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Software Update Packet 7.0

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2. M Figure 38 Audio out screen 66 Camera Controls 12 1 3 4 Press the AUDIO OUT button to open the AUDIO OUT gt OPTIONS screen where the global volume for both Audio out channels can be adjusted The OPTIONS button opens a list of AUDIO OUT options Right out Channel 1 Audio out level Unity max Figure 39 AUDIO OUT gt OPTIONS Left out Sets which channel is routed to the left output Right out Sets which channel is routed to the right output Audio out level Set the level of the audio out channels manually or set it to fix the maximum output Note These settings do not influence the audio signal embedded in the HD SDI connectors or recorded in QuickTime clips They only affect the AUDIO OUT connector Note ALEXA automatically determines the internal signal run time and matches audio and images so they are always in sync When changing sensor fps or project fps it may take up to 2 seconds for the camera to resync image and audio signals SHUTTER Press the SHUTTER button in the HOME screen to open the SHUTTER ANGLE screen Note Access to this screen is disabled during record The list of default shutter angles includes 11 2 22 5 45 0 90 0 172 8 180 0 270 0 and 358 0 User defined shutter angles can be set by pressing the ADD button The exposure time for the current frame rate and shutter angle is indicated in seconds at the bottom of the SHUTT
3. A RH 75 E Ie toca be Pesta 77 125143 USER Loch Ue abe re kh en rise 80 12 14 AP LAN siti Ee ei 83 12 56 eats 86 12 1 5 1 Recording escis tre Een Pedes 86 12 1 5 2 Monitoring a a a dee eene 92 12 1 5 3 99 1251 5 4 System 101 12 41 56 eet 108 12 1 5 6 User Setups ore termi 109 12 2 Opefator controls inrer tte tt ette 111 12 3 EVE 1 CONTOS cea oue eee 112 12 31 Viewfinder menu 112 12 3 2 Viewfinder CAM menu sss 114 13 Operation of the Camera 114 13 1 ehe e E RENS 114 13 1 1 Internal recording 114 13 1 2 dieit 122 13 1 3 Parallel detenta 124 13 1 4 High Speed recording sss 125 13 2 125 13 22 Frame LING d edi ee Rn RR 125 13 2 2 Status Info Overlays sse 128 13 3 Using Timecode eese 129 13 4 Syncing the Sensors of Two 131 13 5 Syncing the Settings of Two
4. 27 Connector Pin 197 5 46 Dimensions Weights and Menu Structure Trees 211 Disclaimer nee eee eee eee 11 Display iiti rent e peine 58 Display 108 E de titt cobi met cene init 71 Electromagnetic Interference 27 Electronic Mirror 157 Electronic Viewfinder 2 4422 97 Electronic Viewfinder 1 36 ETHERNET 49 49 EVF 1 Controls ehe eee ete deri 116 Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications 24 cg 48 External 126 External Sync sese 106 F False Color 202 False 103 PAN 3n oh ceto ci 109 Fibre Connection 181 gun ccm 110 ga e rS 63 93 120 121 129 Frame grabs 112 Frame 16 101 129 Furiction BUTLONS munie 77 General Description 140 154 173 General Precautions sese 27 Gen
5. 170 17 3 ALEXA Camera 175 17 34 176 17 4 ALEXA Camera 176 17 5 Fibre e De re dta 177 17 6 ASS lvo pA 179 17 7 Licensed 180 17 8 Lens Data 180 18 RCU 4 181 19 Index 183 Appendix 187 cucine hata a e ds 188 A 2 Connector Pin 193 False Color 198 A 4 Info Messages and Warnings 199 A 5 Dimensions Weights and Menu Structure Trees 207 About This Manual Disclaimer Before using the products described in this manual be sure to read and understand all respective instruction The ARRI ALEXA is only available to commercial customers The customer grants by utilization that the ARRI ALEXA or other components of the system are deployed for commercial use Otherwise the customer has the obligation to contact ARRI preceding the utilization While ARRI endeavors to enhance the quality reliability and safety of their products customers agree and acknowledge that the possibility of defects thereof cannot be eliminated entirely To minimize risk of damage to property or injury including death to persons arising from defects in the products customers
