One of the most burning questions that those interested in the upcoming RED Komodo 6K camera often ask is how big is the Komodo 6K sensor? Is it full-frame, is it Super35, or is it something in between. And just days ago, we got our answer. RED boss Jarred Land revealed the RED Komodo 6K sensor size dimensions in a post on reduser.
Last week, we found out that Komodo 6K will support Anamorphic and will also feature some sort of a global shutter mode, which are both huge features. Read more about them in my previous post about the Komodo updates here.
The RED Komodo 6K has a Super35 sensor measuring at 27.03mm x 14.25mm (6144 x 3240). For comparison, the BMPCC 6K has a 23.1 x 12.99mm sensor with 6144 x 3456 actual sensor resolution.
Image by RED/Jarred Land
Given these dimensions, the sensor appears to be slightly wider than S35 3-perf film and for those that want to see a comparison of FOV between other RED cameras and the Komodo, Phil Holland has that sorted out (link here). Here is what Jarred said about the new sensor:
You don’t need to fear the crop factor like you did with Raven or (black magic 6K or the Z2 6K ) and the other “smaller” s35 sensors… Komodo has a whole new pixel remember and the physical sensor is much wider than all of those, 27.03mm x 14.25mm. So if you do need to crop to get to where you need to go, you are starting with much more width to get there which will be kinder to your optics.
Well, from the original specifications tease that Jarred shared on reduser a while back, we knew for sure it is not a VistaVision size sensor. And although that did not exactly exclude full-frame or thereabouts, it makes more sense from a price/cost perspective that RED has developed a smaller than full-frame sensor for the Komodo.
Super35 has been around for a hundred years and is still a dominating format, despite the surge towards full-frame/large format. And yes, the Komodo 6K, from what Jarred has already stated publicly on the RED forum, is that the Komodo is a new sensor design.
Image by RED/Jarred Land Instagram
Just a couple of days ago, RED CEO Jarred Land posted on his Instagram account an image showing the company’s upcoming RED Komodo 6K camera in the hands of a DP filming a project. We got the Komodo in full view with a Sigma 14mm cine prime, and what appears to be the SmallHD Focus SDI monitor on top. You can also see a Canon (or OEM) BP9 style battery powering the compact rig.
What continuous to amaze me is how tiny the RED Komodo camera actually is when in the hands of the DP from the photo. Yes, we’ve seen small cameras before, there are a few available on the market, but not one from RED. Well, that won’t be the case for long.
RED Komodo 6K Features (we know) So Far:
- RED Komodo 6K Super35 sensor
- 27.03mm x 14.25mm (6144 x 3240)
- Fixed Canon RF mount
- RF to EF (and PL) adapters available
- many more adapter options
- Phase-detect Autofocus support
- There will be some sort of Global Shutter Mode
- 6K/40fps full-sensor; 6K WS at 50fps
- in Global Shutter Mode
- REDCODE Raw recording options
- Anamorphic support
- CFast 2.0 recording media
- first RED camera to use non-proprietary media
- Komodo is both the name of the new sensor and camera body
- Komodo is not DSMC2 or replacement for it
- Not DSMC3 either: it’s an auxiliary camera in the lineup
- 4K SDI output (can be 6G or 12G-SDI, that’s TBD)
- 3.5mm audio in, headphone jack
- 2 x Canon BP style battery slots, hot-swappable
- Top touchscreen menu and live-view display
- Wi-Fi for remote camera control and monitoring
- Cube-like form-factor, smallest RED camera to date
- Release sometime in 2020
- Price: $5K-6K or slightly more
- Hydrogen get’s you some sort of discount
You can follow the Komodo discussion over at reduser.net.
So, what do you guys think? Were you expecting a slightly bigger sensor, or are you pretty happy with the S35 size? Are you considering purchasing a RED Komodo 6K camera? Will this be your first RED camera? Let me know in the comments below.
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