im russian, 22yo beginner in cinematography, trying to get in touch with big devices, which productions use in expensive commercials im very glad i find your channel. clear style, minimalistic video design, calm flow and big thanks to you for amazing upload rate, really crazy tempo also sry for my vocabulary, just trying to express my emotions and appreciation respect ❤
Blaine, thanks for your content and for these tests. It’s both helpful and insightful to have these side by sides and especially things like testing how raising to higher iso protects highlights for example. One of the reasons I always gravitate towards arri has been that I trust the false color with my career, and your exposure test reinforces that perfectly. I like your input and reminding people about how certain camera systems will change your footprint and ability to move quickly. Menus are huge and being able to quickly adjust on the fly is important for many of us. It’s important to consider the logistics of shooting with either camera - and sometimes the komodo will actually have a higher cost/benefit ratio than the LF or Mini for specific shoot types and single operator or skeleton crews. Thanks again and keep the good stuff coming sir!
thanks so much Alexander! definitely different cameras are needed for different jobs. I shot a pilot episode last summer and I was really stuck between shooting on the Alexa or an FX3. I chose the FX3 and it really was a good move for that specific shoot. we moved so fast.
I love this thank you! Having both Raptor and Komodo, I find it hard to distinguish between the two images. I hate when I hear people say the image on a Komodo-X is "way more superior" than the Komodo... It drives me nuts. I think once you get to Red Komodo/Sony FX6/SonyFX3/CanonC70, the minimal increase in "image quality" is not worth the price tag of Raptors or Arris. Obviously, the Raptors and Arris give you more tools. But the end image is so hard to distinguish for regular people and pros. Unpopular opinion? - These $4-6k cameras can give you an "almost" identical look to the $50-80k cameras. Especially if your attaching a Cooke lens or anything anamorphic. Thanks again for sharing!
Totally correct - ANY modern camera sensor has more than enough dynamic range/color bit-depth to capture images that are 'cinematic' in quality and grading ease. Lenses/lighting/framing/movement are much bigger differentiators of what the final look is...
im not so sure about this. i have the gemini and use phantomLUT to get the alexa look, i made tests on gemini and alexa mini in controlled scenarios and a few ppl could detect whats alexa and whats gemini when i showed them stills on my iphone. i mean, how is that possible, but it is. so there are ppl how see the diffrence - bc there is a difference. the only question is: are you willing to pay for it. i m saving money for the alexa35 now 😅
@@morucek I think that if you understand the properties that are seen as differences, you can then replicate these as needed or desired. The only issue is having the eye to see and the knowledge and skill to change. As a compositor, my past work life, we had to match and blend elements and once you understand the difference between grain patterns, black levels, highlights and contrast along with sharpness(blur/diffusion etc) its pretty straight forward to match almost anything to anything else as long as the worst footage is at least not clipped.
Solid points m8. I'm not even a pro. I'm the guy that talks too much on the server about CSTs lol. I'm really happy with the cam I have because there's very little resistance to it being workable. Flippable screen, autofocus, dual native iso and ssd recording has just made it literally plug-and-go and sometimes I get too obsessed into stuff that are really not tangible barriers to filmmaking. I think the image just gets talked about on TH-cam most often because it's the easiest to show. Thanks for the vid
You lower the exposure on the logC image to match the RED information but what are you trying to conclude here? REDLog3G10 has a lower middle grey encoding than LogC3 so it's correct that the RED 'log look' is darker when exposing to the same object.
@@BlaineWestropp1well, you're observing two different log encodings which cannot really be compared to one another without logical treatment. LogC is not darker or brighter by x amount of stops. The nature of the log encoding formula simply puts black/midgey/white at different places but that doesn't tell anything about the sensor or picture quality.
I’m just looking at the footage from each camera.. one camera records one image, another camera records another. I’m not saying one is better or worse, I’m just looking.
I think the point is, stating one is brighter than other at same T-Stop is the issue. Essentially both logs are encoding different values, targeting different approaches for latitude. So, yes you are looking at images, but one is brighter than other because one manufacturer has a different logarithmic equation to encode dynamic ranges.
Great vid man! Picked up a Komodo last year and have used an FX6 on a number of occasions in the last year - it's a great cam but yeah, the menu system is a mess, really not fun to use when you're in a hurry. I love the simplicity and flexibility of the RED and how it can be adapted to use as a solo operator or built out with crew.
Crazy to see we now live in a world where there are large communities of people that are interested in cinema cameras that are far more expensive than the cars they drive.
Another great video. Recently shot a feature on the Amira and I normally use BMD and FX6 in my everyday life and wow the out of the box rec709 on the arri is something else. I find myself really having to work hard to my fx6 look good indoors. The skin tones when using artificial light seems so much worse than when using the sun. Have you every noticed this?
