I try to keep my cameras for 3-4 years where possible, I think the Komodo should easily do that - sure I'd love Komodo X - but I can probably better invest the money else where. We'll see!
@@EdProsser I think a Raptor would be a much better step up to be honest. If you are happy with the Komodo, juste save more until you have enough for the Raptor (even a second hand). At first I wanted to sell my FX6 + FX3 and get a Komodo X (since day one, I never been a huge fan of the image coming from my Sony's). But when I think about it; I loved the OG Komodo when I rented one for a music video, so why not get a second hand (full package with monitors, v-lock plate + vmount batteries + monitor + side & top handle + cfast cards,...) for twice cheaper than a Komodo X (body only). And get a Canon R5C as a b-cam that I will use for photos and videos. Or another hybrid like a Fuji / Pana (but I always loved Canon for photography! I should try the Fuji tho, because it looks great too).
Thanks man - appreciate it, taken a few months to get this all wrapped up. Hopefully it should help people interested in the cam as I think it's gonna be relevant for a good few years to come!
It’s unlikely I’ll ever purchase a Red Komodo, but I loved the deep dive. Long-term reviews are ultimately the ones that really matter, and for someone thinking of getting into this system, your video will be invaluable. All the effort most definitely worthwhile.
Thanks for checking it out! Never intended to be a RED owner myself, thought it would always be too complicated it over kill, but it just sort of happened, very happy with it.
Thanks for checking it out Dan. This was a crazy amount of work but wanted to experiment with someone "long form" am interested to see how this does over time.
I very much liked how you covered the review of the RED Komodo and also touched on the Blackmagic Pyxis camera. I'll be very much looking forward to getting into the RED system and workflow.😎
@eddie_g spend time also on learning Resolve as much as possible. The ability to get the most out of a R3D file is amazing. You cannot do that with any other camera. Also, do a personal video project. I recently went to Venice and learned more than the two previous years owning the camera on that project.
I just moved from a BMPCC to a Komodo and was 100% terrified about the move and did not really know if I would be able to get a grasp of using it and this video has done me absolute wonders and really help me understand a lot more and I'm super excited to get out and start shooting with it along with the Night Walker lenses which I bought after watching your other video talking about them. Thank you so much Ed for this video, this is probably the best video that has really explained the Komodo and hope to get the same stunning images as yourself!
Ahhhh thanks so much this is what I like to hear and that's exactly why I wanted to make this video, to share all the things I learnt and help others get the best out of this amazing camera!
What a great breakdown. It makes me feel better about the progress that I’m making in my own work with the lumix s5ii. I’m growing into the camera, and I haven’t pushed it to the edge yet. Loved this breakdown, and of course all the footage you’ve put through your Komodo these past few years. I don’t see myself getting a Komodo anymore with the release of the new Blackmagic Pixie, but global shutter and 16 bit are always tempting.
Thanks man! You're killing it with your work, it's so great to see what you're doing with the S5 ii. The PYXIS has the same sensor as the S5, I don't know whether it would be much of a step up, I feel like that cam will be best suited for interviews and corporate work. I'm sure you'd make it shine though. Totally think the global shutter with all the movement you do would get you some really beautiful results!
Ed i haven't watched the full length yet but I will once I am back home. I always love your updates about your Komodo experience because you don't come from a fan boy perspective nor do you jump to the next hottest thing on the market and state how your Komodo doesn't quite cut it.
Thanks man! Yeah these long camera reviews are a bit of a labour of love, but I figure this camera will have a long shelf life on the used market because it's image is still phenomenal!
amazing video. been using the c70 for around the same amount of time and have always been interested in switching to the komodo. might have to make a 40minute review of the c70 now to convince myself to keep it 😅
Haha - I definitely see benefits to the C70 - I looked into getting one at the time of getting the Komodo - but I'm happy with the cam and it's served me well over the years
LAst night at a wedding party, managed to get some frames with my Komodo and a Milvus Zeiss. Ohhh, my God. What a look....Will never go back to mirrorless.
I think I might have benefited from the Pyxis NAB hype by getting an obscene deal on the Komodo this weekend. This video wiped any risk of buyers remorse off the table. Excellent breakdown, Ed.
Glad to hear! Yeah that's why I thought there was still value in putting this out, as there is a big used market demand popping off a few years after a cam launches.
This was awesome man great work. Love my OG and even though I don’t use it as much as I used to after upgrading to the KX I would say it was a launch point for me.
You absolutely nailed the BRAW issue I have with newer BM cameras. I’m currently shooting on their OG 12K and the image is better than any camera I’ve used so far, including the Komodo, so I hate to let it go but being locked into BRAW has been really problematic for contractor work. Producers are either scared of the 12k (even though it shoots equally strong 8k and 4k with the full sensor at near global shutter readouts) or they just want PRORES, or even h.265 on smaller gigs. Pretty much the only time I can comfortably shoot BRAW is on personal gigs where I make all the decisions from start to finish. But more than half of my work comes from being a freelancer on larger productions that aren’t interested in being locked into BRAW. I wish they would just offer a PRORES option even if it came with some compromises. Really great video though! Got me missing my old Komodo I sold a while back.
The 12k has a great beautiful image! But yes I couldn't even consider it as it was BRAW only which is a shame. With modern workflows / web delivery and the ability of computers to handle h265 efficiently - shooting compressed media is increasingly common in professional workflows so it just seems like a big oversight on their part.
@@EdProsser Definitely an oversight. I had heard buzz that some big stuff was coming from BM during this years NAB, which was true, but I was really low key hoping they were going to combat the low adoption rate by opening it up to more universal codecs. They went the other direction and really doubled down on BRAW only cameras. So I’m at a loss of how to proceed, and I suspect I may have to part ways with it sooner than later. Perhaps back to the komodo!
Great video! I owned several RED cameras including two Komodos. I've sold them all. I never like the image out of the Komodo and felt it didn't have the look of the older sensors. I also hated using the camera, it was so awkward to use, from the record button layout (had to get the mutiny button) and the bad audio preamps, to the weird position of the controls and the super sensitive SDI port. Can't wait for Nikon to implement the compressed codec into one of their cameras, with Nikon's superior color science (Komodo image looks muddy to my eye), and great Z lenses. I currently have FX6 and FX3 and clients love the work I make for them on those cameras. All cameras are so good these days that the RED name doesn't mean much anymore.
Very interesting! It definitely seems like a camera you either love or hate. Me personally I've never got on well with the FX6 or FX3, but maybe that's because I've had years shooting on Panasonic's and I just prefer their cams. The Komodo isn't the easiest camera to use, but for my work I love it! I've never shot in anything quite like it before in terms of the image I can pull of it, the size, the flexibility. It's sort of become my dream camera. As you can tell, I'm very happy with it! Like you say, we're spoilt for choice these days, so I think everyone can find the right tool for them, at a price that they can afford.
@@matthewjamesmartin I'm genuinely excited to see what comes next! Definitely won't be investing in any Rf glass! Thankfully Nikon also make incredible lenses. The first proper DSLR I used professionally was the D7100, I used it alongside a Panasonic AF101, because the Nikon lenses were so easy to adapt between the two.
I too was a late arriver to the OG Komodo. I still love it. I found I still use my BMPCC4Ks a lot - mainly for gimbal shooting. The built in back screen allows me to use the Ronin without the cage for mounting a monitor. But yeah. Love the Komodo, it produces beautiful images and is built like a home and. Super flexible setup.
@@elieh.studio the bmpcc4k images hold up wonderfully in the first ISO range. The Komodo destroy it in the second range with some caveats. If you’re not filming something bright like fire the bmpcc4k does better in low light from my experience. But also I spend like 4 years with the bmpcc and made a night time horror movie so I know how to push it
@@elieh.studio The Red's RAW format is lovely - I've shot at 800 ISO and gone to 100 or up to 3200+. I like how you adjust to the actual white balance in post. The global shutter is lovely - you can more easily stabilize footage in post.
@@cleverghostchili so I just record separately and sync in post. Don't tend to use timecode for the shoots I use this on as I'm mostly doing interviews with it. Generally it's worked great. Thinking of picking up a Deity THEOS set soon to go with it.
I am eagerly looking forward to watching the video that you mentioned, Ed. I am excited to see what it contains and am curious to learn more about it. Thank you for sharing it with. us!
