Total Investment for Komodo

[Jamil Stubbs]

I'm going to have to take back the Watson recommendation. I just tried 4 of them and every time you hit record it makes the Komodo restart. And it also corrupted the video files that I shot with Canon BP 975s earlier today. Can't 100% say it was because of those batteries, but I watched it back in camera right before trying them out so... Either way all I can do with them is turn the camera on, and watch it endlessly restart itself. I'll be sending mine back.

I learned a long time ago (due to my Canon 5d III) that you do not buy any offbrand BP batteries. They failed me all (inadequate power levels) except genuine Canon batteries. And you have to even look out for fake Canon batteries. There maybe some better off brand solutions now but I would not take chances unless highly recommended by someone you trust.

 

[Anthony Howard-Crow]

I learned a long time ago (due to my Canon 5d III) that you do not buy any offbrand BP batteries. They failed me all (inadequate power levels) except genuine Canon batteries. And you have to even look out for fake Canon batteries. There maybe some better off brand solutions now but I would not take chances unless highly recommended by someone you trust.

Ya, I generally don't either, but figured I would give them a shot since its so hard to get any real ones right now. These are definitely the worst of the few ones I have ever tried.

 

[Rakesh Malik]

For your drop-in filter needs: Breakthrough Photography has a drop-in filter system, as well as the drop-in filters coming out soon. I have them pre-ordered. On that note, they are going to release a PL to RF adapter that can use the same filters as the EF to RF adapter. Two birds w/ one stone... Just something to check out (and I'm pretty certain the Breakthrough drop-in filters will work in the Canon EF to RF mount).

I'm looking forward to those. I put in a preorder for the adapter, and plan on adding some of their NDs soon. It seems like a perfect match for a travel + adventure camera kit!

 

[Jamil Stubbs]

I'm looking forward to those. I put in a preorder for the adapter, and plan on adding some of their NDs soon. It seems like a perfect match for a travel + adventure camera kit!

Do you have the EF mount? That adapter mount seems to be out but I haven't heard about the performance from any specific source. I'm looking forward to the the PL release but I can only wait for so long.

 

[Rakesh Malik]

Do you have the EF mount? That adapter mount seems to be out but I haven't heard about the performance from any specific source. I'm looking forward to the the PL release but I can only wait for so long.

Not yet, I just preordered it today. I have a couple of Sigma EF mount lenses, plus an Irix EF mount macro, and some Nikon manual focus lenses with EF adapters, so I ordered an EF mount adapter from Breakthrough. I'm planning on ordering an ND set as well, but I'll wait until I get a paycheck. And in any case, this is just the 2nd week since I ordered my Komodo, and I still need to get some batteries and CF cards and a CF reader. And probably one of the Ribs, since I want to keep my kit compact and backpacking optimized.

 

[Lars Wikstrom]

I'm going to have to take back the Watson recommendation. I just tried 4 of them and every time you hit record it makes the Komodo restart. And it also corrupted the video files that I shot with Canon BP 975s earlier today. Can't 100% say it was because of those batteries, but I watched it back in camera right before trying them out so... Either way all I can do with them is turn the camera on, and watch it endlessly restart itself. I'll be sending mine back.

I bought Watson batteries for my Sigma FP, a good deal but not a good product. The batteries were slightly larger and although they fit, I needed a sharp object to pry them out. Then around the second or third charge, the charger died. Never buy Watson again, you get the garbage you pay for there.

 

[Mason Day]

I'm going to have to take back the Watson recommendation. I just tried 4 of them and every time you hit record it makes the Komodo restart. And it also corrupted the video files that I shot with Canon BP 975s earlier today. Can't 100% say it was because of those batteries, but I watched it back in camera right before trying them out so... Either way all I can do with them is turn the camera on, and watch it endlessly restart itself. I'll be sending mine back.

Noted, thank you for letting me know. Luckily I hadn't placed the order yet. May hop on a used Canon BP 955 from Adorama or Canon BP 975 from BH (currently in stock at the time of this post). Otherwise, I will continue to be patient, I suppose... Looking at you Blueshape!

I'm looking forward to those. I put in a preorder for the adapter, and plan on adding some of their NDs soon. It seems like a perfect match for a travel + adventure camera kit!

I ordered the 2-11 stop VND for run n' gun/travel work and plan to order a 1,2,4,6 stop kit for my narrative/commercial work.

 

[Rakesh Malik]

I ordered the 2-11 stop VND for run n' gun/travel work and plan to order a 1,2,4,6 stop kit for my narrative/commercial work.

I'm probably going to end up going with the dark set. That level of ND has worked well for me with my Helium. Even with the dark Formatt Firecrests I ended up stacking them on occasion.

I can always use my current set, based on a WineCountryCamera filter system, until I get the drop ins anyway, so I'm not really in a rush for the NDs. They'll make my kit easier to backpack with though.

 

[Anthony Howard-Crow]

I bought Watson batteries for my Sigma FP, a good deal but not a good product. The batteries were slightly larger and although they fit, I needed a sharp object to pry them out. Then around the second or third charge, the charger died. Never buy Watson again, you get the garbage you pay for there.

