Responding to the expectation created within the industry, ARRI showed at NAB the first model of a new generation of digital cameras for the production of television programs, commercials, documentaries, music videos and more.
Compact, lightweight and very ergonomic in size, but with the robustness that characterizes ARRI products, the Alexa has a Super 35 sensor of great sensitivity, low noise and great dynamic range of 13.5 stops. ARRI's imaging technology (AIT) captures organic, cinema-like images like no other digital camera; with natural colors and pleasurable skin tones.
The Alexa's CMOS sensor has a DGA (Dual Gain Architecture) design that ensures the same exposure latitude across a wide range of sensitivity. This creates opportunities in post-production where the richness of the captured images is achieved more easily and quickly. The details in both dark and illuminated areas as well as the low noise level help the colorist save time, effort and costs in the coloring process.
From a workflow standpoint, Alexa represents a remarkable advancement for flows from set to post and distribution. Alexa's Direct to Edit flow offers a multitude of output options, full metadata, and built-in color management. Alexa is the only camera that can simultaneously record Apple QuickTime/ProRes files, uncompressed HD video, and UNcompressed ARRIRAW data.
A novelty is the possibility that Alexa has to record QuickTime files with ProRes encoded images on SxS memory cards. Alexa's internal recorder encodes ProRes 422 (HQ) or ProRes 444 images as well as audio, metadata, and XML files for Final Cut Pro. The very high quality of Apple's ProRes 422 and 444 codecs means that the result of the edition can be immediately distributed.
In addition, Alexa offers two HD-SDI connectors that support 1.5Gb dual link or two 3G signals for 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 HD outputs without compression, and an ARRIRAW T-link signal. The latter is the only one that offers the possibility of accessing the full potential of the Alexa sensor with all the color and dynamic range that exceed the HD standard.
The Alexa has been designed in a modular way to allow future updates in terms of recording technologies and electronics and also accept a wide variety of PL, Panavision, Canon or Nikon lenses.
