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RED KOMODO


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Mainly, that I wish they put product details on their website. Rather then teasing stuff for months on Reduser. Its a pain wading through the forum to work out the spec's, prices etc... There's still nothing on Red.com

Otherwise it's probably good, global shutter is certainly a good thing, same with AF if it works, but there is a lot of very good competition in the price range.  Although I'm not that sure what the actual final price is and how much the bits and bobs to make it work are at this point....it's probably on reduser...but

reduser-silly-place-02.jpg.01668b072d8e6cb2eb54be723496cdb4.jpg

 

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The dual Canon battery to V-mount/Gold-Mount converter plate that Tilta have just announced, make it considerably more interesting to me.

There are so many appealing options out there (or on the way soon), and they all seem to offer superb image quality - so I really think it's feature-sets and easy of use that are going to make the decisions for people moving forwards.

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I think the camera is still in "open beta," as it were. It seems that they're holding off on releasing specs until they're confident they're not going to change.

Which is VERY un-Red--I'm glad to see them being a little more conservative this time.

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I don't know its pretty standard for Red to tease for months/years on Reduser. Most camera companies don't even announce a product till the specs are locked down and its close to delivery. 

At one point wasn't this going to be an attachment for their phone? Not sure why people get so excited about Red products when they keep moving the goalposts so much. I think they like to keep things vague to make comparisons difficult.

If I was in the market for an affordable camera I'd be looking at the Lumix SH1 or saving up a bit more for the FX9. Then you have more straightforward specs/prices. 

I'm not sure what market this camera serves. At the budget level there are more keenly priced alternatives, with cheaper accessories. 

Its not a great doc camera, no XLR audio or built in ND, its not going to be good alternative to the FS7, FX9 for TV work.  I guess it could be ok on a gimbal/drone - but the high end Reds are already small enough for that task.  So is it just for the small group of Red fans that just want a Red but can't afford a Dragon or Gemini? 

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16 hours ago, Phil Connolly said:

Its not a great doc camera, no XLR audio or built in ND, its not going to be good alternative to the FS7, FX9 for TV work.  I guess it could be ok on a gimbal/drone - but the high end Reds are already small enough for that task.  So is it just for the small group of Red fans that just want a Red but can't afford a Dragon or Gemini? 

I feel its meant to cater to the demand for a quality camera that isn't 20k+ or an A7S but can operate like a $20k camera.

The BMPCC4k/6k shoots established codecs but its form factor makes it a pain for rigging, lots of quirky work arounds, plastic body and bad on board power options. In the case of the 6k, not having interchangeable lens mount options in this day and age is a bit strange, sure there is the PL conversions but they're just coarse threads into plastic so you can very easily ruin the camera. The price point is nice though.

Z-cam is also interesting but pretty much came out of no where and has a higher price point than black magic. It does offer interchangeable lens mounts and even an electronic ND option which is cool. However It has Proprietary RAW that NLE's don't support at the moment, mixed reviews of build quality and reports of camera failures which for now makes it a risky buy in my opinion. 

If Komodo lands at the reported $6k it could definitely take a lot of the DSLR for video market as well as the high quality action and specialty cam niche.
A cage, some mount adaptors and media would put you at around $10k and you now have a camera that shoots established codecs and will play nice with common professional aks. 

 

 

Edited by Evan Walsh
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Really only one question.. What’s the catch?

Why has RED gifted us this run’n gun option?

Why does red still sell the more expensive Monstro, Gemini and Dragon cameras? Why do DP's continueusing their more expensive cameras if the Komodo has the same great sensor, high data rates and 16 stops of latitude? 

Can a few extra SDI outputs really be worth that much?

What do you guys think?

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On 10/21/2020 at 9:20 AM, Ivan Johnson said:

Really only one question.. What’s the catch?

Why has RED gifted us this run’n gun option?

Why does red still sell the more expensive Monstro, Gemini and Dragon cameras? Why do DP's continueusing their more expensive cameras if the Komodo has the same great sensor, high data rates and 16 stops of latitude? 

Can a few extra SDI outputs really be worth that much?

What do you guys think?

