KOMODO....

[Maz Mawlawi]

PDAF is huge news!!! Now I'm really excited! :-)

[Timothy Jones]

Is PDAF any good? I always thought the only kind that really worked was dual pixel auto focus .
What cameras use PDAF?

Thanks,
Tim
www.tjphoto.net

timjonesphoto instagram

[Arthur BARRETT]

It's not a beginner camera but it definitely can be a "next step" camera. Just be prepared... this isn't an auto-everything camera. Although we do finally have PDAF on this sensor which we are pretty excited about.

Why not for beginners @Jarred? You've written that a few times now. Can you expand on that a little? Do you mean not for beginnger filmmakers, or not for someone who has never using anything except gopro/iphone? At what point is this camera suitable for a newbie?

I'm a beginner, background in theatre directing and got interested in experimenting with film and have read a lot but not done much. I did have a 16mm Steenbeck back in the 90's for learning editing, and a fully manual Olympus 35mm SLR for learning the photography theory. I remember ordering a RED CF CARD 16GB from red.com back in 2011 - I wanted a little bit of 'RED' as inspiration to keep the dream alive. Anyway I got on board the H1/Houdini pre-order because I thought a cinema camera in my pocket may be the solution to getting a little more practice filming - not a script, but just the mechanics of good shots and some editing, but more serious than iPhone - I really liked the low profile but 'interchangable' lens in the mockups. I think the Komodo is not going to suit my personal purposes, because it's not feasible to always have with me (especially once I attach a lens), and with a 3-y.o. daughter I've already got enough to carry. But I'm curious as to why you say it's not for beginngers, and what that really means.

I hope one day you do manage to overcome the technical obstacles to produce a cinema camera in our pockets. Obviously with a lot of compromises - but for beginners and dreamers like me.

[Alain M]

In terms of color Graeme is working his magic. Komodo is a brand new sensor design.. an entirely new pixel so it is different. Just like some people say they can cut between Dragon and Monstro and Gemini and some people swear they can't... they all have their own DNA. All have their strengths and weaknesses. And yes... Komodo does shoot R3D's.

It is wonderful to see how receptive you are with the RED community. This by far is an amazing/wonderful GAP filler from Top end DSMC2 and will help be a strong complimentary camera for bigger projects and an A CAM for smaller ones...

Can't wait to get one on my hands..

Keep Rocking man... Gracias!

[jordan levy]

Is PDAF any good? I always thought the only kind that really worked was dual pixel auto focus .
What cameras use PDAF?

Thanks,
Tim
www.tjphoto.net

timjonesphoto instagram

Dual pixel is what canon currently has in it's C series cameras, Phase detection is what sony uses in it's A& cameras, which in my opinion is the best. I think i read that is what canon is moving to in it's RF mount Dslr, so it would make sense maybe that it's in Komodo.

[Karim D. Ghantous]

Phase detection is used to determine the direction that the lens has to travel. But it's not accurate. Contrast detection is the most accurate AF method but it does not know which direction the lens has to travel. Sony and Olympus use both methods on their sensors.

If you're buying a new stills camera system these days you'd be smart to buy something like an A9 if you're covering sport. The A9 is not a competitor to anything RED makes as far as cinema goes, but if you are a documentary film maker and you want the best AF you can get, you'll want either an A9 or an E-M1.

[David Rasberry]

Why not for beginners @Jarred? You've written that a few times now. Can you expand on that a little? Do you mean not for beginnger filmmakers, or not for someone who has never using anything except gopro/iphone? At what point is this camera suitable for a newbie?

I'm a beginner, background in theatre directing and got interested in experimenting with film and have read a lot but not done much. I did have a 16mm Steenbeck back in the 90's for learning editing, and a fully manual Olympus 35mm SLR for learning the photography theory. I remember ordering a RED CF CARD 16GB from red.com back in 2011 - I wanted a little bit of 'RED' as inspiration to keep the dream alive. Anyway I got on board the H1/Houdini pre-order because I thought a cinema camera in my pocket may be the solution to getting a little more practice filming - not a script, but just the mechanics of good shots and some editing, but more serious than iPhone - I really liked the low profile but 'interchangable' lens in the mockups. I think the Komodo is not going to suit my personal purposes, because it's not feasible to always have with me (especially once I attach a lens), and with a 3-y.o. daughter I've already got enough to carry. But I'm curious as to why you say it's not for beginngers, and what that really means.

I hope one day you do manage to overcome the technical obstacles to produce a cinema camera in our pockets. Obviously with a lot of compromises - but for beginners and dreamers like me.

If you would like to get some idea of what shooting with a Red digital cinema camera entails, I suggest visiting Red.com. Download the Redcine-X app for your computer, then download some of the sample shots under the "learn" menu and play with processing those shots in Redcine-X. Some beginners will take to this like ducks to water, many will prefer a less hands on approach and less complex workflows that normal prosumer video cameras afford.

If you have a compelling interest in the art of raw digital cinematography it might be well worth the effort to learn it. It was for me, even though I've never been able to afford a Red for a personal creative camera. Komodo may change that.
That you have some background with film and photography is a definite plus, You might find raw cinematography is for you after all.

[Phil Holland]

Very interesting hearing thoughts regarding autofocus. Phase Detection can indeed be "accurate". A hybrid of something like Phase Detection and Contrast Detection is a nice way to go as well. Phase Detection is generally better, faster, and more accurate than simple Contrast Detect for motion work. Dual Pixel has a nice way to do it by having a dedicated phase detection photo diode within each pixel, good tech w/ pros and cons. You'll likely see Quad Detection eventually.

But, really the bigger stuff that needs to be looked at is how the technology is implemented and the amount of system resources are tied to AF. Right now just the mere mention of PDAF is an indicator that RED is putting more effort in to developing a more robust AF ecosystem than what's currently available within DSMC2 cameras with Contrast Detection. Very cool to see some progress on this front as it's been pretty requested from those who use electronic focus lenses. Combined with some of the newer focus motors in the RF lenses, this could be fun and functional.

[Robert Hofmeyr]

Hey Phil, what do you think is going on here? I can't see any wires, and Jarred says the top pins don't output HDMI or SDI. Also it looks like the SDI connector on the SmallHD is missing. USB into the smallhd maybe? Perhaps there's a wire we can't see in this picture?

they wont.. it is a completely different protocol. It's not HDMI/SDI coming out of those top pins its a camera interface which is the part I can't tell you about yet :)

In case you missed Jarred's Instagram post today:


https://www.instagram.com/p/B22W5QQh9Db/

That's Mike Will holding a Komodo and what appears to be a SmallHD screen. Hard to say exactly what's going on there, but it looks like the display is mounted to something on top of Komodo *hopefully allowing tilt and swivel use.

I was previously suspecting perhaps a small popup and rotating touch screen up there, but this certainly makes me think there isn't something like that.

[Joel Arvidsson]

PDAF is huge news!!! Now I'm really excited! :-)

Yea, now I can stay within reds ecosystem. I was planning to get some other brand for a gimbal camera. Now...not so likely. If they can get the gyro data working great...Shit need to sitdown. Seams like Red is setting a new bar!