Purchased an Alexa Classic in 2025. Am I crazy?

[Matthew W. Phillips]

I've been wanting this camera for years now but it was either too expensive or I found some reason to not buy it (people saying it's too heavy or not a good choice because it's only 2k). After trying out a Blackmagic pocket kit (and enjoying interiors but not exteriors so much), I had to try it. I had a thread here a few years back about it, I think.

Anyhow, I added a pic of my rig (all budget stuff since I'm poor) and some early stills from camera tests so far. I personally like it but it gives me a workout handling it. 

I do have one question for those here...would I see much of a benefit to getting an Odyssey and recording ARRIRAW? I like the ProRes 4444 but not sure if I'm missing out not shooting RAW. I don't like monitors personally (I prefer the EVF) but would be willing to go that route if the improvement is signficant.

Also, noob question, but is there a way to change focus peaking color to red? I got better focus on my pocket than this because I could actually see the peaking easier. My middle age eyes aren't as good as they once were.

Thanks for reading.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

1) Crazy? Buy what you like. Especially if you can get a good deal on something. What is the other option? You can leave the $ behind for someone else to spend for you. 

2) I can't answer your tech questions, but it looks like a nice setup. What was the purpose of buying that camera other than I wanted it?

3) If you can afford to live in Sacramento...you aren't poor.

4) Looks like you garden. Are you doing nature projects with the camera or people projects? I did a quick looksee on eBay and it said that camera is good for high-speed work. Is that right?

5) Do you have any fig or fruit trees planted in your garden?

[Matthew W. Phillips]

6 hours ago, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

1) Crazy? Buy what you like. Especially if you can get a good deal on something. What is the other option? You can leave the $ behind for someone else to spend for you. 

2) I can't answer your tech questions, but it looks like a nice setup. What was the purpose of buying that camera other than I wanted it?

3) If you can afford to live in Sacramento...you aren't poor.

4) Looks like you garden. Are you doing nature projects with the camera or people projects? I did a quick looksee on eBay and it said that camera is good for high-speed work. Is that right?

5) Do you have any fig or fruit trees planted in your garden?

1) I tried the pocket 4k but had Moire issues and some IR pollution. Everything else I looked at was more expensive than what I paid for this.

2) I bought it because I would like to make a few short films. It has been awhile since my last project and I'm itching to get back. My daughter is also a music major and is trying to break into performance and asked me to shoot a music video for her.

3) I see what you mean. I tend to think I might be poor because I live in Sacramento. My barely 6-figure salary isn't very impressive once I pay the rent (can't afford to buy a home here)

4) I love shooting nature and foliage. I try to plant things but I don't have a very good green thumb. When I shot a feature back in 2016, I spent hundreds of dollars at Green Acres (and hours or work) planting a beautiful garden in the backyard for the film. It lasted about 3 weeks for principle photography and then died on me. 😢 I love it but not sure it loves me 😄

5) No, I would love to though. But I don't own this property and probably wouldn't get permission to plant them.

[Max Field]

If you're a run and gun self shooter the camera is not worth it. I did that in 2019 but this was before the Pocket 6K (and other options) was out. The Arri Amira is one I just picked up for a couple thousand dollars more than what an Alexa would go for and it is that amazing imager with all of the design flaws solved. The 5-pin audio breakout on the Alexa being right next to the lens is a confusing design choice regardless of what kind of crew is using the camera.

If the camera is solely being on sticks in outdoor environments like this and you have no need for audio sync or anything it would be a good buy. But for narrative self-shooting it will fatigue you really quickly and I don't mean the weight. Just all the little annoyances.

[Matthew W. Phillips]

1 hour ago, Max Field said:

If you're a run and gun self shooter the camera is not worth it. I did that in 2019 but this was before the Pocket 6K (and other options) was out. The Arri Amira is one I just picked up for a couple thousand dollars more than what an Alexa would go for and it is that amazing imager with all of the design flaws solved. The 5-pin audio breakout on the Alexa being right next to the lens is a confusing design choice regardless of what kind of crew is using the camera.

If the camera is solely being on sticks in outdoor environments like this and you have no need for audio sync or anything it would be a good buy. But for narrative self-shooting it will fatigue you really quickly and I don't mean the weight. Just all the little annoyances.

Thanks for the heads up. I will be shooting sync sound, but I'm so used to that from my film days that I really don't know anything else. I will likely have an assistant when it comes to shooting something important. I don't like handheld or "run and gun" as I'm too old for that and I never was very steady with any size cam. I like it on sticks and the most I would do aside from that would be a dolly or geared head.

