Ted Schilowitz, one of RED’s big guns, answers 9 RED Epic Questions that he gets asked day in and day out, in a video interview.

1. How much does the smallest shooting configuration weigh? 

After pulling out a scale, Ted weighs the RED Epic in front of the viewer. The camera weighs 4 kilos which is equivalent to about 9 pounds. The Epic body is about 5 pounds. Ted explains the RED Epic shoots “incredible images…that are even beyond the highest resolution digital cinema camera on the market.” For something so small, it contains tons of power. Ted points out that the camera, in comparison to the RED One, is “shrinking but more user-friendly.”

2. How do you take stills and motion at the same time?

Amazingly, the transition from motion to still-mode is just a push of a button. The Epic is very flexible, you can hit a preset button and go into still mode as your shooting motion, and switch back just as easy. Just think of the opportunities this presents – it’s a great tool for sports photographers. –Although normally someone using the RED Epic would be shooting motion because you have the option to extract the 14 megapixel stills after.

3. What RED accessories from RED One still work with RED Epic?

Almost all the tools from RED One are applicable to the RED Epic. According to Ted, “you can still put all your bottom plates on, the normal rail system; [you can still use the] 7 inch Pro LCD but it won’t be a touch screen like [the] RED Epic Pro LCD; all cables for EVF are the same…you can mount normal batteries; you can use your CF cards, RED drives and RED Ram.” So sounds like many of the RED One accessories are still relevant to the RED Epic.

4.Does High Dynamic Range Mode (HDR) work in camera?

Ted responds “HDR mode, high dynamic range mode, range(s) from a little over 13 stops (with RED One M-X) to 18 stops. Now we’re actually beating film, in terms of its overall usable latitude. We’re shooting two conjoined frames that are linked together, there’s one normal frame and one very fast exposure frame that protects all the highlight regions.” In addition, you can choose to use as much or as little of this HDR effect as you want during post-production. This way you can expand your creative license and do not have to alter your normal shooting style to include HDR.

5. Looks like you’ve redesigned everything for the RED Epic body?

Everything about the camera has been redesigned. The RED One was a 4k camera and the RED Epic is a 5k camera with over 60% more visual data than its predecessor. It also contains a very advanced cooling engine, where cold air comes in through the bottom and vents out through the top. While the camera is running, the fan is working hard to cool down such a small but powerful device. However it is completely quiet when you shoot. There is also an internal and external cavity system that protects the inside. This enables you to shoot in wet and rough conditions without any danger to the RED Epic.

6. Can you have 2 onboard LCDs at the same time?

“You have 3 independent monitoring paths going on just on the brain system and you can add modules that give you more. On the camera alone there’s the onboard touch screen and the HD-SDI and the HDMI output so you can run three independent monitoring paths” Ted clarifies.

7. What are the approx megapixels that this shoots at?

14 megapixels, a little over 5000 lines of 4 zone resolution.

8. When the RED One came out, it started at 4k and then a 4.5k mode emerged. Is there a 5.5k mode for the RED Epic? 

“Never say never” Ted laughs. But he admits that there are some levels of restriction on the pixel count of the RED Epic as of right now. Today the RED Epic is a 5k device. It is a highly advanced piece of technology and on the cutting edge, even though a 5.5k mode does not yet exist. Needless to say, the RED Epic puts any HD camera to shame.

9. Will REDRocket support the RED Epic?

“The RED rocket is the back half of the camera that is designed to handle everything in post, and in real-time. It makes the RED the easiest and simplest camera to work with in post-production. You don’t want to work without one. REDRocket will work with Epic files.”

–CLAi eagerly anticipates our own RED Epic showing up, hopefully by the end of the summer!–