You had me at hello. Been waiting for this video ever since i acquired the Komodo (been comparing it to fx6 and c70 for an age). No alexa unfortunately but couldnt agree more with everything said here. A strange synchronicity at play or maybe these youtube algorithms are way better than i realise. Was thinking exactly all the things mentioned and oddly so few people illustrate so well this strange counter intuition about the high iso and highlight extension. Likewise the komodo always looks about a stop and a half under compared to most cameras alexa included. Could benchmark noise and detail but more than satisfied with your informed opinion about the Komodo which i think i happen to agree with. I appreciate that the alexa can be made to match the Komodo but does that work the other way round. There are a lot of conversion luts to arri and would be interested to know if you were thinking of doing something along those lines for Komodo users. Meanwhile thx again. Spot on as always.
If you have a planned shot that is set to be darker scene, setting the iso quite low on the komodo and desired T value for the planed depth needed is best. Then light bright enough to have the stoplight 🚦 where they should be. This kills noise in shadows. (Black shade if its vastly different than the last shots exposure etc.). Gives a nice clean image. Soo much can be done with r3d files (the HQ and MQ gives a super fresh file when detail is paramount) when exposure and correct use of iso is actioned. Many youtuberas use the komodo like its a canon 5d and then slap a lut on it
Hey thx for that but I really don't understand. If adjusting ISO is just a way to encourage us to use more light to get the traffic lights back up then its hardly rocket science. Its like using a LUT and then the ISO is not changing anything in the image apart from our behaviour. Sure it'll be a cleaner image. As a rule that always makes sense so long as highlights are protected. The issue might be that the gamma curve is effectively optimised for general light conditions ie ISO 800 as a midway. So if mid-grey is perfectly exposed within a given lighting set up at 800 iso setting on camera and the traffic lights are all good. Then changing the ISO to 200 ie 2 stops less light and compensating by increasing the lights x4 on output then technically the mid grey is now overexposed by 2 stops. We all know that colour falls off a cliff generally when sensors are extremely overexposed or under-exposure in terms of colour shift so isn't that exactly what we are doing ie stressing the accuracy of the sensor. Sure two stops is unlikely to move out of the landing zone for the sensor's colour accuracy but beyond this then surely we are in the realm of colour shifts being locked in even when the exposure is readjusted in post to taste. Sure the blacks may have less noise but the colour palette accuracy is bound to be affected at some point the further away the sensor is exposed from optimal. RAW or not there is an optimised colour gamma curve that expects certain light levels to hit the sensor to give accurate colours?? Thx. @@anthonyrock5039
@@KenFlanagan even so, it is quite interesting to 👀 see the difference between adjustments made to iso post capture on scenes in the two extremes (shadow heavy vs sky and cloud heavey). Only when really many stops over or under do I see colour drift. I see errors happening when puerile just pick up the cam and twist knobs, hoping for the best and that the cam behaves the same as all others. In truth it takes only a short time to learn and understand a system or work with those who do. Getting the most out of any system depends on it no matter how simple or "complicated" as you know it isn't.:) on set right now eating crew food 😋 enjoying some TH-cam. It's all gravy.
if you had to choose between the red Vraptor X with VV or a used standard Alexa mini, which would you choose today? (Shooting sports Docs, all Commercials and Films) Open to all answers but would love to hear from Blaine
@@genewilsonv I haven’t used the vraptor x. But I have used a lot of red cameras, and owned a scarlet-w for many years and loved it and still love it. I’ve used the Komodo a bunch recently and like that too from a usability standpoint. Great size, menu, etc. the vraptor x wins with frame rates compared to the mini, and with sensor size. You can shoot FF and s35. The x has taller sensor than the mini, which is good. The x is newer, easier to move around, travel with, and carry. It’s operational with less stuff attached. The extended highlight mode on the x also intrigues me. The mini… wins with internal NDs and a viewfinder. The image is of course very beautiful right off of the camera. Best I’ve ever seen. But.. I’ve matched a bunch of cameras to it. When I am on set with the support (crew) and I walk up to the Alexa and look through the viewfinder, it is a very enjoyable experience. The viewfinder is important to me. The menus define simple, and the exposure tools are the best. You cannot mess up the exposure on an Alexa. The tools are very exact and easy to read. But even if you did mess it up, you can push and pull that footage around so much in post. Red has great exposure tools too though, and latitude. This is a tough question. In one way.. if there is a camera you simply want more than the other one, get the one you want bc you won’t go wrong with either. If you’re traveling a lot, maybe lean towards vraptor. If high res and high frame rates would help you, v raptor. I see the Alexas being used more on stuff. I use it more (bc I have one). There is a magic to it, but it comes at a cost. If you want to capture an image and pull it into the computer and have it be perfect, and don’t care about resolution or frame rates or how heavy the camera is, get the Alexa. Or.. get the vraptor x and wait until you need the LF or the A35. It’s a tough decision. The x is a little more versatile and new. You will not be missing out by choosing one over the other. Prioritize the weight, and features you need. Hope this helps! (If you go with the x, try and buy other things for it that you can use on other cameras, like monitors and batteries and lenses)
Good test but the most important one was finding out the Arri is 1.67 stops brighter which is actually a big deal. The Arri 800iso esstially has the same level of exposure as the Komodo at 2500 which is INSANE. But with the clip point of the komodo in bathroom, it could be highlight recovery is rescuing the "Over-exposure"
I can't decide how big of a deal the brighter image is. it is just the log, but.. I do like the idea that the Alexa seems brighter.. I want a sensitive sensor. but on the contrary, the Alexa 35 log image is much darker than the mini lf, but it has more DR. so I dont think being darker is a problem.
