REVIEWS GEAR
it’s easy to be persuaded by different manufacturers’ flavours of Rec. 709 too, so we brought all of the footage into Resolve and graded it from the LOG images. Side by side, the ALEXAs and RED become largely indistinguishable, and subtle elements like bias to warm/ cool tones or clipped highlights can make it become more obvious. Generally speaking, the V-RAPTOR XE looked fantastic. With rich and varied skin tones, little to no colour shift through shadows and highlights, deeply saturated and varied colours (especially overexposed by a stop), certainly neither of us felt like we could discount the camera from any future productions on its image. DIVERGING PERSPECTIVES: LONG- FORM VS COMMERCIAL WORK Here’s where our reviews started to differ… Nick, with a head predominantly in drama and narrative, felt like the camera had very few pitfalls. For a hectic TV schedule, the form factor was fantastic, the build user friendly and adaptable, the image beautiful and comparable to cameras hugely more expensive, and the more limited slow-motion capabilities (60fps at 8K, 80fps at 6K, 120fps at 4K and 240fps at 2K) compared to the souped-up RAPTOR X very rarely being a drawback in day- to-day film and TV. Plus, with 95% of long- form projects shooting an aspect ratio between 16:9 and 2.35:1, the 17:9 sensor offers few drawbacks. Certainly, Nick felt that if he could save budget on cheaper XE camera bodies that might free up money elsewhere on a film or TV show, he’d be very tempted to do so for future projects. Ailsa, working across commercials, sees a different landscape. Multiple deliverables – often 16:9 and 9:16 from the same shoot – are vastly easier with a 3:2 sensor like those found on many competitors. In the modern commercial world where social deliverables weigh equally with TVC counterparts, aspect- ratio flexibility can matter as much as colour science or frame rates. When the V-RAPTOR XE competes head to head with Sony VENICE and ALEXA LF in image quality, these practical considerations easily become the tiebreaker. This is also where the more expensive V-RAPTOR [X] creates
EXTRA, EXTRA The Cine Essentials pack comes with 7-inch LCD, Z to PL adapter and a handle
a clearer niche. Its significantly higher frame-rate options make it a lot more suitable for specialist commercial work, where extreme slow motion is often very valuable. Once the V-RAPTOR XE drops to its more modest FPS capabilities, it loses some of that niche appeal and ends up more of a generalist tool. CONCLUSION The RED V-RAPTOR XE is a proper powerhouse at a seriously alluring price point. It punches well above its weight and is comparable to some of the real workhorses of the industry. At around half the price of its higher spec sibling, the V-RAPTOR [X], the compromises
in high frame rates and access to the Global Vision range of features feel like a remarkably good deal. Without those features, it still competes readily with the ALEXA Mini LFs and Sony VENICEs of this world for specs and holds its own in image quality. There are a few foibles, and choosing the right selection of durable accessories is essential, as is learning the specificities of the menus and tools. It feels clearly marketed to owner-operators and self-shooters, but don’t sleep on it for larger sets. It is arguably more suited to drama rather than commercials, and we both expect it will be particularly well received in indie features.
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DEFINITIONMAGS
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