Should you buy the RED Komodo or the Canon EOS C70? We've compared them side by side to help you decide.
Canon EOS C70 and RED Komodo are two of the most popular prosumer filmmaking cameras available right now, and for good reason — they both produce stunning images and they cost roughly the same; the MSRP is 5,499 USD and 5,999 USD for the C70 and the Komodo, respectively.
Canon C70 vs Red Komodo
So in which areas do either one of these cameras perform better than the other? Let's go through them below.
1. Sensor Specs
First of all are the camera's different sensor specifications. There are some fundamental differences between both of these CMOS sensors:
| Camera | Shutter | Resolution | DCI | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EOS C70 | Rolling | 4096x2160 | 4K DCI | Super 35 |
| RED Komodo | Global | 6144x3240 | 4K DCI x 1.5 | Super 35 |
Super 35 is the corresponding style of both sensors, and it's pretty much a personal preference if you want global or rolling shutter. For those who want to imitate analog film, the rolling shutter is most certainly a favorable feature. Both sensors are DCI compliant at 1x or 1.5 of 4K DCI.
Winner: Red Komodo is the winner because of the global shutter and its higher resolution.
2. Ease of Use
When considered for a "one man band", the Canon C70 excels in several different ways; it features internal ND filtration, reliable auto focus with face tracking, image stabilization and, as such, allows for a "point and shoot" methodology.
Winner: Canon C70 is hands down easier to use than Red Komodo.
3. Image Quality
Let's be real — both of these cameras perform exceptionally well and neither one of them will disappoint you when it comes to image quality. Ultimately this comes down to personal preference, so ask yourself the question: do you prefer "Red colors" or "Canon colors"? If you know the answer, then it's an easy choice. If you don't, you might want to read up on the workflow of each ecosystem.
Winner: Tied — both cameras feature excellent image quality.
4. Internal Raw Recording
For a long time, the Komodo had the upper hand since it was the only camera of the two to allow internal raw recording. Since then, however, Canon has released the new firmware upgrade for the C70 which brings both Canon RAW LT and ST to the camera. This means that both cameras now feature internal raw recording.
Winner: Tied — the Komodo used to be a winner in this category, but since the release of Canon RAW for C70 it comes down to whether you like Canon RAW or RedRAW, basically.
5. Auto Focus
The Komodo is Red's first camera to feature autofocus, but it's not nearly as sophisticated as the Dual Pixel AF in the C70 since it lacks proper face tracking. There are some workarounds when shooting with the Komodo, primarily the ability to select focus points on an iPad or iPhone using the Red app. However, the in-camera autofocus leaves a lot to be desired.
Winner: Canon C70 features the beloved Dual Pixel AF — albeit the first version and not the even better Dual Pixel AF 2 found in Canon R5 — and knocks it out of the park compared to Komodo's autofocus.
6. Frame Rates
The Komodo unfortunately does not feature any frame rates above 40 FPS without cropping the image severely, which makes C70 a clear winner since it can record slow motion in 4K without cropping the sensor.
Winner: Canon C70 handles frame rates better than the Red Komodo, since it doesn't crop the image when shooting higher frame rates.
7. Dynamic Range
The advertised dynamic range of the Komodo is 16+ stops, but that is unfortunately not the real life performance of the camera. According to the test done by CineD, the Komodo features roughly 12.5 - 13.6 stops of dynamic range.
With more usable dynamic range and more details in the shadows thanks to the Dual Gain Output, the C70 actually provides better results in real life scenarios.
Winner: Canon C70 and its Dual Gain Output is favorable when dynamic range is concerned.
8. Lens Mount
When it comes to lens mount, there's not much to be said; both cameras use Canon's new RF lens mount, thus making the lenses compatible between the two cameras.
Winner: Tied — both cameras use Canon's RF Lens Mount.
9. Durability
If anything, Red and Canon both excel at camera body durability; they use solid materials and the cameras can take a beating in a rough production environment.
Winner: Tied — both the Komodo and C70 feature excellent build quality and their manufacturers know very well what they're doing. These cameras are solid.
Results
After each section above the cameras have the following points:
| Camera | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Canon EOS C70 | 8 | The winner of this test, but that doesn't mean that you have to choose this camera — read the verdict below. |
| RED Komodo | 5 | Even though the Komodo lost this test, it stands out as the only affordable global shutter Red camera available. For those who need these features, it's absolutely a great camera with RED color science. |
Verdict
When the Red Komodo and the Canon C70 compete against each other, it mostly comes down to personal preference;
-
If you're after the global shutter, high resolution and the Red ecosystem, the RED Komodo is an insane bargain that performs very well, even under long shoots. It lacks tracked auto focus but can be controlled using the Red app.
- If you want an easy to use camera with reliable autofocus, great dynamic range and good low light performance, the Canon EOS C70 is a no-brainer. The DGO sensor performs really well in pretty much every lighting scenario.
That's it! We sincerely hope you've found this article helpful enough to make a choice whether you should buy the C70 or the Komodo. As you may have realized, both cameras are exceptional and will give you great image quality for an affordable price.
Let us know in the comments what you decided to get.