K 120fps). If you need an anamorphic mode, 4K/120p (given the 4K/120p is similar crop on both) and ProRes all in same camera then GH6 is cheaper at £1999 and has the lovely HDR sensor readout too. The 6K open gate and anamorphic mode is probably what I am interested in most, really glad Fuji put that in. But iffy AF, sticky IBIS and still no real progress with things that matter (exposure, NDs, larger screens) mean there are compelling alternatives. OM-1 I am really impressed with. The image is SUPERB. The IBIS is really natural. AF is Sony/Canon level bullet proof. It is currently one of the best all-round shooting experiences for the money!

Put an ARRI sky panel S360 in there 🙂

Wide angle is always pretty bad for IBIS. Better off switching to a lens with OIS at 24mm or wider or just turning it off. Wide angle shots don't need a ton of stabilisation. AF is probably better at 16mm than 28mm. Less work for the camera to do as there's a much deeper DOF going on.

GH2 certainly had character. Distinctive colour science. With the GH3 they switched to a Sony sensor for first time. GH4 they modernised the image processor quite a bit for 4K. GH5 I think has really nice colour science especially in 10bit but it is way more modern and clean. GH6 is more of the same I think, whereas the OM-1 has more character. It's not just the sensor or colour profiles, or LOG and which LUT, but how the white balance is baked in as well. Sometimes a bit of weirdness is good for character. I tell myself that when looking in a mirror too!

LOL! RED's overall group of patents is: Compression of RAW video in-camera, recorded to solid state media at 24fps or more, and it is lossless So it wouldn't apply to a 2005 XDCAM, which shoots MPEG to memory cards or DV to tape. In those cameras Sony takes the RAW sensor data and compresses the hell out of it in-camera, but at no point does any of that RAW data go down on the tape or media as RAW values. It is MPEG. Similar to today's codecs or MP4. So whilst Sony was dicking about with Mini DV and MP4, RED was doing RAW video for Peter Jackson. So it is worth remembering that Graeme Nattress invented the first patented compressed cinema RAW codec. Whether we like RED as a company or not, or think that they should relinquish control so we as filmmakers can benefit from more competition in compressed RAW cameras, is unfortunately irrelevant as far as patent laws go.

I'd have thought it would perform very similarly to Panasonic's L mount lenses when mounted on the S5 or similar. The AF system and IBIS are more a function of the camera than the lens!

The XDCAMs shot RAW?

It may indeed be, but I just don't see any actual proof yet. Are there any ProRes files to download with a huge dynamic range in the scene? Dark subject next to a bright window? You can't trust the marketing videos as they are all an unknown. You don't know how far they really pushed the camera to create the eye candy, and how much was smoke & mirrors and fancy fill lights. Isn't this cropped though? I think an extra 1.3x or something? 2x crop in total for the 4K/120fps so may as well get a GH6 for that? Forget rolling shutter, you can get global shutter on Sony F55 for $2500 used now. 🙂 Or stick the RED Motion Mount on an old Scarlet-X. It isn't underwhelming for me, I just wish it were a bit different to what I already have!

ALEXA 35 has the following grain types: K445 Default P425 Cosmetic P325 Soft Cosmetic G733 Nostalgic G522 Soft Nostalgic F567 Clarity F578 High Clarity L345 Shadow H457 Deep Shadow Default is "Go-to for most situations. Smooth skin tones, excellent clarity and detail." And the others are either a softer texture or more grain, more vintage look. Well done ARRI for recognising the importance of real film grain in a digital camera! Faking it in post isn't the same. It also works hand in hand with sharpening. For example High Clarity offers "Greater sharpness and detail compared to the Default. Good for landscapes, trees, product shots. Even more detail than Clarity." This is really nice as in mirrorless cameras you get a ton of over sharpening artefacts if you want finer noise. The only way to do it is to ramp up the digital sharpness and ISOs, which isn't a nice combo! You can tell why ARRI are still favoured by filmmakers who are actually artists rather than marketing men.

The design of the hybrid screen / EVF module is extremely lovely. But is there a way to get rid of the unsightly cable? You'd have thought it could be attached directly without wires.

Might get your cabin bag double scanned. Notice how the ports are secured with a metal plate internally so they don't wiggle and break. This is what $95k gets you!