Love your content bro!!! I don’t know if anyone suggested it in the comments but when you figure out your storage solution I’d love to see a break down. I have the OG Komodo too and I love it but storage is the pits man!!! Keep up the great job!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🫡
Hey man I really appreciate all the work and effort you put into this video. I've been on the edge about upgrading and your video is the most in depth video I've come across yet. Thank you so much for this, new sub and I'm going to make the jump next week!
Thank you! Wanted to share everything I've learnt on this cam, as I know REDs tend to have a long second life on the used market so I figured a lot of people would be picking em up used and wanting some up to date info on them!
Great work Ed. Digging the presentation. Still love my Komodo. I am at a good place with the gear that I like to get to which is where I forget about who has made it. Open mount to throw on a PL, EF, M or a 0.71x adaptor whatever whenever plus R3D to output to whatever. Coming from a stills background where I only shoot raw on my GFX and X2D, I love the simplicity of the Komodo. I find that the only time I see a bad image coming from a Komodo is when it has been over processed or ill-used LUTs in post.
All true, I love the simplicity of this camera. one of the biggest myths is that these larger / more expensive camera systems are more complicated to operate, it's the exact opposite
I'm a film student just finishing my final year of university and hopefully getting to work on productions/get clients after I graduate. When the new Blackmagic cameras came out, I was very confused at what camera I should work up to buying. All those Blackmagic fans were swarming my RUclips feed. Its great that I found this and there was so much information! I've been using the BMPCC4k and Ursa for three years now for uni projects but I think I'm definitely going work on getting the Red Komodo instead. Do you have any advice for starting out on filmmaking/getting clients?
I would say focus on building a small portfolio of work. Can you work for local charities / businesses give them low rates so that you can build up a collection of work... You don't need the most expensive kit to start out, you can rent until you're earning enough to buy. The PYXIS looks like a nice camera, but it's an old sensor, it doesn't look like much of a step forward nor a camera I'd want to own for many years.
Awesome video! I am very happy with my Fujifilm X-H2s with PL speedbooster and Vespid Primes. I mainly use it for my cinematic car videos channel, but also for fashion and product videos. I started leaning towards Red Komodo for the R3D files. Would you say there is noticeable difference in IQ, DR and grading flexibility over X-H2s?
I’ve used both Komodo and XH2s a lot. If you get the image right in camera (WB/ISO/Etc), they both have pretty much the same image quality. The Komodo has a bit more flexibility in post with the raw files and of course the global shutter, but even the XH2s has a fast enough sensor readout to feel pretty close to global shutter. The XH2s is way easier to work with, faster to operate, and even has decent AF, better media options, faster framerates up to 120p, and even functions as a professional level photo camera. Basically you’re not going to see a huge jump in quality unless you need a raw workflow.
@@TheJ_G too late with the comment, I have both now! :D Just kidding, I expected it to be pretty much the same when properly exposed, but I wanted it for the R3D flexibility and the global shutter, and I am not disappointed at all. Even though the XH2s is easier and faster to operate, I like the additional challenge and the rigging of the Komodo. Only did a short video test, will give it a proper try on couple cool projects soon.
Love this camera but more so love the work you're doing with it. One thing I haven't understood yet - what's the difference between choosing a higher ISO and preserving the highlights, and choosing a lower ISO and just exposing a little lower - especially if you are exposing using the traffic lights? Won't underexposing using the lower ISO bring you back to the same position relative to the noise floor and clipping point compared to exposing normally at the high ISO?
If you're hitting the exact same exposure there will be no difference to the RAW data obviously - so if you're underexposing by a stop at ISO400 - you're actually hitting a correct exposure for 800 - it's kinda the same thing - but you will see the difference in the highlight roll off in post between ISO 400 and say 3200 - so you're better targeting and monitoring in camera at the ISO you're intending to work with in post. If you know you're going to pull the image down in post - you could monitor at ISO 400 so see what it looks like a stop darker for sure - but you'd still need to be properly exposing for that ISO 800 if that makes sense - so if you're exposing at ISO 3200 you may have some traffic lights on in the shadows (depends on your image) - but you're preserving that highlight information. This is what I was trying to express in the exposure section with showing those waveforms / RGB parade - the camera had the same exposure across each shot - but higher ISO's had a higher clipping point with more highlight rolloff - essentially we are cutting more and more light hitting that sensor, sacrificing the shadow detail to target the highlights.
@@EdProsser really appreciate the video examples - this is the clearest example I've seen - and thanks for the detailed answer! Sorry I didn't express myself clearly - what I mean is, perhaps if you were to lower NDs by half a stop or a stop at ISO 800, or turn the lights down by that amount, thus actually underexposing it at ISO 800 - wouldn't that be the same result as exposing normally at ISO 3200?
@@prismcollectionmusic yes every time you double the ISO you're going up a stop. So if you're at ISO 800 and underexposed by one stop, you're achieving correct exposure at ISO 1600. But you're monitoring how that image would look at ISO 800 with the dynamic range allocation of that ISO level. The second part is how the highlight curve is applied to the footage in post at different ISO levels. So if you've exposed at 3200 and cut a lot of light to the sensor then in post you set it to ISO 3200 you'll see a better highlight roll off than dropping the same image down to 1600. In the same way that increasing that ISO will affect the shadows and create more noise. It's that balance between hitting your desired expose in camera and following through with it in post. i.e. you can't magically achieve a nice highlight curve by increasing the ISO to 3200 after the fact if the RAW data isn't sitting in the right place to begin with.
@@EdProsser I didn't mean I would shift to 3200 in post in this alternative way; just expose for 1600 ISO-as-monitoring-LUT in camera and choose 800 in post, for example - that way there will be more highlight room than exposing for ISO 800 normally - as an alternative to shooting at 3200. But I think the 3200 route might be better if the highlight curve is a different shape.
Slept on it, I'm starting to wonder if we're describing the same technique, i.e. boosting ISO and cutting light in raw is the same as underexposing in non-raw formats...
@@EdProsser thank you bro! I get my red komodo almost 2 years ago, and you describe exactly every feeling i got with it along the time, specially with the process of learning how to use it, and how to manage the colorgrade with it
Thanks for this review, great work! The Komodo touchscreen is much less responsive with a screen protector on… so just remove it if you notice issues handling it.
I bought an FX3 this weekend and decided to sell the RED Komodo-X because the difference between the picture quality is not 2x and if you know how to expose a Sony, you will get almost the same picture. I took two identical frames, brought them to the same exposure and contrast as a result you could only notice the difference in sharpness of the picture, because on the Komodo-X I used the Vespid 40mm and on the Sony GM 50mm. Before the K-X I had a V-Raptor and I can say that the cinematic level of the picture started with that camera. So, my final decision is the FX3 for gimbal shooting and in situations where I need autofocus or want a super compact setup. And for using the DZOFILM Vespid and Blazar Remus, I'll be using the BMPCC 6K FF. And owning two cameras that give me maximum flexibility is cheaper than having one Komodo-X. This may sound like I'm saying RED cameras are bad, but they're not. It was very hard for me to admit that I get more options and usability for less money than owning a RED given that I've despised Sony cameras for the past two years and thought I'd never stop shooting with REDs. Upgrading from Komodo OG to Komodo-X only makes sense if you want to have 80 fps or use V-Mount batteries directly. No other benefits will be gained by doing so.
Thanks for sharing! You've got to find the right camera for you whatever that might be and sounds like you ended up in the right place! I've shot on the FX3 and FX6 a fair bit and I personally am not a fan with working with Slog nor do I love operating those cameras. But they are very capable and if I had unlimited money I'd definitely pick an FX6 up for super run and gun work. Enjoy your FX3!
@@EdProsser I agree with you, I still hate the Sony menus, lack of False Color, Shutter Angle, no RAW format in any form. RED and Blackmagic has had all of this since day one. But Cine EI in the latest firmware from Sony helps solve this problem and adjust exposure using only Zebras at 94%, just do ETTR all the time.
I use a DJI Focus Pro to get autofocus on a gimbal now. That solved a major drawback of the Komodo. The global shutter, the RED R3D files are why I stay with the Komodo. I shot a difficult scene in Venice recently where half of the scene was in sunlight and the rest was in shade. As you get more experience with grading RAW, the more you can do with the images. I noticed that my Sony camera is getting used less and less now, even if it is easier to use, the image quality from RED is outstanding. Yes, on a fixed image, you can get a Sony to match a RED, but the RED starts to shine when you don’t have an optimal shooting situation.
