The ARRI ALEXA 35 is one of the most popular and versatile digital cinema cameras in the film and television industry. In an effort to get the camera in the hands of more filmmaking professionals, ARRI is offering a “Base” model at a more affordable price point. The ARRI ALEXA 35 Base shares the same hardware as the full feature ALEXA 35 Premium, however, recording will be limited to a range of ProRes formats. A series of optional licenses will open access to 60-120fps recording and uncompressed ARRIRAW, as well as several other high-end recording modes such as Open Gate and Anamorphic options.
This new Base License model should prove popular with owner operators, television productions, corporate video makers, and film schools, as they'll save tens of thousands of dollars per unit while getting the exact same camera body, just with more limited firmware. The only physical difference on the Base models is a blue jog wheel (versus the black one on Premium models) to easily differentiate it at a glance. Inside is that same 4.6K Super 35 ALEV 4 CMOS Sensor that can capture up to 4.6K with 17 stops of dynamic range. If you need any of the formats that only come with a Premium License, you can "rent" the upgrade through the online ARRI Shop for a week, a month, a year, or permanently.
So which features are exclusive to the Premium License? Frame rates between 60 and 120fps, uncompressed ARRIRAW recording formats, Open Gate recording formats including 4.6K 3:2 and 4.6K 16:9, anamorphic recording formats including 3.3K 6:5, 3K 1:1, and 2.7K 8:9, anamorphic de-squeeze for ProRes and monitor paths, buffered pre-recording of up to 20 seconds, plus ARRI Textures, the Look Library, and Custom Color Management. The most notable of these are definitely higher frame rates and ARRIRAW recording, but those two features might not get much use on medium or lower complexity productions that typically shoot at 24 fps and want more manageable file sizes.
The Base License model shoots in the K445 Default ARRI Texture in ProRes up to 60 fps, and still has a panoply of 16:9 and 2:1 spherical recording formats including 4K 16:9, 4K 2:1, 3.9K 16:9 UHD, and 2K 16:9 S16. The three 10-bit monitoring outputs (SDI 1, SDI 2, and the Viewfinder) are all still totally independent, and there's color space support for SDR and HDR options including Log C4, Rec 709, Rec 2020, Rec 2100 PQ, and Rec 2100 HLG. It's still a supremely capable camera for an array of production scenarios.
The ALEXA 35 Base Model is also available in a variety of kits depending on your accessory needs, including Entry Sets, Operator Sets, and Production Sets. All the sets include the basics to get the camera up and running, including a PL-to-LPL-Adapter, the Balance Utility Dovetail BUD-1, and a B-Mount Battery Adapter. The Entry Set comes with a CCM-1 monitor instead of a MVF-2 Multi-Viewfinder, while the Production Sets include more specialized pieces like the PDM-1 Power Distribution Module.
Additionally, some kits include new ARRI CODEX Compact Express 1TB drives that were announced alongside the Base model. These drives will only record Apple ProRes (no ARRIRAW) but are available at a substantially lower cost than standard 1TB CODEX Compact Drives, with a white ring around them to differentiate the models. You can also purchase these Express drives individually or in a set of three with a reader. They are not compatible with the ALEXA Mini LF or ALEXA 265.
For more information about the ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Set, including features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
1 Comment
I read the headline "drop" as if they were stopping production of the camera. Wondering why I never heard of it, I read the article. Oh, so the are introducing a new version. Tip for the headline writer - if your boss says he's dropping you, or your girlfriend is dropping you, it's not a good thing.