ARRI Launches ALEXA Mini LF

[rob norton]

I don't mind moving to B-mount (v-mount shits me frequently), but they better put the goddamned battery plate BACK on the back of the camera again - no more of this semi-detached, cable-required nonsense.

Also, a Venice-style full range of internal NDs.

If they address those two issues (and hopefully add a dual native ISO mode as well), I'll probably cough up the change for one.

I’m more interested to see how quickly lights take on the mount. Extra security is nice but let’s get real the appeal is the potential for higher powered batteries. If some type of fast charging is unique to the system that’d change things too.

For anyone interested, there are currently 4x b-mount options, all made by bebob:
- https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=3469&fct=fct_mount-series-type_3077%7cb-mount

Are we satisfied with the “hot swap” description? It’s more like a hot continue because the drained battery stays in place.

I wish I could predict when micro b-mounts will be a thing!

 

[Eric Coughlin]

About time they came out with this long overdue firmware update. I'm glad I bought a house instead of a Mini LF. The Mini LF has been crippled the past couple years it's been out without first an EF mount (so I couldn't use my full frame CN-e primes) and then without the Super35 mode (so I couldn't use my Ultra Primes). On release it basically meant you had to use PL or LPL full frame lenses and having to invest into those just to use the camera greatly increased the price assuming you got full frame lenses of a similar caliber to the camera. I wonder if there was an intentional delay there hoping people would invest in their Signature primes.

I've been thinking about getting a regular Mini for awhile. Now the Mini LF is more tempting, and they sound more sure about the release date of the Super35 4K now which sounds about 10 months out. Probably good to wait and see what that one is. It could become the new flagship camera, though I suppose the LF could still be considered the higher end model.

I wish they would have dual record which I think is my biggest complaint with Arri. One of these days I'll get burned by not having that.

Better low light would be nice but I don't think that will happen.


Does the 24v last any longer than a 12v of the same wattage? I believe the Amira can take 12v or 24v, and I've heard sending it 24v is better (while most people use 12v), but I don't know why.

 

[Guest]

I wish I could predict when micro b-mounts will be a thing!

They are a thing. The size of the B-mount was intentionally made to accommodate "micro" bricks. The current Bebob Micro batteries size and shape easily fit the B mount. I want to say that B-mont can fit even smaller batteries than AB or V mounts, but this was all early 2020 when I got hands on. Bebob is a company I like more than AB. But difficult to move away from AB in the US. Hence some appeal in the Block Battery eco system.

https://blockbattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2F1-150-B-2-20.pdf. (not sure what their micro brick roadmap is though, they do allow for 12 or 24v and any mount)

 

[Guest]

About time they came out with this long overdue firmware update. I'm glad I bought a house instead of a Mini LF. The Mini LF has been crippled the past couple years it's been out without first an EF mount (so I couldn't use my full frame CN-e primes) and then without the Super35 mode (so I couldn't use my Ultra Primes). On release it basically meant you had to use PL or LPL full frame lenses and having to invest into those just to use the camera greatly increased the price assuming you got full frame lenses of a similar caliber to the camera. I wonder if there was an intentional delay there hoping people would invest in their Signature primes.

I've been thinking about getting a regular Mini for awhile. Now the Mini LF is more tempting, and they sound more sure about the release date of the Super35 4K now which sounds about 10 months out. Probably good to wait and see what that one is. It could become the new flagship camera, though I suppose the LF could still be considered the higher end model.

I wish they would have dual record which I think is my biggest complaint with Arri. One of these days I'll get burned by not having that.

Better low light would be nice but I don't think that will happen.


Does the 24v last any longer than a 12v of the same wattage? I believe the Amira can take 12v or 24v, and I've heard sending it 24v is better (while most people use 12v), but I don't know why.

Doesn't codex do internal dual record redundancy? I know there are other reasons for dual slots. And I agree, any serious cine camera should be dual slotted.

Swapping media during a take would be one of the benefits.

having immediate back ups that can go in "the vault" or whatever.

If one slot goes bad, the other slot still works.

one slot can have continuous record on a loop and the other can just record clips.

one slot for proxies.

on and on. (or basically that is all I can think of in this moment, so pretending I have a million more ideas)

 

[Eric Coughlin]

Here, I'll help you with this list.

Client formats card to steal your demo reel material but you have a backup copy on b-slot.

DIT person accidentally formats card that hasn't been backed up yet.

You have two editors working on the same fast turn around project on two computers and want to offload both cards to both editors simultaneously.

Memory card gets lost, stolen, or damaged.

With the C300 Mark III, I have a 2TB card in b-slot which, especially when shooting Long GOP (28 hours of 10 bit 4:2:2 4K), can last months of shooting without needing to format the card. Slot A I will format after each shoot so I can give fresh cards to the client to download without clutter from other shoots. While I do make home copies to hard drives for client shoots, if I were to not fully copy it correctly (I'm not always as meticulous (e.g., one backup and not multiple, not always checking the copied data amount matches the memory card data amount)) on copying client footage since I just hand it off to them to edit such that I have no responsibility or requirement to have a backup), I can just go to b-slot which still has the same unformatted memory card from the shoot from two months ago if the client suddenly needs a backup. As most Arri shoots are being recorded at higher data rates than Long GOP at 160 mbps, this would need a larger card (perhaps 8 TB) to work.

Peace of mind knowing it's not your only copy. It always seems debatable if properly ejecting USB slots on computers is worth the effort. When I have a dual recorded backup, I feel no need to properly eject USBs because even though my constant pulling of USBs without properly ejecting has never caused an issue, I don't want to take risks if it's my only copy so I'm much more likely to properly eject. Let's say another scenario where you're copying the card and then find you need to move to a new location. If it's my only copy, I may want to wait until it's fully copied before moving the computer to a new location, as I don't want to risk messing up the memory card by cancelling the copying mid-copy or risk the reader getting unplugged if keeping it copying while moving the computer. Basically, I can be a lot more risky with my copying methods when I have a backup card.



I don't know, but dual recording on the same memory card to me rather defeats the purpose of dual record.