Still learning about SDI. Do we need to worry about the SDI connection between the Vaxis and the monitor? I notice you only pull the SDI from the camera and not the other accessories. Do we just need to pull the SDI on the camera itself?
@@JohnFMFilms so in reality you want to follow the path of where the current could potentially go. I feel wireless transmitters don’t require as much power as a camera and the same with monitors so you would probably be ok in most situations only unplugging camera side because that’s where the power is going first and you don’t want it to send a current from the sdi coming out of your camera and into your teradek or hollyland or whatever transmitter this is and then into your monitor. So by JUST removing from the camera no current will travel from the cameras sdi and into your other devices and shouldn’t fry anything and in theory because those other devices are lower in power it shouldn’t send a current to fry anything. But generally I unplug everything and when things are totally powered on I start plugging my sdi cables in. Just to play it extra safe. But even on most manufacturers guides they often just say “unplug sdi from camera” so I feel only camera side should be safe but I’m paranoid and even though I know it won’t send anything from the camera I just want to be extra sure it won’t send anything to the other accessories as well. But unplugging from the camera only will stop a current from going to your devices from camera side and worst case accessories may be at risk but not the camera.
I just tell my AC's: -Build -Power Everything -Connect SDI -Reverse I've even labeled my Cam and AC kit with mini lables that say Build, Power, SDI, ⏪️.
Okay hear me out - I understand the frustration with all the confusion and finger pointing, BUT. We live in a world where cars can drive and park themselves. I think saying "this is the way it's always been" is a pretty weak argument considering the insane capabilities of tech in 2021. I agree people shouldn't be yelling at RED for the way 12G SDI is properly used, but I DO think people should be challenging the current tech and saying what everyone is basically saying - this workflow is ancient and clunky.. The vaxis sends a perfectly usable monitor quality wirelessly. Why do we need a high voltage death cable? Heck, just let me screw more antennas to the Komodo and build a compatible low latency wireless receiver and get rid of the cables all together. Even DJI is doing it with their silly gimbal camera. I hope all the confusion and repairs pushes RED to innovate with all this, or at least realize that a pogo pin monitor for the Komodo would sell absurdly well. Appreciate you man and I'm happy there's a clear video on this now - especially with the transmitter in the middle. Cheers!
Red could but it's not going to fix this because it would have to recall all cameras. The best they can do is create a certified surge protector and sell it a cost price. I haven't heard of people having issues when powering everything directly from the WC plate. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.
I think the simple answer is to encourage people to read their products user manuals instead of tossing them aside like all the TH-cam camera bros do. Reality check: You don’t know everything, and education is the key to success.
@@this_time_imperfect I agree that people should read the manual, but it is still too many steps, technology companies know that intuitive and simple is the way to go. Beyond that, life on set is very stressful and problems like this can cost you not only the camera, but the entire production.
Yea, blame the customer for camera oversights is weak policy.
3 ปีที่แล้ว +18
ARRI does WARN about this. But it is very rare to happen. Same with Sony. They just work. As a local 600 AC I can clearly say this is a RED problem. I get that owner/OPs get very sensitive about their gear, but sometimes you have also be objective about this.
Reminds me of the old trick with XLR and phantom power. Always turn off phantom power before unplugging or plugging in a cable because the 48 volts can actually arc between the contacts in the connector and fry your equipment.
This kind of workflow is nonsense in 2021, and most people never find out until it goes wrong, especially if you’re on a busy set and all you’ve been asked to do is replace a battery. I mean how hard would it really be to add some kind of surge protection to sdi in/outputs? We had official RED demos at university and not once was this issue ever brought up.
I've read people following the proper procedure to a T and the SDI port still blowing out though. There really should have been a better user-proof alternative. Like a RED dedicated monitor like what the Raptor has. I guess you could use a smartphone and the komodo's wifi as an alternative but there is latency.
If I am just using dual canon BP-955 batteries and one battery dies while filming and it automaticaly swaps to the next canon battery, will this cause any issues with the SDI? I'm sure it won't but I just want to make sure. Thanks in advance and I appreciate the amazing content as always!
the Wooden Camera battery slide allows for "hot-swap" with the on-board Canon battery. No need to power camera down, the sets i'm on move much too fast to wait around for camera to re-boot ever time you swap batteries.
@@JustinPhillip So basically the rule of thumb is just never have an SDI cable in the camera when you are turning the camera on/off? IN other words turn on camera, then plug sdi in, pull out sdi THEN power off? Like whenever there is a surge of power (or a removal of power) THAT is what fries the sdi ports?
@@JustinPhillip this might be a dumb question but do people fry their ports using just regular batteries? Or do they only really fry them with v mount?
Hey Justin great explanation man. I want to confirm, if the V mount dies during a take do you risk frying the SDI port? I also work on fast paced sets and my V mount often dies before I can power down/change, but I’m using HDMI and never had fried ports. Just want to check before moving to a camera with SDI.
this is exactly why I love the Wooden Camera Battery Slide. The camera will never die , because the power just shifts to the onboard Canon Battery. You still should pull the SDI from the back of the camera, then swap batts, then power all your accessories back on, then plug the SDI back into the camera. Sometimes its good to pull the SDI from both ends, (i.e. from monitor or wireless TX). Battery Slide: amzn.to/43vRIV7
Admittedly I thought it just meant having the power supply (batteries) connected to camera and monitor, plug in SDI, then turn on camera and monitor. Turn off camera and monitor, leaving batteries connected and remove SDI, then remove batteries. Never had an issue on both Komodos. But this is great insight, thanks!
