My budget for RED

[JTmoney]

I based my budget to get started With (RED ONE) at 27-30k. Now camera and zoom is 27k. Not sure which way to go! cheap out on glass and go still lens with I nice set up, or get the RED zoom and cheap out the rest?
Keep in mind this is to start with. will buy other stuff as I get more funds.
Anyone else in the same boat? Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks..

[Homersapien]

Don't forget you can always hire out tried and tested lenses to begin with. Maybe buy the best setup and then come back to the red zoom later when you can afford it. I'm thinking of possibly doing this root and also trying out a few 35mm stills. If you are hiring yourself and the camera out for example you can always take footage shot on your stills for them to approve or simply price in the hire of decent cine lenses from elsewhere, they might even want to hire/bring their own lenses. I imagine whilst their might be many who are willing to embrace the camera they would still rely on their tried and tested lense solutions because they know what they'll be getting (this isn't to say the Red lense won't be amazing and I don't want one lol).

[adaml]

Well to start with the zoom won't be out until late 2007 so you'll have to start with something else anyway. I'm probably going to reserve one but use nikon still glass plus rentals when needed in the meantime. I'm guessing a 6 month or slightly longer gap between camera availability and zoom availability.

[donatello]

i'm wouldn't call using still lens a cheap-out .. less expensive just sounds better then cheap...

didn't i read somewhere that RED at some time would post a comparison of stills or clips that used a cooke S4 , Ziess prime , nikon/canon still lens ?

i want to find out how easy or complicated it is going to be to change the mount on the camera ? so if i went with nikon mt and lens then for a specific project i wanted to rent PL lens could i change out the mount on camera ... or take it to a local camera tech to change out ...

[kyle_doris]

that's a great question donatello, hopefully it doesn't require an allen key! :)

[JTmoney]

I may hold off on the RED zoom. And get the other stuff. Any clue what the RED rail or EVF will cost?....I should of planed on a bigger budget :)

[donatello]

27-30k IMO will get you a camera package that can't be beat for 2-3X $$( who knows how many times higher that could really be - 6x, 7x )

[acehole111]

Umm.. I dont know if any of you saw the photo in the myserium sensor thread, but that was taken using a Canon 135 L lens. RRP about $1500, by far one of the sharpest most beautiful lenses ive used. I dont see why those types of lenses cannot be used to save a few pennies whilst maintaining the same quality.

[Poi Boy]

right on brother,
I think people are really under estimating the quality of still lenses. There are issues versus proper cine lenses but sharpness is not one of them. If you are finacially challenged and talented... no one will even notice that youn are using them instead of cine primes.
.
Aloha
-A

[Sumfun]

I may hold off on the RED zoom. And get the other stuff. Any clue what the RED rail or EVF will cost?....I should of planed on a bigger budget :)

Don't forget to budget for a Red drive and a whole lot of storage. Maybe even a new PC/Mac.

[Clint Johnson]

A Red One, 18-85mm zoom, recording media, new computer and the incidentals (matte box, follow focus etc)... Excel tells me that I'm looking at between $45,000 and $50,000 to get up and going. Plus there is another $25,000 worth of stuff on my wishlist that will probably have to wait... and by probably I mean approaching a probability of one.

[Gibby]

...or you can just buy the RED One body and RED Drive for $18.5k, close deals for projects, rent what you need to produce those projects, rent edit bay space or build the cost of an editor into your budgets, and in the process generate the capital to buy your 18-85mm, new editing system, and accessories.

I.E, buy the heart of the system, rent what you need, generate revenue, and then buy your deluxe system with that revenue. But only buy what you will use regualrly. Rent the rest in an ongoing fashion, and build it into your project budgets.

Creative people oftentimes need to think of creative ways to solve conundrums...

Gibby
RED #8
www.cut4.tv
www.4umat.com

[mico]

Although possible, pulling critical focus on a still camera lens would seem difficult for an already difficult job. Okay for lockdown or simple shots but with actors moving in and out especially in low light situations I can see some problems. I say rent real cine lenses if you can.
And with the redcine software having shot compressed redcode raw it seems you can edit on the machine you have now. Uncompressed Raw another story. If you need computer muscle for it go to a pro edit house with your project hard drives and files. you can output it to whatever format you want. I mean most filmmakers do not own all the gear. They rented what was cost prohibitive. I know its great to have it all right there in your home , I would. Just a suggestion to keep costs down.

[JTmoney]

The budget I made was for Camera and accessaries, like lens, cage, rail, tripod, a RED drive and a some kind of follow focus. Nothing to do with any kind of psot editing, new PC, lighting, sound or any kind of perproduction cost. Thank you all for your feed back...Gives me something to think about.