F5: Amira prices out today,

scocklin

scocklin

Well-known member
http://www.abelcine.com/store/ARRI-AMIRA-Camera/#tabs


Go to the includes tab to see the prices, camera starts at 40K up to 51K, an expensive documentary camera!
 
Like any decent and well thought out camera, it is appropriate for a certain slice of the market. That slice of the market is not likely to be many that frequent this forum.

Just because a camera doesn't suit your or our particular needs or fits your business plan, doesn't mean it is a horrible camera.

It is great to FINALLY see an ergonomically sensible S35 camera for single operator use.

I can see this being a big hit with shows and ops that have standing gigs with cable and network TV, assuming they have budgets and not picyune producers doing the hiring.

There is a lot to like about the AMIRA.
 
LeavingTheCandy said:
Too bad Arri is going the same route as the others.
Click to expand...

What do you mean? Are you saying that Arri are overpriced? What did people really expect this to cost? You know it's going to cost as it's Arri. I wish Sony would copy Arri's build quality though, it's a tank.
 
I think it's actually a pretty good value for what is essentially an Alexa configured for a solo op. I've spent more on cameras that were nowhere in the same league as the Amira.

Having said that, I say it's good rental option but I couldn't see myself buying a camera without 4K at this point.
 
I'd say the price is exactly right for what they are offering.

I'll be going to my local rental house soon to check it out.
 
Consider that the Alexa is insanely popular and the vast number of people shoot with it to ProRes. Then realize that the Amira does much the same and in certain ways does it better, and it is still priced less than an Alexa.

I'd say the pricing is pretty good, if you actually are in the market for that sort of camera.

If you are a Hyundai driver, then A top level Mercedes will always seem insanely overpriced, even if it was to be heavily discounted. But that car is not made for the Hyundai market, even if you want to argue the performance specs between the two vehicles.
 
In my (sort-of) humble opinion. The value of the camera is largely based on the ability to for owners to get a client to pay for it. For countless decades, a documentary camera was huge $$. Arri SR's, Aaton XTR's, etc were big investments. People paid for them because they had clients that would hire them to shoot a project and pay for the camera. My first F900 was MSRP $103,000 for the body. I went on to make a lot of money off of it - in part doing docs. It helped me buy a house and have two children. I purchased a bunch of cameras over the years, most of them costing way more than an awesome car and some costing more than my house.

It all made sense because I found customers to pay for them. Once they were paid for, they made money. Business 101. This is the movie "BUSINESS". If you think it is too expensive it's because your customer base does not have the budget or the need for the best available images. Small markets and non-broadcast projects may not be able to stomach the cost of the camera. Spread the cost over 3 years and you see that it only has to bring in $17k/year. Higher end cameras attract higher end customers that pay more and shoot more.

The Amira does not obsolete anything out there, but it appears to have a definite purpose. Ultra reliable, one-man operable, great looking camera. All that without 9 manufacturers adding countless bits and pieces and taking a year to get comfortable with. The day you receive an Amira, just about anyone with broadcast or cinema background can shoot successfully. This is why the Alexa has been such a remarkable success. "just add lens and some power". Try that with almost any camera. Alexa and soon the Amira will always require the shortest learning curve and the fewest external accessories to be usable. How many of you with F55's felt it was totally complete out of the box? How many days and tests did it take to get comfortable with the images and workflow?

With all that said, I make a living making things for cameras. I make nothing outfitting Alexas because they are ready to go by design (although I did make a behind the lens filter system for Alexa). I doubt I will make any money on Amira either as it appears ready to rock out of the box. That's a long way of saying $51k aint that bad if you plan to use it as a business. If you are shooting your docs for fun, it may weigh you down.
 
I'm sure rental prices will be fantastic, look on the bright side, you may never own it, but it's there to rent if you need it. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not much more than the f5 as a rental. They may have a huge winner on their hands here. Idk if I'd be happy if I were one of the other guys. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
 
rx8pilot said:
Alexa and soon the Amira will always require the shortest learning curve and the fewest external accessories to be usable. How many of you with F55's felt it was totally complete out of the box? How many days and tests did it take to get comfortable with the images and workflow?

