Well it had to happen and with the recent success of the Sony VENICE perhaps ARRI have announced it earlier than expected but the ALEXA Mini LF has been officially launched today. Following a recent trend by other manufactures ARRI have announced this before the NAB exhibition which is only 10 days away. So what’s so special about this camera and why should you buy one.
Sensor
This new addition to the ARRI LF range, the ALEXA Mini LF uses the same senor as the ALEXA LF but the rest of the camera body has been shrunk down to the size of a Mini ! Nice trick if you can do it. The sensor itself is twice as big as the one in the original Mini and being 4.5K is Netflix approved which is very important these days. You also get high dynamic range and sensitivity plus low noise and the famous ARRI colour science which makes matching footage shot on the new Mini LF and the rest of the ARRI cameras simple. The new Mini LF has a LPL lens mount and an adaptor is available for PL lenses, Leica M lens and it is compatible with the Cooke/i metadata system. It has three main sensor modes LF Open Gate, LF 16:9 and LF 2.39:1.
Body
Main features of the ALEXA Mini LF include 3 internal FS ND filters; it’s compatible with almost all the ALEXA Mini mechanical and electronic accessories, wireless remote systems and with the ARRI wireless video systems. There is a 12 to 24 volt power input connector and power consumption is only slightly more than the standard mini. Some nice touches which have been added following end-user feedback are a regulated 12v and 14v accessories output, a sync in and a 6 pin audio connector. The viewfinder connector is now on the left hand side along with the media bay so you can access your media easily. It has 2 built-in microphones for scratch audio, 6 user assignable buttons and an additional WiFi antenna for better reception. The new viewfinder MVF-2 has the same HD OLED display as the ALEXA LF EVF-2 (both of which are HDR ready). The viewfinder has a large 4” flip-out monitor display which has a high refresh rate and can display either the camera image or camera control menu. The control menu can be operated via a jog wheel on the flip-out display. The camera can also be controlled remotely either wirelessly or via a 10 meter cable connected from the detached viewfinder to the camera…very clever. Another simple feature but of great value to camera operators is that the viewfinder cable now has very robust connectors making it easy to connect and re-connect. Finally the viewfinder has a headphone connector and the eyepiece has a built-in heater !!
Workflow
Internally you can record uncompressed MXF ARRI RAW and MXF ProRes (that’s right ARRI changing to MXF) onto a new CODEX compact Terabyte drive which going forward is the media ARRI will use on future cameras. To extract the data you will need either a new CODEX compact reader and connect it to a computer or use a compact drive adaptor along with any standard XSR reader. Recording formats for the Mini LF are the same as the ALEXA LF but the max FPS is slightly reduced on the mini.
Conclusion
Should you buy one ? until we get our hands on a production model it’s difficult to say but it does look very promising. However, the Sony VENICE is available now and its getting rave reviews from many DP’s and cinematographers so don’t dismiss it just yet. Also with NAB just around the corner who knows what will be announce from the other players in this market. One thing is certain the new ALEXA Mini LF will tick a lot of boxes for many people but whether it can match the popularity of the original Mini remains to be seen.
Price and Availability
Price and availability is always difficult before the camera is here and working but this is what I have so far. Please check with our sales team on 0208 977 1222 if you are interested in buying or renting this camera.
-
First customer shipment is scheduled for the middle of 2019.
ARRI RAW licence is included in the price of the Mini LF.
-
Watch our ALEXA Mini LF Special:
Pricing for the main unit and various configurations are below: K1.0024074 ALEXA Mini LF camera body..................................................... 48.000 €
K0.0024310 ALEXA Mini LF & Lens Mount Set.............................................. 49.900 €
Includes:
1 x K1.0024074 ALEXA Mini LF camera body
1 x K2.0018983 ARRI LPL Lens Mount ALEXA Mini/AMIRA
1 x K2.0016936 PL-to-LPL-Adapter
K0.0024311 ALEXA Mini LF MVF-2 Set.......................................................... 5.880 €
Includes:
1 x K2.0020916 ALEXA Mini LF Multi Viewfinder MVF-2
1 x K2.0023915 Cable VF (0.35m/1.15ft)
1 x K2.0023943 Cable VF (0.5m/1.5ft)
K0.0024312 ALEXA Mini LF Ready to Shoot Set Gold................................... 62.900 €
ALEXA Mini LF Ready to Shoot sets contain an ALEXA Mini LF camera with LPL Mount, MVF-2 viewfinder, recording media and a number of must-have accessories to get you up and shooting quickly.
Includes:
1 x K1.0024074 ALEXA Mini LF camera body
1 x K2.0018983 ARRI LPL Lens Mount ALEXA Mini/AMIRA
1 x K2.0016936 PL-to-LPL-Adapter
2 x K2.0024130 Codex Compact Drive 1TB (CA08-1024)
1 x K2.0020916 ALEXA Mini LF Multi Viewfinder MVF-2
1 x K2.0023915 Cable VF (0.35m/1.15ft)
1 x K2.0023943 Cable VF (0.5m/1.5ft)
1 x K2.0023839 Mini Adapter Plate MAP-2A
1 x K2.0006140 Mini Viewfinder Bracket MVB-1
1 x K2.73002.0 Center Camera Handle CCH-2
1 x K2.0023546 Mini Side Bracket MSB-3
1 x K2.0014957 Mini Side Bracket MSB-2
1 x K2.0014894 Compact Bridge Plate CBP-1
1 x K2.0013937 Rear Accessory Bracket RAB-1
1 x K2.0023406 RAB-1 Clamp 2
1 x K2.0006186 Rod Mounting Bracket RMB-3
1 x K2.66255.0 15mm Reduction Insert
1 x K2.0014532 Gold Mount Power Splitting Box Mk II
1 x K2.0015896 Bottom Plate 300mm/12"
1 x K2.75007.0 Power Cable Straight KC-50 2m
K0.0024313 ALEXA Mini LF Ready to Shoot Set V........................................ 62.900 €
ALEXA Mini LF Ready to Shoot sets contain an ALEXA Mini LF camera with LPL Mount, MVF-2 viewfinder, recording media and a number of must-have accessories to get you up and shooting quickly.
Includes:
1 x K1.0024074 ALEXA Mini LF camera body
1 x K2.0018983 ARRI LPL Lens Mount ALEXA Mini/AMIRA
1 x K2.0016936 PL-to-LPL-Adapter
2 x K2.0024130 Codex Compact Drive 1TB (CA08-1024)
1 x K2.0020916 ALEXA Mini LF Multi Viewfinder MVF-2
K0.0024596 Codex Compact Drive Set 3x 1TB.............................................. 5.640 €
Includes:
3 x K2.0024130 Codex Compact Drive 1TB (CA08-1024)
KK.0024370 Codex Compact Drive Set 6x 1TB.......................................... 10.980 €
The set comes with a foam insert that fits perfectly into a Peli Case 1120 and holds up to 8 drives.
Includes:
6 x K2.0024130 Codex Compact Drive 1TB (CA08-1024)
KK.0024136 Vertical Adapter Set for ALEXA Mini LF.............................. 610 €
Includes:
1x K2.0024165 Vertical Top Plate for ALEXA Mini LF
1x K2.0019442 Vertical Format Adapters (4x brackets)
10.0023610 ALEXA Mini LF Extended Warranty 2 years.......................... 2.950 €
10.0019082 ARRI Certified Training for large-format camera system (1.5 days).. 975 €
-
To see the new camera in action, give us a call to arrange a demo on 0208 977 1222. If you want to learn more, head over to our website www.visuals.co.uk
-
More information and to order this great camera click link below:
