The end of the SR period?

John Atala · May 3, 2006

Hello to all.

I have for long been a lover and studied the Arri S16mm camera, the SR3 advanced. I have also considered the purchase of one for investment and personal usage. The SR family was recently, at my point of view, placed under the knife. The thing is that this "ARRICAM" movement at arri has reached the SR family and I saw that the 416 could be here to subistitute the SRs. Not that its a bad thing, the camera seems AMAZINGLY nice and all, but I just don't know. I guess that it all comes to this: does anybody know if the 416 will in fact replace the SR or will both form the ARRI 16mm camera family like the 535b and the ARRICAM studio?

what do you guys think?

jon

Tim Carroll · May 3, 2006

It seems like the SR3 Advanced is going to be replaced by the 416, but the SR3 Advanced High Speed will still be around. That is just the sense I got when talking to the folks at ARRI at NAB last week.

-Tim

Frank DiBugnara · May 4, 2006

Those are really good questions....but I think we really have to ask ourselves: how many people today demand an ArriCam over a 535? Think of all the work the 535 still gets, and how much they are still worth for that matter.

I'm very impressed with what they did with the 416, and I think S16mm lovers can be particularly encouraged by money and R&D that Arri spent on it. That being said, it seems that in the past the improvements that Arri made from the SR2 to the SR3 and then to the SR3 Advanced (a redesigned gate/steadier image, variable shutter angle, speed ramps, etc) all served to directly impact the output of the camera -- while the 416 more indirectly impacts the output with things like more ergonomic design, brighter viewfinder, multiple Arri-glow colors, etc. It is more quiet (yet the SR3A is a very quiet camera).

I do hope to get to get a test drive with the 416 when it comes out....

Brad Grimmett · May 5, 2006

Those are really good questions....but I think we really have to ask ourselves: how many people today demand an ArriCam over a 535? Think of all the work the 535 still gets, and how much they are still worth for that matter.

I think quite a few people demand Arricam's over 535's. But of course it's a budget dependent thing. I know a few shows that probably would have been Panavision shows if it weren't for the Arricam. The 535 probably wouldn't have been an option in those cases. So maybe the Arricam is taking more work from Panavision than they are from shows that would/do use 535's.

Mitch Gross · May 5, 2006

The SR3 will be around for quite a while, but Arri won't make any new ones. How many 416 cameras do you think they'll sell in, say, the next 10 years? Maybe 500?