@@BlaineWestropp1 I think it means that in low light situations you simply have a brighter image to work with. ISO should be the same regardless of the brand but I believe RED rates their ISO's higher than they should. For instance the Epic Dragon definitely looks a full stop less bright at the same ISO compared to an Alexa. In most situations it doesn't matter, adding light isn't that hard. But when it counts it counts. I've found the same goes with a lot of dual ISO cameras. The higher ISO isn't actually as bright as you'd think, making the whole concept not as useful as advertised. I am not saying an Alexa is like an FX3 but they are definitely underrated for low light.
Curious as to what the light-meter shows vs the exposure you're getting w/ both cameras. Also don't recall if you showed, not just log but the factory 709 conversion to see if those exposures match.
This is a really nice test. The KX is much closer to the LF in terms of color rendition i think too. Not a lot of people have looked at these side by side, so that's awesome!
@bastelwi While true on the codec side, this is not true on the sensor side. You can not recovery Color detail your sensor was unable to record in the first place. To matter your codec, Bitrate or grading capabilities.
@kunstspielklavier185 true. When scenes are exposed properly target range as per planned set up per shot then color etc are not so much of an issue with raw capture. Not so much with compressed output where much more attention needs to be had.
For someone jumping from directing independent narrative film and getting into commercial work. Do you recommend more a new red Komodo X or a used Alexa Xt or Alexa mini ? Do customers prefer 4K for commercial work or music videos or architectural videography?
thats a tough one! can't go wrong either way. my first question is.. have you used all of the cameras that you mentioned in your comment? id go Alexa mini or komodo x over an XT. a lot depends on budget, how you want to shoot, what you want to shoot.
@@BlaineWestropp1 haven’t used all cameras but perhaps renting an Alexa mini and red Komodo is the best way to know if they fit my shooting methods? I’ve seen some arri Alexa Lf cameras used on eBay for $26K, What’s your advice for jumping into commercials? Is it shooting some spec commercials and then reaching out to potential clients or a commercial agency ?
Used Alexa XT and LFs can be had rather cheap. The do however require very different additional gear to be run comfortably, especially compared to a Komodo or Komodo-X. Basically everything has to be more on the heavy duty Side, e.g. heavier tripods, EasyRigs, Batteries, even Media.
The Komodo is pretty slick once you wrap your head around r3d. It’s a perfect Bcam from Ur Alexa. I got it as bcam for my Varicam. Very intuitive and the r3d codec is 🔥 compared to other cameras at similar price point it’s a no brained. Try the speed booster for FF look
Agreed. I love R3d. With R3d I dont even have to convert to proxy to edit on my Surface Pro 9. I just change the decode to 1/8th and bam it plays smoothly on a low powered laptop without cuda or anything. Also I love how we can trim all the clips down to just the good sections and run it through Redcine-X and output the raw files from there to trimmed versions. No loss on quality or re-encode. It just spits out the sections we want to keep saving often up to 75% of hard drive space. I suspect many red users dont know we can do that.
Interesting video! I would be interested to get a your thoughts on the Laowa 28-75mm T2.9. Haven't seen a proper review on them yet! I'm really interested as a documentary filmmaker to have a affordable full frame cine zoom for my FX6 for documentary work.
Hey Blaine , as a first zoom lens for my camera , would you recommend 24-70mm GM i for 1150$ or DZO Pictor Zoom for 1750$ ? i just bought the FX3 and i'm a beginner
Good move. I have a couple forza 500s and the fan is louder on the 500s than the aputure 300. Maybe they fixed this in newer models. It’s not that significant but it is louder
Def agree with the part about practicalities of size, weight, power etc. The MILF is a great camera and can work as a solo op camera in certain situations, but you hit a point where you struggle. If you're setting off on foot and need to move the camera, batteries and some kind of support you will struggle. As standard I take a separate peli containing 6 150wh batteries & 4-way charger which is probably heavier on its own than many other complete camera load-outs. Working from a vehicle can be OK, but lugging it around an urban environment or hiking with it is not practical without help. With the Komodo, you can pack most of what you need in a backpack and even take a small gimbal. The difference of working with that footprint is pretty huge. When you see how closely you can match the footage, it seems like the logistics of the shoot should be driving the camera choice most of the time. However, if you're working with even a small crew, the Arri pulls ahead again and those improvements in image and features become worthwhile. After trying the 'one camera for all' approach (tempting as an owner-op) I am totally sold on going with a big camera / small camera setup. I've been using the C70 for this, but feel like the Komodo is actually a better companion to something like an Arri. The major thing with smaller cameras (which you also touch on) is how bad the menus and operation can be compared to a cinema camera. Often the screens are cluttered with an obscene amount of overlays and even if the footage comes out looking good, the experience is shooting is somewhat disgusting. Suggestion for a video: it would be cool to see ultra stripped-down MILF builds with just a monitor, off-board power (e.g. battery belt) and maybe side grips with focus control.
