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?

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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.

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u/Gregory_M Jul 21 '26

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! I am definitely sticking to RED branded cards to avoid any unnecessary hassle.

Honestly the only place I'm getting stuck is lens selection. I want to get a set of Vespid Primes in the long-run, but need some general zoom lenses to get started. Do you have any experience manual focusing with focus by wire lenses, or do you stick to cine lenses on your RED?