Jarred from Red had mentioned a big reason for its creation was the demand for a truly compact and cinema grade camera that could offer greater versatility than what is available today. A specific scenario he cited was something that could replace GoPro type cameras for action cam/crash cam applications while being able to shoot an established codec and match the primary cameras of a project. How many times have you seen a film or TV show where they cut in some drone or crash cam footage and it sticks out like a sore thumb. The catch is that this isn't meant to replace your A camera. 

Could this camera replace your A camera?  If you're mostly shooting 24fps and don't require all the I/O the larger cameras provide then yes it can do the whole job. However, if you need lens metadata, in camera proxies, isolated SDI outputs, speeds above 40fps in the full resolution etc. then this is not your primary camera. At the end of the day it's just another tool for people to use. 

Edited by Evan Walsh
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On 11/5/2020 at 7:23 AM, Evan Walsh said:

Jarred from Red had mentioned a big reason for its creation was the demand for a truly compact and cinema grade camera that could offer greater versatility than what is available today. A specific scenario he cited was something that could replace GoPro type cameras for action cam/crash cam applications while being able to shoot an established codec and match the primary cameras of a project. How many times have you seen a film or TV show where they cut in some drone or crash cam footage and it sticks out like a sore thumb. The catch is that this isn't meant to replace your A camera. 

Could this camera replace your A camera?  If you're mostly shooting 24fps and don't require all the I/O the larger cameras provide then yes it can do the whole job. However, if you need lens metadata, in camera proxies, isolated SDI outputs, speeds above 40fps in the full resolution etc. then this is not your primary camera. At the end of the day it's just another tool for people to use. 

That's a great observation, it does make more sense as a dispensable piece of equipment. I have a different theory however, and I'll make it short as to not stray off topic.

The Komodo has an SDI output, can support V-mount, shoots 120fps at 2k resolution and has in camera proxies. It meets all the minimum requirements of an A camera.

This is a just theory, but it looks like RED sees more potential revenue in the independent creator market than the professional cinema trade, and they may take their future line of products in the direction of the Youtuber/independent content maker.

Creators always looks for a way to step up their content and this has no doubt caused a rush among the people who can afford one. The independent market is growing rapidly and already may well be more attractive to tech manufacturers, even just comparing the amount of equipment sold (to rental houses vs creators who prefer to use their own tech). 

We are in the middle of a big shift in the entertainment industry and big tech giants may just be able to see farther into the coming future.

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Unless the Komodo has serious hardware failure issues due to it's reduced size, but still packing a very hot imager/processor, I do think it's a game changer. 

As more and more accessories are made specifically for the camera, it will turn more and more into an A package. 

I have many friends who bit the bullet and bought an early release. All of them are extremely happy. I've graded the results, it feels just like a Dragon when grading. I have also graded Helium footage and I don't really see any difference outside of grain structure. The helium is overly crisp in comparison. 

I hope this pressures more companies into making brick/block cameras like it. I know Panasonic immediately announced their competition and rumors at Blackmagic are that they have something in the works as well. Red is onto something with the new form factor, it's really a step in the right direction. 

Where I have never been a fan of the Red fanboys and aesthetic, it's the first real cinema camera I have contemplated buying. I wait to see what the competition is like before saving up. 

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5 hours ago, Max Field said:

Could anyone explain the $4000 difference between the Komodo and the Pocket 6K?

At face value it may seem like typical Red price inflation but I do think the cost is justified having used both. 

Global shutter, ease of changing mounts, aftermarket options for internal ND's, wireless control and monitoring, metal construction, better power options, mounting points on the camera, timecode, arri style R/S and genlock via adaptors.

Those features / options put it in a different class from the pocket 6k which I think justifies the price tag. 

Edited by Evan Walsh
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9 hours ago, Evan Walsh said:

At face value it may seem like typical Red price inflation but I do think the cost is justified having used both. 

Global shutter, ease of changing mounts, aftermarket options for internal ND's, wireless control and monitoring, metal construction, better power options, mounting points on the camera, timecode, arri style R/S and genlock via adaptors.

Those features / options put it in a different class from the pocket 6k which I think justifies the price tag. 

The metal construction is definitely valid (would like to pay an extra $1000 for an all metal pocket), but the komodo has better mounting options because it requires so many attachments to even run at all. Where is the price tag once you get all the attachments with it?
Pocket 6K gets to like $3500 after all necessary attachments. Can this little RED record for over an hour without overheating yet?