But id the V mount dies you loose power to your monitor and transmitter no? That damages your sdi the same way no? ( im talking about the wooden camera plate)
The Wooden Camera battery slide has surge protection, once the v moint dies it kills the voltage. This is the setup ive been using for nearly four years, no issue whatsoever
Hey Justin, great explanation! Just wondering.. if I'm done shooting for a bit and I want to turn off the komodo and BM5 to save some power on the v mount, would you still recommend unplugging the SDI from the komodo side before turning off the komodo and BM5?
6:03 Why do you plug in the SDI cable just after everything is turned on? I'm just curious. It's because all the current that runs through the cable? Because I always plug all my cables in: Power, HDMI/SDI and other stuff and then turn on camera and monitors and other accessories. I'm just trying to find the best way to do things. I'm not using a Red camera, but I presume it's the same with other cameras. Thanks mate! :)
The way you do it, you are risking blowing some ports. Power everything on first, then plug in the SDI. As i said in the video, current runs through the SDI cable, so if you plug in that sdi first, and then power stuff on, its basically like opening the door with a raging bull behind it.
@@JustinPhillip Got it! Thanks for the info! I will do that! Does this apply to the HDMI ports? Cause now I'm using the BMPCC and that has only a HDMI.
Just found this great video. Thanks. As a one man band, my battery will often go down before I have a chance to swap. When this happens the Small HD monitor goes black and the power button flickers, before losing all power. I haven't been running the BP as a backup/hot swap (just learned I could do it at all from this video!), but I do have the Wooden Camera sled. Would the process here be to quickly unplug the SDI before doing anything else? I've been powering down the monitor and camera first (since there is a little bit of juice still in it at this point). Then just swapping the battery before powering back up. I've almost never disconnected the sled or the SDI cable at all. I wonder if the surge protector is saving my bacon...?
Get my Komodo tomorrow super excited. Starting with canon bps but going to get a v mount adapter as well. So if using the wooden camera plate, and the v mount battery dies and the camera switches to the on board bp battery, couldn’t that cause damage to your SDI port? Or is it still safe because the camera is still receiving power? Trying to decide if this feature of the wooden camera is worth it or not to me. Thanks man, your videos have really gotten me excited to get my Komodo.
the wooden camera battery slide has voltage protection. the way it plugs into the komodo is not via D tap but directly into the camera’s power port. So if you have a bp955 on the camera as well, when your v mount battery dies, the camera just switches to the canon battery. Same way if your komodo was plugged into the wall. in other words, the camera never loses power it just switches to the on board battery. as long as you pull the SDI before you put the new V mount battery on you’ll be good
@Justin Phillip great video! I have a quick question, do you have a link for the blue arm you mount your video transmitter onto? I couldn’t find it on your gear list?
I understand the process you explain in this video, but just one question regarding the "hot swap" feature of the Wooden plate with the 955 battery: in theory, the monitor is being powered off the Wooden plate's D-tap port, but if the v-mount dies on the slide, therefore killing the power to your monitor instantly, does that run risk on the SDI port (or monitor) as well? Or does the fact that the camera is maintaining its power through the 955 battery cancel out the "boot up current" the SDI would experience? Totally understand that before you power monitor back up via v-mount slide you need to unplug SDI, but I'm assuming the power maintenance courtesy of the 955 is what saves the SDI port (and monitor) risk when it's abruptly powered down due to dead v-mount. Perhaps the breaker in the Wooden slide also aids in this process too? Am I correct here? Thanks man! Will be subbing to the Patreon too.
Thanks Jesse! Yeah, the on board canon battery on the komodo really helps out the most, because the camera will never lose power, when the v-mount dies, the camera power is seamlessly switched to the BP-955, and the battery slide ensures that the BP-955 is always charged. Pretty fail proof, also the surge protection in the battery slide helps prevent any issues with the d-taps on the slide. The wooden camera slide is Definitely under-rated for sure
If your accessories are independently powered, is there still a danger of frying the SDI port, or is it only when they're all powered from the same power source?
@Justin Phillip Could you make a confirmation on this? (So if the camera and the monitor are on different power source, and monitor (or camera) batteries dies, does it fries the sdi cable?)
I love and appreciate this video, and the other videos you put have put out regarding the Komodo. I am waiting on mine still and am excited to take what you have taught and put it all to the test. I did realize though that with your setup, your camera never turns off because of your BP Battery. But what if I am running a different solution that doesn't allow the hotswap? I have the same Wooden camera plate for my Blackmagic and I love it, buy my plan is to use the Vaxis Atom 600 battery plate/transmitter which takes up both BP slots. Do I have to make sure that I catch the battery before it dies every time? Or can the battery die, and then the battery swap would be more like: battery dies, pull SDI, power CAMERA down along with other accessories, load new battery, power on all devices, plug SDI?
