RED Digital Cinema CEO, Jarred Land, has chimed in to Scott Balkum’s livestream talking about all things RED. Surprisingly (or not) he teased the next RED camera, which is the Komodo-X. At first glance, it looks like the Komodo-X is a hybridization between the Komodo and the V-Raptor. A new breed of global shutter camera? UPDATE: the RED Komodo-X will be officially announced on 16/5/23. 

UPDATE: the RED Komodo-X will be officially announced on 16/5/23.  Check out the teaser below: 

KOMODO-X | 05/16/23 pic.twitter.com/BZoDUioww2

— RED Digital Cinema (@RED_Cinema) May 8, 2023

RED Komodo-X

Thanks to Scott Balkum’s livestream, we got a glimpse of the next RED Digital Cinema camera, which is the Komodo-X. The camera was teased by Jarred Land – RED CEO, during the 6 hours of Livestream. Explore the whole session below:

And this is the video that focuses on the Komodo-X:

What’s Komodo-X?

First, we know very little info about the X version of the Komodo. Let’s sum up what Phil Holland has to say about this (quoted from the REDuser forum): “I was pretty shocked to see a Stormtrooper-style body. Pretty sure they are testing it hard right now. Summary of likely things or know things: locking RF Mount, front side record button, very likely still a top screen, very likely compatible with DSMC3 monitors now — but not been confirmed, very likely CFexpress Type-B media, unknown Battery Mount, and very likely 6K resolution, S35 or S35+ sensor with higher unknown frame rates”. 

Our interpretation

The RED Komodo is one of the best-selling cameras that RED has been offering. This ‘little beast’ which is also being defined as RED’s action cam, is being used by hobbyists, and high-end productions as well, including ‘Filmed for IMAX’ productions (although it’s not an IMAX Approved camera). Now, RED has decided to sharpen its abilities, and it seems that the Komodo X will look similar to the V-Raptor. We don’t think that the sensor size will change, nor the global shutter (which is the most important feature/characteristic of the Komodo), because that differentiates it from the flagship V-Raptor. There’s a possibility that the upper screen will be bigger, and more connectors to match the DSMC3 accessories. Also, it will not exceed 6K resolution as it cannibalizes the Raptor S35. Basically, you will get more FPS and a locking RF mount. But these are our two cents, so take it with a grain of salt. To sum it up, we can say that the Komodo-X is a very interesting camera, and we’re curious to explore where it sits in the RED lineup.