ARRI Rental announces a new fleet of exclusive black-and-white cameras: The ALEXA 65 Monochrome for 65 mm capture, the ALEXA XT Monochrome for Super 35, and the ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome for large format B&W imagery. The cameras offer enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and contrast over the regular ALEXAs. Details below.
ARRI Rental’s exclusive ALEXA Monochrome cameras represent the state of the art in black-and-white digital cinematography. The heart of the camera is the modified sensor, which lacks the Bayer mask, allowing each photosite to capture the full spectrum of visible light. With no IR filter, Monochrome cameras can capture the non-visible infrared light that renders white foliage, milky skin, black eye pupils, and moody skies. The fleet comprises of the ALEXA 65, ALEXA Mini LF, and ALEXA XT Monochrome cameras, covering the 65 mm, full-frame, and Super 35 formats.
The goal is to offer visually superior black and white imagery, with a more creatively committed approach than just capturing in color and desaturating in post. The ALEXA Monochrome cameras record black-and-white ARRIRAW with increased resolution, crisper blacks, and higher native ASA than regular ALEXAs. The rich, high-contrast monochrome images are similar in look to the analog panchromatic film.
Each of the three cameras can only record in black & white ARRIRAW, using their native recording media: 2 TB SXR Capture Drives for the ALEXA 65 Monochrome, Compact Drives for the ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome, and XR Drives for the ALEXA XT Monochrome. The ARRIRAW can then be processed using a Mac-based platform with software such as the ARRI Reference Tool or ARRIRAW Converter, both available for download free of charge. A Mac workflow is cost-effective, especially in combination with Codex HDE (High-Density Encoding), though for some productions a Codex Vault might still be the best option.
Developed in partnership with CODEX, HDE (High-Density Encoding) reduces ARRIRAW file sizes by up to 40%, with an equivalent reduction in data-related costs. It is lossless encoding, so the full image quality is retained. Over the course of a long-form production, HDE can bring significant savings, as shown in the example below for the ALEXA 65 Monochrome.
Gladly, ARRI Rental has released sample footage showing the level of creativity and uniqueness of the black-and-white imagery. Watch this NYC black-and-white showreel. Shot on the ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome. Directed by Diane Ng and shot by Eileen Yoon, it showcases the enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and contrast of the Monochrome cameras over regular ALEXAs.
The Monochrome cameras will most probably be available exclusively through ARRI Rental. You can contact them for more info.
ALEXA Monochrome Cameras Announced: 65, XT, and Mini LF - YMCinema - News & Insights on Digital Cinema - YMCinema Magazine
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