ARRI Alexa Mini: All the Alexa Features You Love at a Fraction of the Size
ARRI’s latest ALEXA camera shrinks in size, but not image quality.
In an effort to make their cameras more accessible to the modern filmmaker, camera manufacturer ARRI has announced the newest camera to their Alexa line, the ARRI Alexa Mini. The small carbon fiber camera was designed to work with drones and gimbal based stabilizers.
The ARRI ALEXA Mini
In a nutshell, the ARRI ALEXA Mini is a smaller version of the popular ALEXA. This pro pocket cam records anywhere from .75 to 200 frames per second in ProRes or uncompressed ARRIRAW to CFast 2.0 cards or an external recorder.
One thing that makes the ‘Mini” special is the fact that it has an interchangeable lens mount, similar to the BlackMagic URSA. This means that the ARRI Alexa Mini can accommodate multiple types of lenses from B4 video to Canon EF.
ARRI states that images shot on the ALEXA Mini will “perfectly match those from all other ALEXA cameras, making the final grade easier and quicker.” The camera is also fully controllable from WiFi, making it great for drone use. The biggest downside that we can see so far is the lack of full 4K recording. The camera can only record up to 3424 x 1926, which is smaller than the industry defined 3840 x 2160.
ARRI ALEXA Mini Specs
Here are the initial specs for the ARRI ALEXA Mini released by ARRI.
| Sensor | 35mm Format (4:3) |
| Crop Factor | None (x1.0) |
| Sensitivity Range | ISO 800 Base Sensitivity |
| Resolution | HD, 2K and 4K (UHD) |
| Memory Card | CFast 2.0 Memory Cards |
| Codec | ProRes 4444XQ, 422 (HQ), 422, 422(LT), ARRIRAW |
| FPS | .7- 200fps, Up to 60fps in UHD |
| Viewfinder | MVF-1 OLED Viewfinder |
| Weight | 5 lbs |
| Shutter | Electronic Shutter 5° to 356° |
| Dynamic Range | 14+ Stops |
| Power | Lemo 8-Pin |
| Working Conditions | -20° C to +50° C |
| Output | 2x HD-SDI out 1.5G and 3G |
ARRI ALEXA Mini Test Footage
The following video shows the ALEXA Mini in-action using a Freely MōVI M15 a CineStar 8 multirotor. This video perfectly illustrates the cinematic potential of having such a powerful camera in a tiny body.
Here’s a behind the scenes video showing how this video was shot.
ARRI ALEXA Mini Pricing and Availability
The ARRI ALEXA Mini will have pricing from $30,000 to $40,000 with a release set for May of 2015. ARRI will start accepting pre-orders in March.
If you’re interested in learning more about the ARRI ALEXA Mini check out a few of the following resources:
- New ARRI ALEXA Mini: Same Image Quality in a Much Smaller Package – NoFilmSchool
- Announcing the new ARRI ALEXA Mini – ARRI News
- ARRI ALEXA Mini – Lightweight Carbon Fibre Camera – Cinema 5D
What do you think of the new ARRI ALEXA Mini? Will it make a splash in the filmmaking world?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
