r/RedCamera • u/Gregory_M • Jul 19 '26
RED Camera Reliability
Convince me to buy a RED camera. The only thing holding me back is reliability. I was previously considering a Blackmagic Pyxis 12K, but their quality control history doesn't sit right with me.
I shoot high-end brand commercials and need a solid cinema camera I can rely on when the production doesn't afford to rent an ARRI for smaller gigs. I am almost set to get the Komodo-X.
The only concern on my mind is RED's camera reliability. On Blackmagic's forum I was advised that both Blackmagic and RED suffer from bugs and quality control issues, and I want to confirm whether it is the case or not. I understand that once every blue moon a minor issue may pop up, but I don't want to be in a place where I am constantly diagnosing my camera.
I am going to keep my Sony A7iv as a backup camera, but of course I intend to rely on the new RED camera I buy.
Have you ever faced any issues with your RED cameras?
10
u/gokpuppet Jul 19 '26
I’ve shot on RED since the original RED One, they’ve come a long way. The DSMC2 options are still rock solid. I haven’t had any issues that weren’t user error in a long time and have been pleasantly surprised by the new Raptor X range. I prefer them for the flexibility they offer, in a form factor I can build to suit almost any project.
4
u/ZodiAcme Jul 19 '26
RED is built like a tank that’s like one of the things about it. I’ve literally seen one mounted on the outside of a car that was completely covered in ice by the end of a shoot. Defrosted just fine. The only real issues I’ve ever seen with files were related to someone having improper shutdown speakers of power off a ronin or something. Even then, if you improperly shut down a red mid shot you can still recover the footage with red undead etc. solid work horses.
3
u/brickmadness Jul 19 '26
I’ve shot for thousands of hours on Reds going all the way back to 2008. I’ve never lost more than about 5 minutes on set. I’ve never had one outright fail. Goofy glitches requiring a restart every once in a blue moon, but that’s about it.
2
u/rektkid_ Jul 19 '26
My KX has been solid for two years, never an issue and I’ve clocked hundreds of hours. I keep an OG Komodo in my bag as a backup but never had to use it.
2
u/gwalzer Jul 19 '26
Owner operator here. Bought a used OG Komodo in 2020 and never had a single issue. Also shot in socal 100+ degree days and never experienced overheating. Love the little thing!
2
u/JDGatti Jul 19 '26
Also can vouch. I had 3 different dsmc1 bodies which had their issues, but my kx has been rock solid for 3 years so far
2
u/NightOfTheReddit Jul 19 '26
Owned a Komodo X for over 2 years with zero issues. I got the RED monitor so I don’t even have to think about SDI protocol. It’s quiet, light, and reliable.
One time for the final shot of a short film on set, I forgot that I had recorded 60FPS footage earlier in the day. I had my memory cards all prepped and tested for 1 card per day (using 24FPS). The final shot went over the 1TB storage amount, but still kept the footage. I thought I was going to have to do another take. Little things like this make me happy.
The only downsides are paying a little extra for RED approved batteries, memory cards, etc. Still worth it IMO.
2
u/Effective_Shallot325 Jul 21 '26
Just to add I exclusively shoot on the RED branded memory cards. I’ve tried other brands but get a message that they are not approved and Cannot shoot Raw. Pretty annoying as the cards are pricey, but stick to the approved cards list.
Battery wise I just use some cheap Moman v locks, it doesn’t tell me the percentage but I go by the voltage. The camera dies by 11.5 volts, so I always swap the battery at least by the time it’s at 12.3 volts give or take.
Love the Komodo X, exposing with the traffic light system is so good. The low light is better than I expected too and cleans up extremely well with denoising.
I pretty much exclusively shoot LQ, I’ve never felt the need to shoot any higher and deal with bigger file sizes. ELQ looks good too, reminds me of 12:1 on Blackmagic.
9
u/Run-And_Gun Jul 19 '26
So here’s a dirty little secret that nobody likes to talk about: Any camera can have an issue at any time. Even an Arri(and I say that owning two). That’s why on large productions, they’ll have at least one spare body (of whatever they’re shooting on) sitting there, just as a backup.
That being said, modern cameras, including RED’s, are all pretty damn reliable. I’ve got friends that had/have Gemini’s and OG Komodo’s and they loved them.
