ALEXA 35 Base Model with Flexible Licenses

 

ARRI introduces a new way to get into ALEXA 35.

The ALEXA 35 is now available from ARRI as one of two models. The existing ALEXA 35 (with the black jogwheel) has been renamed “ALEXA 35 with Premium License” and the new model  (identified by a blue jogwheel) is called “ALEXA 35 with Base License.” The new, lower-cost ALEXA 35 Base model has the same hardware and sensor as the Premium model, but has a reduced feature set that can be upgraded with several licenses.

The original ALEXA 35 can be identified by its black jogwheel. The new ALEXA 35 Base model can be identified by its blue jogwheel.

The concept is about flexibility. You may already have worked with ARRI licenses—ALEXA Mini, AMIRA and ECS Devices (Hi-5, Hi-5 SX, etc) use them. Spoiler alert: charts, numbers, math and prices follow.

As with smartphones, streaming services, Spotify and SiriusXM, the ALEXA 35 Base model lets you add the things you want, when you want them.  It’s like making an in-app purchase on your iPhone or getting another streaming service for your TV. Add a feature, license for a week or forever, repeat, refresh.

Like the current ALEXA 35 Premium model, the new ALEXA 35 Base model comes with various accessory (hardware) sets. The least expensive camera set from ARRI comes in at € 49,800. For a few dollars more, you can license additional camera functions by the week, month, year or forever.

Let’s start with the base model, and advance from there.

Who, What, Where, When, Why, How and How Much

Who

Who wants this?

Stephan Schenk, ARRI’s Senior Vice President for Business Unit Camera Systems, explains: “We had many requests from customers who want to purchase the ALEXA 35 but could not afford it. These are owner/operators who want to upgrade from their current lower-cost cameras, existing AMIRA and Mini owners who want to switch to the ALEXA 35, and small production companies that want to up their game in terms of the image quality of their productions. These customers are also concerned about the cost of media drives. So, the ALEXA 35 Base model and the new Compact Drive Express 1TB are for those customers. And that is a large market: owner/operators, TV productions, corporate/industrial, educational, independents, film schools, documentary filmmakers, and more.

“While big rental houses will probably prefer the original ALEXA 35 to ensure compatibility within their rental fleet, they might also want to add a few of the ALEXA 35 Base models that can be offered at a lower price point.”

What

So, what is different? The new ALEXA 35 Base model obviously has the blue jogwheel on its left side.  This is a convenient way to identify what camera you are looking at. When you see both cameras on a shelf, you know that the one with the black jogwheel has all the licenses and features. The one with the blue jogwheel was originally purchased just with base license—but then you should start it up and check the menu to see which additional licenses have been installed.

A P-Touch label on the side of the camera would also be a quick way to identify the licenses inside.

The ALEXA 35 Base model has Apple ProRes recording up to 60 fps. The hardware is the same as in the existing ALEXA 35 Premium model: the same image quality, the same Super35 4K sensor with 17 stops of dynamic range, the same camera body, the same electronics and connectors. It has the same color science and the same image quality. It accepts existing Codex 1TB and 2TB Compact Drives, as well as the new Codex Compact Drive Express 1TB.

The ALEXA 35 Base model comes out of the box with the most commonly used 16:9 and 2:1 spherical recording formats—4K 16:9, 4K 2:1, 3.8K UHD 16:9, and 2K Super16 16:9. It has the same connectors  as the ALEXA 35 Premium model, including 3 independent 10-bit monitoring outputs (SDI 1, SDI 2, VF).

And it has the same ARRI Look File ALF4 support (CDL and 3D LUT) as well as a plethora of built-in SDR and HDR output color spaces (Log C4, Rec 709, Rec 2020, Rec 2100 PQ, Rec 2100 HLG).

Download and install any or all of 6 licenses from the online ARRI Shop to activate additional features: 120 fps, ARRIRAW, Open Gate/Anamorphic, Pre-Record, Look, and Premium. The Premium license includes the other 5 licenses, sort of like an Everything Bagel.

Where

The ALEXA 35 Base model will be available from ARRI and the usual network of dealers and resellers. As mentioned, the least expensive entry-level set lists for € 49,800. You can purchase weekly, monthly, yearly or permanent licenses for upgrades. (See chart above.) By way of comparison, the fully featured as-good-as-it-gets ALEXA 35 Premium model with Operator Set still comes in at € 74,500.

When

Announced on January 28, deliveries of the first ALEXA 35 Base model cameras are expected in February 2025.

Why

Once upon a time, not so very long ago in the analog era of film, there were ARRIFLEX cameras for different segments of the filmmaking community. Many of us first heard about ARRI when using a 16mm ARRIFLEX S in film school. We probably entered the professional world of documentaries, industrials or news with an ARRIFLEX 16SR or 416. Feature films beckoned and we worked with ARRIFLEX 35-3 and 435 cameras—affordably priced in the mid-level. And then there were the flagship cameras for high-end productions like the ARRICAM.

