KOMODO....

[Karim D. Ghantous]

Other than HDRX the frame averaging and summing features are very useful as well, for time lapses and cleaner lowlight recordings. Those features obviously require higher framerates as well.

This kind of thinking is not as prevalent as it should be, IMO. I'd like to see frame averaging as a feature. Of course, the larger the sensor, the less you need this kind of thing. But not everyone wants a larger sensor, for various reasons.

[Mike P.]

This kind of thinking is not as prevalent as it should be, IMO. I'd like to see frame averaging as a feature. Of course, the larger the sensor, the less you need this kind of thing. But not everyone wants a larger sensor, for various reasons.

Frame Averaging and Frame Summing have been around since DSMC1 (they can also have motion artifacts but usually not as easily as HDRX). And again, is dictated by the max frame rate (needs to be at least double to have two frames to combine/compare).

[Jarred Land]

I was hopeful for a sooner launch also with new information trickling out fairly regularly, but now I feel like the teaser images and spec tidbits were just to coincide with the Pocket 6K and S1H launches and Z-Cam announcements. It's been quiet for a bit now and it's starting to feel like we may have quite awhile before we see the Komodo ship.

Nope... I’ve been very transparent along the way and very very clear that we are in field testing mode the last few months and will be for another few months. Timing of the releases were not to distract from anyone... it was because people were literally shooting features on Komodo And it was showing up on social media with incorrect info so I got ahead of it. . I would love to think that I had a magic hammer that could convince Soderbergh to wait to schedule his film the same week as the BM camera which I had no idea about and I had no idea Zcam announced anything at that time either ... and S1H? I am not targeting Komodo to that market at all....

There is no ship date for Komodo yet... we are still changing things. As I said before, it’s done when it’s done but I am happy to release specs as they get locked down.

[Nathan L Collett]

Nope... I’ve been very transparent along the way and very very clear that we are in field testing mode the last few months and will be for another few months. Timing of the releases were not to distract from anyone... it was because people were literally shooting features on Komodo And it was showing up on social media with incorrect info so I got ahead of it. . I would love to think that I had a magic hammer that could convince Soderbergh to wait to schedule his film the same week as the BM camera which I had no idea about and I had no idea Zcam announced anything at that time either ... and S1H? I am not targeting Komodo to that market at all....

There is no ship date for Komodo yet... we are still changing things. As I said before, it’s done when it’s done but I am happy to release specs as they get locked down.

awesome. glad lots of testing and thought going into this. this is great. patience pays.

[Christoffer Glans]

I am not targeting Komodo to that market at all....

So, which market is it targeted at? I understand that the concept for Komodo was done way before both Z Cam and BM released news about their cameras, but what exactly does Komodo bring that they don't? And after a while, these companies might even release even more powerful options to the market right when Komodo is ready and shipped, so I'm still wondering what market Komodo is for? Is Komodo targeted at those who want more reliability? Better compressed RAW? Better color science? Better DR? What's the cutting edge philosophy for this camera?

If specs are still being changed, then I don't think BM and Z Cam releases should be brushed off so easily. It almost sounds like Komodo is targeted at a market that is somehow disconnected from the actual cameras in existence. Like expecting people to pay a certain price for something that wants to exist on its own without competition when the fact of the matter is that the competition really exists at this price-point level.

I would urge Red to meet the expected specs of the market and then be ahead of the game instead of trying to exist in some limbo market that is disconnected both from the top-tier models and low-tier ones. Just make the camera the best out there for this price-point, full stop. All else feels like playing the market, relying more on customer loyalty, pushing marketing narratives etc.

[David Rasberry]

I have been playing with RCX, IPP2, and 6k/5k footage samples posted on Red.com If Komodo is at least on par with current RED image quality, it will be head and shoulders above Z-cam and BM in many ways. Image coherence, texture, and motion quality are noticeably superior, not to mention the color science.
I have played a bit with Braw samples too and so far am not impressed.
The only samples of any Z-cam footage posted for viewing on their website show motion artifacts that I find unacceptable. Would not trade my Bolex for one. Resolution is just a number.

[Ryan Genova]

... and S1H? I am not targeting Komodo to that market at all....

I'm not saying that the Komodo magically appeared out of nowhere right at the release of competition, I realize that new technology requires years of R&D. It just seemed that the first news and teasers about it happened to coincide with these events and then kind of died down now, which I'm not saying is a necessarily a bad thing. I mean, that's exactly what I would do if I were in charge of a company.

I have no doubts that the Komodo's image and color science will far surpass what the S1H can produce. In my opinion, even Panasonic's high end offerings like the Varicam don't look as good as any Red, but it's difficult to imagine that there's not some overlap in the market for both cameras (both are small bodies with (presumably) large sensors, can shoot 6K RAW (if only ProRes RAW externally), have modern lens mounts, wide dynamic range, remote control via smartphone). It's reasonable to assume that the Komodo's image will also surpass the Pocket 6K and the Z-Cam, which look to be quite crippled by its codec and RAW limitations, but the fact remains that these cameras also share many specs with the Komodo as well (and the Z-Cams are even in a similar body).

So what's the difference in who Komodo is marketed to? Is it all about the PDAF? Maybe the other cameras I mention aren't going to be used to shoot features for HBOMax, and maybe ideally that's the type of thing Komodo is marketed for, but at the price point we're all speculating about and unless there's something crucial we don't know yet, this thing would certainly be on the radar for anyone interested in a Pocket 6K, Z-Cam, S1, S1H.

[Ryan Genova]

If Komodo is at least on par with current RED image quality, it will be head and shoulders above Z-cam and BM in many ways. Image coherence, texture, and motion quality are noticeably superior, not to mention the color science.

RED image quality is already head and shoulders above a lot of other professional options: Varicam, Sony, Canon, yet people for whatever reason still choose to shoot on those and they are still competition and still in the same market.

[Gregory Karydis]

Nope... I’ve been very transparent along the way and very very clear that we are in field testing mode the last few months and will be for another few months. Timing of the releases were not to distract from anyone... it was because people were literally shooting features on Komodo And it was showing up on social media with incorrect info so I got ahead of it. . I would love to think that I had a magic hammer that could convince Soderbergh to wait to schedule his film the same week as the BM camera which I had no idea about and I had no idea Zcam announced anything at that time either ... and S1H? I am not targeting Komodo to that market at all....

There is no ship date for Komodo yet... we are still changing things. As I said before, it’s done when it’s done but I am happy to release specs as they get locked down.

Shoot... :/
There's goes the most popular conspiracy theory this side of the Area 51 fence...
Thanks Jarred for the update!
Early on, I learned to appreciate the wait and love the occasional teases.
RED things come to those who wait!!!

...what market Komodo is for? Is Komodo targeted at those who want more reliability? Better compressed RAW? Better color science? Better DR?

My guess is, all of the above + some hidden gems specific to Komodo ;) ;) ;)

In my mind, Komodo cameras should be bought in multiples...

Of course there will be some overlap with the recent camera releases mentioned, in the same way that some youtubers and bloggers choose to use a RED DSMC2 instead of a smartphone or point & shoot to do their vlogging, but in many cases where people can also use a Komodo, it will be like swatting a fly with a Tie-Fighter. Equally deadly, but overkill...

[Steve DiMaggio]

186 pages, facebook and insta posts, stil have no idea what this is? a camera? a less expensive camera?

steve