Welcome to the latest episode of our weekly roundup of news from the TV and film industry.
This week we are featuring ARRI's release of SUP 1.0.3 Revision 7 for the ALEXA 35 and SUP 7.1.2 for their Mini LF plus ARRI’s RIA-1 Radio Interface Adapter tech talk and Laowa's introduction of two new macro cine lenses.
ARRI ALEXA 35 & Mini LF SUP Updates
ARRI has released new firmware updates for the ALEXA 35 and Alexa Mini LF cameras. SUP 1.0.3 Revision 7 for the Alexa 35 SUP as well as SUP 7.1.2 update for the Alexa Mini LF may not add new features, but are important as they contain important bug fixes and compatibility improvements with new components such as a revised 2TB Codex compact drive and alternative versions of the MVF-2 viewfinder. These changes have been prompted by the high demand for ALEXA 35 cameras and the supply shortage constraints for some electrical components. Other fixes include a bug fix for Error 6 on the ALEXA 35 that could cause the filter slider to get stuck and another one that improves the stability of in-camera updates on the 1TB compact drive.
ARRI RIA-1 Tech Talk
And speaking of ARRI, the company recently released a detailed Tech Talk video on their latest RIA-1 Radio Interface Adapter and new radio modules. A highly recommended viewing for anyone considering using the ALEXA 35 and the RIA-1 radio interface adapter, the detailed demo goes over the various mounting and connectivity options such as CAM and LBUS, when to use each, as well as an introduction to the RF-EMIP and RF 2400 radio modules. This Tech Talk dives deeper into the specific CAM cables you would need to connect the RIA-1 to various ALEXA cameras from the 35 to the Alexa MINI, MINI LF and others, in addition to showing sample setups with the ALEXA 35 with a client device.
New Laowa macro cine lenses
Innovative lens maker Laowa introduces two new Macro cine lenses. The new Laowa 65mm T2.9 Macro APO Cine for Super 35 sensors and a 100mm T2.9 2x Macro cine version for full-frame sensors. The advanced optical design is based on the stills versions of these lenses, however the body design has been significantly improved and made for cinema use with standard focus and iris rings, a more rugged design and a wide range of lens mount options including Sony E, PL, Canon EF and Canon RF among others. The 2x Macro magnification is a major plus for cinematographers shooting products and food commercials for example, and while the use cases for these lenses are plentiful, the Apochromatic design provides clean and sharp images free of chromatic aberration no matter the subject in front of the lens.