So you only have to pull the SDI from the Komodo when doing power cycles? The accessories can stay in? What if the Komodo never turns off? (Hot swapping) but the accessories turn off. Don’t mind the pulling SDI. But just want to know what’s the limit to this. Thanks for the info 🤘🏻🤘🏻 Btw. Just got the Komodo kit in! Your videos have been helpful! Cheers 🥂
Hey Justin! Just ordered my Komodo. Do you have an opinion on the "SDI Protector Anti-Current Isolation Protector for ARRI,RED,Sony RED Komodo 30cm" that are available on ebay? Does it make it safer, or should I just stick to learning the proper routine? :)
I never use that, i just always use 12G cables and the wooden camera battery slide with the extender. Surge protection plus allows on board camera battery. Never had any issues
It is not an issue with the SDI but more of the poorly designed Dtap connectors. The only way that the SDI port is getting fried is that current flowed through the signal wire which is not designed to handle lots of current. I will always use batteries my on monitor to try try to mitigate this issue or use the RED method if I am using one battery for the whole system.
yeah, you're right man! sdi comes last. in terms of powering on a transmitter w/o antennas you should do some research though.. there's current running through that as well. also you should use only the recommended antennas ;)
Thank you for answering my last question. I always appreciate responsive youtubers. New question though: What magic arm are you using to hold your Vaxis in this video? And do you like it? I've been looking for a reliable articulating arm for years and usually everything I end up with is garbage.
I liked everything except your use of Right Angle SDI adapters. That’s a big no-no as each adapter adds as much as 6dB signal loss. If you need the right angle than buy a cable with that type of connector already on it. Also, you don’t have to pull the SDI before powering down. It only matters to not have it plugged in before powering up.
Great info! Well done. In the end it shot swappable.....ish, hot swap means you can take things out while its still on and nothing bad goes wrong, like hot swapping a raid 1 drive. Yes its user error though. They need to stop saying hot swappable, unless its 100% hot swappable. Save themselves headache but marketing would cry :( Maybe if HDMI ever builds a crazy upgrade it truly will be, as you said, its the SDIs design fault lol
Yup. This is what happens when someone never went to film school and never worked on pro sets and then saved up all their money to buy a camera closer to the cameras used in the industry with industry standard I.O but they were never told by a professional with experience what to do and what not to do.
As a broadcast engineer who runs a full 12G SDI baseband system and has worked on TV trucks that are full 12G SDI, I'm calling complete BS on this. This is entirely a RED and ARRI SMPTE compliance issue. Remember, the SDI spec, interface, and compliance specs were designed for broadcast first, and as far as I can tell in a system with over 800 12G sdi connections between dozens of different professional brands I've never had to worry about this ridiculous form of connection procedure. Heck if I did, we would have to disconnect every connection in the system before a power disconnect, try telling that to a tv truck engineer (you'll be laughed at). I only ran into your video after using some Komodos on a broadcast last week. Amazing cameras, but this is a glaring hardware design flaw the likes of Sony, Ross, Evertz, Utah Scientific, Grass Valley, Panasonic, For-a, and countless others have figured out. RED needs to fix this themselves and stop blaming users "process".
Also, "These SDI cables run a SHIT-TON of current through them" false. It's .3 to .8 millivolts and didn't change between the 3G sdi spec and the 12G sdi spec.
Congratulations, very good presentation on an important subject. Thank you very much. I've noticed that there are conflicts between the workflow you suggest and the one presented in the Komodo Operational Guide V. 1.5 (pages 87 and 92). 1) At the end of the building process, the guide states that we must first connect the SDI cable to the accessories, and then connect it to the camera. You suggest the opposite. 2) When changing the battery and in the disassembly process, the guide states that we must first disconnect the accessories and then remove the SDI cable. You suggest otherwise. I found the Komodo guide very imprecise and felt more comfortable with your explanation. Would it be possible for you to comment on these workflow differences? Best!
Not sure what you mean. You may be confusing yourself. I actually did exactly that 😆 Its not so much about whats going first, the point is the power first. Its always power first, then SDI. Power first on EVERYTHING. (Which i do in this video.) Then at the end of the shoot or whatever, its the opposite. SDI is pulled first. I literally do what you wrote from the manual.
@@JustinPhillip wrong, without antennas you are not applying the right impedance to the transistor with is inside the TX, doesn't matter if the receiver is on or off!
You don’t need to use a 12G cable between your Vaxis and the monitor as I believe both of those are 3G SDIs. Only 12G needed if SDI are 12G. So 12G SDI out from Komodo into Vaxis. 3G from Vaxis out into Portkeys monitor.
Red recommend using a 12g cable no matter the signal chain. I believe it has to do more with shielding than what you’re actually sending. No reason not to use the higher quality cable
-Hello, I really love your channel, it is a huge help! -I've found on an other video where you also show how to connect sdi cables properly, a slight difference on how to plug/unplug things, which a little confused me. What is clear is everything needs power before plug/unplug sdi cable. Thats good. What confuses me is the turned on/off monitor before or after plug the sdi cable. -Here you are saying (while everything has power of course) first plug the sdi cable, then turn on your camera then your monitor monitor. th-cam.com/video/i9_TdR0O4J4/w-d-xo.html -"You don't want to ever connect your sdi cable when your monitors are turned on" -In this video what I'm watching right now (of course everything has power) then you turn on everything, and lastly plug in the sdi cable. th-cam.com/video/MzuJfYqqJvo/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=JustinPhillip (I suppose this one is the preferred way since it is more recent) Please don't get me wrong, I really just would like to know which is the better way and don't want to screw my gear. Thank you!
