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Arri Alexa Mini topic - Small, Lightweight, Raw Recording Camera
  • Arri Alexa Mini Announced - Small, Lightweight, Raw Recording Arri Camera

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    http://www.arri.com/alexamini/

    Compact, lightweight and self-contained, the ARRI ALEXA Mini is a versatile additional tool in the ALEXA camera range. Crews will find that the ALEXA Mini perfectly complements their ALEXA shooting kit, eliminating the complications of working with third-party cameras for specialized shots and keeping everything within a single system that is trusted all over the world.

    To maintain ARRI’s famously rugged build quality in a small and lightweight camera, a number of unique design solutions have been incorporated. These include highly integrated and sealed electronics, a lightweight carbon housing and a solid titanium PL mount that connects directly with the new internal sensor mount – also made of titanium – to ensure a super-stable flange focal distance, even when using large lenses. Nimble in use and hardy on set, the ALEXA Mini is a go-anywhere tool, easy to transport in backpacks or as carry-on luggage.

    PR

    ARRI announces the new ALEXA Mini, a versatile additional tool in the ARRI ALEXA camera range that combines a compact and lightweight form factor with the same unparalleled image quality that has made the ALEXA system a gold standard for the industry. Designed for specialized shot-making, the ALEXA Mini perfectly complements a full ALEXA shooting kit and allows crews to eliminate the complications of working with third-party cameras by keeping everything within a single system that is trusted all over the world.

    To maintain ARRI’s famously rugged build quality in a small and lightweight camera, a number of unique design solutions have been incorporated. These include highly integrated and environmentally sealed electronics, a lightweight carbon housing and a solid titanium PL mount that connects directly with the new internal sensor mount to ensure a super-stable flange focal distance, even when using large lenses. Nimble in use and hardy on set, the ALEXA Mini is a go-anywhere tool, easy to transport in backpacks or as carry-on luggage.

    The ALEXA Mini can be operated in a number of ways: by wireless remote control, as a normal camera with the ARRI MVF-1 multi viewfinder attached, or with an on-board monitor and controlled via the user button interface on the camera body. Light enough to be comfortably held at arm’s length in a hand rig, its compact size and extremely quiet operation also make it ideal for tight shooting conditions. The symmetrical design permits filming in any orientation, including upside-down and in portrait mode, while multiple accessory points enable highly creative mounting solutions. In addition, the ALEXA Mini’s interchangeable lens mount can be replaced with any of those designed for the ARRI AMIRA, allowing the use of B4 video and EF mount stills lenses.

    Equipped with a 4:3 sensor, automatic de-squeeze mode for anamorphic productions and frame rates of 0.75-200 fps, the ALEXA Mini records ProRes or uncompressed ARRIRAW either in-camera to CFast 2.0 cards or to a specially-designed external Codex recorder that can record image streams from up to four ALEXA Minis simultaneously — a compelling option for multi-camera setups such as 360° plate shots. Images from the ALEXA Mini will perfectly match those from all other ALEXA cameras, making the final grade easier and quicker.

    Integrated functionality is at the heart of the ALEXA Mini’s efficient and self-contained design. A built-in lens motor controller allows new active lens motors to be connected directly to the titanium PL mount, while ARRI Lens Data System (LDS) technology provides frame-accurate metadata that can save time and money both on-set and in post. Wi-Fi connectivity means that iOS or Android devices can be used to remotely control camera functions such as the motorized internal ND filters, which permit rapid responses to changing light conditions without adding bulk to the camera configuration.

    The body design is optimized for use with new-generation brushless gimbals, multicopters and other specialized rigs. It is compact enough in the lens direction to allow the use of standard PL mount lenses even on lightweight and space-constrained rigs, such as gyro-stabilized aerial systems. The camera’s superb low-light performance makes it perfect for underwater work; dedicated underwater housings are currently being developed by leading manufacturers.

    Like the ARRI AMIRA, the ALEXA Mini can record 4K UHD ProRes images, facilitating real-time 4K UHD output and simple pipelines for high-resolution deliverables. More importantly, the Mini and all other ARRI cameras with the ALEV III sensor offer unrivalled overall image quality by focusing not just on spatial resolution, but also on other parameters such as colorimetry, skin tones and High Dynamic Range (HDR). This is equally true whether the chosen output is HD, 2K, 4K UHD or one of the native resolution outputs like uncompressed ARRIRAW 2.8K or ProRes 3.2K, ensuring that images captured with the ALEXA Mini are future-proof, whatever new industry standards emerge.

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  • 56 Replies sorted by
  • I wonder if this sensor can and will be open to 3rd party camera manufacturers since Arri now moved to the new 35 Alexa sensor technology . Would love to see this sensor in smaller form body , like z cam or kine at lower price point than second hand mini for example

  • another thing that makes Arri different is the electronic firmware that forces saturation to stop increasing after a certain IRE ~150. It was modeled after that same effect in film stock where chroma maxes out and stops increasing, like paint or silver halide. You can make procedural plugins that accomplish the same thing.