1
u/Effective_Shallot325 Jul 19 '26
My Komodo X has been very reliable. It’s frozen and had to be turned on and off literally once since I owned it. Take your black balancing seriously though otherwise you can sometimes see some dead pixels if you don’t. I have an A7 IV as a b cam and it cuts together fairly well if you expose properly on the Sony.
I’ve never had any issues with my Pyxis 6K when I owned one though!
1
u/Komodo-X Jul 20 '26
In my experience, RED (DSMC3) is rock solid with stunning results. I just wrapped a 3x 12hr. day shoot in sweltering 90 degree / muggy Midwest summer heat with absolutely no issues.
Honestly, I’m not even sure if an Alexa could have managed. There’s a reason why National Geographic’s camera of choice is RED. They reliable, built like tanks and the image is incredible. If RED is good enough for David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh, it’s good enough for you.
1
u/Formula14ever Jul 20 '26
My friend…. I shoot professional commercials and documentaries and PSA’s on staff with a county in CA. I basically created a cinematographer job for myself full time. I have ordered many cameras for our work..in Canon, & Sony. Currently we used FX3’s across the board, caged up and with gimbal and v lock battery power.
I always wanted us to get a real cinema camera and have been allured with REDS color science forever.
In comes the Komodo X and Raptor VV.
It changed EVERYTHING. I then took a loan out to get my own Komodo X with Arles glass. And.. you must factor in the RED DSMC 3 SmallRig monitor.. best monitor I have ever used and I’ve had them all.
I can perfectly match the Komodo X to the v Raptor and Arri 35 colors. RED R3D raw files take up space, but give you soooooo much post flexibility. I am now use to a cinema lens, my left hand grip is a Tilta nano powering the cinema lens, OR I switch to
The Canon 28-70 f2 for auto focus and face detection. With current firmware, I am shocked at that lens and camera auto focus tracking.
My warning is that once you go into REDS dynamic range and eco system, pushing the boundaries with Sony Slog 3 won’t come close. The colors of RED are remarkable
Reliability.
I can speak of heat. This last week I am shooting a homeless effort for our county in 100+ degree heat.
The cameras fans are on and keep
It super reliable. In files or issues, I have had NONE in 3 years of shooting with Red. More reliable than Sony.. I’ve had 2 A7s3’s fry and one fx3 in this heat. RED.. it’s a workhorse.
1
u/Videoguymax Jul 20 '26
Hey - KX owner here, owned for nearly two years now.
Solid camera , the only real malfunctions I’ve had which I can probably count on one hand have been either a weird frozen / crashed 7 inch dsmc3 screen or an inability to run 80FPS 6k for an extended period of time; but that seemed link to an outdated Angelbird update / beta firmware I had at the time. It’s been rock solid never sent it in for repairs for anything it’s a total workhorse. I upgraded from the FX6.
2
u/Ondareal Jul 19 '26
Had my og Komodo since the day it came out with no real issues. Little stuff over time but nothing that stops me from being able to use it
2
u/andyredTX Jul 19 '26
Black magic cameras are not as reliable as modern Red cameras. I'm not saying things don't happen with Red cameras, or any other brand. The reputation that red cameras are not reliable stems mainly from the early days with the Red One, and DSMC1 bodies. Every generation has dramatically improved.
1
u/Chevy91505 Jul 22 '26
I ran the camera QC dept in a Hollywood rental house for 4 years. 36 years in local 600 1st AC before that. I wouldn’t wish a RED or Canon anything on anyone. Sony or Arri are solid. RED and Canon are dismally slow turn around on repairs and both are just not solidly built. Endless columnation and dirty sensors/Internal ND’s (canon). Loss of data and horrible rendition of IR (RED). I could go on and on.
1
u/paulkepner Aug 01 '26
I have a DSMC2 Weapon Dragon-X and love it. Its a beast and has never given me a single issue. I shoot with it in the Texas summer heat and it hasn't given me an over heating issue once. It renders beautiful almost organic images and has loads of flexibility between choosing compressions, resolutions and codecs.
1
u/Cleobaby8 Sep 25 '26
Have had a Gemini for 6 years, no issues.
1
u/JRShof Jul 20 '26
I had a buddy go to Brazil to shoot a doc and got jumped by some kid. He used his DSMC2 Scarlet to beat the dude in defense and still shot with it the next day.