Definitely the worst batteries I have ever tried. I always just got slightly less longevity out of the few ones I have used here and there, but nothing like this. So bad. Thats crazy they were so out of spec that you couldn't even get them out by hand.

 

[Anthony Howard-Crow]

Noted, thank you for letting me know. Luckily I hadn't placed the order yet. May hop on a used Canon BP 955 from Adorama or Canon BP 975 from BH (currently in stock at the time of this post). Otherwise, I will continue to be patient, I suppose... Looking at you Blueshape!

As of a few minutes ago B&H has new Canon 975s in stock again too. And yaa, crazy how bad this brand is.

 

[Lars Wikstrom]

These guys might be worth a look. $59 https://www.hedbox.com/products/dv-battery-packs/rp-bp975/

 

[Mason Day]

I'm probably going to end up going with the dark set. That level of ND has worked well for me with my Helium. Even with the dark Formatt Firecrests I ended up stacking them on occasion.

I can always use my current set, based on a WineCountryCamera filter system, until I get the drop ins anyway, so I'm not really in a rush for the NDs. They'll make my kit easier to backpack with though.

Curious, I have never used a dark set before. Is there a benefit to it over the usual stuff? Just more intense ND?

As of a few minutes ago B&H has new Canon 975s in stock again too. And yaa, crazy how bad this brand is.

I saw that. Hurts my heart to pay 2x the price for the batteries Blueshape will be selling within the coming weeks. In good news, I did get my Ignite Digital P-Tap to Lemo adapter today, so Komodo lost its AC umbilical chord. Hate the setup w/ the V-mount, but I'm honestly just happy to be able to move the camera around.

 

[Anthony Howard-Crow]

Curious, I have never used a dark set before. Is there a benefit to it over the usual stuff? Just more intense ND?



I saw that. Hurts my heart to pay 2x the price for the batteries Blueshape will be selling within the coming weeks. In good news, I did get my Ignite Digital P-Tap to Lemo adapter today, so Komodo lost its AC umbilical chord. Hate the setup w/ the V-mount, but I'm honestly just happy to be able to move the camera around.

It definitely does. But at least we know these are solid. I'm lucky I have any myself. B&H them in stock for a few hours at like 3am last week lol.

And nice! A clunky setup to get you by is definitely better than nothing.

 

[Rakesh Malik]

Curious, I have never used a dark set before. Is there a benefit to it over the usual stuff? Just more intense ND?

It really just mitigates the need for stacking NDs. When I was shooting with ISO 50-100 film a standard .3/.6/.9 set was great, and that worked well with the Cion (which ideally you never rate above ISO 200), but with a Helium I was constantly stacking all three of them and wishing for more when outdoors on bright, sunny days. So I switched to 1.2/1.6/1.9 and only rarely had to stack them.

I saw that. Hurts my heart to pay 2x the price for the batteries Blueshape will be selling within the coming weeks. In good news, I did get my Ignite Digital P-Tap to Lemo adapter today, so Komodo lost its AC umbilical chord. Hate the setup w/ the V-mount, but I'm honestly just happy to be able to move the camera around.

Maybe Blueshape will start shipping those before I get my Komodo

 

[Mason Day]

It definitely does. But at least we know these are solid. I'm lucky I have any myself. B&H them in stock for a few hours at like 3am last week lol.

And nice! A clunky setup to get you by is definitely better than nothing.

Clunky is indeed better than nothing!

It really just mitigates the need for stacking NDs. When I was shooting with ISO 50-100 film a standard .3/.6/.9 set was great, and that worked well with the Cion (which ideally you never rate above ISO 200), but with a Helium I was constantly stacking all three of them and wishing for more when outdoors on bright, sunny days. So I switched to 1.2/1.6/1.9 and only rarely had to stack them.

Maybe Blueshape will start shipping those before I get my Komodo

Gotcha! Thank you for that. I may add a few of those Dark NDs to the kit, in that case! As for the Blueshapes, I asked on their Facebook, and they said they're aiming for production mid-November. Don't take my word for it, but hopefully that is the case!

 

[Rakesh Malik]

Gotcha! Thank you for that. I may add a few of those Dark NDs to the kit, in that case! As for the Blueshapes, I asked on their Facebook, and they said they're aiming for production mid-November. Don't take my word for it, but hopefully that is the case!

They're worth it. I didn't miss the regular NDs to be honest, because of how often I had to stack them to get the exposure I needed for the shot.

I'll keep an eye on the Blueshape batteries, as well as on the Hedbox ones.

 

[Thibault Menu]

Has anyone heard about the breakthrough drop nd filter for the komodo ?
I'm looking for a komodo but the canon nd adapter doesn't seem good at all and the kippertie is pretty expensive, so looking forward to other options
Thanks

 

[Sean Solowiej]

Phil Holland recently started a thread on them here:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showth...behind-the-lens)/page2&highlight=breakthrough

His extra page holder in the thread may possibly suggest an upcoming group buy for them. Or it may not.