Now, in the digital age of ARRI, the tiered paradigm continues, from the ALEXA 35 Base model to the ALEXA 35 Premium model, on to the ALEXA Mini LF and the flagship ALEXA 265.

How

How does the ALEXA 35 Base model flex its upgradable muscles?

ARRI has set up an easy, efficient online portal for temporary or permanent licensing upgrades. This shop has been updated from the AMIRA/Mini days where it might have taken days to get registered. It is efficient, with quick registration and options to pay in local currencies, by credit card, PayPal, Google Pay or other methods. Also, you do not have to be the owner of the camera to purchase a license. As long as you have access to the camera, you can get a license. You can add what you need when you need it: 120 fps, ARRIRAW, Open Gate/Anamorphic, Look, Pre-Record or Premium.

Download the license key from the updated ARRI Shop. It works with FastSpring for various payment options: credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, Alipay, Amazon Pay,etc. License purchases are no longer restricted to the camera owner, so productions can pay for them as well.

The ALEXA 35 menu screen for licenses looks like this. In the example above, the camera has a temporary license for ARRIRAW and 120 FPS, and the camera helpfully points out when the 120 fps license will expire.

ARRI Senior Product Manager Marc Shipman-Mueller explains: “Our goal was to make the ALEXA 35 available at a lower entry price to a wider market, but without preventing customers from using any of the great ALEXA 35 features if they need them. That is where the licenses come into play and the flexibility they add: you can buy the ALEXA 35 Base model and then get new licenses as you need them.

“Let’s say you have the camera with the Base License and a producer books you on a commercial with anamorphic lenses. Then you can just buy the anamorphic license for a week. It costs you 180 Euros, that’s it. If you have a longer job, you can buy the monthly license. And you might even be able to charge it to production. You do not have to commit to the anamorphic capability when you buy the camera, you just add it when and for however long you need it. It is a concept we have been working on for a while, and now we have the infrastructure in place to offer this more flexible way of owning an ALEXA 35.”

How Much

ALEXA 35 Base Operator Set

ALEXA 35 Base Production Set 19mm

The ALEXA 35 Base model is available in one of eight accessory sets. Walter Trauninger, arguably the man with the longest experience and the longest title in the company (ARRI Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Business Unit Camera Systems) explains the motivation behind the sets:

“Looking back at the ALEXA 35 sales history, we found that the great majority of our customers purchased the camera in a set with accessories. I guess this means that our accessories are well-designed for use on set and that we had a lucky hand in putting together these sets. For the new model, we looked very carefully at the types of productions we expect this camera to be used on and  designed the camera sets around those scenarios.”

Chris Richter, ARRI’s Senior Vice President for Sales & Rental, continues: “The ALEXA 35 Base model is available with a choice of 8 accessory sets that bring savings over just buying the individual parts. These sets are grouped within three categories: Base Entry Sets, Base Operator Sets, and Base Production Sets.

“The Entry Sets offer the most affordable way to acquire a lightweight, ready-to-roll  camera package and puts the ALEXA 35 at a price comparable to the original ALEXA Mini. Owner-Operators and sports productions will be drawn to the Operator Sets, while the Production Sets are suited to high-end narrative productions and include accessories that would come standard from a rental house.

“It was also important to us that the new model does not create a financial advantage or disadvantage to those customers who have already bought the ALEXA 35 or to those who will buy the new model. For example, the ALEXA 35 Base Operator Set [shown on opposite page] costs € 55,900. Add the Premium license for € 18,600 and you get the same price as the original ALEXA 35 Premium Operator Set at € 74,500.”

CODEX Compact Drive Express 1TB – ProRes

There are now three CODEX Compact Drives. The new CODEX Compact Drive Express 1TB has the same write speeds and frame rate range as the Compact Drive 1TB, but costs around 40% less. It only records Apple ProRes. You can identify it by its white ring. It is compatible with the ALEXA 35 Premium model, ALEXA 35 Base model and ALEXA 35 Live and requires ALEXA 35 SUP 4.0.0 or later (scheduled to be released in early February). It is not compatible with ALEXA Mini LF or ALEXA 265.

The new CODEX Compact Drive Express 1TB ProRes-only solid state storage media will cost € 850. It will be available individually, as part of a bundle (3x Compact Drive Express 1TB and 1x USB-C Reader) and as part of various ALEXA 35 with Base License sets.

from top: ARRI Codex Compact Drive Reader (USB-C) for transfer speeds up to 8 Gb/s. Codex Compact Drive Express 1TB, Codex Compact Drive 2TB, Codex Compact Drive 1TB—all compatible with ALEXA 35 Base model, Premium model and ALEXA 35 Live.

 

 

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