I'm looking for a camera to invest in and use for my own and other peoples projects. I've only ever shot one proper short film and on it the two cameras that the dops had were red komodos. Watching them being used and seeing the result of the film got me intrigued (which is why I watched this video). The only thing is, I have never owned a camera like this. I have only ever had cannon eos 500d, so my question to you is, is it worth making the leap to this sort of camera? I know I'd use it and I do enjoy it and it's features but is it responsible to go from such a small camera to something like this with higher quality, cost and more accessories? or should I aim for something smaller to get more experience first? Thanks for the vid too, was very helpful and I subscribed!
That's a tricky one! If you feel like you need more experience then maybe a smaller all in one camera that comes ready to shoot out the box would be simpler? The komodo is a very simple camera to operate, but it does require rigging and accessories to make it useable. My best advise would be to just rent / borrow one to try it out so you can see for your self. As well as maybe something like an FX6.
@@EdProsser Yeah at my film school we have fx6’s and they kinda just don’t scratch that itch that the red komodo’s did when I was on the short film set… that being said I reckon I’ll reach out to one of the guys with the komodo and play around with it more. thank you!
I've mostly been shooting on the DZO Film vespids - I mainly use a Bright Tangerine Misfit Atom as it's very light weight and quick to use! For NDs I use Formatt Hitech firecrest ultra thin IRNDs!
Best lens? I love the Cooke SP3! Little expensive but love the image from them. I have used Nikon, Canon RF and Irix lenses but now I shoot almost everything on the Cooke SP3 lenses.
Hi again Ed! So I just got a Komodo with the outrigger handle, 512 angelbird card, full tilta cage,baseplate and vmount for £3500…… very happy with it! Would love to pick your brains about it??
I just got a Komodo for an Ursa Mini G2 plus $2000 trade. Excited. I do have a question. When I record a clip with the Komodo, I see three separate video files in the folder. What are those?
So when recording RAW the camera doesn't output one single file but records / splits it across multiple files, so the longer you record the more files appear in the folder. This can be beneficial because if there's a card error or battery gets yanked out generally it's much easier to recover footage as it's already written the files. I believe there is one file in there which is some sort of index / meta date file.
I just picked up my KOMODO 3 days ago, I’m coming from a RED RAVEN and I’ve been loving it except for the Noise, I find that even after black shading everytime i use it and exposing properly with the goal posts and indicators, using 800ISO for better highlights and 400 for better shadows , I still get pixelation and/or noise on my shots, it doesn’t necessarily look detailed but a little over sharpened , any tips ? Amazing video bro!!
If you're getting noise in the shadows it sounds like you should drop the ISO and or add more light to open up the lower end of the image. Only shoot 800 if you absolutely need to, as I tend to push a darker image I tend to monitor around 400 / 640
@@EdProsser I’m getting noise more on the bright scenes when I push it to ISO800 and it’s like a bright sky, or soemthing like that, I’m also waiting the T/E to turn green before calibrating, using the Cap on the RF to EF adapter not on the native RF, do you think thag might be the issue?
@@delcastillomedia possibly, you should calibrate with the sensor cap on and nothing else attached. Generally if your T/E symbols turn green you don't always need to recalibrate. Always best practice too, but I don't always do so
Review is great! Ive been thinking something is wrong with my Komodo cause of all the noise but noticed all your footage is the same. Is this just a noisy camera? Doesn't it drive you nuts?
I've just added grain! The original shots were clean. Sometimes you can get a bit of noise in the shadow if underexposed. Easy enough to remove with a smidge of noise reduction. Try exposing for a lower ISO such as 400 or 640 and black shade your camera after it's warmed up and see if that makes a difference
Yeah I just couldn't justify the upgrade with only owning the OG for 2 years - a lot of the issues have work arounds (battery plate.etc.) I also really like the smaller form factor of the OG over the X as well. Would love the frame rates though. May upgrade at some point... But who knows.
Thanks for the in-depth video. When filming documentaries, for a moment like @21:33 when she sets the crate down, do you get your subjects to do a couple of takes of shots like that? My question is how often are you communicating and planning shots and getting multiple takes when shooting documentary footage, especially if you're shooting by yourself solo no crew?
It totally depends, I think with this shot we just did a take and got it in one. Generally with that project I was following my friend round in the farm, and it was half just capturing action as it happened and then stopping her when something interesting was happening and blocking through it a bit more to get it captured properly on camera. When I'm shooting small scale docs its always a combo of capturing actuality and then shooting more rehearsed takes.
it's a really nice camera, I just wish it had ND filters and XLR ports. I really like the Sony F55, because it too is a global shutter camera, but it has the ND and XLR ports. More companies should give us that global shutter we need
Yeah I hear ya, NDs would be AMAZING. I can live without the XLR option as it keeps the body small and I can bolt a record on when I need one or work with a sound op.
You don't have to spend $5000 on storage and you can buy hard drives as you go. It depends how often and how much you shoot. I tend to have 4x4TB SSD drives on the go holding all my current professional and RUclips projects then I offload onto cheaper spinning disks. It's just not a long term solution so I want a single NAS unit rather than a tonne of little black hard drives clogging up my office.
I have a few 512 GB CFast cards as well as a special throw away drive I use to make my experiments on which is a -cfast-SSD- adapter from “Zitay “. In this, I have a few terabyte SSD drives that I travel with. I would not recommend for pro work but fine for fun. I have not had any issues with it as its speed is dependent on the SSD I have in it.
@@EdProsser ah amazing. I grabbed that new H4E from Zoom for my Komodo for the exact same reason as you, this looks like it’ll solve my mounting issue. Thanks. I’ll check CVP.
Thats why i cant wait to cop my Komodo X, even more of an upgrade from the OG Komodo. Thing is truly a beast of a camera. That global shutter is truly a massive selling point for me.
I kinda got confused about your grading process..Sorry i just want to clarify . Looks like you use filmvision for film emulation without luts? and then apply phantom on top of it? or you sometimes use phatom without filmvision?
Hello, director. I am a subscriber who is watching in Korea. I was impressed by the director's video, so I also bought a blazar adapter. I'm also using Lumix s1h camera. But I use Canon FD 1.4 s.s.c lens with blazar adapter, but the video doesn't come out as clean as the director. I set the video setting to 6k openate. And the anamorphic setting is 1.5. But the vignetting is too much and the sharpness is poor, so could you tell me the director's camera setting? Thank you for reading the long article.
What focal length are you using for the Canon FD? Generally you want to be around the 35-60mm for the best sharpest results. Also make sure you stop down your taking lens I'd not go down below to F2 / 2.8 for beat results. Also make sure the taking lens is focused to infinity
@@EdProsser Thank you, director. I didn't write down the angle of view of the lens. It's a 50mm lens. I need to adjust the aperture. Does the director also use the video resolution as a 6k open gate?
@@ggomori3904 it's been a while since I've used the Nero but I did shoot open gate, stopping down may help. Are you using step up rings to connect the Nero to the lens that could also cause vignetting
@@EdProsser Yes, that's right. I'm using a downring to use the Nero lens. The front side of the Canon lens is 55mm and the back side of the Nero lens is 52mm, so I'm using a downring that reduces it from 55 to 52.
@@ggomori3904 that could be causing some vignetting depending on the distance between the two... Any filters on the front of the lens could also cause vignetting
hey man, really cool video, lots of beautiful shots, and finally someone bringing up the contradiction of "iso doesn't matter, but actually it matters", I'm gonna dig a bit deeper here as a fresh komodo owner, maybe someone cares to join me in that discussion So for me even shooting at the iso of 800 as a default often results in either pretty bright image on my monitor, or if I compensate with NDs or iris - I have better image but histogram sits to the left, shadows are quick to get noisy. So alright I should "protect the shadows" shoot at lower iso, that's fine. I just really struggle to see example where I would want to actually stay at 800 or go above it. As far as I'm concerned I just need to watch the traffic lights to make sure I'm not clipping a lot of highlights if they are important to me, but why would I want to force myself through a brightening monitoring LUT (aka high ISO) to darken my image, if I can achieve similar results by just watching the histogram and traffic lights
I should have added one more section here talking about how I often like to work in camera by lowering the ISO in camera to get a darker image on the screen (generally I will pull my shot down a stop in post anyway) which encourages me to add a bit more light (without clipping) - I think it's always better to be at the higher end of the RAW exposure just at the edge of bringing those highlight warnings on. If you're exposing for a skintone - it's possible that the low end of your image is being underexposed so if your shadows are noisy at ISO 800 try adding more light - or just running noise reduction. Obviously you have to balance that with what's happening in your highlights - if adding more light clips your highlights to improve your shadows that's the thing you have to make a call on. Sometimes if you're just clipping a window or the sun that's fine.
