The new Alexa SXT (Super Xtended Technology) adds electronics from Arri’s Alexa 65 camera to the existing Alexa XT sensor for in-camera recording of ProRes 4K UHD (3840×2160) and ProRes 4K Cine (4096×2637).
It can also do live colour grading, avoiding the need for a separate LUT box. It can output to an on-set monitor as well as doing the final grading and dailies creation, “so the people in post will know what the intended look was,” said Stephan Schenk, Arri’s managing director. It also has SXR (Super Xtended Recording) with new 1TB or 2TB capture drives. “That gives you massive capabilities to shoot without stopping,” up to seven hours in ProRes.
SXT ships later this year, and “we have already a lot of orders” – anyone taking delivery of an XT now gets a free upgrade to SXT.
Arri’s new 19-36mm/T4.2 Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom exhibits “virtually no distortion. Straight lines stay straight. In an ultra-wide 2x anamorphic this is almost unknown,” he claimed. This makes it “a perfect lens for visual effects, because there is no distortion to rectify, and no vignetting – there is a completely even light field across the image.”
Its Amira documentary camera is getting a free new software update 3.0 soon enabling ProRes 4444 XQ recording, plus MPEG-2 HD 4:2:2 to match the XDCAM workflow. It will also connect via Ethernet to a Sony box to be controlled by a standard Sony RCP-1500 for multicam capability. A new Amira Slot developed with Ambient for wireless audio has a two-minute battery to allow hot swapping the camera battery without interrupting the signal. The Alexa Mini will also receive a paid update later this year, adding Arriraw and 4:3 capability.
www.arri.com 11.F21
