Tilta has just unveiled a new camera cage and accessory kits that are designed specifically for RED’s latest camera, the KOMODO-X. The Advanced Kit is claimed to be the “ultimate” rigging and power solution for KOMODO-X users, including a full camera cage with lens support, a swivelling top handle, a side handle, a 15mm rod holder, a battery plate, an I/O module as well as a 15mm LWS baseplate with rods.
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Built on the success of the original KOMODO, the newly-released RED KOMODO-X packs quite a lot of new features in a slightly redesigned body. If you’d like to learn everything about the new camera, I highly recommend reading our previous coverage here and here.
The differences in the design aren’t huge, but are big enough to make the new camera incompatible with many existing mechanical accessories. That’s why 3rd-party accessory manufacturers – such as SmallRig and now Tilta – are coming up with dedicated solutions for the “X” model. So let’s take a look at what Tilta has to offer!
Tilta camera cage for RED KOMODO-X – features
The new Tilta camera cage for RED KOMODO-X consists of 5 independent components: a front top plate, left and right side arms, a bottom plate and a rear top plate – which can now be accommodated thanks to the slightly longer camera body. The cage is made of aluminum, measures 125.5×126.4×123.3mm, weighs approximately 327g and is available in black or special edition white.
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The cage comes with a lens adapter support featuring a clamp-based design and is populated with 1/4”-20 and 3/8”-16 threads for mounting accessories. Moreover, each side arm integrates an ARRI Rosette as well as a NATO rail, while the front top plate has a built-in cold shoe receiver.
Additionally, Tilta developed a swivelling top handle (sold separately) that attaches directly to the front and rear top plates, and can also be extended using the existing top handle extension for RED V-RAPTOR. What’s interesting is that the new top handle can be folded on the side to ensure clearance of the camera’s oddly-positioned top LCD screen.
As an owner of the original KOMODO, I know the struggle of finding a top handle that provides a good grip without interfering too much with the top LCD screen, and Tilta seems to have found a really nice workaround here.
Lightweight, Basic and Advanced Kits
Starting from the full camera cage, Tilta developed 3 different pre-bundled kits – Lightweight, Basic and Advanced – that include mechanical as well as electronic parts.
The Lightweight kit is the most basic option, consisting of the full camera cage, a simple quick-release top handle (non foldable) and a left-side wooden handle (Type VI). It can be a good option for independent filmmakers who often need to rapidly move between handheld and gimbal setups, for example.
Next in line is the Basic kit, which includes the full camera cage, the new foldable top handle, a single 15mm side rod holder, a better left-side wooden handle (Type VIII) as well as a 15mm LWS baseplate with two 20cm rods.
Finally, the Advanced kits aims to be a complete mechanical and power solution for KOMODO-X owners. Indeed, it includes everything in “Basic”, plus a V-mount or Gold mount battery plate as well as the existing Advanced I/O Module – which was originally developed for the flagship V-RAPTOR.
The battery plate allows for 20mm vertical adjustments and can accomodate larger battery bricks compared to the camera’s native V-lock mount. Moreover, the plate features two 14.8V 2-pin LEMO power outputs, one 14.8V D-Tap, and a USB-C port.
Lastly, the Advanced I/O Module can be used to expand the camera’s connectivity and power options. It connects to the camera’s EXT port and provides a 3-pin Fisher R/S, Timecode, GenLock and RED CTRL port. The module can be attached to the cage via a 1/4”-20 screw or slid into the battery plate.
Price and availability
Tilta’s new camera cage and kits for RED KOMODO-X are now available to pre-order from the manufacturer’s website. The company is offering a 10% off discount on orders placed before August 23rd. Pricing is as follows:
- Full Camera Cage for RED KOMODO-X –
$149$134 (10% off) - Camera Cage for RED KOMODO-X Lightweight Kit –
$249$224 (10% off) - Camera Cage for RED KOMODO-X Basic Kit –
$449$404 (10% off) - Camera Cage for RED KOMODO-X Advanced Kit –
$829$746 (10% off) - Foldable Top Handle for RED KOMODO-X –
$79$71 (10% off) - Advanced I/O Module for RED V-RAPTOR / KOMODO-X – $189
- Battery Plate for RED V-RAPTOR / KOMODO-X – $399
- Top Handle Extension for RED V-RAPTOR / KOMODO-X – $139
For more information, please visit Tilta’s website here.
Have you shot on the RED KOMODO-X yet? Do you think Tilta’s offering can be considered the “ultimate” rigging solution for this camera model? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