I agree with all that you are saying. I love the big camera small camera options (I have one of each). It’s a good way to be. Also, I’d be happy to show a stripped down Alexa setup. I’ve been meaning to get a battery belt.
@@BlaineWestropp1 The camera was ahead of its time and meets next to ARRI on set, delivering honest raw footage from the EL-Zone and a host of other amenities. The most compact and everyday, like a smartphone)
I really should have shot more footage, but was in a rush and didn’t have the camera for long enough. Maybe I will do another test that more so just looks at the footage in different scenarios
im here crying because im dying to know how to fucking get that arri color you did right there. i have a komodo x, send a tutorial, ill pay you whatever u want.
Arri is the Best, no one can afford Arri. Red is 2nd best and Attainable, But who, what is 3rd and Forth for the best to budget? Sony, Canon, what models???
Do you think the Komodo would outperform the Alexa filming a hot dog eating contest? Just some fellas really getting after it, giving it their all to take down 15-20 dogs in a short amount of time. I want to really capture the moment, y’know?
I have an FX6, along with the Komodo and Raptor. It's so hard to see a difference. Have you attached an anamorphic lens to your FX6? I use the FX6 for most of my commercial work now. I feel guilty that I don't use the Reds that often anymore. But, after attaching some cheap Sirui anamorphic 1.6 lens to my FX6, I was blown away by the image quality. Made me rethink everything. Good luck with your projects!
@@12yfilms I’ve only shot anamorphic once with the atlas Orions. I want to pick up some of the Sirius I’ve seen some amazing stuff from them and Macgregor shoots Lamborghini commercials with the fx3 sirui combo. I actually just want to try out a different camera for a little bit I do love my fx6 though!
Dude, you do understand Red is true RAW right? It seems almost like you don't. You can change the ISO at any time in post with Red and it's the same as doing it on set
Of course I understand that. I’ve been shooting on red cameras for over 10 years. Changing ISO can influence how you expose a shot, and as shown in the video, the DR allocation moves as you change it.
You lost me here. If you want to test a camera or two. Stop down till it doesnt clip. Open the shadows in post, check the noise. End. or maybe there is a bit more to think abut if you are allowing a certain amount of clipping (the sun halogen spots). "(0.41 kimodo) I stopped down until there was no clipping, then I stopped down much further... then it was darker than the alexa" - whats that saying???
im russian, 22yo beginner in cinematography, trying to get in touch with big devices, which productions use in expensive commercials
im very glad i find your channel. clear style, minimalistic video design, calm flow
and big thanks to you for amazing upload rate, really crazy tempo
also sry for my vocabulary, just trying to express my emotions and appreciation
respect ❤
thank you so much :)
Йоо лестс линк ап бой
Great video! As a Komodo user, tests like these are always interesting to see. Great job, subbed.
hey thanks! love the komodo. want one. more to come.
Blaine, thanks for your content and for these tests. It’s both helpful and insightful to have these side by sides and especially things like testing how raising to higher iso protects highlights for example.
One of the reasons I always gravitate towards arri has been that I trust the false color with my career, and your exposure test reinforces that perfectly.
I like your input and reminding people about how certain camera systems will change your footprint and ability to move quickly. Menus are huge and being able to quickly adjust on the fly is important for many of us. It’s important to consider the logistics of shooting with either camera - and sometimes the komodo will actually have a higher cost/benefit ratio than the LF or Mini for specific shoot types and single operator or skeleton crews.
Thanks again and keep the good stuff coming sir!
thanks so much Alexander! definitely different cameras are needed for different jobs. I shot a pilot episode last summer and I was really stuck between shooting on the Alexa or an FX3. I chose the FX3 and it really was a good move for that specific shoot. we moved so fast.
I have a Komodo and love it but that Alexa is soooooo buttery. Such a pleasing imagine.
I love both
I love this thank you! Having both Raptor and Komodo, I find it hard to distinguish between the two images. I hate when I hear people say the image on a Komodo-X is "way more superior" than the Komodo... It drives me nuts. I think once you get to Red Komodo/Sony FX6/SonyFX3/CanonC70, the minimal increase in "image quality" is not worth the price tag of Raptors or Arris. Obviously, the Raptors and Arris give you more tools. But the end image is so hard to distinguish for regular people and pros. Unpopular opinion? - These $4-6k cameras can give you an "almost" identical look to the $50-80k cameras. Especially if your attaching a Cooke lens or anything anamorphic. Thanks again for sharing!
thank you! it is really cool all the options we have right now. put a nice lens on any of these cameras and you have a great image!
