Edith blazek Posted November 17, 2022 Share Posted November 17, 2022 Basically what the title says, I just don't know where to go as I found a really good deal on the mini LF and I'd save a good amount of money, and it has the aesthetic I'm looking for when in combination with the lenses I'd use and how I shoot, and has a sensor size that fits my needs in terms of cropping. But at the same time, the Alexa 35 has better image quality in basically every way and looks like it will last longer as an investment as I'm not just buying and shooting for myself obviously, I'm renting whatever I get out to others in my area and I'm not sure how much longer the Alexa mini LF has in terms of longevity. I know Arri is committed to it as they made it the camera to get the monochrome treatment in their rental fleet and they said it will be their main LF camera for the next 3 years at least, but I don't know if that will be long enough to make buying a mini LF over a 35 worth it. But at the same time, I'm just not sure the image quality advancements over the LF sensor will sell to the point of killing it as the LF was already so good, you have people like Roger Deakins not overly enthusiastic about the 35 for that reason (just read posts on his forum) and I personally am not sure either from what I've seen so that's why I'm here, what are your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted November 19, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted November 19, 2022 Really it comes down to what you're interested in doing with it. What sort of clients do you see renting it and what do they want? From a purely theoretical point of view there are ways in which bigger sensors can become something of a zero sum game (I'll pontificate about that if you like, but you'll end up calling me a nerd). All else equal I'd get the Alexa 35. But all things are very rarely equal and it is very rarely a choice that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Devereux Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 48 minutes ago, Phil Rhodes said: Really it comes down to what you're interested in doing with it. What sort of clients do you see renting it and what do they want? From a purely theoretical point of view there are ways in which bigger sensors can become something of a zero sum game (I'll pontificate about that if you like, but you'll end up calling me a nerd). All else equal I'd get the Alexa 35. But all things are very rarely equal and it is very rarely a choice that simple. Can you elaborate on the zero sum game aspect of a larger sensor? I’ve always followed the simple logic of the larger the sensor the inherently more sensitive it is. So hearing an alternative would be great. As the simplistic logic above does apply, but the potential loss of say the larger column lines does interest me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted November 19, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted November 19, 2022 The regular Alexa and the Alexa LF have the same sensor so the same-sized photosites, same sensitivity - the LF is just two of the Alexa sensors stitched together. The difference is that when presented on the same-sized screen, the LF image is enlarged less so the noise is physically smaller, which does allow you to get away with a notch higher ISO if desired. One could also argue that having less visible noise causes a small increase in useable dynamic range at the low end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Zrike Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 If you're renting out, go with whichever you can get cheaper. They'll both be relevant for a while. The regular mini still rents out after all. And I believe Arri has said that they aren't planning to stitch two Alexa 35 sensors together anytime soon, so I don't think we'll be seeing an update on the LF for a bit. Unless someone here has more up-to-date info than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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