🤔 thanks for flagging up this issue, i had no idea this was a thing. i did a little digging for my own Komodo tho and I'm wondering about that battery slide you have on there.. just a heads up, i think the fuse in the plate only protects the plate from too much current being pulled eg. someone connects 3 devices that pull more than the 5.8 amps the plate can handle, rather than the plate burning out, the fuse trips and saves it.. so i guess the workflow has been protecting your camera all along 😁😅 if i'm wrong tho, somebody come in and beat my ass with facts 👀
I think this is not the point. I use professional camera since 2005 and I haven't fried any of it even by swapping batteries without any care. This could be a tech design flaw, because pro-life on set could be thousand times more stressful and error-prone than any other average filmaker situation. The point is that a big part of the "pro-ish" should be to avoid any of this kind of problems. A smart solution for camera developers could be to insert a fuse or some kind of witchcraft to avoid it. No matter the solution, but in 2022 I should appreciate to use a camera that don't have the same problems like the 1990s cameras used to have...
😆 Seems to be a re-emerging hot topic as of late. 🤷🏻♂️ (This video is fairly old and even this morning saw another poll on a facebook group of people with SDI issues vs without)
yep, I put myself in the "no issues" category in that poll haha after THREE YEARS of working with this cam. You helped early on, so thanks. @@JustinPhillip
My Gear List: kit.co/jpOnFilm
Still learning about SDI. Do we need to worry about the SDI connection between the Vaxis and the monitor? I notice you only pull the SDI from the camera and not the other accessories. Do we just need to pull the SDI on the camera itself?
@@JohnFMFilms so in reality you want to follow the path of where the current could potentially go. I feel wireless transmitters don’t require as much power as a camera and the same with monitors so you would probably be ok in most situations only unplugging camera side because that’s where the power is going first and you don’t want it to send a current from the sdi coming out of your camera and into your teradek or hollyland or whatever transmitter this is and then into your monitor. So by JUST removing from the camera no current will travel from the cameras sdi and into your other devices and shouldn’t fry anything and in theory because those other devices are lower in power it shouldn’t send a current to fry anything. But generally I unplug everything and when things are totally powered on I start plugging my sdi cables in. Just to play it extra safe. But even on most manufacturers guides they often just say “unplug sdi from camera” so I feel only camera side should be safe but I’m paranoid and even though I know it won’t send anything from the camera I just want to be extra sure it won’t send anything to the other accessories as well. But unplugging from the camera only will stop a current from going to your devices from camera side and worst case accessories may be at risk but not the camera.
I just tell my AC's:
-Build
-Power Everything
-Connect SDI
-Reverse
I've even labeled my Cam and AC kit with mini lables that say Build, Power, SDI, ⏪️.
Okay hear me out - I understand the frustration with all the confusion and finger pointing, BUT. We live in a world where cars can drive and park themselves. I think saying "this is the way it's always been" is a pretty weak argument considering the insane capabilities of tech in 2021. I agree people shouldn't be yelling at RED for the way 12G SDI is properly used, but I DO think people should be challenging the current tech and saying what everyone is basically saying - this workflow is ancient and clunky.. The vaxis sends a perfectly usable monitor quality wirelessly. Why do we need a high voltage death cable? Heck, just let me screw more antennas to the Komodo and build a compatible low latency wireless receiver and get rid of the cables all together. Even DJI is doing it with their silly gimbal camera. I hope all the confusion and repairs pushes RED to innovate with all this, or at least realize that a pogo pin monitor for the Komodo would sell absurdly well. Appreciate you man and I'm happy there's a clear video on this now - especially with the transmitter in the middle. Cheers!
Red could but it's not going to fix this because it would have to recall all cameras. The best they can do is create a certified surge protector and sell it a cost price. I haven't heard of people having issues when powering everything directly from the WC plate. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.
I think the simple answer is to encourage people to read their products user manuals instead of tossing them aside like all the TH-cam camera bros do. Reality check: You don’t know everything, and education is the key to success.
@@this_time_imperfect I agree that people should read the manual, but it is still too many steps, technology companies know that intuitive and simple is the way to go. Beyond that, life on set is very stressful and problems like this can cost you not only the camera, but the entire production.
Yea, blame the customer for camera oversights is weak policy.
ARRI does WARN about this. But it is very rare to happen. Same with Sony. They just work.
As a local 600 AC I can clearly say this is a RED problem. I get that owner/OPs get very sensitive about their gear, but sometimes you have also be objective about this.
Same with Blackmagic cameras, maybe bad manufacturing behind this "often happening" issue.
100%. We all know red fanboys are the absolute worst.
Reminds me of the old trick with XLR and phantom power. Always turn off phantom power before unplugging or plugging in a cable because the 48 volts can actually arc between the contacts in the connector and fry your equipment.
Especially if running through a trs patchbay. Not as much of an issue with xlr, but best practice nonetheless.
This kind of workflow is nonsense in 2021, and most people never find out until it goes wrong, especially if you’re on a busy set and all you’ve been asked to do is replace a battery. I mean how hard would it really be to add some kind of surge protection to sdi in/outputs? We had official RED demos at university and not once was this issue ever brought up.