Totally correct - ANY modern camera sensor has more than enough dynamic range/color bit-depth to capture images that are 'cinematic' in quality and grading ease. Lenses/lighting/framing/movement are much bigger differentiators of what the final look is...
im not so sure about this. i have the gemini and use phantomLUT to get the alexa look, i made tests on gemini and alexa mini in controlled scenarios and a few ppl could detect whats alexa and whats gemini when i showed them stills on my iphone. i mean, how is that possible, but it is. so there are ppl how see the diffrence - bc there is a difference. the only question is: are you willing to pay for it. i m saving money for the alexa35 now 😅
@@morucekI feel you. That’s the difference between the Cinematographer’s and the videographer’s eye.
@@morucek I think that if you understand the properties that are seen as differences, you can then replicate these as needed or desired. The only issue is having the eye to see and the knowledge and skill to change. As a compositor, my past work life, we had to match and blend elements and once you understand the difference between grain patterns, black levels, highlights and contrast along with sharpness(blur/diffusion etc) its pretty straight forward to match almost anything to anything else as long as the worst footage is at least not clipped.
Your finishing statements were unexpected but honestly absolutely what we all need to hear
Thank you 😇
Wow! Very excellent. Much nice images!
Oh hi Ryan! Thank you. Love your channel
Pretty impressed by the Komodo!
Yes it is nice. I want one.
Solid points m8. I'm not even a pro. I'm the guy that talks too much on the server about CSTs lol. I'm really happy with the cam I have because there's very little resistance to it being workable. Flippable screen, autofocus, dual native iso and ssd recording has just made it literally plug-and-go and sometimes I get too obsessed into stuff that are really not tangible barriers to filmmaking. I think the image just gets talked about on TH-cam most often because it's the easiest to show. Thanks for the vid
I like the image with the dog most. So immeadiate and real :P
😇 me too
You lower the exposure on the logC image to match the RED information but what are you trying to conclude here? REDLog3G10 has a lower middle grey encoding than LogC3 so it's correct that the RED 'log look' is darker when exposing to the same object.
I’m just observing.
@@BlaineWestropp1well, you're observing two different log encodings which cannot really be compared to one another without logical treatment. LogC is not darker or brighter by x amount of stops. The nature of the log encoding formula simply puts black/midgey/white at different places but that doesn't tell anything about the sensor or picture quality.
I’m just looking at the footage from each camera.. one camera records one image, another camera records another. I’m not saying one is better or worse, I’m just looking.
I think the point is, stating one is brighter than other at same T-Stop is the issue. Essentially both logs are encoding different values, targeting different approaches for latitude. So, yes you are looking at images, but one is brighter than other because one manufacturer has a different logarithmic equation to encode dynamic ranges.
@@crazyKurious and to add, once converted to display space (709, etc) the brightness difference you see in the log images will no longer exist.
Great vid man! Picked up a Komodo last year and have used an FX6 on a number of occasions in the last year - it's a great cam but yeah, the menu system is a mess, really not fun to use when you're in a hurry. I love the simplicity and flexibility of the RED and how it can be adapted to use as a solo operator or built out with crew.
thank you! I really love the komodo and want to get one!
@@BlaineWestropp1 Komodo and SteamDeck best purchases of 2022
Crazy to see we now live in a world where there are large communities of people that are interested in cinema cameras that are far more expensive than the cars they drive.
The camera pays for itself
it is wild. as cleverghostchili said though... the cameras do pay for themselves!
Another great video. Recently shot a feature on the Amira and I normally use BMD and FX6 in my everyday life and wow the out of the box rec709 on the arri is something else. I find myself really having to work hard to my fx6 look good indoors. The skin tones when using artificial light seems so much worse than when using the sun. Have you every noticed this?
I’ve noticed this before. Also, the Arri right off camera is really the best..
You had me at hello. Been waiting for this video ever since i acquired the Komodo (been comparing it to fx6 and c70 for an age). No alexa unfortunately but couldnt agree more with everything said here. A strange synchronicity at play or maybe these youtube algorithms are way better than i realise. Was thinking exactly all the things mentioned and oddly so few people illustrate so well this strange counter intuition about the high iso and highlight extension. Likewise the komodo always looks about a stop and a half under compared to most cameras alexa included. Could benchmark noise and detail but more than satisfied with your informed opinion about the Komodo which i think i happen to agree with. I appreciate that the alexa can be made to match the Komodo but does that work the other way round. There are a lot of conversion luts to arri and would be interested to know if you were thinking of doing something along those lines for Komodo users. Meanwhile thx again. Spot on as always.