Has anyone heard about the breakthrough drop nd filter for the komodo ?
I'm looking for a komodo but the canon nd adapter doesn't seem good at all and the kippertie is pretty expensive, so looking forward to other options
Thanks

 

[Trishul Thejasvi]

I was in a similar position, I owned an Epic and have always wanted a B cam to go alongside, I couldn't afford a whole new Red, and pretty much every other sub $5k camera I tried, I just missed the 'look' and having a Raw file system that was manageable. I also really wanted a camera I could take out on lower budget shoots, and remove some of the stress from using such an expensive camera package. The Komodo seemed like the absolute perfect solution, it did end up costing me a lot more than I expected, but it has also more or less become my A cam.

Power - I went a bit crazy with having BP batts on backorder, so now I've ended up with 3x Canon BP-975 and 2x RED/Swit, as well as having a couple of V Mount -> D-Tap cables. So right now I have virtually every power solution I'd need. 2x BP-975 will last 6 hours, which in most cases is a whole day. Coupled with the other BPs as well as a couple 3rd party cheapo ones, I'm covered. That said, if you are doing a full build, heavy lens, matte box, monitor(s), transmitter etc.. etc.. I would honestly consider a V mount solution, whether you use a plate from SmallRig, and directly connect D-Tap into the battery, then possibly have at least one BP in the camera to act as a backup/hotswap solution. If you're using a large V Mount it really won't matter if you get a percentage/time readout or not, you could likely power the camera for a whole day. I also have the GDU Ghost Plate, which I attached a Smallrig V-Lock Mount 2987, and power the camera from a V-mount regular or mini size. You'll also have more mounting options. (Ps I highly recommend the wing grips and or GDU side arms in lieu of a cage). If using a RS2 style gimbal you may want to consider a mini V-mount option like an FXLION with a right angle power cable (https://www.amazon.com/Alvins-Cable...ords=Alvin+right+komodo&qid=1617578004&sr=8-1), because depending on what lens you have, you may find it tricky to balance using any BP battery attached. All of this was an easy $1k. Having a mix of BP and V mount I found has proven extremely useful, there are times when I want a percentage readout and a minimal build, and others when I want a fully kitted out rig.

Video Monitoring - Initially I started out using my phone, I thought it would be great, built in battery, great screen, but it was only passable, certainly not ideal, it had a bit of lag, and just the whole unlocking phone, opening app, connecting wifi. The fact this is even an option is great, like travel or just went you want to be super minimal. Unfortunately for myself the only other monitors I had were cheap HDMI only or RED LCDs, so I brought a 5inch SDI SmallHD which was great, also lightweight enough for gimbal use. It was bugging me though not being able to control the camera from the monitor, sure you can rely on the built in screen for the majority of the time or someone else using the Red Control app, but when you don't have the luxury of a dedicated app controller, or you're out in bright sunlight, or say you have a top handle and other gear in the way, or you're just at an awkward angle, if like me you're used to monitor control on the Epic, you will miss it. So I paid the inordinate amount of money to get an Indie 7 with RED Control. In hindsight I'm glad I have these extra monitors, they'll always find use, but looking at an extra $1-1.5k for a monitor with RED control, still cheaper than a RED specific monitor. But still, worth acknowledging. Also don't get used to relying on the built in video transmitter, maybe others have had better luck in Ad-Hoc mode, and replacing the antenna can help, but it just isn't super robust if you aren't in the absolute optimal situation. My prior wireless video option was HDMI only, and I really wasn't in the mood to have a HDMI-SDI adapter, one more thing to mouth, one more thing to power, also I got very quickly used to being able to monitor on Phones and Tablets, it's just massively useful on set. So I purchased a Crystal Swift Pro 800. Overall $2250

Mounting - someone mentioned mounting directly to the tripod plate, that will only work in a handful of situations, you'll definitely need a riser solution. I use a small riser in conjunction with a SmallRig VCT Shoulder plate, just because I'm a massive VCT fan. You'll also need either the Wing Grips or a cage, so I'd estimate $300-500 depending on what one may already have.

then of course your CFExpress, but that will cost the same regardless of getting a BM or Komodo, I think though the RAW on Komodo takes up less space, I may be mistaken though.

There were a few other expenses, but those were unique to my situation. But I do say to people $10k is likely going to be your total cost if you want to have a dedicated package and not having to mix and match between other cameras.

In regards to using as my A Cam, I haven't done any direct side by side tests of my Dragon 6K and the Komodo, but have done a few interviews, and I struggle to see any discernible difference, (virtually everything I shoot is for TV or Web), but I've sort of fallen in love with my Komodo, really the only benefit the Epic has to me is being able to do 6K@75fps, and just the bigger build is useful in some situations, but you can rig out the Komodo enough for it to be beefy enough for handheld and so forth. But RED Control app, Global Shutter, the ability to go down to the smallest of builds and have so much flexibility with builds in general. It's just a great freaking camera.