If you are interested in the RED KOMODO then this Q&A discussion with Phil Holland, Scott Balkum, Tim Daust, Curtis Boggs, and Phillip Grossman is worth watching. I will warn you it is very, very long!
The guys talk about their initial experiences using the camera and about KOMODO’s features and specifications.
Jarred Land also drops in to talk about how long the KOMODO has been in development, why it has a global shutter, and why it was originally designed in the first place.
According to Jarred, the KOMODO has been in development on and off for the last 5 years.
The KOMODO was RED’s answer for creating a much better crash action cam. They wanted to solve a problem at the high end where GoPro wasn’t creating a good enough image to be intercut with other cameras. KOMODO certainly evolved from that original concept, but it still has managed to maintain a small footprint.
Jarred talks about how the KOMODO evolved over the years because the technology wasn’t available back when they first started developing it. He also tells viewers that he doesn’t see the point in releasing the full specifications of the camera until you can actually buy it. RED didn’t want to over or under promise what they could deliver by publishing specifications before everything on the camera was finalized. While I get it, the camera is shipping to select people so I see no reason why the specifications can’t be released.
The camera is being maxed out power-wise and that is why you need to power an external monitor with batteries and you can’t power it off the camera. The camera doesn’t have lots of inputs and outputs or XLR inputs because RED didn’t want to make a camera that ends up being the same size as a DSMC2.
I think it is important that people realize what the camera is and what it isn’t. The KOMODO isn’t a camera that is going to suit everyone. Like any camera, it has its limitations and its advantages.
Just how the KOMODO plays into RED’s long term strategy and direction will be interesting to see. Anytime you make an affordable camera that gives you a lot of the abilities of a much more expensive model in your lineup you ultimately risk hurting sales at the higher end.