Do I need to follow the steps with 3G SDI on my Epic Dragon ?
I dont think so….🤷🏼♂️ maybe wouldnt hurt tho? I believe 12G is the ones that have issues with power surge
@ yeah i think the problem is common with the 12G , the benefit to have an old camera 😂
@ and thank you for the video !!!
hey, just for future reference you also shouldn't turn your transmitter on without the Antennas on it. you could fry the transmitter,
You just saved a lot of cameras, and the heartache that goes with it. Thank you
I've read people following the proper procedure to a T and the SDI port still blowing out though. There really should have been a better user-proof alternative. Like a RED dedicated monitor like what the Raptor has. I guess you could use a smartphone and the komodo's wifi as an alternative but there is latency.
there's no evidence they did anything correctly or incorrectly. Not sure why everyone is beleieving them without seeing the scenario in person haha
If I am just using dual canon BP-955 batteries and one battery dies while filming and it automaticaly swaps to the next canon battery, will this cause any issues with the SDI? I'm sure it won't but I just want to make sure. Thanks in advance and I appreciate the amazing content as always!
Not that i have ever heard of.
Is it okay not to turn off the camera,vaxis and portkeys before pull out the vmout battery??
the Wooden Camera battery slide allows for "hot-swap" with the on-board Canon battery. No need to power camera down, the sets i'm on move much too fast to wait around for camera to re-boot ever time you swap batteries.
Also, that 28 F2 is my fav still lens for putzing around with.
Love seeing the RAW JP. I'm sure a lot of people will genuinely appreciate this video. Keep crushin' it, and stay true to you.
I would love to know why you don't use blackmagic video assist 12g on your red komodo? Please tell me, I'm looking to purchase one Soon.
i have the 7” HDR video assist and i use it as my 1st AC monitor. I use to own the 5” one for on-board, but the tiny bnc got broken on that one
Hey Justin uhm your vaxis should have antennas on before powering ????
nah man, that doesnt matter. Also this was just a demo, not like i was sending signal to somewhere
@@JustinPhillip Powering a vtx without antenna will burn it.
I love how real you are man! No BS, no filters! We need more folks like you on this crazy platform.
You da man, John Mark! LA Homies 🤙🏼
@@JustinPhillip #LAFORLIFE. 💪🏽
@@JustinPhillip So basically the rule of thumb is just never have an SDI cable in the camera when you are turning the camera on/off? IN other words turn on camera, then plug sdi in, pull out sdi THEN power off? Like whenever there is a surge of power (or a removal of power) THAT is what fries the sdi ports?
@@wcsdiaries yipp
@@JustinPhillip this might be a dumb question but do people fry their ports using just regular batteries? Or do they only really fry them with v mount?
Thank you for this video! May I ask specifically what external monitor power to v-mount DTAP cables you are using?
Been using these ones for years with my monitors. Has surge protrction & voltage read out.
i turn my camera on with sdi already connected and have never had problems, I dont hotswop batteries though
Hey Justin great explanation man. I want to confirm, if the V mount dies during a take do you risk frying the SDI port? I also work on fast paced sets and my V mount often dies before I can power down/change, but I’m using HDMI and never had fried ports. Just want to check before moving to a camera with SDI.
this is exactly why I love the Wooden Camera Battery Slide. The camera will never die , because the power just shifts to the onboard Canon Battery. You still should pull the SDI from the back of the camera, then swap batts, then power all your accessories back on, then plug the SDI back into the camera. Sometimes its good to pull the SDI from both ends, (i.e. from monitor or wireless TX). Battery Slide: amzn.to/43vRIV7
OMG. God bless you for sharing that last part that nobody else watched. I needed that! I am now a fan and subscribed. Keep the faith baby
Are you like that on set?
Im always me, take it or leave it 😆
Glad you made a video on this topic to give some solid clarity on this topic. Thank you.
LIFO - last in first out
Admittedly I thought it just meant having the power supply (batteries) connected to camera and monitor, plug in SDI, then turn on camera and monitor. Turn off camera and monitor, leaving batteries connected and remove SDI, then remove batteries. Never had an issue on both Komodos. But this is great insight, thanks!
thats how ive always done it and no problems
But id the V mount dies you loose power to your monitor and transmitter no? That damages your sdi the same way no? ( im talking about the wooden camera plate)
The Wooden Camera battery slide has surge protection, once the v moint dies it kills the voltage. This is the setup ive been using for nearly four years, no issue whatsoever
@@JustinPhillip Great news. Im really afraid of which plate i should pick for my komodo so im looking around like a paranoid :D
Hey Justin, great explanation! Just wondering.. if I'm done shooting for a bit and I want to turn off the komodo and BM5 to save some power on the v mount, would you still recommend unplugging the SDI from the komodo side before turning off the komodo and BM5?
i would, because you’re gonna power up again and you’re gonna have to unplug it before you do that, or you’re gonna forget and get FRIED
@@JustinPhillip Yeah I did think so. Awesome, thanks so much man!
@@JustinPhillip if you quickly changing battery why noe keep stuff powered? and just plug the sdi in again? since your not powering down totally ?
HDMI also has the exact same issue. Save safety workflow as well. Seen so many bmpcc users blowing their port.