@@EdProsser Thanks for the quick reply Brother. I am using an Atomos Ninja v and capturing the 16-bit raw from Sony A7s3. But Atomos is compressing that to a 12-bit pro-res raw. But quality is far superior to the internal 10-bit codecs. From your reply, I got that Komodo is taking the 16-bit raw signal and compressing it to 12-bit Right? Ultimately it is giving a 12-bit 4:2:2 raw? not like the other Red cameras that captures 16 bit raw internally
@@baijunatarajan no it's the same as all RED cameras I think! It's a 16 bit file but I think the way information is encoded is in a linear fashion rather than a 12 bit logarithmic method which supposedly is more efficient and similar in quality to 16 bit linear
What kind of railing system do u use when u build out your camera. I like the clip on matte but I also have a mountable matte w rails. What do u suggest?
@@gynnfx3629 I use the Bright tangerine leftfield system, thats a baseplate whcih connects to camera and that connects to an arri dovetail plate which connects to tripod plate. You can see this in the rigging section of this vid
@@EdProsseralso. I need a basic but good light kit. On this video, u have a simple interview light kit when u r talking about the Red app on the iPad. What kind of lights are u using? And thx
I want to ask a question. When measuring with a Sekonic light meter, it measures according to ISO. But the ISO usage of Red Komodo is different from other cameras. For example, when Sony A7S3 doubles the ISO, it also doubles the amount of light. Measuring with red komodo and light meter gives incorrect results. No one has made a video on this subject. Can you make a video on this subject? How can we take accurate shots and measurements using a light meter with Red Komodo? For example, if I set the ISO to 1600 to emphasize the bright red comoak points, Sekonic behaves incorrectly and gives me a dark exposure. Because Red Komodo does not react to ISO like Sony A7s3
Hmm I'm not sure as I don't own one, every camera rates ISO slightly differently but generally every doubling of ISO should equate to a stop of light. Is there a way to calibrate the meter to a specific camera ?
@@EdProsser No, there is no such way. However, it will be necessary to do tests with Sekonic and Red Komodo and test how to get the right results with the Komodo camera ISO and Sekonic light meter. If you do this test, we will all benefit from it. You can rent one. I would be happy if you help The problem is that when you double the ISO with Su Red Komodo, the light does not double. There is no problem when shooting with prores, but red raw and iso react differently
My biggest flaw with the Komodo has to be the refresh rate of the screen. it's unbearably slow and unresponsive. they kinda increased the Hertz on the KX but it's still nowhere near as smooth as a blackmagic one for example
Yeah I agree, but can live with it, I don't interact with it much, plus you can always get a smallHD or portkeys monitor with camera control. If I'm on sticks and shooting interviews I'm usually operating it from an IPad or Phone.
@@EdProsser I use it mainly when i wanna go back and review some of the clips i shot. and its frustrating. especially when you have to go back 20 or 30 clips
I'd love to but don't really want to drop that kinda cash on a new body right now, especially as the OG is still serving me well. If work is busy over the next few months we'll see... But I'd like to wait and see what other brands announced over the next 12 months.
I love the red image. Me personally would not buy it tough. I want ibis, autofcus, being able to run and gun out of the box. I hope nikon will make a z9 with a little bit of red dna in it and i will be very happy.
Yeah that's fair! I have both! LUMIX S5 iiX covers those jobs and everything else I use the RED (and often I use both!) very interested to see what happens with RED / Nikon over the next 18 months
![EVERYONE is WRONG About the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K! [Review]](/img/1.gif)
Props to you for staying with this camera and not falling for the trap that some manufacturers try to set for us.
I try to keep my cameras for 3-4 years where possible, I think the Komodo should easily do that - sure I'd love Komodo X - but I can probably better invest the money else where. We'll see!
@@EdProsser I think a Raptor would be a much better step up to be honest. If you are happy with the Komodo, juste save more until you have enough for the Raptor (even a second hand). At first I wanted to sell my FX6 + FX3 and get a Komodo X (since day one, I never been a huge fan of the image coming from my Sony's). But when I think about it; I loved the OG Komodo when I rented one for a music video, so why not get a second hand (full package with monitors, v-lock plate + vmount batteries + monitor + side & top handle + cfast cards,...) for twice cheaper than a Komodo X (body only). And get a Canon R5C as a b-cam that I will use for photos and videos. Or another hybrid like a Fuji / Pana (but I always loved Canon for photography! I should try the Fuji tho, because it looks great too).
You're the man, Ed. Seriously. Haven't gotten far into the video yet, and I just want you to know that you're a real one.
Haha take your time, it's a long one, not sure I'll ever make a vid this long again...
@@EdProsser haha I'm sure it was a labor of love
The amount of effort you’ve put into this is so awesome- thank you Ed
Thanks man - appreciate it, taken a few months to get this all wrapped up. Hopefully it should help people interested in the cam as I think it's gonna be relevant for a good few years to come!
Wanted to write exactly that. Cheers Ed, very nicely done, as always!
@@bokehdilla I feel like I need a break from RUclips after making this 😅
The best Red Komod review on YT. I dont even own one and watched the whole thing!
haha well done you, I hope it wasn't too arduous
It’s unlikely I’ll ever purchase a Red Komodo, but I loved the deep dive. Long-term reviews are ultimately the ones that really matter, and for someone thinking of getting into this system, your video will be invaluable. All the effort most definitely worthwhile.
Thanks for checking it out! Never intended to be a RED owner myself, thought it would always be too complicated it over kill, but it just sort of happened, very happy with it.
Surprised the opening scene hasn’t been talked about yet. Banger 😂
I've been fumbling with sensor caps for years 🤣
A 40 minute masterpiece on this camera, really well rounded deep dive and some seriously cinematic footage🔥🔥
Thank you dude! 😎
Best Red Komodo review ever, not over selling it, this made me get it. Thank you.
Thank you! It was sooooooo much work, but hope it will help people picking the camera up second hand
As someone starting to build understanding and interest in cameras such as the Komodo this video was beyond helpful! Thanks for this!
That's why I made it, glad it helped!
Love this one Ed! THE Red Komodo video. Thanks for your time and dedication to getting this out 🙏🏻
Thanks for checking it out Dan. This was a crazy amount of work but wanted to experiment with someone "long form" am interested to see how this does over time.
A lovely story of your journey with the Komodo. Thank you for sharing.
I very much liked how you covered the review of the RED Komodo and also touched on the Blackmagic Pyxis camera. I'll be very much looking forward to getting into the RED system and workflow.😎
Glad you enjoyed it! 🫡
Leaving Sony trying out RED's color science for the 1st time, as an editor I'm excited for the post production workflow! Great Video, Thank you!
Have fun!
Excellent review. I love my Komodo just got it a few months ago and am learning so much
There's a lot to learn but a lot of the lessons will make you a better image maker if you're prepared to put in the time
@eddie_g spend time also on learning Resolve as much as possible. The ability to get the most out of a R3D file is amazing. You cannot do that with any other camera. Also, do a personal video project. I recently went to Venice and learned more than the two previous years owning the camera on that project.
I just moved from a BMPCC to a Komodo and was 100% terrified about the move and did not really know if I would be able to get a grasp of using it and this video has done me absolute wonders and really help me understand a lot more and I'm super excited to get out and start shooting with it along with the Night Walker lenses which I bought after watching your other video talking about them.
Thank you so much Ed for this video, this is probably the best video that has really explained the Komodo and hope to get the same stunning images as yourself!
Ahhhh thanks so much this is what I like to hear and that's exactly why I wanted to make this video, to share all the things I learnt and help others get the best out of this amazing camera!
is the image on komodo much better? also considering this switch..
I’m thinking of switching from the bmpcc og to the red Komodo
What a great breakdown. It makes me feel better about the progress that I’m making in my own work with the lumix s5ii. I’m growing into the camera, and I haven’t pushed it to the edge yet. Loved this breakdown, and of course all the footage you’ve put through your Komodo these past few years.
I don’t see myself getting a Komodo anymore with the release of the new Blackmagic Pixie, but global shutter and 16 bit are always tempting.
Thanks man! You're killing it with your work, it's so great to see what you're doing with the S5 ii.
The PYXIS has the same sensor as the S5, I don't know whether it would be much of a step up, I feel like that cam will be best suited for interviews and corporate work. I'm sure you'd make it shine though.
Totally think the global shutter with all the movement you do would get you some really beautiful results!
