Cameras

Sometimes we forget what we’re dealing with. As our series on the RED Epic comes to a close, it’s time to take a look at the most obvious, yet most often ignored part of the camera.

Because the body is so basic and so customizable, you will definitely add modules, accessories, and other gear to it. There’s just no practical way to shoot with the RED Epic without doing so. And whether you like it or not, it’s up to you to make sure you grab what you need.

Part of the sexiness of the RED Epic is its amazing ability to shoot high-speed, slow motion footage at high resolutions. And you bet directors and cinematographers take advantage of this. So it follows that if you’re working with the RED Epic, you need to know how to shoot slow-mo.

While a steady stream of improvements on the software side is promising – and indeed the chosen course for digital cinema cameras today – it can sometimes mean an underdeveloped system being released with a camera, thus the beta-test complaints.

One of the big reasons the Epic made such a splash was the Canon lens mount swappable with the standard PL Mount. Suddenly, thousands of filmmakers who already owned still lenses could put their glass to use. And, with that, a collective groan from camera assistants was had.

Unlike the RED One which seemed to add indicator lights on the body for no real purpose other than aesthetics, the Epic takes advantage of these lights to relay useful information about the camera. Of course, that depends on your ability to read them correctly.