B-cam for an Arri Alexa mini?

fatman

fatman

Active member
I thinking of doing a project w/ the alexa mini because I have the budget, but I really want a 2nd camera and the budget might not allow for it - I'm going to try and make it work, but I'm wondering if any members here have ever paired it with something else.

I'm also curious what camera's they use for MasterClass if anyone know's because 1/2 the project will have that vibe.

Just as an aside, I'd rather not mix camera's and maybe opt for something else - but it's 50/50 right now I could get 2 mini's.

Because so much of this will be interview style I'm going to use cooke mini s4's as I want the subjects to look as pleasant as possible, and that would of course apply to both camera's.
 
I 2nd getting an older Alexa. Lots of kits are on sale for $10-12k so you should be able to find an owner op who can bring the camera (likely with them as an op) for a very affordable price. This is of course assuming you are finishingin 1080.
 
I can always count on awesome simple answers here. I feel stupid for not thinking about classic's! just looked up one store that has $350/day for classic Canadian, so that is totally in my budget. So if I can't swing 2 mini's I'll do that.

I will be finishing in 1080p - one tiny thing is that I had imagined doing the 'master' shot for the interview in 4k so that I could punch in for another look and have the other camera on a slider effectively giving me at least 3, but maybe even 4 'looks' w/ the 2 camera's. The classic might be a bit big for a slider, so I'd be using it as the master static shot.

I'm really digging the David Mamet MC right now, and I'm allowing it to inspire me to do this gig somewhat in that fashion. I'll share more after next weekend when I've shot a bunch of it, but the inspiration is 2-fold. I really like how it's presented, but even more than that - I really like how it's delivered. It's honest no BS, and 'gives away secretes'. so I want all of that for this client who's industry (like most) is marketed in such a phony way that is just so ignorable now.

Very much appreciate the responses, because if I can't get my hands on a classic for some reason, I will go the BMCC route. I also have a (potential) larger project on the horizon that would certainly be with 2 alexa mini's and this is a great opportunity for me to get comfortable with it as it will be my first time using an ARRI camera. I'll be using their online tutorial/virtual menu's leading up to my gear check where I'll build everything and get familiar in person.
 
I actually shot some of the test material in this thread.

I have used an Ursa Mini 4.6K or UMP for the last few years alongside Alexa many times. The only way you can generally tell is that the Ursa tends to be a bit sharper (No OLPF and higher res sensor) and it has a smidge less DR, so in a like for like scenario, in extreme clipping the Alexa holds on a bit longer.

JB
 
Unless you have a particular need for the Mini, steadicam, gimbal, drone etc. I'd suggest simply going with two Alexa Classics instead. You'll save a pretty penny. And if you're just on dollies or sticks, it'll make literally no difference to your shoot.
 
Grug said:
Unless you have a particular need for the Mini, steadicam, gimbal, drone etc. I'd suggest simply going with two Alexa Classics instead. You'll save a pretty penny. And if you're just on dollies or sticks, it'll make literally no difference to your shoot.
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Outside of the interview yes I will fly it on a ronin. Inside the interview I wanted to leverage the higher resolution to punch in and get a tighter frame on both setups. Also I'm a wondering about sliders (no dolly) since the weight could mean a more robust slider, and I'm running a crew of 4 including myself.

I'm not 100% opposed to what you're saying - we'll see. Professionally it may benefit me to work with both.

If do find it interesting all the Black Magic support to match, I haven't worked w/ the ursa mini either, all of my experience to date is Sony, Canon and to a lesser extent Panasonic. I'd like to mess around with it as well, but I'll try to keep it all one camera so as to not over-complicate one shoot.
 
OSCURO said:
One major caveat (noted by Brawley) is the lack of OLPF and IR filtration. You can see it in his model's shirt, and (although subtle) in Collardy's model's hair in the second shot. The workaround is an IR filter, but, it's still a workaround that takes time and extensive iterative testing to get right, so bear that in mind. It's not so easy to correct in the grade without optical filtration.
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IR pollution is not a problem with the ursa mini pro, it has a IR filter built in. The regular ursa mini 4.6K needs an IR filter though.
An OLPF can be purchased third party from mosaic, but I have been shooting without it without a problem.
 
All cameras have IR filters in them, but some are weaker or stronger than others.

You have to cut the IR to a certain point or you'd be tripping out via your camera.
 
yeah I believe it's in the neighbourhood of 3.6k or something, but that's more than enough to 'punch in'.

Regarding IR filters, I should probably take one with me when shooting cannabis grow ops. They have such difficult conditions to shoot in and it makes grading in post a big challenge. I'm interested to see the extent they change the image!
 
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