Ed i haven't watched the full length yet but I will once I am back home. I always love your updates about your Komodo experience because you don't come from a fan boy perspective nor do you jump to the next hottest thing on the market and state how your Komodo doesn't quite cut it.
Thanks man! Yeah these long camera reviews are a bit of a labour of love, but I figure this camera will have a long shelf life on the used market because it's image is still phenomenal!
amazing video. been using the c70 for around the same amount of time and have always been interested in switching to the komodo. might have to make a 40minute review of the c70 now to convince myself to keep it 😅
Haha - I definitely see benefits to the C70 - I looked into getting one at the time of getting the Komodo - but I'm happy with the cam and it's served me well over the years
Finally sitting down to watch this...even though I never plan to own a Red but love your videos ❤❤
I never planned to own one either, until I saw someone who did similar work to me shooting on one and they sold me on it!
LAst night at a wedding party, managed to get some frames with my Komodo and a Milvus Zeiss. Ohhh, my God. What a look....Will never go back to mirrorless.
I really want to shoot on the milvus!
The Komodo app is amazing
💯
I think I might have benefited from the Pyxis NAB hype by getting an obscene deal on the Komodo this weekend. This video wiped any risk of buyers remorse off the table. Excellent breakdown, Ed.
Glad to hear! Yeah that's why I thought there was still value in putting this out, as there is a big used market demand popping off a few years after a cam launches.
Fantastic video Ed! I absolutely love my Komodo!
Another banger dude, makes me want to buy a RED something ive been on the fence about.
thanks man, I say - DO IT
Great pace on this. Detailed. You seem to have outdone yourself.
Ed! Most of these gear video's are very tedious but this video was very compelling, informative and fun! Cheers
Haha thanks! I'm glad this 40 min epic didn't get too tedious!
This was awesome man great work. Love my OG and even though I don’t use it as much as I used to after upgrading to the KX I would say it was a launch point for me.
I'd love a Komodo X but the OG still does everything I need it to!
You absolutely nailed the BRAW issue I have with newer BM cameras. I’m currently shooting on their OG 12K and the image is better than any camera I’ve used so far, including the Komodo, so I hate to let it go but being locked into BRAW has been really problematic for contractor work.
Producers are either scared of the 12k (even though it shoots equally strong 8k and 4k with the full sensor at near global shutter readouts) or they just want PRORES, or even h.265 on smaller gigs.
Pretty much the only time I can comfortably shoot BRAW is on personal gigs where I make all the decisions from start to finish. But more than half of my work comes from being a freelancer on larger productions that aren’t interested in being locked into BRAW. I wish they would just offer a PRORES option even if it came with some compromises.
Really great video though! Got me missing my old Komodo I sold a while back.
The 12k has a great beautiful image! But yes I couldn't even consider it as it was BRAW only which is a shame. With modern workflows / web delivery and the ability of computers to handle h265 efficiently - shooting compressed media is increasingly common in professional workflows so it just seems like a big oversight on their part.
@@EdProsser Definitely an oversight. I had heard buzz that some big stuff was coming from BM during this years NAB, which was true, but I was really low key hoping they were going to combat the low adoption rate by opening it up to more universal codecs. They went the other direction and really doubled down on BRAW only cameras. So I’m at a loss of how to proceed, and I suspect I may have to part ways with it sooner than later. Perhaps back to the komodo!
I’m here from the Facebook group, love the video. I’m new to the Komodo ecosystem so this was great!!
Hey thanks for checking it out, hope there's some stuff in there that'll help you on your way!
Great video! I owned several RED cameras including two Komodos. I've sold them all. I never like the image out of the Komodo and felt it didn't have the look of the older sensors. I also hated using the camera, it was so awkward to use, from the record button layout (had to get the mutiny button) and the bad audio preamps, to the weird position of the controls and the super sensitive SDI port. Can't wait for Nikon to implement the compressed codec into one of their cameras, with Nikon's superior color science (Komodo image looks muddy to my eye), and great Z lenses. I currently have FX6 and FX3 and clients love the work I make for them on those cameras. All cameras are so good these days that the RED name doesn't mean much anymore.
Very interesting! It definitely seems like a camera you either love or hate. Me personally I've never got on well with the FX6 or FX3, but maybe that's because I've had years shooting on Panasonic's and I just prefer their cams.
The Komodo isn't the easiest camera to use, but for my work I love it! I've never shot in anything quite like it before in terms of the image I can pull of it, the size, the flexibility. It's sort of become my dream camera. As you can tell, I'm very happy with it!
Like you say, we're spoilt for choice these days, so I think everyone can find the right tool for them, at a price that they can afford.
I have no plans to buy a RED but learnt so much watching this video. Thanks man. Awesome work.
Thanks for checking it out man! Not sure I'll make another vid this long again, entering Philip Bloom territory 🤣
Also, I never had plans to buy a RED either... It just sort of happened, whoops
@@EdProsser Hahah finally get your evenings back now!
@@EdProsser I have a Nikon so I’m technically half way there 😜
@@matthewjamesmartin I'm genuinely excited to see what comes next! Definitely won't be investing in any Rf glass!
Thankfully Nikon also make incredible lenses. The first proper DSLR I used professionally was the D7100, I used it alongside a Panasonic AF101, because the Nikon lenses were so easy to adapt between the two.
Thanks Ed.
I watched this entire video. I have an fx6 but so tempted to change to a Komodo and then maybe getting an fx30 or s5ii. Hmmm decisionssss
Endless decisions! I know the pain...
I too was a late arriver to the OG Komodo. I still love it. I found I still use my BMPCC4Ks a lot - mainly for gimbal shooting. The built in back screen allows me to use the Ronin without the cage for mounting a monitor. But yeah. Love the Komodo, it produces beautiful images and is built like a home and. Super flexible setup.
Yeah in terms of image quality, I just think it occupies a very unique space in terms of cost and what else is available.
How does the images of the 4K compare to the Komodo in your taste?
@@elieh.studio the bmpcc4k images hold up wonderfully in the first ISO range. The Komodo destroy it in the second range with some caveats. If you’re not filming something bright like fire the bmpcc4k does better in low light from my experience. But also I spend like 4 years with the bmpcc and made a night time horror movie so I know how to push it
@@elieh.studio The Red's RAW format is lovely - I've shot at 800 ISO and gone to 100 or up to 3200+. I like how you adjust to the actual white balance in post. The global shutter is lovely - you can more easily stabilize footage in post.
Hurrah! Been waiting for this one
How do you sync the zoom f3
@@cleverghostchili so I just record separately and sync in post. Don't tend to use timecode for the shoots I use this on as I'm mostly doing interviews with it. Generally it's worked great. Thinking of picking up a Deity THEOS set soon to go with it.
@@EdProsser I see. Was thinking you’d like the Bluetooth time code module
@@cleverghostchili I've heard mixed things about it have you got it? I remember seeing it doesn't play nice with a lot of stuff or something?
I am eagerly looking forward to watching the video that you mentioned, Ed. I am excited to see what it contains and am curious to learn more about it. Thank you for sharing it with. us!
Which video do you mean?
@@EdProsser this one! Sorry! It was great to see!
I don't need a Komodo at ALL but just love the RED colors and vibe and would buy one if I could justify it. Thanks for the video
I didn't think I needed one but so glad I ended up going down this route
Love your content bro!!! I don’t know if anyone suggested it in the comments but when you figure out your storage solution I’d love to see a break down. I have the OG Komodo too and I love it but storage is the pits man!!! Keep up the great job!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🫡
Thanks dude! I will for sure, still need to do more research, but I gotta sort it soon as it's driving me nuts too!
@@EdProsser Appreciate you in advance bro!!! 🙏🏿
Hey man I really appreciate all the work and effort you put into this video. I've been on the edge about upgrading and your video is the most in depth video I've come across yet. Thank you so much for this, new sub and I'm going to make the jump next week!
Thank you! Wanted to share everything I've learnt on this cam, as I know REDs tend to have a long second life on the used market so I figured a lot of people would be picking em up used and wanting some up to date info on them!
Great work Ed. Digging the presentation. Still love my Komodo. I am at a good place with the gear that I like to get to which is where I forget about who has made it. Open mount to throw on a PL, EF, M or a 0.71x adaptor whatever whenever plus R3D to output to whatever. Coming from a stills background where I only shoot raw on my GFX and X2D, I love the simplicity of the Komodo. I find that the only time I see a bad image coming from a Komodo is when it has been over processed or ill-used LUTs in post.