4 hours ago, Ivan Johnson said:

Simple really, the sensor and the RED “look” you get compared to the Pocket.

Creators will pay $4k more.

From the tests I was seeing, the pocket 6K looked more like an Alexa than any other BM camera before it, Arri-look is king in the book of most.

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On 12/9/2020 at 8:58 AM, Max Field said:

The metal construction is definitely valid (would like to pay an extra $1000 for an all metal pocket), but the komodo has better mounting options because it requires so many attachments to even run at all. Where is the price tag once you get all the attachments with it?
Pocket 6K gets to like $3500 after all necessary attachments. Can this little RED record for over an hour without overheating yet?

From the tests I was seeing, the pocket 6K looked more like an Alexa than any other BM camera before it, Arri-look is king in the book of most.

You're right the Pocket 6k is cheaper and no one is forcing you to like the Komodo, if you like the pocket 6k that's great. 

You can run the Komodo right out of the box with just a battery and lens similar to the Pocket 6k if that is all you need it for,and yes it can record for more than hour without overheating but I'm not here to sell you one.

All in a Komodo with Wooden Camera cage, B-box, A-box, PL mount and some media will run you around 11k +/-. Once you're there you can now use it with all the commonly found AKS and make use of industry standard I/O. No HDMI-SDI conversion needed, No mini to full size XLR cables needed, no audio track timecode work around, no LANC cable for run/stop and if you're in the situation that calls for it you can genlock the camera. The cost increase is from the professional options it gives you, if you don't need those options then you don't need those accessories. 

I've never been a great fan of the Red ecosystem or look for that matter and I agree that the "Arri Look" is something most people strive for. However, the utility of this camera is pretty undeniable. Much like the Alexa Mini, this was not meant as a replacement for the A camera and requires work arounds and concessions to make it one but it definitely has the ability to fill that roll most of the time. 

Silly as it sounds, if you're the shooter/editor one man band type who might need to sell the client on the gear that they have, saying "I have a Red" may save you the effort of trying to convince them something else is good enough because it lacks the brand recognition. 

 

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On 12/8/2020 at 9:50 PM, Tyler Purcell said:

Unless the Komodo has serious hardware failure issues due to it's reduced size, but still packing a very hot imager/processor, I do think it's a game changer. 

As more and more accessories are made specifically for the camera, it will turn more and more into an A package. 

I have many friends who bit the bullet and bought an early release. All of them are extremely happy. I've graded the results, it feels just like a Dragon when grading....

Hey Tyler,
Can you say what kind of Projects your friends were shooting?
I'm prepping a Documentary and thinking about buying a KOMODO. I shoot my last few "Doc's" on a Sony F5 an FS7  or Amira, always rentals, but for this new project, it seams right to buy a camera packet. 
And I don't wane shoot on a FF-Sensor. (So FX6&FX9 are kind of off the table.)

Big Thanks for your answer

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5 hours ago, Philipp Kunzli said:

Hey Tyler,

Can you say what kind of Projects your friends were shooting?

They do mostly narrative work. 

I do mostly documentary work. 

But honestly, I've shot doc's with Alexa and Red's before. Never an issue. 

5 hours ago, Philipp Kunzli said:

I'm prepping a Documentary and thinking about buying a KOMODO. I shoot my last few "Doc's" on a Sony F5 an FS7  or Amira, always rentals, but for this new project, it seams right to buy a camera packet. 
And I don't wane shoot on a FF-Sensor. (So FX6&FX9 are kind of off the table.)

Truthfully, I prefer a shoulder camera when shooting B-Roll for doc's, but outside of that one activity, the square brick cameras work fine. The new Pocket 6k Pro that came out yesterday looks like a pretty serious contender. Stick a simple still zoom on it and you're good to go. Kinda of a Komodo killer for the price, even if it doesn't quite look as good, can't beat the price. I will probably end up with a Komodo eventually because I'm migrating into narratives and everyone wants digital. Having a Komodo would at least allow me to get hired. 

Back when I got my original pockets, I was slammed with work. But once '"HD" died, that was the end of that. I think now a days to be hired, you need a name brand camera that people recognize like Red or Alexa. But for a personal project, it doesn't matter. You could easily get away with a Pocket 6k Pro and call it a day. 

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