YUPP!
Is the SDI disconnect procedure needed also when the camera is linked to raven eye? For every on/off action you need to open the SDI port?
Is this specific to red Komodo or in general?
6:03 Why do you plug in the SDI cable just after everything is turned on? I'm just curious. It's because all the current that runs through the cable? Because I always plug all my cables in: Power, HDMI/SDI and other stuff and then turn on camera and monitors and other accessories. I'm just trying to find the best way to do things. I'm not using a Red camera, but I presume it's the same with other cameras. Thanks mate! :)
The way you do it, you are risking blowing some ports. Power everything on first, then plug in the SDI. As i said in the video, current runs through the SDI cable, so if you plug in that sdi first, and then power stuff on, its basically like opening the door with a raging bull behind it.
@@JustinPhillip Got it! Thanks for the info! I will do that! Does this apply to the HDMI ports? Cause now I'm using the BMPCC and that has only a HDMI.
Is this also with Canon? Eg. Canon c500mk2
Just found this great video. Thanks. As a one man band, my battery will often go down before I have a chance to swap. When this happens the Small HD monitor goes black and the power button flickers, before losing all power. I haven't been running the BP as a backup/hot swap (just learned I could do it at all from this video!), but I do have the Wooden Camera sled.
Would the process here be to quickly unplug the SDI before doing anything else? I've been powering down the monitor and camera first (since there is a little bit of juice still in it at this point). Then just swapping the battery before powering back up. I've almost never disconnected the sled or the SDI cable at all.
I wonder if the surge protector is saving my bacon...?
Awesome!
Go to the point sr.
😂
I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos man. You seem like a cool cat.
Get my Komodo tomorrow super excited. Starting with canon bps but going to get a v mount adapter as well. So if using the wooden camera plate, and the v mount battery dies and the camera switches to the on board bp battery, couldn’t that cause damage to your SDI port? Or is it still safe because the camera is still receiving power? Trying to decide if this feature of the wooden camera is worth it or not to me. Thanks man, your videos have really gotten me excited to get my Komodo.
the wooden camera battery slide has voltage protection. the way it plugs into the komodo is not via D tap but directly into the camera’s power port. So if you have a bp955 on the camera as well, when your v mount battery dies, the camera just switches to the canon battery. Same way if your komodo was plugged into the wall. in other words, the camera never loses power it just switches to the on board battery. as long as you pull the SDI before you put the new V mount battery on you’ll be good
@@JustinPhillip good to hear man thanks. The wooden camera v mount seems like a no brainer.
@Justin Phillip great video! I have a quick question, do you have a link for the blue arm you mount your video transmitter onto?
I couldn’t find it on your gear list?
If I am powering a monitor with on monitor batteries, is this something that needs to be done as well? like the Sony battery in an atoms screen?
I understand the process you explain in this video, but just one question regarding the "hot swap" feature of the Wooden plate with the 955 battery: in theory, the monitor is being powered off the Wooden plate's D-tap port, but if the v-mount dies on the slide, therefore killing the power to your monitor instantly, does that run risk on the SDI port (or monitor) as well? Or does the fact that the camera is maintaining its power through the 955 battery cancel out the "boot up current" the SDI would experience?
Totally understand that before you power monitor back up via v-mount slide you need to unplug SDI, but I'm assuming the power maintenance courtesy of the 955 is what saves the SDI port (and monitor) risk when it's abruptly powered down due to dead v-mount. Perhaps the breaker in the Wooden slide also aids in this process too? Am I correct here? Thanks man! Will be subbing to the Patreon too.
Thanks Jesse! Yeah, the on board canon battery on the komodo really helps out the most, because the camera will never lose power, when the v-mount dies, the camera power is seamlessly switched to the BP-955, and the battery slide ensures that the BP-955 is always charged. Pretty fail proof, also the surge protection in the battery slide helps prevent any issues with the d-taps on the slide. The wooden camera slide is Definitely under-rated for sure
@@JustinPhillip Phenomenal! My Wooden battery slide came in today, Komodo Production Kit arriving tomorrow. Can hardly wait! Thanks again, friend.
What magic arm is that?
looks like they've changed the style of it: bhpho.to/3ArD8R0
@@JustinPhillip Just saw your reply - thanks for this video and the link. Appreciate it!
Ignite Digi 12G SDI, my friends. High cost but worth the quality.
Where did you get that wrap?
AlphaGuard
If your accessories are independently powered, is there still a danger of frying the SDI port, or is it only when they're all powered from the same power source?
That happens only if you are powering different gears from same power source.
@Justin Phillip Could you make a confirmation on this?
(So if the camera and the monitor are on different power source, and monitor (or camera) batteries dies, does it fries the sdi cable?)
I love and appreciate this video, and the other videos you put have put out regarding the Komodo. I am waiting on mine still and am excited to take what you have taught and put it all to the test.
I did realize though that with your setup, your camera never turns off because of your BP Battery. But what if I am running a different solution that doesn't allow the hotswap? I have the same Wooden camera plate for my Blackmagic and I love it, buy my plan is to use the Vaxis Atom 600 battery plate/transmitter which takes up both BP slots. Do I have to make sure that I catch the battery before it dies every time? Or can the battery die, and then the battery swap would be more like: battery dies, pull SDI, power CAMERA down along with other accessories, load new battery, power on all devices, plug SDI?
