Black shading calibration

[Lee Kelly]

Should this be routinely completed?
I did it the first time i turned my camera on (the instructions told me to do that)
Is it a one off thing?

My camera is running well and pictures look pretty but i wasnt sure if one day i might have some funky colour cast due to not calibrating the black shading again.

[Phil Holland]

This is all in the Epic Data Sheet sticky at the top of this section:

My recommendation is to blackshade:
1) upgrading to new firmware
2) big ambient temperature changes
3) long exposure times (longer than ~1/15th sec)
4) very short exposure times (shorter than around ~1/1000th)
5) beginning of a project
6) as often as you feel like

Remember to black shade at default after long/short exposure black shade when your finished.

More convenient/flexible black shading coming later.

Black shading is really only required when there are changes in sensor temperature or for long shutter speeds. It is a good idea to let the camera come up to temp before black shading.

Black shading (Default) is good for most situations, including high speed.

Black shading (Current FPS/Exposure) is intended for slow frame rates and long shutter speeds.

Also, if you look at the system configuration screen.. the sensor temperature and shutter speed is shown for your user calibration.

Notes on Black Shading from this thread

Proper Black Shading Technique
1) Attach the Red Body Cap to your lens mount and secure the cap with the locking collar on the mount.
2) Place your camera in a dark place or cover your camera with opaque fabric. Do not cover the vents.
3) Power up the camera. A/C Power is preferred. Black shading currently takes over 20 minutes.
4) Wait for the camera to come up to operating temperature. Usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
5) Set your shutter speed to suite the project that you are shooting.
6) Begin your Black Shading Calibration.

After it completes you may want to verify things are okay. Leave the Red Body Cap on and crank the ISO up to 12800 and make sure your focus assist tools are turned off. What you are looking for is an even black field. If for some reason it is not, likely light has some how leaked in.