If you have a planned shot that is set to be darker scene, setting the iso quite low on the komodo and desired T value for the planed depth needed is best. Then light bright enough to have the stoplight 🚦 where they should be. This kills noise in shadows. (Black shade if its vastly different than the last shots exposure etc.). Gives a nice clean image. Soo much can be done with r3d files (the HQ and MQ gives a super fresh file when detail is paramount) when exposure and correct use of iso is actioned. Many youtuberas use the komodo like its a canon 5d and then slap a lut on it
Hey thx for that but I really don't understand. If adjusting ISO is just a way to encourage us to use more light to get the traffic lights back up then its hardly rocket science. Its like using a LUT and then the ISO is not changing anything in the image apart from our behaviour. Sure it'll be a cleaner image. As a rule that always makes sense so long as highlights are protected. The issue might be that the gamma curve is effectively optimised for general light conditions ie ISO 800 as a midway. So if mid-grey is perfectly exposed within a given lighting set up at 800 iso setting on camera and the traffic lights are all good. Then changing the ISO to 200 ie 2 stops less light and compensating by increasing the lights x4 on output then technically the mid grey is now overexposed by 2 stops. We all know that colour falls off a cliff generally when sensors are extremely overexposed or under-exposure in terms of colour shift so isn't that exactly what we are doing ie stressing the accuracy of the sensor. Sure two stops is unlikely to move out of the landing zone for the sensor's colour accuracy but beyond this then surely we are in the realm of colour shifts being locked in even when the exposure is readjusted in post to taste. Sure the blacks may have less noise but the colour palette accuracy is bound to be affected at some point the further away the sensor is exposed from optimal. RAW or not there is an optimised colour gamma curve that expects certain light levels to hit the sensor to give accurate colours?? Thx. @@anthonyrock5039
@@KenFlanagan even so, it is quite interesting to 👀 see the difference between adjustments made to iso post capture on scenes in the two extremes (shadow heavy vs sky and cloud heavey). Only when really many stops over or under do I see colour drift. I see errors happening when puerile just pick up the cam and twist knobs, hoping for the best and that the cam behaves the same as all others. In truth it takes only a short time to learn and understand a system or work with those who do. Getting the most out of any system depends on it no matter how simple or "complicated" as you know it isn't.:) on set right now eating crew food 😋 enjoying some TH-cam. It's all gravy.
if you had to choose between the red Vraptor X with VV or a used standard Alexa mini, which would you choose today? (Shooting sports Docs, all Commercials and Films) Open to all answers but would love to hear from Blaine
Doing some research right now on the vraptor. Stand by.
Thank you !
@@genewilsonv I haven’t used the vraptor x. But I have used a lot of red cameras, and owned a scarlet-w for many years and loved it and still love it. I’ve used the Komodo a bunch recently and like that too from a usability standpoint. Great size, menu, etc. the vraptor x wins with frame rates compared to the mini, and with sensor size. You can shoot FF and s35. The x has taller sensor than the mini, which is good. The x is newer, easier to move around, travel with, and carry. It’s operational with less stuff attached. The extended highlight mode on the x also intrigues me.
The mini… wins with internal NDs and a viewfinder. The image is of course very beautiful right off of the camera. Best I’ve ever seen. But.. I’ve matched a bunch of cameras to it. When I am on set with the support (crew) and I walk up to the Alexa and look through the viewfinder, it is a very enjoyable experience. The viewfinder is important to me. The menus define simple, and the exposure tools are the best. You cannot mess up the exposure on an Alexa. The tools are very exact and easy to read. But even if you did mess it up, you can push and pull that footage around so much in post. Red has great exposure tools too though, and latitude.
This is a tough question. In one way.. if there is a camera you simply want more than the other one, get the one you want bc you won’t go wrong with either. If you’re traveling a lot, maybe lean towards vraptor. If high res and high frame rates would help you, v raptor.
I see the Alexas being used more on stuff. I use it more (bc I have one). There is a magic to it, but it comes at a cost. If you want to capture an image and pull it into the computer and have it be perfect, and don’t care about resolution or frame rates or how heavy the camera is, get the Alexa.
Or.. get the vraptor x and wait until you need the LF or the A35. It’s a tough decision. The x is a little more versatile and new. You will not be missing out by choosing one over the other. Prioritize the weight, and features you need. Hope this helps!
(If you go with the x, try and buy other things for it that you can use on other cameras, like monitors and batteries and lenses)
@@BlaineWestropp1 thank you so much for taking the time to respond. You have a life time subscriber 💯
Thank you so much that means a lot ☺️ let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to give input!
Is raising iso also works with c70? More dr with 1600/3200 iso?
I am not positive, I can test this week and let you know.
@@BlaineWestropp1 Would be great!
Awesome job mate, subbed!
hey thanks so much!
Good test but the most important one was finding out the Arri is 1.67 stops brighter which is actually a big deal. The Arri 800iso esstially has the same level of exposure as the Komodo at 2500 which is INSANE. But with the clip point of the komodo in bathroom, it could be highlight recovery is rescuing the "Over-exposure"
I can't decide how big of a deal the brighter image is. it is just the log, but.. I do like the idea that the Alexa seems brighter.. I want a sensitive sensor. but on the contrary, the Alexa 35 log image is much darker than the mini lf, but it has more DR. so I dont think being darker is a problem.
