ARRI - ALEXA Mini Body with 4:3 and ARRIRAW

Description

Compact, lightweight and self-contained, the ARRI ALEXA Mini is a versatile additional tool in the ALEXA camera range.
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 to CFast 2.0 cards.
The camera is capable of up to 200fps 2K ProRes and 30fps 2.8K ArriRAW recording to internal CFast 2.0 cards (60fps if you go to a Codex recorder).

Strength and agility through state-of-the-art materials

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.

Versatile mounting and shooting options

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.

Uncompromised image quality for specialized shots

The overwhelming advantage of the ALEXA Mini is that it marries such a compact and lightweight form factor with the same unparalleled image quality that has made the ARRI ALEXA system a gold standard for the industry.

Combine the Mini with any other ALEXA camera and you will have perfectly matched images, even on anamorphic productions – thanks to the 4:3 sensor and automatic de‑squeeze function.

Workflows will also be identical, with options to record ProRes or uncompressed ARRIRAW either in-camera to CFast 2.0 cards or to a specially-designed external Codex recorder.

Save time on set

With the ALEXA Mini, no extra time need be spent on set configuring third-party cameras previously required for specialized shots, or on wrangling the image files coming out of them. Multi-camera setups such as 360° plate shots will be made simpler and faster by the external Codex recorder, which can record image streams from up to four ALEXA Minis simultaneously. The camera’s maximum frame rate of 200 fps means it can also be used for stunning slow-motion cinematography, saving further time and money on set by doing away with the need for a separate high-speed camera.

Save time in post

In the past, productions combining small cameras from other manufacturers with an ARRI ALEXA shooting kit have encountered time-consuming difficulties in the grade, trying to match images from those cameras to ALEXA’s famously natural colorimetry and pleasing skin tones. With the ALEXA Mini these difficulties are eliminated because all images come from the same sensor and share the same color space. The ability to use CDLs and 3D LUTs in-camera for on-set color management will also reduce time and money spent in post.

CODEX Multicam Recorder, offering a combined total of up to 360 fps of uncompressed ARRIRAW recording bandwidth from multiple ALEXA Mini cameras.

Integrated lens motor control and ND filters, perfect for gimbals and multicopters

The ALEXA Mini’s camera body has been designed with new-generation brushless gimbals, multicopters and other specialized rigs in mind. 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, and dedicated underwater housings are currently being developed by leading manufacturers.

Greater efficiency through integrated functions

An integrated lens motor controller allows new active lens motors to be connected directly to the titanium PL mount, so focus, iris and zoom settings can be controlled from ARRI hand units without an additional external box. Further operational settings can be made remotely when working with the ARRI WCU-4 hand unit.

Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity facilitates remote control of camera functions from iOS or Android devices, with no need for a special app.

The motorized and remotely-controllable internal ND filters permit rapid responses to changing light conditions, and help keep clutter around the camera to a minimum.

Cost-saving camera and lens metadata

Integrated ARRI Lens Data System (LDS) technology brings the added value of frame‑accurate metadata about focus, iris and zoom settings. With these lens settings and exact depth‑of‑field displayed live on wireless hand units, precise adjustments can be made during a shot. The data also allows lens mapping to pre‑marked focus rings and reduces the time and expense involved in achieving complex visual effects in post.

Better pixels, not just more

ARRI’s approach is unique in that it does not prioritize one element of image quality over any other. To achieve the highest overall image quality, ARRI uses bigger and better pixels on the sensor, rather than smaller pixels in larger numbers. The result is that ALEXA captures a wider dynamic range, truer colors, lower noise and more natural skin tones than other cameras, 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. This approach is vindicated by the huge numbers of professional filmmakers who choose ALEXA after extensive real‑world comparative testing.

ALEXA Mini 4:3 License Key

This license, enabled by ALEXA Mini SUP 4.0, provides three new ProRes recording modes that access the full 4:3 sensor area and support the use of anamorphic lenses:

- ProRes 4:3 2.8K records the full 4:3 sensor area (2880 x 2160)
- ProRes 2.39:1 2K Ana. records a 2.39:1 standard 2K format (2048 x 858)
- ProRes 16:9 HD Ana.

The first mode records the highest 4:3 resolution possible, while the other two de-squeeze and re-scale the recorded images in-camera for an efficient, specialized workflow. Monitoring paths for all 4:3 modes offer SDI setups featuring dual 1.5G or 3G outputs.

ALEXA Mini ARRIRAW License Key

The ARRIRAW License Key, also enabled by ALEXA Mini SUP 4.0, allows ARRIRAW to be recorded to the ALEXA Mini’s in-camera CFast 2.0 cards by wrapping the files in an MXF container. Like ARRIRAW, the new MXF/ARRIRAW format is uncompressed, unencrypted, and contains audio and metadata. 

ARRI Look Library License Key

Cold blue, spring-like pastel shades, or the look of a dry and hot desert – it has never been so easy to apply a variety of special looks to your scenes. Equipped with a repertoire of 87 predefined creative color gradings, each in three intensities, the ARRI Look Library offers an on-set look management tool for all kinds of productions.

The looks are numbered within nine themed groups, also including film emulations. In a sense, the looks can be thought of as different film stocks, each providing a unique but repeatable aesthetic when combined with the cinematographer’s choice of lenses.

The library offers different color shades available in Rec709 and other color spaces through