All true, I love the simplicity of this camera. one of the biggest myths is that these larger / more expensive camera systems are more complicated to operate, it's the exact opposite
I'm a film student just finishing my final year of university and hopefully getting to work on productions/get clients after I graduate. When the new Blackmagic cameras came out, I was very confused at what camera I should work up to buying. All those Blackmagic fans were swarming my RUclips feed. Its great that I found this and there was so much information! I've been using the BMPCC4k and Ursa for three years now for uni projects but I think I'm definitely going work on getting the Red Komodo instead. Do you have any advice for starting out on filmmaking/getting clients?
I would say focus on building a small portfolio of work. Can you work for local charities / businesses give them low rates so that you can build up a collection of work... You don't need the most expensive kit to start out, you can rent until you're earning enough to buy.
The PYXIS looks like a nice camera, but it's an old sensor, it doesn't look like much of a step forward nor a camera I'd want to own for many years.
Awesome video! I am very happy with my Fujifilm X-H2s with PL speedbooster and Vespid Primes. I mainly use it for my cinematic car videos channel, but also for fashion and product videos.
I started leaning towards Red Komodo for the R3D files. Would you say there is noticeable difference in IQ, DR and grading flexibility over X-H2s?
I've never used th X-H2s but yes I'd imagine the RED would be a step up and offer more flexibility in post.
I’ve used both Komodo and XH2s a lot. If you get the image right in camera (WB/ISO/Etc), they both have pretty much the same image quality. The Komodo has a bit more flexibility in post with the raw files and of course the global shutter, but even the XH2s has a fast enough sensor readout to feel pretty close to global shutter. The XH2s is way easier to work with, faster to operate, and even has decent AF, better media options, faster framerates up to 120p, and even functions as a professional level photo camera. Basically you’re not going to see a huge jump in quality unless you need a raw workflow.
@@TheJ_G too late with the comment, I have both now! :D
Just kidding, I expected it to be pretty much the same when properly exposed, but I wanted it for the R3D flexibility and the global shutter, and I am not disappointed at all. Even though the XH2s is easier and faster to operate, I like the additional challenge and the rigging of the Komodo. Only did a short video test, will give it a proper try on couple cool projects soon.
Greta review very detailed and informative, well done bro
Thanks for the detailed review!
🫡
So good! In-Depth. I'm thinking this is front runner to shot my first feature with. :)
Always great man.
Love this camera but more so love the work you're doing with it. One thing I haven't understood yet - what's the difference between choosing a higher ISO and preserving the highlights, and choosing a lower ISO and just exposing a little lower - especially if you are exposing using the traffic lights? Won't underexposing using the lower ISO bring you back to the same position relative to the noise floor and clipping point compared to exposing normally at the high ISO?
If you're hitting the exact same exposure there will be no difference to the RAW data obviously - so if you're underexposing by a stop at ISO400 - you're actually hitting a correct exposure for 800 - it's kinda the same thing - but you will see the difference in the highlight roll off in post between ISO 400 and say 3200 - so you're better targeting and monitoring in camera at the ISO you're intending to work with in post.
If you know you're going to pull the image down in post - you could monitor at ISO 400 so see what it looks like a stop darker for sure - but you'd still need to be properly exposing for that ISO 800 if that makes sense - so if you're exposing at ISO 3200 you may have some traffic lights on in the shadows (depends on your image) - but you're preserving that highlight information.
This is what I was trying to express in the exposure section with showing those waveforms / RGB parade - the camera had the same exposure across each shot - but higher ISO's had a higher clipping point with more highlight rolloff - essentially we are cutting more and more light hitting that sensor, sacrificing the shadow detail to target the highlights.
@@EdProsser really appreciate the video examples - this is the clearest example I've seen - and thanks for the detailed answer! Sorry I didn't express myself clearly - what I mean is, perhaps if you were to lower NDs by half a stop or a stop at ISO 800, or turn the lights down by that amount, thus actually underexposing it at ISO 800 - wouldn't that be the same result as exposing normally at ISO 3200?
@@prismcollectionmusic yes every time you double the ISO you're going up a stop. So if you're at ISO 800 and underexposed by one stop, you're achieving correct exposure at ISO 1600. But you're monitoring how that image would look at ISO 800 with the dynamic range allocation of that ISO level.
The second part is how the highlight curve is applied to the footage in post at different ISO levels. So if you've exposed at 3200 and cut a lot of light to the sensor then in post you set it to ISO 3200 you'll see a better highlight roll off than dropping the same image down to 1600. In the same way that increasing that ISO will affect the shadows and create more noise. It's that balance between hitting your desired expose in camera and following through with it in post.
i.e. you can't magically achieve a nice highlight curve by increasing the ISO to 3200 after the fact if the RAW data isn't sitting in the right place to begin with.
@@EdProsser I didn't mean I would shift to 3200 in post in this alternative way; just expose for 1600 ISO-as-monitoring-LUT in camera and choose 800 in post, for example - that way there will be more highlight room than exposing for ISO 800 normally - as an alternative to shooting at 3200. But I think the 3200 route might be better if the highlight curve is a different shape.
Slept on it, I'm starting to wonder if we're describing the same technique, i.e. boosting ISO and cutting light in raw is the same as underexposing in non-raw formats...
Hey man! Great and detailed review. I did want this cam for documentary, run and gun, and family vacations. Is this suited for it?
Absolutely I primarily shoot docs and factual content. When I use it for RUclips content - it's always run'ngun!
Oh wow! Follow up question. Can you power the RED with a usb c PD powerbank?
great review! (just quick question - did you use some noise/grain filter in this video, because a lot of footage is "grainy")
Yes I add grain for texture
@@EdProsser tnx, so you are using just canon slide-in vnd? any other VNDs you would recommend (screw ons) that preserve color and sharpness?
I don’t recommend the canon VND - mofage poco adapter is great though… most vnds will have colour shifts - H&Y revoring is a good VND, NISI also
one day ill own one. great video!
You will!! Thanks for checking it out!
best red komodo review out there!!!!
Thank you it was a lot of work!
@@EdProsser thank you bro! I get my red komodo almost 2 years ago, and you describe exactly every feeling i got with it along the time, specially with the process of learning how to use it, and how to manage the colorgrade with it
Good job 👏🏼 best video ever
🙌🏼
Thanks for this review, great work! The Komodo touchscreen is much less responsive with a screen protector on… so just remove it if you notice issues handling it.
Yeah that's probably why! It's the same one on it that came with cam, will probably keep on for now!
I bought an FX3 this weekend and decided to sell the RED Komodo-X because the difference between the picture quality is not 2x and if you know how to expose a Sony, you will get almost the same picture. I took two identical frames, brought them to the same exposure and contrast as a result you could only notice the difference in sharpness of the picture, because on the Komodo-X I used the Vespid 40mm and on the Sony GM 50mm.
Before the K-X I had a V-Raptor and I can say that the cinematic level of the picture started with that camera. So, my final decision is the FX3 for gimbal shooting and in situations where I need autofocus or want a super compact setup. And for using the DZOFILM Vespid and Blazar Remus, I'll be using the BMPCC 6K FF. And owning two cameras that give me maximum flexibility is cheaper than having one Komodo-X. This may sound like I'm saying RED cameras are bad, but they're not. It was very hard for me to admit that I get more options and usability for less money than owning a RED given that I've despised Sony cameras for the past two years and thought I'd never stop shooting with REDs.
Upgrading from Komodo OG to Komodo-X only makes sense if you want to have 80 fps or use V-Mount batteries directly. No other benefits will be gained by doing so.
Thanks for sharing! You've got to find the right camera for you whatever that might be and sounds like you ended up in the right place!
I've shot on the FX3 and FX6 a fair bit and I personally am not a fan with working with Slog nor do I love operating those cameras. But they are very capable and if I had unlimited money I'd definitely pick an FX6 up for super run and gun work.
Enjoy your FX3!
@@EdProsser I agree with you, I still hate the Sony menus, lack of False Color, Shutter Angle, no RAW format in any form. RED and Blackmagic has had all of this since day one. But Cine EI in the latest firmware from Sony helps solve this problem and adjust exposure using only Zebras at 94%, just do ETTR all the time.
I use a DJI Focus Pro to get autofocus on a gimbal now. That solved a major drawback of the Komodo. The global shutter, the RED R3D files are why I stay with the Komodo. I shot a difficult scene in Venice recently where half of the scene was in sunlight and the rest was in shade. As you get more experience with grading RAW, the more you can do with the images. I noticed that my Sony camera is getting used less and less now, even if it is easier to use, the image quality from RED is outstanding. Yes, on a fixed image, you can get a Sony to match a RED, but the RED starts to shine when you don’t have an optimal shooting situation.
