Filmmaker, Cinematographer and owner of 306 from Atlanta, Georgia. This is a place for me to share my ideas, philosophical approach and journey as a filmmaker.
If you have any questions or want to chat, please reach out through Instagram dm’s - @cam.nails
I was on the exact same train of thought but as soon as I did some side by sides I was disappointed. I ended up selling the FX30 but now I regret it. It is a great cam for anything where auto focus is needed. Better auto focus than the FX6 and FX3 (a lot better TBH).
I just took it to the beach with me, and it was a joy to shoot with. The autofocus is really solid. I haven't been disappointed yet, but I need to hop into resolve and start grading with it to get a better idea of what it can do.
I own a Komodo and an FX30. The main difference is FX30 has bad rolling shutter, but has great auto focus. Chuck the FX30 on a gimbal for an event. Cheap, quick, easy RU-vid content. Use the Red for most other things. Different tools for different jobs
I haven’t noticed the rolling shutter yet, but I’ll keep an eye out for it. The autofocus is impressive! Makes my life a lot easier Exactly, different tools for different jobs
This video was an unscripted ramble, so naturally I forgot to mention several points that led to making this decision. - The majority of my work now is for RU-vid, social media and website catalogs, so even if there is a noticeable difference in image quality between the cameras, the end viewer won't notice because of all the compression by the time it reaches them. I'm shooting a lot right now, so I'd rather have the smaller file sizes for this type of work. - A rigged out Komodo is overkill for shooting an instagram reel. I want to grab a camera out of my backpack and go. Also, not having to deal with manual focus for these types of projects is a plus. - This camera makes its possible for me to travel with all my gear in a 20l Peak Design backpack. With the Komodo I have to use my pelican case. - The FX30 eliminates many of the friction points to shooting with the Komodo. I wouldn't take the Komodo out on a hike, but I wouldn't hesitate to throw this camera in my pack. The batteries are tiny and last almost as long as a v-mount on my Komodo. The Komodo is an incredible camera and still has its place, but for what I'm doing now, I need something smaller, easier to use and a camera that allows me to easily film myself. I may keep the Komodo as a commercial / high-end production camera, but that decision won't be made until I use the FX30 for a few months. But if I do sell it, that does not mean I am done with RED cameras. I wouldn't hesitate to rent one for the right project. This decision had nothing to do with brands or brand loyalty. Cameras are just tools, and there are different tools for different jobs.
Ok you still have your Komodo... Whew! Yeah Komodo is not a blogging cam (unless you're Hulk, or Thor or some other muscular dude!). Haven't seen you in a while , I hope your young one is doing fine? You look pretty well rested now, so I guess you survived the initial stages 😛 ?
@@cogmission1 I still have it for now.. I want to do several months of testing the FX30, before I completely make that decision. Right now I’m like 60% sell, 40% keep it. If I do keep it it will become my music video / commercial camera. I foresee myself shooting mainly on the FX30 though. And I’m doing great bro! Thankfully the little man is super easy. Started sleeping through the night pretty early on. How are you?
@@camsfilmarchive You know I'm a beginner right? So I did my first gig! (unpaid), of an event for a neighbor. (Quincenera - Hispanic coming of age for 15 yr old girl) I don't speak a lick of Spanish, so editing was a challenge! LOL! I also aspire to own a RED, right now I own a A7s3 (How's THAT for irony?) Here I am questioning your move, and I own the same sensor pretty much! LOL Yeah I want to get a KX for A cam though...
Enjoyed the video. I am about to film a documentary that will require travel in vehicle to various site as a "one man band". I was going to use my Amaran 100Ds with a battery bank, but I like this idea utilizing a Amaran 60 and V-Mount better. On your "con" about using the reflector as a modifier...have you considered using a "brolly box" instead? I use a brolly box as part of my still photography kit and it would attach to the mount just like the umbrella, but would control the light spill and harshness of using an umbrella in this manner.
Yes, a little shaky. If you are using it for quick montages it works well. I will be posting a video soon showing how I used it in the project I bought it for. Can’t really notice the bumps with quick cuts
The Impact combo boom. I have 3 of them and use them all the time. Never had one break on me, they are much lighter than lugging around a c-stand and they also boom out (We hung the red back drop on one of them). I'd definitely recommend them.
You provided a pretty candid assessment of the camera. The experience gained will be useful on larger budget productions, where the camera is the least consideration. You've nailed most of the critical concepts and fundamentals of production. The 16 bit image is worth its weight in gold and could be considered a small price of admission. The next growth phase is away from the camera: networking, marketing, referrals, persistence. But as you mentioned, there is confidence not having to second guess the quality of the image. I agreed with myself a long time ago, that any camera without a battery in the box is a nuanced proposition. The job of the camera operator is to professionally tame the equipment. Others have reached a good conclusion that other camera tool are available and better suited for documentary work ie. ND system, auto focus, stabilization . Narrative, commercial work is better suited for the Komodo shooting style. Good stuff, I enjoyed your post immensely.
The Komodo is about a compact and easy to work with as you can get for the image it produces. That said for doc work where IQ isn't the highest priority you'll be happier with an FX9 or FX6
I agree! For me, IQ is almost always going to be a higher priority than ease of use. After almost 3 years of using the Komodo now, I have learned to live with or work around its quirks in more doc style environments. But yes, the FX6 would definitely be easier to use
@@camsfilmarchive I feel you! a lot of filmmakers nowadays don't have image quality as their top priority (everything has to be easy as it could be). But for me, if I don't like the image coming from my camera, I'm not inspired to shoot..(I know it's not just about the camera, but I hope you understand what I'm saying). In fact, I would love to shoot on film, but it's too expensive unfortunately for me at the moment... otherwise I definitely would even if it means a slower and more difficult process.
