The new Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF and Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 cameras fall within a decent price point, and even looks similar to the recently launched Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K (which has a discount going on B&H).
In this article I’ll try to compare the three cameras with currently available information, to see which is the best value for money for filmmakers. I’ll try to update this article if I ever get one of these cameras for review.
In many ways, I’m writing this article to understand the distinction myself.
The basics
| Camera | Price of Camera body |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | $3,999 |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | $5,999 |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | $8,999* |
*Even though the price of the Space Grey version is $9,999 and the Cyber Edition is $10,499, B&H has an offer on the latter at the time of this writing, and this is what I’m going by.
It would be in your best interest to feel out the after sales and service in your country or area prior to committing to Kinefinity. E.g., there are no dealers listed on their website for India, so it would be a hard pass for me in any case.
Comparison of sensors and video features
Here’s how the camera sensors compare:
| Camera | Resolution | Sensor Size |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 6144 x 4016 | 24 x 16mm, ø 28.8mm |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 6016 x 3984 | 36 x 24mm, ø 43.3mm |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 6016 x 3984 | 36 x 24mm, ø 43.3mm |
The Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 has a Super35mm sensor when compared to the full frame Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF and the Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K.
They’re all 6K cameras, with similar specifications:
| Camera | Dynamic Range | ISO Range* | Built-in ND^ |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 14+ | 800, 3200 | No |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 14+ | 800, 5120 | No |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 14+ | 800, 5120 | Yes |
*All three cameras has Dual-Base ISO.
The Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF and the Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K are better cameras for low light, with a higher second native ISO sensitiviy.
The Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K definitely has a leg up here due to it having built-in electronic ND filters (from 0.6 to 2.1, or 2 to 7 stops). This is one of the core advantages of the Edge 6K.
| Camera | Max fps at 6K | Max fps at 5K |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 6144×4016 @ 60fps | 5120×2700 @ 90 fps |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF^ | 6016×3984 @ 48fps | 5120×2700 @ 70 fps |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K^ | 6016×3984 @ 48fps | 5120×2700 @ 70 fps |
| Camera | Max fps in 4K without crop (downsampled) | Max fps in 4K with crop |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 3840×2160 @ 75fps | 3840×2160 @ 112fps (M43) |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF^ | 3840×2160 @ 58fps | 3840×2160 @ 112fps (S35) |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K^ | 3840×2160 @ 58fps | 3840×2160 @ 112fps (S35) |
The Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 will appeal more to wildlife filmmakers and music video creators for its additional reach and slow motion abilities.
It’s not a big difference though. The maximum fps in 4K with a crop is restricted to 112 fps for all cameras. Without a crop the difference between 58 fps and 75 fps is hardly noticeable. I would say the biggest advantage is to film in 5K where you get 90 fps. This will be more useful in wildlife and less so in music videos.
As far as codecs are concerned, there’s a difference:
| Camera | Internal RAW | Bit depth | Internal Codec |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | No | 12-bit 4:4:4:4 XQ | Apple ProRes XQ |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | No | 12-bit 4:4:4:4 XQ | Apple ProRes XQ |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | Prores RAW | RAW | 12-bit 4:4:4:4 XQ | Apple ProRes XQ |
Obviously the Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K has RAW, and that is a serious advantage for a lot of high-end productions. Still, Prores XQ is great for everything including television. The data rates are murder though, as we’ll see in a bit.
Finally, what you get externally:
| Camera | Connection | Resolution and fps | Audio |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | BNC x2 | 1080p60 | 48V Phantom-power Balanced XLR x2 |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | BNC x2 | 1080p60 | 48V Phantom-power Balanced XLR x2 |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | BNC x2 | 1080p60 | 48V Phantom-power Balanced XLR x2 |
They’re pretty much the same camera with these specs. There are two SDI ports, restricted to 3G-SDI (1080p60). Like with Red cameras you’re stuck to recording internally to make use of the cameras.
