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Arri raises the bar A rri’s Alexa 35 uses the company’s first new sensor in 12 years, to give 4.6K recording with a claimed 17 stops of dynamic range, even though it sticks to the Super 35 format. And before you start getting excited about whether this camera might be following Red’s lead and becoming more affordable – it isn’t. Body-only price is £73,965/$77,940.
KEY SPECIFICATIONS Sensor type: Super 35 format Arri ALEV 4 CMOS sensor with Bayer pattern array, 4608x3164 pixels Active image area: 4.6K 3:2 open gate: 4608x3164, 16:9: 4608x2592. 4K 16:9: 4096x2304, 2:1: 4096x2048. Dynamic range: 17 stops Recording formats: MXF/Arri Raw, ProRes 4444 XQ/4444/422 HQ Recording media: Codex Compact Drive 1TB or 2TB Dimensions (wxhxd):
152.5x147x203mm/8x6x5.8in (body with LPL lens mount) Weight: 2.9kg/6.4lb
The brand of choice for the Hollywood elite, Arri is a rental-only option for the vast majority of filmmakers who want to experience its legendary colour science. Previous Alexa models have been available in two flavours – one larger, fully specified, and the other smaller, but with trimmed functionality. Not so here. The Alexa 35 is small in size, but packs a punch. The ALEV 4 CMOS sensor offers native 4.6K at up to 120p. At 3:2 in open gate you have 4608x3164 pixels available. A Super 35 sensor broadens the range of lenses that can be used. Modern, vintage, anamorphic or spherical – they’re all at your disposal, with the 27.99x19.22mm sensor offering an imaging circle nearly 34mm in diameter. The expanded dynamic range is now 17 stops, with Arri claiming this is far wider than any other digital cinema camera. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 160 to 6400, with the native setting at ISO 800. There’s also an Enhanced Sensitivity Mode that can be applied when using ISO 2560 or 6400, to deliver cleaner, less granular footage – unless you’re going for that gritty, noisy look, of course. Allied to the sensor is a new image processor in the form of Reveal Color Science. This is built into the camera, but is also part of a wider suite of tools that will be available in third-party post-production solutions when processing Arri Raw files. Reveal includes an improved debayering algorithm for cleaner compositing, that converts the raw data into native RGB image data. It also offers a new colour engine for more accurate colour reproduction, wide gamut colour space for faster grading, LogC4 encoding to contain the increased dynamic range and LogC4
FRESH MEAT A brand-new Arri
sensor doesn’t come along very often, but that’s what’s in the Alexa 35
and increases grain, while F567 Clarity sharpens and deepens blacks. The Alexa 35 uses the same MVF-2 viewfinder as the Alexa Mini LF, but now offers HDR monitoring on top of SDR. Similarly, it supports 1TB and 2TB Codex Compact Drives. But there is a new display on the left side of the weather-resistant body that allows setting changes to be made without using the viewfinder. Further additions include a pre-recording capability, extra user buttons and advanced colour match, ensuring footage from multiple 35s looks consistent. A total of 19 recording formats are available, including in-camera downsampling and anamorphic de- squeezing options. Lens metadata can also be recorded in all common standards, which is output as real-time metadata to Arri’s plug-in for Unreal Engine. There are two independent SDI outputs, a sync port for Genlock, 12v and 24v power output connectors, and the same time and audio connectors as on the Mini LF. arri.com
LUTs for improved colour fidelity. All these developments are backwards compatible – footage captured on the Alexa 35 can be intercut with older Alexa or Amira footage, while Alexa LF/Mini LF Arri Raw files can use Reveal Color Science workflows. In practical terms, these advancements result in better skin tones, colour saturation and more accurate colour tracking when footage is heavily over or underexposed. The Alexa 35 is the first model to feature Arri Textures, enabling you to bake in specific grain and sharpness looks to footage, just as you would if choosing a particular film stock. Previous Arri models have had a default texture applied, but here the choice is yours. The K445 Default setting provides a clean, smooth look, whereas the G733 Nostalgic option softens
“The Alexa 35 is the first to feature Arri Textures, to bake in grain and sharpness to footage”
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