With all that said, I make a living making things for cameras. I make nothing outfitting Alexas because they are ready to go by design (although I did make a behind the lens filter system for Alexa). I doubt I will make any money on Amira either as it appears ready to rock out of the box. That's a long way of saying $51k aint that bad if you plan to use it as a business. If you are shooting your docs for fun, it may weigh you down.
Click to expand...

I don't know I was shooting pretty good pictures with the F5 first day out of the box. I'm looking at the specs of the Amira;

AMRIA Premium Camera Set - $51,500*
  • AMIRA camera body
  • Handle (incl. viewfinder mount, viewfinder cable (short/long), camera handle)
  • Premium license: 1080i/1080p/2K (2048 x 1152); 0.75-200 fps; ProRes Proxy/LT/422/422HQ/ProRes 4444 (SDI 444); Rec709/LogC; unlimited Looks functions (max 15 in cam), import Looks (ACT)
  • Knee & other video parameters; ASC CDL in-camera grading
  • Peaking and Exposure tool (Zebra, False color)
  • HD-SDI input
  • Dynamic Auto Tracking White Balance
  • WiFi Remote UI
  • Bluetooth
  • Pre-record function
  • Import custom 3D LUTs
  • AMIRA viewfinder MVF-1
and for 51K there isn't much there! As for accessories I'm hearing 60K to fully accessorize this camera.
 
I think I must have spent about $40K cobbling together accessories to make the F3 work like a real camera. I'm willing to pay for a camera that is designed properly in the first place.
 
Anybody thinking this is too expensive, well...

There are clients out there that are used to paying $1000 and up a day for a camera. Some won't monkey around with anything but an Alexa anymore except for extenuating circumstances.

I wish I had more of them :-)
 
Kirk Miller said:
I think I must have spent about $40K cobbling together accessories to make the F3 work like a real camera. I'm willing to pay for a camera that is designed properly in the first place.
Click to expand...


It cost me less than $2k and aside from a Berkey top plate, everything I needed was and is absolutely interchangeable with other cameras.
 
I want one. Really badly. It's probably the single most suited camera anyone's ever made for the sort of jobs I shoot (which is 90% narrative these days). And those Alev-sensored 4:4:4 images are a joy both to look at and to push through post.

Wish I could justify one, but all my monies are going to lights and grip gear this year (investments that actually last). With the way the camera market is going these days I'm not certain I'll actually ever buy a high-end camera again. Competition has driven down rental costs so much, I'm not sure the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring one make sense anymore.
 
Grug said:
Wish I could justify one, but all my monies are going to lights and grip gear this year (investments that actually last). With the way the camera market is going these days I'm not certain I'll actually ever buy a high-end camera again. Competition has driven down rental costs so much, I'm not sure the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring one make sense anymore.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. In fact I make it a policy of not buying anything within 2 years of it's release. Otherwise I rent. Most cameras are good enough these days. So the price point has to come down and the bugs have to be ironed out. I am not interested in the kind of clients that need the latest and the greatest to be assured that their money is well spent. They are paying for my eye, not my camera.
 
If I were getting the day rates (and the bookings) I was getting during the HD transition, I would be high up on the waiting list for one of these. Those were the days.
As a documentary camera, 800 asa seems a little low these days, especially for an 2K camera, but I'm sure it's pretty clean pushed hard if need be.

Something the old timers might agree with...the Amira looks like the sort of camera Ikegami would have built if they hadn't lost their way.
 
scocklin said:
http://www.abelcine.com/store/ARRI-AMIRA-Camera/#tabs


Go to the includes tab to see the prices, camera starts at 40K up to 51K, an expensive documentary camera!
Click to expand...
That's a significant hike over the prices in Europe, CVP have it up at 33,000 Euros for the premium camera set
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top