[Matthew W. Phillips]

1 hour ago, Max Field said:

If you're a run and gun self shooter the camera is not worth it. I did that in 2019 but this was before the Pocket 6K (and other options) was out. The Arri Amira is one I just picked up for a couple thousand dollars more than what an Alexa would go for and it is that amazing imager with all of the design flaws solved. The 5-pin audio breakout on the Alexa being right next to the lens is a confusing design choice regardless of what kind of crew is using the camera.

If the camera is solely being on sticks in outdoor environments like this and you have no need for audio sync or anything it would be a good buy. But for narrative self-shooting it will fatigue you really quickly and I don't mean the weight. Just all the little annoyances.

Oh, did you ever shoot ARRIRAW? I never had anyone answer my question about whether it is worth the hassle to shoot on the Classic. I like the EVF so spending for a monitor would be a bummer, but if ARRIRAW is that much better, I would do it. Was it that much better in your view to warrant the expense or did 12-bit ProRes seem enough for you?

[M Joel W]

Re: 2K ProRes vs ArriRAW, there is no benefit to raw in terms of color or tonality that I see – if you get the exposure and white balance anywhere in the ballpark.

There's no appreciable difference in dynamic range in my experience, either. And there's no highlight recovery algorithm as there is with Red and Black Magic.

In terms of resolution, 2.8K is noticeably sharper and at higher ISOs, very subtly noisier than ProRes.

Sometimes I think I prefer the look of 2K because I prefer a softer image. But I also prefer a little more texture and I like the flexibility of adjusting white balance and exposure in post; even if it should be easy to correct in Resolve, I like being able to adjust the raw sliders. 

Long story short, it's not much better.

Despite all that, I always shoot ArriRAW, mostly for the sharpness, texture, and ability to dial in exposure.

Edited April 7 by M Joel W

[Jon O'Brien]

I think go with the camera you most like the image from. The specs might not look good 'on paper', and it might have annoying or frustrating aspects like Max mentions, but the main thing is, with minimal tweaking in post, do you like the basic image this camera creates? I find that there are differences. I don't really like the look from a lot of high end video cameras. I like the look you can get from a Canon C300 and I like the images I've seen, at short film festivals, from the Alexa classic. It's probably closest to a film look of a lot of digital cameras I've seen, with minimal work in post. But I'm a film guy, what do I know about digital.

Edited April 7 by Jon O'Brien

[Jon O'Brien]

To use an analogy from music, let's say you're a violinist. You decide you need a better bow, and are willing to shell out some bucks for it. Which bow do you get, when there are maybe 30 good ones to choose from? Do you get the one that bounces the most, or the one that gives the best staccato. No, you pick the one that gives you the best overall sound, or tone. In my view, cameras are just like that. You pick the one that you like the basic image from the most, with minimal fiddling around with the image in post. I'd say you've made a good buy, if you're happy with the images the camera makes. The rest is just getting used to its quirks.

Super high definition is a fad that I'm not sure is going to last the distance. I, fwiw, don't like the super sharp look. A lot of people are just exporting their films at around 2K, and for a lot of videography I think this is probably sufficient. No doubt for feature film work you need to film in 4K or higher for various reasons but doesn't sound like you will be doing that with this camera.

Edited April 7 by Jon O'Brien

[Matthew W. Phillips]

5 hours ago, M Joel W said:

Re: 2K ProRes vs ArriRAW, there is no benefit to raw in terms of color or tonality that I see – if you get the exposure and white balance anywhere in the ballpark.

There's no appreciable difference in dynamic range in my experience, either. And there's no highlight recovery algorithm as there is with Red and Black Magic.

In terms of resolution, 2.8K is noticeably sharper and at higher ISOs, very subtly noisier than ProRes.

Sometimes I think I prefer the look of 2K because I prefer a softer image. But I also prefer a little more texture and I like the flexibility of adjusting white balance and exposure in post; even if it should be easy to correct in Resolve, I like being able to adjust the raw sliders. 

Long story short, it's not much better.

Despite all that, I always shoot ArriRAW, mostly for the sharpness, texture, and ability to dial in exposure.

Thank you for this info!

[Matthew W. Phillips]

2 hours ago, Jon O'Brien said:

I think go with the camera you most like the image from. The specs might not look good 'on paper', and it might have annoying or frustrating aspects like Max mentions, but the main thing is, with minimal tweaking in post, do you like the basic image this camera creates? I find that there are differences. I don't really like the look from a lot of high end video cameras. I like the look you can get from a Canon C300 and I like the images I've seen, at short film festivals, from the Alexa classic. It's probably closest to a film look of a lot of digital cameras I've seen, with minimal work in post. But I'm a film guy, what do I know about digital.