Yeah, not only am I not selling my ST Komodo OG, I just bought a second one now that they are getting cheaper.
Yeah really interesting how the pricing has dropped over the last year, they were so over inflated during the pandemic!
Same here. I got one for cheaper than fx3. And it came with free accessories and ready to shoot. I Love it. Komodo OG
nice video love my red too!
Honestly it's the best cam I've ever owned
I'm looking for a camera to invest in and use for my own and other peoples projects. I've only ever shot one proper short film and on it the two cameras that the dops had were red komodos. Watching them being used and seeing the result of the film got me intrigued (which is why I watched this video). The only thing is, I have never owned a camera like this. I have only ever had cannon eos 500d, so my question to you is, is it worth making the leap to this sort of camera? I know I'd use it and I do enjoy it and it's features but is it responsible to go from such a small camera to something like this with higher quality, cost and more accessories? or should I aim for something smaller to get more experience first? Thanks for the vid too, was very helpful and I subscribed!
That's a tricky one! If you feel like you need more experience then maybe a smaller all in one camera that comes ready to shoot out the box would be simpler? The komodo is a very simple camera to operate, but it does require rigging and accessories to make it useable.
My best advise would be to just rent / borrow one to try it out so you can see for your self. As well as maybe something like an FX6.
@@EdProsser Yeah at my film school we have fx6’s and they kinda just don’t scratch that itch that the red komodo’s did when I was on the short film set… that being said I reckon I’ll reach out to one of the guys with the komodo and play around with it more. thank you!
Awesome review
I love your style. What are your favorite lenses to shoot with on the Red? Secondly what filters and matte box do you like.
I've mostly been shooting on the DZO Film vespids - I mainly use a Bright Tangerine Misfit Atom as it's very light weight and quick to use! For NDs I use Formatt Hitech firecrest ultra thin IRNDs!
Best lens? I love the Cooke SP3! Little expensive but love the image from them. I have used Nikon, Canon RF and Irix lenses but now I shoot almost everything on the Cooke SP3 lenses.
I'd love some of those SP3s!
Shot in Turin, my hometown! 😍
My partner is from Turin! We go a lot.
Good stuff man! This has really helped me make an informed investment decision. Liked & Subbed.
Thanks for the sub 👍
Out-stan-ding vidéo. Amazing work. Congrats. Hope you are buyer diner to that lady ;)
I'm taking her away this weekend for her birthday 🎂
Hi again Ed!
So I just got a Komodo with the outrigger handle, 512 angelbird card, full tilta cage,baseplate and vmount for £3500…… very happy with it!
Would love to pick your brains about it??
Congratulations hope you're enjoying it! I guess this video has everything in it that I would want to say about the Komodo!
Still love my Komodo
I think its image still holds it's own against modern competition!
I just got a Komodo for an Ursa Mini G2 plus $2000 trade. Excited. I do have a question. When I record a clip with the Komodo, I see three separate video files in the folder. What are those?
So when recording RAW the camera doesn't output one single file but records / splits it across multiple files, so the longer you record the more files appear in the folder. This can be beneficial because if there's a card error or battery gets yanked out generally it's much easier to recover footage as it's already written the files. I believe there is one file in there which is some sort of index / meta date file.
Curious you mentioned stabilization. How do you achieve this with the Komodo?
Just using software stabilisation like in da Vinci resolve it works a lot better on footage with a global shutter than on footage without.
I just picked up my KOMODO 3 days ago, I’m coming from a RED RAVEN and I’ve been loving it except for the Noise, I find that even after black shading everytime i use it and exposing properly with the goal posts and indicators, using 800ISO for better highlights and 400 for better shadows , I still get pixelation and/or noise on my shots, it doesn’t necessarily look detailed but a little over sharpened , any tips ? Amazing video bro!!
If you're getting noise in the shadows it sounds like you should drop the ISO and or add more light to open up the lower end of the image. Only shoot 800 if you absolutely need to, as I tend to push a darker image I tend to monitor around 400 / 640
Are you also waiting for the camera to heat up before black shading? And also doing so with the sensor cap on?
@@EdProsser I’m getting noise more on the bright scenes when I push it to ISO800 and it’s like a bright sky, or soemthing like that, I’m also waiting the T/E to turn green before calibrating, using the Cap on the RF to EF adapter not on the native RF, do you think thag might be the issue?
@@delcastillomedia possibly, you should calibrate with the sensor cap on and nothing else attached. Generally if your T/E symbols turn green you don't always need to recalibrate. Always best practice too, but I don't always do so
@@EdProsser sounds good man, thanks for the advice ! Any iso u suggest for bright scenes or sunny days??
When you’re dope it really doesn’t matter. I am saving up for that 17 tho! Gotta have it! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤷🏿♂️
Haha - yeah - I wouldn't kick it out of bed.
Review is great! Ive been thinking something is wrong with my Komodo cause of all the noise but noticed all your footage is the same. Is this just a noisy camera? Doesn't it drive you nuts?
I've just added grain! The original shots were clean.
Sometimes you can get a bit of noise in the shadow if underexposed. Easy enough to remove with a smidge of noise reduction.
Try exposing for a lower ISO such as 400 or 640 and black shade your camera after it's warmed up and see if that makes a difference
does the field recorder go into the 3.5 on the komodo? or are you recording externally and then syncing in post?
It can do, but most often I just record to the recorder and sync in post to benefit from the 32-bit float recordings.
Dude! YES!
A lot work done. Thank you. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!!
could you make a comparison video between it and lumix s5ii or that will be kind of apples vs oranges thing
It is kinda, but it's actually been on my list to do for a while... If I get time I'll do it!
@@EdProsser thanks a lot 🥰
Man... if you're happy with an OG Komodo... Can't imagine how you'd feel with a Komodo X. This camera solves ALL the problems the OG Komodo has.
Yeah I just couldn't justify the upgrade with only owning the OG for 2 years - a lot of the issues have work arounds (battery plate.etc.) I also really like the smaller form factor of the OG over the X as well. Would love the frame rates though. May upgrade at some point... But who knows.
Great review
Thanks for the in-depth video. When filming documentaries, for a moment like @21:33 when she sets the crate down, do you get your subjects to do a couple of takes of shots like that? My question is how often are you communicating and planning shots and getting multiple takes when shooting documentary footage, especially if you're shooting by yourself solo no crew?
It totally depends, I think with this shot we just did a take and got it in one. Generally with that project I was following my friend round in the farm, and it was half just capturing action as it happened and then stopping her when something interesting was happening and blocking through it a bit more to get it captured properly on camera.
When I'm shooting small scale docs its always a combo of capturing actuality and then shooting more rehearsed takes.
perfect video thank you ed
My pleasure
The panasonic image looks crazy good. I dont know why this camera is always under the radar.
getting one
Hope it treats you well!
it's a really nice camera, I just wish it had ND filters and XLR ports. I really like the Sony F55, because it too is a global shutter camera, but it has the ND and XLR ports. More companies should give us that global shutter we need
Yeah I hear ya, NDs would be AMAZING. I can live without the XLR option as it keeps the body small and I can bolt a record on when I need one or work with a sound op.
@@EdProsser XLRs aren't for everyone, but having a plugin XLR module with phantom power, would nice for my workflow
is $4200 a great deal for a Komodo 6k with 6 batterys and a title cage with side and top handles?
It sounds like a good deal. If it's with the outrigger that's a massive bargain
Did u buy a NAS system for storage? If so, what did u decide on?
not yet still trying to figure it out!
I am looking to buy the RED komodo, but I don't want to spend $5,000 on storage, is there any storage solutions for my computer?
You don't have to spend $5000 on storage and you can buy hard drives as you go. It depends how often and how much you shoot. I tend to have 4x4TB SSD drives on the go holding all my current professional and RUclips projects then I offload onto cheaper spinning disks. It's just not a long term solution so I want a single NAS unit rather than a tonne of little black hard drives clogging up my office.
I have a few 512 GB CFast cards as well as a special throw away drive I use to make my experiments on which is a -cfast-SSD- adapter from “Zitay “. In this, I have a few terabyte SSD drives that I travel with. I would not recommend for pro work but fine for fun. I have not had any issues with it as its speed is dependent on the SSD I have in it.