Lenses
| Camera | Mount | Price* |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | Active PL Mount, Active E Mount, Native KineMOUNT (Adapters: PL/LPL/EF) | $199 – $699 |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | Active PL Mount, Active E Mount, Native KineMOUNT (Adapters: PL/LPL/EF) | $199 – $699 |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | Native KineMOUNT (Adapters: PL/LPL/Active EF/passive E) | $199 |
*KineMOUNT costs $199, Active PL mount costs $699, Active E mount costs $599.
I don’t think you’ll be restricted by the lens mount, though it must be mentioned the mark2 cameras support Active PL and E mounts. I’m not sure it makes complete sense in the case of PL. Why would anyone use a cheaper camera but still need accurate lens data? Wouldn’t the Edge 6K make more sense instead?
None of the cameras have autofocus.
Focus, monitoring and ergonomics
| Camera | Volume (size) | Weight (Body Only) |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 82.65 cubic inches (4.1×4.8×4.2″) | 1.35kg |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 82.65 cubic inches (4.1×4.8×4.2″) | 1.37kg |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 84.62 cubic inches (4.1×4.8×4.3″) | 1.6kg |
The newer cameras are lighter, but there’s a reason for that. They only provide one data card slot and fewer ports.
All cameras have Timecode and Genlock via BNC. They also have USB ports and a headphone jack.
None of the cameras have a monitor, so you’ll be using the SDI port for that. The KineMON-5U2 and KineMON-7U2 monitors are an added expense. These are 1080p IPS LCD monitors.
The Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K has a Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) port for live streaming, camera control and data transfer. The other cameras don’t have this feature.
Batteries and media cards
Here’s a look at the media options:
| Camera | Card slots | Price (Price per GB) |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 1x KineMAG Nano SSD | $999 ($1) |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 1x KineMAG Nano SSD | $999 ($1) |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 2x KineMAG Nano SSD | $999 ($1) |
The KineMAG Nano is designed specifically for the Kinefinity Mavo cameras. It is an NVMe M.2 SSD with a capacity of 1 TB.
There is a high-speed USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 port on all cameras that allow you to transfer data up to 10 Gbps to a computer.
The Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K has 2 card slots whereas the other two cameras have only one slot.
| Camera | Codec | Data rate in 4K | Cost per TB |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 6K Prores XQ | 221 MB/s | $999 |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 6K Prores XQ | 221 MB/s | $999 |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 6K Prores RAW | 100 MB/s | $452 |
Being able to record in Prores RAW is a huge advantage for data rate savings, though with editing you’re sort of stuck to applications that support Prores RAW. Overall, I’d give this to the Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K.
What about battery life?
| Camera | Power Draw | Battery life* |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | 27 W / 14.8V | 161 minutes |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | 27 W / 14.8V | 161 minutes |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | 29 W / 14.8V | 150 minutes |
*Assuming a 95Wh battery, from the official website and some calculations.
All three cameras have V-mount and BP-U connections, and the power draw is similar enough to not make a huge impact practically.
Which is cheaper to own?
Shall we?
| Camera | Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K |
| Camera body | $3,999 | $5,999 | $8,999 |
| Cost of data | $999 | $999 | $452 |
| Cost of batteries | Tie | Tie | Tie |
| Total | $4,998 | $6,998 | $9,451 |
The price difference of about $2,453 between the Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF and the Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K isn’t neglibile, but I don’t think it’s much considering what you’re getting in return.
Verdict
Before we take our final decision, we’ll let each camera tell us what it offers that the other doesn’t:
| Camera | USP | Major Cons |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35 | Super 35mm reach, higher FPS | Worse low light, no RAW |
| Kinefinity Mavo mark2 LF | Better Low Light | No RAW, no ND filters |
| Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K | Better Low Light, Prores RAW, Ethernet, Built-in ND Filters | Price |
For me, it boils down to two things. If you absolutely need a camera for wildlife work, I’d pick the Kinefinity Mavo mark2 S35.
But on the whole, if maximum image quality and versatility is your goal, it makes no sense to save $2,400 for the LF.
The Kinefinity Mavo Edge 6K wins. What do you think?
