The ARRI Alexa mini LF was just announced today or some people are calling it: the Arri Alexa MiLF because LF and the mini... Hmm
Film Jams!
Now as an ARRI Alexa Mini Original owner I had some questions.
Here's what we know so far.
Weight. Now the Alexa mini LF is 5.7 pounds compared to the original Alexa mini, which is 5.1 pounds.
It's still in the same range, which is really nice.
Media cards. Now the new Alexa LF mini is going to record on codex drives. The one terabyte is the one that's out right now.
They are a bit larger and more expensive than the C fast cards on the Alexa Mini here.
The one terabyte codex drive is going for 2,200 dollars and the reader is 630 dollars.
So it's a bit of an investment for your media. My C fast reader on my Alexa Mini was like 16 bucks on Amazon.
So different price ranges. Buttons. Yes, we are getting more buttons on the Alexa Mini LF.
The original mini here has three customizable buttons on the side. The Alexa Mini LF is gonna have six, which is really nice.
You also get a new lock button on the LF which is a nice feature to have on the side of the camera.
This is my favorite feature. The new Alexa Mini IF has a built-in stereo mic in the body.
The reason I like this feature so much is because you can reduce the weight of your rig.
You can get rid of that A box or that beach tech box on your setup just for that scratch track. It's really nice.
One of the biggest differentiators of the new Alexa Mini LF is the sensor size.
You're getting the same full-frame sensor that's in the bigger brother the Alexa LF. Now you can still use super 35 millimeter lenses with the optional LPL to PL mount adapter.
So don't throw away all those ultra primes just yet sir. A new viewfinder is being offered with the new Alexa Mini LF.
It's been completely redesigned from the previous viewfinders that came with the original Alexa Mini or the ARRI Amira.
You can't use this new viewfinder though with any of the older cameras.
So keep that in mind. The screen of the viewfinder is now four inches instead of the older ones that has a three inch screen.
It also has a headphone jack, which is a great addition. This new MV f2 is really nice.
The screen is higher quality.
But just remember you can't use it on the older Alexa Mini or the ARRI Amira. Formats and frame rates.
You're getting full 4k natively on this camera, which is nice.
It's one of the only ARRI Alexa cameras that has native 4k in it.
You're actually getting 4.5k internally. Now the difference between the full-size Alexa LF and the Alexa Mini LF is that you can only do 40 frames in 4.5k.
Where's the bigger brother does 60 frames and some of the other frame rates are also a little bit different on the LF mini.
Check out this chart here to check out all the different frame rates and differences between the LF and the LF mini.
Now one of the other differences on the Alexa mini LF is they put the cable inputs in some different spots.
The original Alexa Mini here has the audio input on the front.
The new LF has it on the back which I think is a better spot for it
it was always kind of awkward for me to put it in there with lenses and
Different stuff on the rig going on there.
One of the other changes on the cables is that they put this EVF input on the other side of the camera here.
Which is to me better because that's where the EVF typically lives for me.
So it's gonna be over here on the Alexa Mini LF.
So a couple of those ergonomics changes are really nice. I think operators and ACS will appreciate these updates to the camera
All right. So what's all that jazz cost?
Well the Alexa mini LF just for the body only right now is fifty eight thousand dollars.
The original Alexa mini is going for 48 thousand dollars.
So it's a ten thousand dollar premium. Now a full kit with the viewfinder,
the codecs cards, a codecs reader, and a rig is gonna cost you around seventy five thousand dollars.
So it's not for the faint of heart. Make sure you really want full frame but it is quite a bit less than the bigger
Brother the Alexa L F which starts at a hundred thousand dollars just for the body.
Overall I think this is a really positive announcement from ARRI for people wanting to get into the ARRI Alexa
ecosystem a lot of the Alexa mini bodies are gonna be easier to find and
Cheaper on the used market right now and to me the original Alexa mini still is the camera to own as an owner-operator
If you really want that full frame look or you're shooting
Netflix original series that require that 4k the Alexa Mini LF is a great option though.
Alright guys, that was our first look at the ARRI Alexa Mini LF. We'll be at NAB in a couple weeks to get you a first hands-on look at the ARRI Alexa Mini LF.
Make sure to subscribe so you can get all those updates live from NAB. Auf Wiedersehen!
The reason I like this feature so much is you can reduce the rate of your rig goddammit!