Hello Jon. Yes, you nailed exactly my thought process. I've never used a Canon C300, but I did know that I liked the look of the Classic. I tried Sony (a6xxx series, FX30, FX3, etc) and Blackmagic (P4K) and I never got anywhere near that look that I wanted (I really like the look of S16 Kodak 200t). Shooting on the Classic makes it easier for me to go hard with the grading and it has inherent qualities that those other cameras didn't.

I know Yedlin says cameras are only data collection devices. But I'm not nearly talented enough with grading to make a BM cam look like 16mm film in a way that will convincing to my eyes. Now you also have me curious about the C300 too. 

Edited April 7 by Matthew W. Phillips

[Matthew W. Phillips]

2 hours ago, Jon O'Brien said:

To use an analogy from music, let's say you're a violinist. You decide you need a better bow, and are willing to shell out some bucks for it. Which bow do you get, when there are maybe 30 good ones to choose from? Do you get the one that bounces the most, or the one that gives the best staccato. No, you pick the one that gives you the best overall sound, or tone. In my view, cameras are just like that. You pick the one that you like the basic image from the most, with minimal fiddling around with the image in post. I'd say you've made a good buy, if you're happy with the images the camera makes. The rest is just getting used to its quirks.

Super high definition is a fad that I'm not sure is going to last the distance. I, fwiw, don't like the super sharp look. A lot of people are just exporting their films at around 2K, and for a lot of videography I think this is probably sufficient. No doubt for feature film work you need to film in 4K or higher for various reasons but doesn't sound like you will be doing that with this camera.

I agree. Especially about the resolution. I dislike overly sharp footage. I keep a Black Pro Mist on my lens 24/7 just to soften the footage and my older eyes can't focus tack sharp anyway which I prefer as it reminds me of the footage I got shooting 16mm with an old Angenieux Zoom lens.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 4/6/2025 at 4:28 PM, Matthew W. Phillips said:

1) I tried the pocket 4k but had Moire issues and some IR pollution. Everything else I looked at was more expensive than what I paid for this.

2) I bought it because I would like to make a few short films. It has been awhile since my last project and I'm itching to get back. My daughter is also a music major and is trying to break into performance and asked me to shoot a music video for her.

3) I see what you mean. I tend to think I might be poor because I live in Sacramento. My barely 6-figure salary isn't very impressive once I pay the rent (can't afford to buy a home here)

4) I love shooting nature and foliage. I try to plant things but I don't have a very good green thumb. When I shot a feature back in 2016, I spent hundreds of dollars at Green Acres (and hours or work) planting a beautiful garden in the backyard for the film. It lasted about 3 weeks for principle photography and then died on me. 😢 I love it but not sure it loves me 😄

5) No, I would love to though. But I don't own this property and probably wouldn't get permission to plant them.

 

That is good you tried the 4K and had some choice in the matter. Well, you are right about your income in CA. In the Rustbelt you would be kind of rich! So, it is all relative.

I'm the same way with gardens...no good. You have to be a slave to the garden. You have to have a certain personality for gardening. It is the same with making movies. The wrong personality is not good. That is why I like trees. Once established the fruit trees find their own water. (In temperate climates.) If a tree requires one to be a slave to it, then I don't like it.

I was working with a road job back in the 70's in Sacramento. I took a walk after work and picked some figs from a tree overhanging in the alley. That is my memories of Sacramento. After that we worked in Gilroy, Monterey and Frisco. All beautiful country...even Frisco back then.

Your sample images look a little sleepy. Make sure you clean your lens and get the best you can from the camera. Send in something when you shoot your project.

Good luck!

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 4/7/2025 at 2:09 AM, Matthew W. Phillips said:

I agree. Especially about the resolution. I dislike overly sharp footage. I keep a Black Pro Mist on my lens 24/7 just to soften the footage and my older eyes can't focus tack sharp anyway which I prefer as it reminds me of the footage I got shooting 16mm with an old Angenieux Zoom lens.

Maybe that is why the images look kind of sleepy for me. I like sharpness, generally speaking. If you don't want digital sharpness, then your images look fine for the film look.

[Chase Hagen]

Howdy, the "aperture type" aka "contrast type" focus peaking was all we could offer in 2010 with the ALEXA Classic - color based focus peaking only came with the more powerful FPGA of the AMIRA. Enjoy your new camera!

[Matthew W. Phillips]

3 hours ago, Chase Hagen said:

Howdy, the "aperture type" aka "contrast type" focus peaking was all we could offer in 2010 with the ALEXA Classic - color based focus peaking only came with the more powerful FPGA of the AMIRA. Enjoy your new camera!

Thanks for the heads up. Can't afford an Amira so I'll live with the peaking it has.