ARRI’s newest digital camera, the ALEXA, is set to roll out this summer on a limited run. Featured prominently at this year’s NAB Convention in Las Vegas, the ARRI ALEXA is already being touted as the next evolution in digital cinema.
Utilizing their experience as industry leaders in film camera production, ARRI’s latest effort aims at maintaining this reputation on the digital front. With an ARRI-made Super 35 format sensor, the ALEXA can shoot 1080P direct to the camera.
SxS cards handle the onboard storage for the ALEXA, creating a seamless workflow from shooting to editing. The ALEXA allows you to shoot full 1080P video, encoded down to the SxS cards in Final Cut Pro native codecs (ProRes 422 and ProRes 4444). This means you can shoot a scene, pop the card into your computer and begin editing immediately without wasting a moment on conversion.
Utilizing a Dual Gain Architecture (DGA) in its CMOS sensor, the ALEXA ensures the same wide exposure latitude across a range of sensitivity from EI 200 to EI 1600. This generates low noise images with good detail in highlight and shadow areas. Coupled with the versatility and dynamic range of 13.5 stops, the ALEXA captures a film-like aesthetic unlike any other digital camera.
The ALEXA’s Exchangeable Lens Mount (ELM) system allows for the use of all 35mm PL mount lenses as well as Panavision, Canon or Nikon lenses. Additionally, the ALEXA’s electronics system can easily be removed and replaced for future upgrades.
With a great deal of buzz surrounding the ALEXA’s unique versatility and design, many are projecting that it will redefine the film industry’s expectations of competing gear such as the RED camera systems. Designed for use across feature, television, commercial, documentary, and music video genres, the ALEXA will become available in late June, 2010. Moving Picture plans on holding ALEXA training in the summer of 2010 in Miami, Florida. Rent this revolutionary camera from Moving Picture this summer.