  • By chance, anyone know ball park number on how much an Alexa Mini costs Arri to make , it will be interesting to know

  • Realistically speaking What on semi has is for sure a better lithographic process.

    And that is the real difference.

    At this level of lithography is like being an specialized alchemist.

    That process if for sure better from German manufacturing

  • @endotoxic Its on-semi , I dont agree with you on sony being able to do it, they have had many years and many "cinema" cameras come out that they could have improved on the Alexa Image if they could.

  • Alexa sensor is made by on-semi or it was it tower jazz?... I don’t remember. on semi it was. German company. They recently declared they made those sensors, it was a secret until 2 year ago I think.

    The special secret thingys on the “super special “ arri sensors is two things. Big pixels, and dual gain access to every pixel. Like dual iso on Panasonic cameras, but is dual iso always on but not at different sensitivities, but getting double the data.

    The that is resolved I think in two 14bit images than then is mixed for one final 16 bit image. That’s why noise is grate.

    Resolution is perceptual don’t forget that.

    That’s it that’s the secret. If Sony would made the A7sii dual gain per pixel as the new ones, they could easy beat Arri if they wanted too.

    About the black magic sensors...running they are Sony ones. Sooo... that color science is the only thing black magic has.

    For me.

    Those “organic film look” is nothing more than that dual noise interpolated to make it feel more filmo like.

  • Yes to the low light situation with Alexa sensor, you will see noise, but its noise that can easily be removed , and its film grain type that most people tend to like

  • Blackmagic is closest thing to Alexa sensor. It's amazing to me that even after 10 or more years since the Alexa sensor release we still have not found a better sensor , with all due respect to blackmagic , for the money its great, something is still missing , even Red, or other guys on market can not catch or beat that 10 year old sensor for some reason or another. If anyone will I think it will be Blackmagic, they are knocking on the doors. I for one bought the Alexa mini 2 years ago with another partner, and it was a great decision 2 years later, it brought a lot of things on the table for us and having access to it that other brands would have not because all the "pro's" use an Alexa (not to mention it looks the best)

  • Great comparison video between the Alexia Mini and Pocket 6k. I would take the Alexia in day light, but in ultra low light the Pocket 6k holds its own is color rendition, low noise and dynamic range.

    Seems to me the real comparison would be if you had an equipment budget of $100k, what could put together in lenses and lights for $98k vs $40k and if you purchased a bunch of lenses, why not add a few more Pocket 6ks and make it a 3 camera shoot vs and Alexa 1 camera shoot.

    Now if Blackmagic would just release a Pocket 6k m4/3 mount I would be ready to purchase... I wonder why they don't make this obvious move?

  • Arri and it’s gear is for exclusive use for money spending. Any camera since 2017 1080p 60p ready is more than enough for ANYONE ANYUSE ANYWHERE

    Use your resources on proper editor and sound and post production. Those are now more important than camera gear since sensor stabilization and 13 stops DR is available any one can make any invention on location and GET THE SHOT DONE.

  • @MikeLinn great video but I think one very big function of gear like Alexa is not to be a so superb irreplaceable tool but to be an accounting asset.

    So when Roger Dinkins put an Alexa plus Trinity in 1917 thing dont perform just as tool, it performs as an line readily recognizeable by some guy who deals with money and this says we going to invest a factor of X% of budget into geting thing done with the risk being mitigated by that brand awareness, standard into industry, workflow, support, xyz factors.

    In that sense, and Hollywood being a big money sink and laundry, they don't give a shit some inexpensive tool perform 90% or evento better, as an big actor hours cost much more and it is pure capital speculation thing they are doing.

    For people not into this universe, there's loads of gear raw or not raw or external raw that perform as good or event better to an given situation than an Arri Mini.

    For instance, S1h is netflix approved and very capable gear, much more sensible investment and BMPCC can be used to make a live HDMI studio for cheap. Even $500 gear can give great image and practical to use if you dont need to brag gear.

  • Guys the stupid evf cable always has issues..we changed 3 of them already in a year . Seen some as cheap as 115$ on ebay . Anyone has a cheaper solution? its 16pin male to mini hdmi .. seems the way the input of 16 pin is designed on mini you can easily put in the cable in wrong that causes the pins to get bent

  • It amazing that 10 years after Alexa sensor came out, the competition is still trying to catch up.

  • No @Ironfilm not mine, just thought it was a cool funny video , We ended up buying a second hand alexa mini package toward the end of last year.

  • Yep, this camera has pretty much taken over most med-high end shoots that I have produced over the last year. It yields great results and it's much easier to use than the early model Alexas.

  • Is that yours?

  • Oh k ,I asked a seller on eBay and he said it has it ,hmmm .. by chance the alexa mini prices has gone down at all ? And if I'm looking to buy one ,what does the entry 36000$ one buys me .

  • The Alexa Classic EV does not have internal ND. The Amira was the first ARRI that has it, followed by the Mini

  • Does original alexa classic ev have built in nd filter ?

  • ARRI Alexa Mini, Cooke X2 Anamorphic