August 2009
As always it is a joy for Kevin and I to work with our old pals and meet some new friends wherever we travel. As you may recall, one of our favorite places to shoot with the RED is on the rolling hills of central Texas.
Dry and (especially) dusty conditions are always a concern when shooting with any camera. Despite frequent lens changes between Zeiss primes, zooms and long lenses we were able to keep the sensor dust free. Great care must be taken lest any microscopic particles enter the front port. Using the 35mm film format makes the issue SLIGHTLY less critical but can still lead to disaster (emulsion scratches, jeopardized movements, etc.). With the RED (or any Hi-Def system) the tiniest particle can translate to a basketball sized black blob when viewed on a full sized monitor. Cleaning the sensor is a time consuming and delicate proposition not for the faint hearted. Prevention is the best cure. I realized that due to the high resolution of the RED, even a seemingly innocuous dust speck on a filter might also lead to a premature end to my mediocre career. I took all possible care to keep the camera covered as much as practicable, as well as informing other crew members of my tight sphinctered concerns regarding unnecessary raising of dust clouds near camera.
Our throats were dry and dust infused as well. Only by the application of appropriate quantities of the famous Lone Star Beer (after wrap) was our dry discomfort somewhat alleviated.
Simon (hopin' for rain in Texas) Manses
Next time we will address the single system sound issues with build 20... I promise.
Simon (love that camera) Manses