ARRI has announced the ALEXA Mini, a cube-shaped camera with all of the horsepower of an ALEXA in a much smaller carbon fibre casing. Pros looking for ultimate high-end equipment for use with drones, MoVis and other portable shooting solutions should see this as a strong alternative to the RED EPIC.
Some highlights of the versatile new beast include:
- In-camera recording to CFast 2.0 memory cards
- ProRes capture up to 200 frames per second
- Uncompressed ARRIRAW capture up to 30 frames per second
- 4:3 sensor for anamorphic productions
- Exchangeable PL, B4, and EF lens mounts
- Wi-Fi control for pretty much every feature of the camera, including ND filters and lens motor – a drone and gimbal user’s dream
- An optional external Codex multicam recorder, offering a combined total of up to 360 fps of uncompressed ARRIRAW recording bandwidth from multiple ALEXA Mini cameras.
Those choosing to add the Mini to an existing ALEXA workflow will also enjoy having the exact same production and post workflow. The ALEXA Mini has the same options to record ProRes or uncompressed ARRIRAW either in-camera to CFast 2.0 cards or to a specially-designed external Codex recorder.
Just check out the size difference between the ALEXA Mini and the ALEXA XT:[image:blog_post:55876]
According to ARRI: “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.[image:blog_post:55878]
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.”
ARRI starts accepting orders for the ALEXA Mini in March, with shipping scheduled to begin in May of this year. Pricing is going to start between $30,000 and $40,000, depending on options.
For more information and complete camera specs, visit http://www.arri.com/alexamini/