@@BlaineWestropp1 I think it means that in low light situations you simply have a brighter image to work with. ISO should be the same regardless of the brand but I believe RED rates their ISO's higher than they should. For instance the Epic Dragon definitely looks a full stop less bright at the same ISO compared to an Alexa. In most situations it doesn't matter, adding light isn't that hard. But when it counts it counts. I've found the same goes with a lot of dual ISO cameras. The higher ISO isn't actually as bright as you'd think, making the whole concept not as useful as advertised.
I am not saying an Alexa is like an FX3 but they are definitely underrated for low light.
Curious as to what the light-meter shows vs the exposure you're getting w/ both cameras. Also don't recall if you showed, not just log but the factory 709 conversion to see if those exposures match.
This is a really nice test. The KX is much closer to the LF in terms of color rendition i think too. Not a lot of people have looked at these side by side, so that's awesome!
Thanks! I’m going to do another test where we look at just more footage of different scenes.
@@bastelwiit takes literally 1 press using printer lights in Resolve to match them.
@bastelwi
While true on the codec side, this is not true on the sensor side. You can not recovery Color detail your sensor was unable to record in the first place. To matter your codec, Bitrate or grading capabilities.
@kunstspielklavier185 true. When scenes are exposed properly target range as per planned set up per shot then color etc are not so much of an issue with raw capture. Not so much with compressed output where much more attention needs to be had.
@@BlaineWestropp1 I thought you used the OG for this test not the KX
For someone jumping from directing independent narrative film and getting into commercial work. Do you recommend more a new red Komodo X or a used Alexa Xt or Alexa mini ? Do customers prefer 4K for commercial work or music videos or architectural videography?
thats a tough one! can't go wrong either way. my first question is.. have you used all of the cameras that you mentioned in your comment? id go Alexa mini or komodo x over an XT. a lot depends on budget, how you want to shoot, what you want to shoot.
@@BlaineWestropp1 haven’t used all cameras but perhaps renting an Alexa mini and red Komodo is the best way to know if they fit my shooting methods? I’ve seen some arri Alexa Lf cameras used on eBay for $26K,
What’s your advice for jumping into commercials? Is it shooting some spec commercials and then reaching out to potential clients or a commercial agency ?
@@BlaineWestropp1 thank you for your incredible informative videos and for your wisdom , much appreciated:)
Used Alexa XT and LFs can be had rather cheap. The do however require very different additional gear to be run comfortably, especially compared to a Komodo or Komodo-X. Basically everything has to be more on the heavy duty Side, e.g. heavier tripods, EasyRigs, Batteries, even Media.
side note, i really want a set of those rangers.
I like the rangers. I only used the 75-180, would like to try the wider one.
The Komodo is pretty slick once you wrap your head around r3d. It’s a perfect Bcam from Ur Alexa. I got it as bcam for my Varicam. Very intuitive and the r3d codec is 🔥 compared to other cameras at similar price point it’s a no brained. Try the speed booster for FF look
Agreed. I love R3d. With R3d I dont even have to convert to proxy to edit on my Surface Pro 9. I just change the decode to 1/8th and bam it plays smoothly on a low powered laptop without cuda or anything.
Also I love how we can trim all the clips down to just the good sections and run it through Redcine-X and output the raw files from there to trimmed versions. No loss on quality or re-encode. It just spits out the sections we want to keep saving often up to 75% of hard drive space. I suspect many red users dont know we can do that.
I love the komodo
you can also do this in resolve which is pretty cool.
How is this possible if the Komodo ISO is a metadata tag and not baked into the file? Was this ProRes or Raw?
Bc exposure was compensated with shutter. This was raw. Same thing would happen in prores
You’re basically just reducing exposure with shutter in this example.
Interesting video! I would be interested to get a your thoughts on the Laowa 28-75mm T2.9. Haven't seen a proper review on them yet! I'm really interested as a documentary filmmaker to have a affordable full frame cine zoom for my FX6 for documentary work.
I like the lens a lot. Compact, nice look.
Thanks for gassing up my little Komodo. She’s a little devil
hahah little devil. next time im not giving her back.
My daily bread🎉
😇
Do you plan to sell LUT or powergrade one day
maybe 😇 I have 5 that are pretty good that took me many years to make.
Do sigma fp vs mini lf 😊
I need to make it happen!
Hey Blaine , as a first zoom lens for my camera , would you recommend 24-70mm GM i for 1150$ or DZO Pictor Zoom for 1750$ ? i just bought the FX3 and i'm a beginner
I like the Pictor a lot. depends what you want to do and if you want autofocus. I like the sigma 24-70 as well.
@@BlaineWestropp1 i ended up buying the 24-70gm for 1100 to save more for lights, I don’t really know which to choose between forza and aputure now
Good move. I have a couple forza 500s and the fan is louder on the 500s than the aputure 300. Maybe they fixed this in newer models. It’s not that significant but it is louder
Also: Aren‘t the Pictor Zooms S35 only? Don‘t see much advantage putting them on a Full Frame Camerabody like the FX3.🤔
still waiting for that fx3 vs Komodo test :) and maybe ARRI too.
Would love to test the fx3 and Komodo. Will make it happen.