You should check out and/or rent the Module 8 Tuners. Probably the EF version since they are cheaper, paired with some fast EF primes. They are the only product on the market that gets you the film look, organically in camera with an optical adapter without having to buy really expensive vintage cine PL mount prime lenses. (I own all 3 Tuners and each one is really great.)
I watched reviews and test footage on them, and they seem pretty cool. I have thought about getting some old L series EF glass, so that could be a nice option for me.
@@camsfilmarchive Nice. The Tuners are a bit complicated to be honest. I would recommend getting a fast F1.4 or F1.8 prime. The Tuners work with F2.8 zooms but you get the most out of faster primes.
If you take the reflector off the 60D and fill the whole umbrella it should soften up the light a bit since you’ll be getting a larger source. Will also shrink your footprint a bit since you could move the body of the umbrella closer to the fixture
Thank you! Yes, my in-house job wasn’t a production company. They just wanted a team to create videos internally. I left there just over a year ago after starting a production co. and freelancing as a dp/cam op
Cool stuff, I like the pacing of showing multiple setups quickly instead of spending 10 minutes on one setup, there’s definitely a time and place for both but this was cool, keep it up man!
Thanks man! I like to keep things simple if I can. These setups weren't very complex, so if I didn't keep it quick, I'd feel as if I was needlessly rambling.
Looks like a super portable setup, I need to add a 60x to my lineup! I prefer using a softbox with diffusion as opposed to an umbrella. I think the softbox may be a little more flattering than a silver reflector.
For sure, the only reason I use an umbrella in this situation is for portability. On most projects I use an Aputure Light Dome, and the light quality is much better. The inside of the umbrella is actually white, but the bounce is still a bit hard. If it was a larger umbrella, that might would help too. I will keep looking for solutions to continue improving upon this setup.
@@camsfilmarchiveohhh I see now. It does pack down very small. One thing you can do is mount the umbrella further away from the light so that it fills up the entire reflector. That should make it softer, but may decrease output. The larger the source, the softer the light.
It’s because the light source is so large and soft. It is able to fill in those areas under the eyes. If it was a hard source from above, like the sun, it would have created those shadows.
Hey, great video. Got almost the same experiences with the komodo. I think you should just get some filters and a mattebox. I also looked a lot at the kippertie or breakthrough adapters, but I think filters are more versatile. You can bring them to other camera jobs. Since I bought the Komodo, I also worked with the Alexa Mini, SonyFX9, Sony FX6 (yeah I know they got Internal NDs, but they start at 0.6 and I need 0.3 a lot) and Blackmagic Cameras. It's like "buy once, cry once". cheers.
Hey, I appreciate it! That’s what I would like to do, but I keep delaying it because there are so many other things I’d rather get than rectangle pieces of glass🤣 Currently I have a small rig matte box and a wooden camera zip box for the super speeds. I use a simtray and put a vnd on it (both from simmod). The breakthrough adapter is the one I wanted to get that was having tons of manufacturing delays. I’m pretty sure that has been resolved though. But like you said, I’d kind hate to invest that much into something that can only be used for RF mount cameras.
@@camsfilmarchive I know the struggle. I worked a lot with the canon EF to RF VariND Adapter and it messes with the colors a lot. And I did not get any consistency with the exposure. SmallRig sent me the mini mattebox a few years ago and I used it a little bit, with a vari-nd, then I got the rectangle filters from Formatt (the superslim-versions). Then I had to upgrade the mattebox, because the Smallrig-One is crap 😀 The placement of the filters is not right, the distance to the lens is to big and causes double images and flaring. So I upgraded to the Tilta MB-t12 and thats way better. But the industry standard (at least here in Germany) is the ARRI LMB-5 and there is definetly a difference in build quality and features. Like I said, I think you'll work with other non rf-cameras in the future.
@@dielichtfaenger_academy Yes, I didn’t even bother buying the Komodo package that came with the canon vnd because of how bad the color shift is. I had the same issues with my smallrig matte box. When I was shooting a music video in NYC, I had all sorts of weird ghosting going on. I ended up taking it off and putting my vnd directly on the lens threads. What part of Germany are you in? I had the chance to visit Frankfurt a few months ago, and I absolutely loved it! My mother’s side of the family is German, and I really want to go back and explore more of the country.
@@camsfilmarchiveI live near Ulm, it's more in the South. A one hour drive to the alps. Frankfurt is about 3,5h away from me. Hit me up, if you're in the South 😀
Less is more ;) you definitely are surrounded by awesome people, one thing i really love about film making is that its always a team effort and the constant sharing of knowledge and appreciation of each other really define us as humans/society that share a common goal; to create awesomeness. Also am so thankful i threw away my sigma 18-35, even with a komodo i dnt like the image, of course that's subjective !
Yes, having great people around you is key! Not the biggest fan of the sigma 18-35, but it gets the job done. After using primarily vintage glass over the last couple years, the one thing I will give that lens is that it’s sharp, which I need for certain types of projects. But yeah.. over all the image has no character and it almost feels flat. If you want character in your image while using that lens, you have to do some heavy lifting in the grade!
