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What is so great about the original ARRI Alexa?


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I had read..."The Alexa Classic, or EV, has reached legendary status. Ask any owner/operator which camera they'd love to own and you can bet your last coin that they'll say the ARRI Alexa."

What is the benefit of owing an outdated, but still $$ camera like this? Is it a nostalgia thing?

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
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It’s not nostalgia. The Alexa classic has the same dynamic range and color science as the most modern version. It’s not obsolete in any way, save its sub 4K resolution. If that isn’t an issue for whatever market you shoot in, the Classic is still arguably a better camera than most of its more recent competitors.

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People like the colorimetry, which is a combination of (to some extent) the sensor, particularly the oversampling, and (to some extent) the internal colour processing. All Alexa and related cameras have this and this is what people covet. At least some of it is down to Arri's rather brave decision to stamp a look into it. Happily it was a look everyone was willing to find a way to like.

Frankly it's just a look and some of the best low-cost modern cameras (FS7, Ursa Mini 4.6K) are capable of doing similar things with careful handling, especially if you leverage the oversampling for lower noise floor. But Alexa is the only one that does it easily, out of the box.

If you wanted to be dismissive, you could say it's not so much a nostalgia thing as a fashion thing. It has come to define the gold standard, and that's a fairly arbitrary distinction.

P

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That same sensor is still producing the majority of worldwide narrative and commercial projects (though now in the smaller Alexa Mini form factor).

 

Unless you’ve got Producers specifically asking for 4k, it’s still a perfectly relevant picture making machine. 

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I think Alexa's success has been its a nice look out the box and easy to dial in. Also they made one sensor and stuck with it - giving it time to gain traction as people get used to it.

Red on the other hand has released a bunch of different size types of sensor in the same period and now even have custom optical low pass filters. You may have lots of flexibility in post, but it can take longer to dial the look in. Once your getting great results with a particular set up red release a new camera/sensor and your back to square one.

Alexa is the continuity camera and a standard that people are familiar with.

It's the same with lots of things in audio is the Shure SM58 the best vocal mic? Certainly not, but its ubiquitous, hard wearing, good enough and known quantity hence most bands still use them. 

I think we are at a point where digital is "good enough" and the speed of development could afford to slow down. 

I don't understand the RED approach of making "Obsolescence Obsolete" by updating their camera tech every 2 years. People pick Arri because its a safer investment, they are less likely to drop a new camera 6 months after you spent £40k on your current model.   

We are getting to point where most professional Digital cameras of the last 5 years are "good enough" - so maybe the need to upgrade will be less pressured, unless Netflix and Co jump on the 8k bandwagon. 

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3 hours ago, Phil Rhodes said:

I note that the one in the picture is an Alexa Plus, which is pretty unusual for $6k. And the lens is... more.

I assume from your comment you haven't watched the video.
It is the body, EVF and stuff for that price.
Lens is his own or rented, can't remember.

It is a fun video for anyone wanting to jump THE camera bandwagon and the "challenges" this massive beast has. :)

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  • 1 month later...
6 hours ago, Robin R Probyn said:

Its had limited  theatrical release already sir ..   was going to be shown with the next Bond .. but got pulled .. but interest from Netflix ..

I hope the red arrow loser will be self isolating for the next 20 years ..  as if we didn't have enough to deal with ? 

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10 hours ago, Robin R Probyn said:

Its had limited  theatrical release already sir ..   was going to be shown with the next Bond .. but got pulled .. but interest from Netflix ..

I'll hold out for the American remake, with Nicholas Cage in the Probyn role and Andy Serkis in mo-cap as the FX9

 

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4 hours ago, Phil Connolly said:

I'll hold out for the American remake, with Nicholas Cage in the Probyn role and Andy Serkis in mo-cap as the FX9

 

Funny you should bring that up.. Nick is always droning on about playing me in a Bio flick.. had to ban the guy from my parties .. always after my wife ..this Asian thing he has .. I see it more as a John Malkovich role..   Being Robin Probyn .. 

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