Yupp. You would just do with your camera what i do with my accessories in this video.
Justin thank you for sharing your knowledge. Do you have an opinion on quality SDI cables, particularly with right-angle connectors? Thanks
Mutiny I/O have good ones
I could be wrong, but doesn't powering the Vaxis and monitor without the antenna fry the ports? Would be kind of funny considering the video topic.
It doesnt fry it, its not recommended, but no, it did not fry it
Any opinions on Vaxis Storm 3000 DV? Could make the rig even cleaner ;)
So you only have to pull the SDI from the Komodo when doing power cycles? The accessories can stay in?
What if the Komodo never turns off? (Hot swapping) but the accessories turn off.
Don’t mind the pulling SDI. But just want to know what’s the limit to this. Thanks for the info 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Btw. Just got the Komodo kit in! Your videos have been helpful! Cheers 🥂
Hey Justin! Just ordered my Komodo. Do you have an opinion on the "SDI Protector Anti-Current Isolation Protector for ARRI,RED,Sony RED Komodo 30cm" that are available on ebay? Does it make it safer, or should I just stick to learning the proper routine? :)
I never use that, i just always use 12G cables and the wooden camera battery slide with the extender. Surge protection plus allows on board camera battery. Never had any issues
It is not an issue with the SDI but more of the poorly designed Dtap connectors. The only way that the SDI port is getting fried is that current flowed through the signal wire which is not designed to handle lots of current. I will always use batteries my on monitor to try try to mitigate this issue or use the RED method if I am using one battery for the whole system.
I heard claims that if you run everything on battery separate, then you dont need to unplug. Does that make sense?
Dude. Love the content. Keep it up!!
Thanks Justin.
the best SDI cable to buy for Komodo?
top link in the description
@@JustinPhillip thank you Bro
'The Reaper will come folks, the Reaper will come' 😂Thanks Justin!
Excellent walkthrough. Thanks.
12G SDI sounds way too risky. What if one of your batteries decides to go faulty while your SDI's are plugged in?
why does the komodo look like a arri classic next to you? lol
yeah, you're right man! sdi comes last. in terms of powering on a transmitter w/o antennas you should do some research though.. there's current running through that as well. also you should use only the recommended antennas ;)
This also applies to HDMI cables.
Thank you for answering my last question. I always appreciate responsive youtubers. New question though:
What magic arm are you using to hold your Vaxis in this video? And do you like it? I've been looking for a reliable articulating arm for years and usually everything I end up with is garbage.
Fantastic great information buddy. Appreciate the video
Lol! My favorite youtube channel right now 100%.
This dude is hilarious! " my komodo is with the times" haha
This is the best!
I liked everything except your use of Right Angle SDI adapters. That’s a big no-no as each adapter adds as much as 6dB signal loss. If you need the right angle than buy a cable with that type of connector already on it.
Also, you don’t have to pull the SDI before powering down. It only matters to not have it plugged in before powering up.
Usually my mom does the hot saw and handle the v mount to my grandma . Thanks for mentionning xDDD
Poor SDI port design that one has to go through all this to make sure no damage happens.
Good to know bro. Thanks for the critical info!
Great info! Well done. In the end it shot swappable.....ish, hot swap means you can take things out while its still on and nothing bad goes wrong, like hot swapping a raid 1 drive. Yes its user error though. They need to stop saying hot swappable, unless its 100% hot swappable. Save themselves headache but marketing would cry :(
Maybe if HDMI ever builds a crazy upgrade it truly will be, as you said, its the SDIs design fault lol
Thanks for the info... I appreciate it. Keep the videos coming...
Don't worry, I hate you for a different reason.
I like your attitude bro 😎 😂😂😂
Perfectly said. Rock man-
Yup. This is what happens when someone never went to film school and never worked on pro sets and then saved up all their money to buy a camera closer to the cameras used in the industry with industry standard I.O but they were never told by a professional with experience what to do and what not to do.
Pretty sure day rate wouldn’t go to you or red if they did accidentally blow an SDI. That’s what production insurance is for.
👌🏼
Thanks...
As a broadcast engineer who runs a full 12G SDI baseband system and has worked on TV trucks that are full 12G SDI, I'm calling complete BS on this.
This is entirely a RED and ARRI SMPTE compliance issue. Remember, the SDI spec, interface, and compliance specs were designed for broadcast first, and as far as I can tell in a system with over 800 12G sdi connections between dozens of different professional brands I've never had to worry about this ridiculous form of connection procedure. Heck if I did, we would have to disconnect every connection in the system before a power disconnect, try telling that to a tv truck engineer (you'll be laughed at).
I only ran into your video after using some Komodos on a broadcast last week. Amazing cameras, but this is a glaring hardware design flaw the likes of Sony, Ross, Evertz, Utah Scientific, Grass Valley, Panasonic, For-a, and countless others have figured out. RED needs to fix this themselves and stop blaming users "process".
Also,
"These SDI cables run a SHIT-TON of current through them"
false. It's .3 to .8 millivolts and didn't change between the 3G sdi spec and the 12G sdi spec.
I respect & appreciate your input!
Blew out the port on ours, just got it back from reds repair team.
