AVAILABLE NOW: ARRI Alexa 35

It’s here! The long-awaited Super 35 powerhouse from ARRI is now available for rent at Cinemechanics. The Alexa 35 is packed with both improvements upon old designs and entirely new features, all of which have created quite the buzz among DPs, ACs, and camera operators throughout the industry. Boasting a staggering 17+ stops of dynamic range and the impressive new REVEAL Color Science, the 35 also spells new horizons for post production professionals as well.

Dynamic Range and REVEAL Color Science

One of the first major technological leaps that DPs and Colorists will likely be excited about in the Alexa 35 are its capabilities in both dynamic range and color depth. In a production landscape where HDR (High Dynamic Range) workflows are becoming increasingly popular, the Alexa 35 will be a virtually unmatched forerunner when it comes to camera choice. As if 17+ stops of dynamic range wasn’t enough, the 35 also features a new Enhanced Sensitivity mode for remarkably clean blacks when shooting at high ISOs, making it quite capable even in scenarios where you might have limited control of the lighting. 

On top of the increased dynamic range, the 35 operates with a suite of new color processing steps known as REVEAL Color Science, which greatly increases not only the total spectrum of visible color that the camera can capture, but also the camera’s ability to see the subtleties between similar colors. This processing consists of the new LogC4 curve, new ARRI Wide Gamut 4 (AWG4) color space, and a variety of other new software and hardware factors.

Textures

A new feature that is completely unique to the Alexa 35 is the addition of “textures”. Textures can be thought of as a digital equivalent to selecting a film stock, where each texture option yields its own particular character from differences in grain and sharpness. Of course you can leave the camera at the “Default” texture which will give you that classic, clean yet filmic look ARRI’s digital cameras are known for, but you can also swing to a texture like “Nostalgic”, which has a soft, noticeably grainy image reminiscent of high-ASA Super 16mm film. 

(Note: Unlike LUTs, textures will be baked in! This means that which texture your project is shot with will need to be given thoughtful consideration in pre-production, much like selecting a real analog film stock.)

IMPROVED WIRELESS CONTROL

While there have been previous solutions to wirelessly control your ARRI camera, the new companion app (available for iOS or Mac with M1 chip) streamlines the process and offers improved speed and functionality, including the ability to fully customize the User Interface.

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