October 16, 2020 Lachlan Bembrick

The KOMODO has arrived!

Have you heard about this new camera coming out?

So there’s a company that manufactures and distributes a range of high-quality cinema cameras - I’m not sure if you’ve heard of them - called RED, who have a new compact cinema camera on the way called the KOMODO 6K. Well it’s with great pleasure to announce that the KOMODO has officially been released! While stock is extremely limited in Australia at the moment, keep reading to learn more about how you can secure yours today, and more information on the specs of this ever-elusive, yet revolutionary cinema camera.

Who is this camera for?

The big question that people have been asking is, who exactly is the KOMODO for? It falls into an awkward price range of around $10-12K, which makes it the cheapest RED camera by far, but is still much more expensive than other similar cameras, such as the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras. That said, it has been a hot topic of discussion amongst independent content creators, who may be looking for a high-quality cinema camera with RED’s incredible colour science, but have found larger models to be way out of their price range. This isn’t necessarily the only market it’s for.

The KOMODO is by no means DSMC3, nor is it a replacement for DSMC2. Instead, it has been considered by more professional RED users as the perfect B-camera to a DSMC2 camera such as the MONSTRO or HELIUM 8K. Being compact and affordable, as well as being able to be used straight out the box, it makes sense that current DSMC2 users would be licking their lips at the thought of purchasing a more lightweight and affordable RED camera that they don’t need to build up with accessories.

What makes the KOMODO so special?

While the KOMODO seems perfect for both of the independent content creator, as well as the seasoned RED professional, the biggest hint that RED CEO Jarred Land has given in regards to its optimal target market, was when they first announced that they were designing a crash camera that could be mounted in hard to reach places or vehicle rigs where a DSMC2 camera just wouldn’t be able to go (similar to how a variety of Canon 5D II, III and IV DSLR cameras were used as crash cameras and B-cameras on Marvel Studios’ The Avengers). While technical development in the KOMODO has advanced since this initial announcement, a lot of this camera’s specs make it suitable for this sort of application.

Firstly, the camera has an S35 Global Shutter sensor. If you’re unsure how global shutter differs from rolling shutter, essentially image sensors with a global shutter allow all pixels in a frame to accumulate charge with the camera’s exposure starting and ending at the same time. At the end of the exposure time this charge is read out simultaneously. This breaks new technical ground, as it eliminates the need for sacrificing dynamic range. The camera boasts a Canon RF mount, making it ideal for use with Canon EF, PL and Leica M mounts. It also has a DC-In power port and can also be powered using two Canon BP style batteries. Overall, the KOMODO epitomises RED’s standard of unmatched imagery without any creative or technical compromises.

How can you get yours today?

As is the case with most RED products when they are first released, there is often a lot of demand for the product that we just can’t keep with in stock. That said, we still have a limited number of units available which haven’t been assigned to existing pre-orders yet, and so if you’re after one sooner rather than later, you better get in quick before they’re gone and we’re waiting for the new shipments to come in. If you are interested in buying the KOMODO 6K, or simply have questions or would like to learn more, please contact your local Dragon Image today!