Def agree with the part about practicalities of size, weight, power etc. The MILF is a great camera and can work as a solo op camera in certain situations, but you hit a point where you struggle. If you're setting off on foot and need to move the camera, batteries and some kind of support you will struggle. As standard I take a separate peli containing 6 150wh batteries & 4-way charger which is probably heavier on its own than many other complete camera load-outs. Working from a vehicle can be OK, but lugging it around an urban environment or hiking with it is not practical without help.
With the Komodo, you can pack most of what you need in a backpack and even take a small gimbal. The difference of working with that footprint is pretty huge. When you see how closely you can match the footage, it seems like the logistics of the shoot should be driving the camera choice most of the time. However, if you're working with even a small crew, the Arri pulls ahead again and those improvements in image and features become worthwhile.
After trying the 'one camera for all' approach (tempting as an owner-op) I am totally sold on going with a big camera / small camera setup. I've been using the C70 for this, but feel like the Komodo is actually a better companion to something like an Arri. The major thing with smaller cameras (which you also touch on) is how bad the menus and operation can be compared to a cinema camera. Often the screens are cluttered with an obscene amount of overlays and even if the footage comes out looking good, the experience is shooting is somewhat disgusting.
Suggestion for a video: it would be cool to see ultra stripped-down MILF builds with just a monitor, off-board power (e.g. battery belt) and maybe side grips with focus control.
I agree with all that you are saying. I love the big camera small camera options (I have one of each). It’s a good way to be. Also, I’d be happy to show a stripped down Alexa setup. I’ve been meaning to get a battery belt.
MILF ahahahah! Hadn't heard Mini LF referred to as this, but from now on I shall only refer to it in this way
Which Komodo?
The original!
@@BlaineWestropp1 Marvelous
Thanks for sharing 😊
Sure thing 🫡
Now you need to try sigma fp and compare it with the others, I hope it will surprise you!)
people keep telling me about the FP! maybe I will need to test...
@@BlaineWestropp1 The camera was ahead of its time and meets next to ARRI on set, delivering honest raw footage from the EL-Zone and a host of other amenities. The most compact and everyday, like a smartphone)
I want a Komodo
get one bro
i've been really wanting to compare komod-x to alexa, but no one here has one haha
I really should have shot more footage, but was in a rush and didn’t have the camera for long enough. Maybe I will do another test that more so just looks at the footage in different scenarios
im here crying because im dying to know how to fucking get that arri color you did right there. i have a komodo x, send a tutorial, ill pay you whatever u want.
stay tuned :)
please man i beg you :')@@BlaineWestropp1
😎
@@BlaineWestropp1 I would love to know as well ! :))))))
Arri is the Best, no one can afford Arri. Red is 2nd best and Attainable, But who, what is 3rd and Forth for the best to budget? Sony, Canon, what models???
I think a Sony fx3, fx30, and the black magic cinema camera full frame are some good options!
Do you think the Komodo would outperform the Alexa filming a hot dog eating contest? Just some fellas really getting after it, giving it their all to take down 15-20 dogs in a short amount of time. I want to really capture the moment, y’know?
brilliant question. id bring both. Alexa for those wide establishing shots and the komodo for the handheld, in the thick of it shots
Logan if you see this trade me for my fx6
I'll take your fx6. I'll trade you my car 🤣
@@MikeMarrah what kind of car do you have?
@@codylarosa 2008 Honda Fit Sport with 145,000 miles. Runs fine. AC works. My wife just doesn't like it 😅
I have an FX6, along with the Komodo and Raptor. It's so hard to see a difference. Have you attached an anamorphic lens to your FX6? I use the FX6 for most of my commercial work now. I feel guilty that I don't use the Reds that often anymore. But, after attaching some cheap Sirui anamorphic 1.6 lens to my FX6, I was blown away by the image quality. Made me rethink everything. Good luck with your projects!
@@12yfilms I’ve only shot anamorphic once with the atlas Orions. I want to pick up some of the Sirius I’ve seen some amazing stuff from them and Macgregor shoots Lamborghini commercials with the fx3 sirui combo. I actually just want to try out a different camera for a little bit I do love my fx6 though!
Dude, you do understand Red is true RAW right? It seems almost like you don't. You can change the ISO at any time in post with Red and it's the same as doing it on set
Of course I understand that. I’ve been shooting on red cameras for over 10 years. Changing ISO can influence how you expose a shot, and as shown in the video, the DR allocation moves as you change it.
You lost me here. If you want to test a camera or two. Stop down till it doesnt clip. Open the shadows in post, check the noise. End. or maybe there is a bit more to think abut if you are allowing a certain amount of clipping (the sun halogen spots). "(0.41 kimodo) I stopped down until there was no clipping, then I stopped down much further... then it was darker than the alexa" - whats that saying???
I stopped down until the camera said that the highlights were not clipping. But in resolve I saw that I didn’t need to stop down that far..
These "test" are so random and arbitrary that you really cannot draw any reliable conclusion.
Just observing over here