Five reasons why you might want to get a Komodo 6K cinema camera

The RED Komodo 6K cameras are still so new that there isn’t even an official page for them on the RED website yet. But the cameras have now started to ship to a few lucky people. Filmmaker Joey Helms has received his white “Storm trooper edition” RED Komodo and in this video, he walks us through an overview of the camera, why he chose to get one and some footage he’s shot since receiving it.

The footage in the video looks pretty spectacular, as one would expect from a RED camera. But the little Komodo is a fraction of the cost of many of its larger siblings. Despite costing only around $6-7,000, though, it boasts an impressive set of specs. According to a recent update from Jared Land, the specs are final, although the first early cameras may require some firmware updates to iron out some bugs.

• 6K Super 35 27.03 x 14.25mm (6144 x 3240)
• Global Shutter
• Full-sensor up to 6K 40 fps
• 6K WS at 50 fps
• 4K at 60 fps
• 120 fps at 2K
• 12G-SDI output with 2160p at 60 fps
• R3D files (REDCODE RAW)
• 3.5mm microphone/headphone
• No XLR
• CFast cards, not dual
• Wireless video module
• Touchscreen Display
• Phase Detection Autofocus
• Canon RF mount
• Size: 4″ x 4″ (10.16 cm x 10.16 cm)
• Weight: 2lbs (900g) approx.

Joey’s sample footage in the video looks very impressive and was shot using a variety of lenses. The RED Komodo has a Canon RF lens mount, which means that you’re going to need adapters to use EF mount lenses. Adapters, particularly for video, have become a lot more accepted today than they used to be, and they’ve gotten a lot more advanced, too. Joey used the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art, Helios 44-2 58mm f/2, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 and Canon 24mm f/2.8 lenses.

There are five main reasons why Joey says he went for a RED Komodo, and he goes into detail on them in the video. Obviously, these are his reasons, and won’t be applicable to everybody, but they might offer you some insight to help your buying decision

1. REDCODE RAW + RED sensor
2. Small, compact size
3. Modularity & affordable accessories
4. Global shutter
5. The RED community

That last one can be a lot more important than you might think. When you start getting to cameras of this level, seeing how others are using the camera and what they can get out of it can be very beneficial. It teaches you about new tools and techniques that you might not have otherwise discovered and allows you to seek help when you run into camera-specific problems.

Joey’s video is an interesting overview of the camera and answers a lot of questions that some of you may have had about it and who it’s intended for. It comes in way under budget compared to RED’s other cameras and is well within the financial reach of many filmmakers.

As mentioned, there’s no official RED Komodo page on the RED website yet, and to pre-order one, you had to email Jared Land directly. As to whether or not they’re still taking more pre-orders this way is unclear, but if you’ve been thinking about it, it’s probably worth shooting an email over.