Great discussion! Be sure to keep the load (the anntenna) on your wireless transmitter for much the same reason. Keep the great content coming!
I love your tone as long you mean well 😉 you has to Great video !
Thanks for this video! Hit the liked button and shared it
🙏🏼
Congratulations, very good presentation on an important subject. Thank you very much.
I've noticed that there are conflicts between the workflow you suggest and the one presented in the Komodo Operational Guide V. 1.5 (pages 87 and 92).
1) At the end of the building process, the guide states that we must first connect the SDI cable to the accessories, and then connect it to the camera. You suggest the opposite.
2) When changing the battery and in the disassembly process, the guide states that we must first disconnect the accessories and then remove the SDI cable. You suggest otherwise.
I found the Komodo guide very imprecise and felt more comfortable with your explanation. Would it be possible for you to comment on these workflow differences? Best!
Not sure what you mean. You may be confusing yourself. I actually did exactly that 😆 Its not so much about whats going first, the point is the power first. Its always power first, then SDI. Power first on EVERYTHING. (Which i do in this video.) Then at the end of the shoot or whatever, its the opposite. SDI is pulled first. I literally do what you wrote from the manual.
Hasn't anyone created a surge protector to solve this?
Yes its an easy workflow, but still, back up plan would be a good fail safe.
Mutiny I/O has some good stuff
Never turn on a video TX without antennas!
no damage could have been caused considering the receiver was not turned on
@@JustinPhillip wrong, without antennas you are not applying the right impedance to the transistor with is inside the TX, doesn't matter if the receiver is on or off!
@@airfilm_it Great!
You were getting so mad you were going a light shade of Hulk green.
😂
power→SDI→Turn on Turn off→REMOVE SDI → REMOVE POWER
🤙🏼
So emotional guy . Be happy
Just don’t get a cheeper SDI cable
You don’t need to use a 12G cable between your Vaxis and the monitor as I believe both of those are 3G SDIs. Only 12G needed if SDI are 12G.
So 12G SDI out from Komodo into Vaxis. 3G from Vaxis out into Portkeys monitor.
yeah thats true, i just happen to own all 12G cables
Red recommend using a 12g cable no matter the signal chain. I believe it has to do more with shielding than what you’re actually sending. No reason not to use the higher quality cable
-Hello, I really love your channel, it is a huge help!
-I've found on an other video where you also show how to connect sdi cables properly, a slight difference on how to plug/unplug things, which a little confused me.
What is clear is everything needs power before plug/unplug sdi cable. Thats good.
What confuses me is the turned on/off monitor before or after plug the sdi cable.
-Here you are saying (while everything has power of course) first plug the sdi cable, then turn on your camera then your monitor monitor.
th-cam.com/video/i9_TdR0O4J4/w-d-xo.html
-"You don't want to ever connect your sdi cable when your monitors are turned on"
-In this video what I'm watching right now (of course everything has power) then you turn on everything, and lastly plug in the sdi cable.
th-cam.com/video/MzuJfYqqJvo/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=JustinPhillip
(I suppose this one is the preferred way since it is more recent)
Please don't get me wrong, I really just would like to know which is the better way and don't want to screw my gear.
Thank you!
You're right of course, but RED needs to fix this issue it's a ludicrous issue for a modern high end camera.
🤔 thanks for flagging up this issue, i had no idea this was a thing. i did a little digging for my own Komodo tho and I'm wondering about that battery slide you have on there.. just a heads up, i think the fuse in the plate only protects the plate from too much current being pulled eg. someone connects 3 devices that pull more than the 5.8 amps the plate can handle, rather than the plate burning out, the fuse trips and saves it.. so i guess the workflow has been protecting your camera all along 😁😅 if i'm wrong tho, somebody come in and beat my ass with facts 👀
get to the point dude🤣
13 times? 😂
This is the problem when you (RED) suddenly sell pro cameras to average filmakers (including myself).
I think this is not the point. I use professional camera since 2005 and I haven't fried any of it even by swapping batteries without any care. This could be a tech design flaw, because pro-life on set could be thousand times more stressful and error-prone than any other average filmaker situation. The point is that a big part of the "pro-ish" should be to avoid any of this kind of problems. A smart solution for camera developers could be to insert a fuse or some kind of witchcraft to avoid it. No matter the solution, but in 2022 I should appreciate to use a camera that don't have the same problems like the 1990s cameras used to have...
Don't quit your day job. Personality not good for Public Use!
This is contradictory to Red's SDI instructions.
how so?
@@JustinPhillip Go to red's site and look it up, also you can use a 3g cable on the Komodo just fine.
@@JBGIMAGINATION no i dont have to, because i already know how to do it. Maybe you should re-read the manual. Thanks for stopping by tho!
I just slit my wrist…this is full of himself..
Ohhhh poor baby!!!!! Do you need a bottle???!!?!!
People calling it an "issue" are hilarious.
😆 Seems to be a re-emerging hot topic as of late. 🤷🏻♂️ (This video is fairly old and even this morning saw another poll on a facebook group of people with SDI issues vs without)
yep, I put myself in the "no issues" category in that poll haha after THREE YEARS of working with this cam. You helped early on, so thanks. @@JustinPhillip
came for info about SDI cables, stayed for the life back story about making mistakes and regret and owning your shit and other bad shit