ARRI’s new ALEXA 265 compact 65mm camera has a 15 stop dynamic range, high sensitivity and in-camera ND filter system, and uses the same REVEAL Color Science as the ALEXA 35.
ARRI has developed a new compact camera for 65mm cinematography, ALEXA 265. This camera is one-third the size and weight of ALEXA 65, and has a 65mm sensor updated with a higher dynamic range and greater sensitivity. It also has a specialised in-camera filter cartridge system and operates with the same LogC4 workflow and REVEAL Color Science as ARRI's ALEXA 35.
With access to 15 stops of dynamic range, strong low-light performance and the same accessories as the ALEXA 35, ARRI expects users to find that the ALEXA 265 makes 65mm as easy to work in as any other format.
The ALEXA 265 camera body is based on the compact design of the ALEXA 35 and, although it holds a sensor three times as large, is only 4mm longer and 11mm wider. At 3.3kg, it weighs less than one-third the ALEXA 65's weight of 10.5 kg, and is built with ARRI's new cooling and power management.
While the camera's small design means it can be used in ways never considered for 65 mm – from drones and stabilizers to extremely tight locations – various features also make it faster and more agile to work with on set. Boot-up time and power draw have been improved, for instance, and compatibility with the ALEXA 35 accessories opens more rigging options.
Revised Sensor
According to ARRI, comments from ALEXA 65 users over the last decade led to making a reduction in form factor a design priority for ALEXA 265, but they also determined the approach to image quality. Filmmakers wanted to retain the 6.5K resolution and pixel pitch, but were interested in higher dynamic range and better low-light performance.
Consequently, a new, thorough revision of the 65mm sensor was developed for ALEXA 265, increasing the dynamic range from 14 to 15 stops and the sensitivity from 3200 to 6400 EI (ISO/ASA), resulting in crisper blacks and greater contrast. Its low noise floor contributes to the wide dynamic range, and also means that the camera can detect signals that might otherwise be hidden within the noise background, which helps to produce a high-fidelity image.
On-set Workflow
The LogC4 workflow and 3D LUTs introduced for ALEXA 35 can now be used with ALEXA 265, recording ARRIRAW in-camera to the Codex Compact Drives used in all current ARRI cameras. Filmmakers can use standard drive readers and docks, as well as Codex HDE (High Density Encoding), reducing file sizes by up to 40% without affecting image quality. On-set monitors can be set up in HD or UHD, displaying SDR or HDR, or both. ARRI is updating its SDK to ensure that ALEXA 265 images are compatible with all major third-party software tools.
A distinctive feature of the ALEXA 265 is its filter cartridge system, which allows special filter trays, encased in a protective cartridge, to slide in front of the sensor. ARRI Full-Spectrum Neutral Density (FSND) filters, from zero to ND2.7 in single-stop increments, will be available with ALEXA 265 at the time of launch. A number of other creative filter options are also in development.
An encoded chip on the filter tray conveys information about which filter has been inserted. This information is available in the user interface and is also recorded in the camera metadata for use on set and in post.
In-camera Processing - ARRI REVEAL Colour Science
ALEXA 265 images are processed in-camera using ARRI REVEAL Colour Science, a new type of image processing that was introduced with the ALEXA 35 and is also compatible with ARRIRAW images from the ALEXA Mini LF. Taken together, the REVEAL suite of processing steps collectively improve the accuracy of the colours the camera is able to capture, with subtler tonal variations.
Skin tones are rendered in a lifelike, pleasing way, and highly saturated colours and challenging colours such as pastel shades are displayed with more realism. All ALEXA 265 and ALEXA 35 cameras are colour-matched to each other to simplify colour grading.
Virtual Production and ICVFX
The ALEXA 265 can use ARRI’s Colour Management for Virtual Production, developed for precise calibration of LED walls in ICVFX environments to reduce the work needed on set and in post to recover missing colour information.
This system enables the use of ARRI’s LED Calibration plug-in for Unreal Engine. The software communicates with compatible ARRI cameras via CAP (Camera Access Protocol) and generates a calibration file for the user’s LED panel/camera combination, based on how RGB values are interpreted by the sensor. Once this file is imported into the Unreal plugin, ARRI’s knowledge of the sensor allows a single calibration for global colour adjustments.
ALEXA 265 will be available to productions through ARRI Rental from early 2025. www.arri.com