I just upgraded to a Synology 423. It has 32T in a RAID 1 setup. I use a Samsung T7 as a local drive. Less than $1,000.
You still have your EVA-1 🥰
Of course!! Still use it professionally
thaeEVA1 image is nice
It is!
Hey Ed. Can you get that Nato part you use for the F3 separately? Can it connect to any nato rail?
Yes on both! Take a look on Bright Tangerine's website or a store who stocks them.
@@EdProsser ah amazing. I grabbed that new H4E from Zoom for my Komodo for the exact same reason as you, this looks like it’ll solve my mounting issue. Thanks. I’ll check CVP.
@@EdProsser annoying. Can’t find the part anywhere, not on CVP or the site.
Found it. I’m blind.
Aside from the Godox f200, what was the other light u used in the interview scene at 35:18 ?
Aputure 300d mk2
@@EdProsser thx
Thats why i cant wait to cop my Komodo X, even more of an upgrade from the OG Komodo. Thing is truly a beast of a camera. That global shutter is truly a massive selling point for me.
Yes totally, still nothing like it at this price point
I kinda got confused about your grading process..Sorry i just want to clarify . Looks like you use filmvision for film emulation without luts? and then apply phantom on top of it? or you sometimes use phatom without filmvision?
Yeah seperate processes !
How do you setup the Zoom F3 with the Komodo ? Is it an external solution ?
It is, sometimes I run the line out into Komodo, but usually just record separately and sync in post.
Hello, director. I am a subscriber who is watching in Korea. I was impressed by the director's video, so I also bought a blazar adapter. I'm also using Lumix s1h camera. But I use Canon FD 1.4 s.s.c lens with blazar adapter, but the video doesn't come out as clean as the director. I set the video setting to 6k openate. And the anamorphic setting is 1.5. But the vignetting is too much and the sharpness is poor, so could you tell me the director's camera setting? Thank you for reading the long article.
What focal length are you using for the Canon FD? Generally you want to be around the 35-60mm for the best sharpest results. Also make sure you stop down your taking lens I'd not go down below to F2 / 2.8 for beat results. Also make sure the taking lens is focused to infinity
@@EdProsser Thank you, director. I didn't write down the angle of view of the lens. It's a 50mm lens. I need to adjust the aperture. Does the director also use the video resolution as a 6k open gate?
@@ggomori3904 it's been a while since I've used the Nero but I did shoot open gate, stopping down may help. Are you using step up rings to connect the Nero to the lens that could also cause vignetting
@@EdProsser Yes, that's right. I'm using a downring to use the Nero lens. The front side of the Canon lens is 55mm and the back side of the Nero lens is 52mm, so I'm using a downring that reduces it from 55 to 52.
@@ggomori3904 that could be causing some vignetting depending on the distance between the two... Any filters on the front of the lens could also cause vignetting
hey man, really cool video, lots of beautiful shots, and finally someone bringing up the contradiction of "iso doesn't matter, but actually it matters", I'm gonna dig a bit deeper here as a fresh komodo owner, maybe someone cares to join me in that discussion
So for me even shooting at the iso of 800 as a default often results in either pretty bright image on my monitor, or if I compensate with NDs or iris - I have better image but histogram sits to the left, shadows are quick to get noisy. So alright I should "protect the shadows" shoot at lower iso, that's fine. I just really struggle to see example where I would want to actually stay at 800 or go above it. As far as I'm concerned I just need to watch the traffic lights to make sure I'm not clipping a lot of highlights if they are important to me, but why would I want to force myself through a brightening monitoring LUT (aka high ISO) to darken my image, if I can achieve similar results by just watching the histogram and traffic lights
I should have added one more section here talking about how I often like to work in camera by lowering the ISO in camera to get a darker image on the screen (generally I will pull my shot down a stop in post anyway) which encourages me to add a bit more light (without clipping) - I think it's always better to be at the higher end of the RAW exposure just at the edge of bringing those highlight warnings on.
If you're exposing for a skintone - it's possible that the low end of your image is being underexposed so if your shadows are noisy at ISO 800 try adding more light - or just running noise reduction.
Obviously you have to balance that with what's happening in your highlights - if adding more light clips your highlights to improve your shadows that's the thing you have to make a call on. Sometimes if you're just clipping a window or the sun that's fine.
HI BRother, Does Komodo capture 16-bit raw? Or does it compress the 16-bit to 12-bit?
From what I understand it is 16 bit linear RAW recording, but I gather this is equatable to a 12 bit log file.
@@EdProsser Thanks for the quick reply Brother. I am using an Atomos Ninja v and capturing the 16-bit raw from Sony A7s3. But Atomos is compressing that to a 12-bit pro-res raw. But quality is far superior to the internal 10-bit codecs. From your reply, I got that Komodo is taking the 16-bit raw signal and compressing it to 12-bit Right? Ultimately it is giving a 12-bit 4:2:2 raw? not like the other Red cameras that captures 16 bit raw internally
@@baijunatarajan no it's the same as all RED cameras I think! It's a 16 bit file but I think the way information is encoded is in a linear fashion rather than a 12 bit logarithmic method which supposedly is more efficient and similar in quality to 16 bit linear
@@EdProsser OK thank you
What kind of railing system do u use when u build out your camera. I like the clip on matte but I also have a mountable matte w rails. What do u suggest?
I just use the standard 15mm rods that come with the BT leftfield system. The mattebox can also be mounted to the rods. I
@@EdProsserwhat mount to the tripod do u use for the rod to pass thru?
@@gynnfx3629 I use the Bright tangerine leftfield system, thats a baseplate whcih connects to camera and that connects to an arri dovetail plate which connects to tripod plate. You can see this in the rigging section of this vid
@@EdProsseralso. I need a basic but good light kit. On this video, u have a simple interview light kit when u r talking about the Red app on the iPad. What kind of lights are u using? And thx
@@gynnfx3629 I think that's proabably the Aputure 300d mk2, also reccomend the Godox FS200bi - check out my vide on it
I want to ask a question. When measuring with a Sekonic light meter, it measures according to ISO.
But the ISO usage of Red Komodo is different from other cameras. For example, when Sony A7S3 doubles the ISO, it also doubles the amount of light. Measuring with red komodo and light meter gives incorrect results. No one has made a video on this subject. Can you make a video on this subject? How can we take accurate shots and measurements using a light meter with Red Komodo? For example, if I set the ISO to 1600 to emphasize the bright red comoak points, Sekonic behaves incorrectly and gives me a dark exposure. Because Red Komodo does not react to ISO like Sony A7s3
Hmm I'm not sure as I don't own one, every camera rates ISO slightly differently but generally every doubling of ISO should equate to a stop of light. Is there a way to calibrate the meter to a specific camera ?
@@EdProsser
No, there is no such way. However, it will be necessary to do tests with Sekonic and Red Komodo and test how to get the right results with the Komodo camera ISO and Sekonic light meter. If you do this test, we will all benefit from it. You can rent one.
I would be happy if you help The problem is that when you double the ISO with Su Red Komodo, the light does not double. There is no problem when shooting with prores, but red raw and iso react differently
My biggest flaw with the Komodo has to be the refresh rate of the screen. it's unbearably slow and unresponsive. they kinda increased the Hertz on the KX but it's still nowhere near as smooth as a blackmagic one for example
Yeah I agree, but can live with it, I don't interact with it much, plus you can always get a smallHD or portkeys monitor with camera control.
If I'm on sticks and shooting interviews I'm usually operating it from an IPad or Phone.
@@EdProsser I use it mainly when i wanna go back and review some of the clips i shot. and its frustrating. especially when you have to go back 20 or 30 clips
@@FivosVas yeah definitely, try the RED control app it's much better for that
What is the difference between RED and Nikon Z6III ?
They're both cameras, beyond that - a lot.
Will you buy the komodox now that it is 7000 instead of 10000?
I'd love to but don't really want to drop that kinda cash on a new body right now, especially as the OG is still serving me well. If work is busy over the next few months we'll see... But I'd like to wait and see what other brands announced over the next 12 months.
Hi Ed! Your Audiio code is not working.
It'll only work on a pro account, is that what you're applying it to?
I love the red image. Me personally would not buy it tough. I want ibis, autofcus, being able to run and gun out of the box. I hope nikon will make a z9 with a little bit of red dna in it and i will be very happy.
Yeah that's fair! I have both! LUMIX S5 iiX covers those jobs and everything else I use the RED (and often I use both!) very interested to see what happens with RED / Nikon over the next 18 months