Komodo Case?

[Dorian Cohen]

Just ordered my Komodo, and I was wondering if anyone has any creative ideas for a case. I will likely start with a trusty Pelican 1510. I’m sure custom molded cases will begin to emerge soon, if not already.

Also, semi-related question - what is one small item you would always want with you on a shoot? As the world changes, It seems we will be doing more shoots coming up with just a backpack and a case, so I’d love to hear what folks around here always keep in their kits.

 

[M Harvey]

Not sure at what level of necessity your "one small item" comes in-- I guess it depends what you consider essential. Here's probably how I'd break down my tiers of necessity:

Absolutely core would be: camera body, batteries, cards, lens (+ adapter, if applicable).
Following closely on that: a small monitor/EVF, battery charger, ND filter(s), mic (battery powered or with A-box or similar).
And then the classic trio (probably in the backpack): card reader, laptop, external hard drive.
Other stuff that's always nice to have: additional lenses, cleaning stuff (blower, lens spray/wipes) & multi-tool, a more robust sound set-up (standalone recorder or decent preamp).
Depending on what you're doing and how you like to work: rods and a follow focus, matte box, additional filters, side handle. Maybe a pop-up reflector.

I personally almost always use a tripod and fluid head, but that probably doesn't go inside the hypothetical case.

 

[Andi Loor]

I think the single item that can make a Komodo equipment more compact is a gimbal instead of a tripod. In my case a Zhiyun Weebill S.

 

[Peter Choi]

I think the single item that can make a Komodo equipment more compact is a gimbal instead of a tripod. In my case a Zhiyun Weebill S.

won't the weebill s be tough on the komodo? seeing everyone struggle w/ theirs (i'm still waiting for my ST to ship). thinking about selling my weebill s for the ronin s

 

[Andi Loor]

I don't have any experience of Weebill S and Komodo together yet, but Jarred wrote about that combination and was happy. Someone else said that it can be a tight fit when using Komodo with the large Canon batteries, preferring to use it with the smaller. This thread is to a large extent about portability, and in regard to that I think Weebill S has advantages over the larger gimbals.

 

[George Nathanson]

I have used the komodo on the weebill.. It does work, however I will say the footage wasn't good enough for my project so I ended up shooting with my M15, which hilariously was overkill.

A couple of things to consider: It will work with the 955 size battery but you need to get as much weight on the right side (so you can run a single bat on the left and clear the rear "ROLL" arm) I ended up using a clamp on weight on the roll arm to achieve this clearance.

Also if you want to go into low mode, the camera must be pretty far forward (to clear the pan motor), so using light lenses helps adding weight to the rear also.

It wasn't a bad set up but it's definitely not a turn-key solution for the Komodo. Also even with a perfect balance it wasn't as smooth as I wanted, hence the re-shoot with the M15.

I have ordered the new Manfrotto 460 which I hope will do better, but have no idea when it will show up.

G