6. What Signal Level White clipping 100 99 red Just below white clipping 99 97 Yellow One stop over medium gray Caucasian skin 56 52 pink 18 medium gray 42 38 green Just above black clipping 4 0 2 5 blue Black clipping 2 5 0 0 purple Figure 102 False Color Encoding The following example illustrates the behavior of the false color display Figure 104 Night scene with false color active Info Messages and Warnings Appendix 199 A 4 Info Messages and Warnings If anything unwanted occurs in the camera it will give a message to the user These states that require attention from the user are indicated by icons in the main display the viewfinder and the MON OUT Warnings are message that inform the user that a state has changed or that an error might occur soon Anyway recording is still possible If the camera goes into error state recording is no longer possible as it cannot be guaranteed that images are acquired as the user intended or recording is simply not possible The messages give a compact info what has happened If more information is required please refer to the following tables Special warnings and errors Sensor temperature ALEXA has a Peltier element that keeps the image sensor at a stable temperature This is important to achieve constant image quality Under some occasions the camera might not be able to keep this temperature or it might ta
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8. 3200 Note The use of the internal ND filter has no influence on the EI rating of the camera When measuring exposure with a light meter take into account the light loss of 4 1 3 stops generated by the ND filter 164 ALEXA Studio 16 4 Studio Camera Controls Only a few additional controls are available on the ALEXA Studio These are used to control the mirror shutter and the ND filter The Homescreen has icons for the active ND filter and the mirror shutter position and state SHUTTER 24 900 0172 8 00 00 00 24 16 9 REEL A 001 ProRes HD BAT1 14 8V CLIP C003 SxS1 14 20 BAT2 50 DUR 0 01 23 SxS2 0 00 800 3200 Meaning ND filter is active Mirror is on amp parked in gate position Grey icon if mirror shutter is switched off Mirror is on amp parked in view position Grey icon if mirror shutter is switched off Mirror shutter is running o wm ND filter activation e Inthe Homescreen press Studio Camera Controls 165 e Inthe El screen press the lower right screen button labeled ND FILTER to move the ND filter in and out of the optical path EXPOSURE INDEX Figure 95 El screen Mirror shutter activation e Inthe Homescreen press SHUTTER e Inthe Shutter screen press the lower right screen button labeled MIRROR to activate or deactivate the mirror shutter DELETE
9. SHUTTER ANGLE Exposure time 24 000 fps 1 50 s MIRROR Note When mirror shutter is active the shutter angle is limited to 180 0 degrees Frame rates higher than 37 fps for 4 3 and higher than 46 fps for 16 9 reduce the shutter angle range further Note For frame rates higher than 30 fps it is recommended to use a power source with a voltage level of 18 35 V to ensure the mirror shutter is powered sufficiently 166 ALEXA Studio MIRROR PARK buttons VIEW and GATE The camera left side Operator Controls have two additional function buttons labelled VIEW and GATE These buttons control the parking position of the mirror shutter A spinning mirror shutter can be stopped by pressing either of the two buttons Pressing the VIEW button will park the mirror in the optical path enabling a live preview in the optical viewfinder Pressing the GATE button will stop the mirror shutter out of the optical path enabling a live preview on the MON OUT and the REC OUT and the EVF in case it is mounted to the camera Each button is accompanied by a blue LED that lights when the mirror is parked in the respective position When the mirror shutter is running both of the LEDs will be active Pressing the GATE button while the mirror is parked in the VIEW position will move the mirror shutter by 180 0 degrees into the GATE position Pressing the VIEW button while the mirror is parked in the GATE position will move the mirror shut
10. lt xml version 1 0 encoding UTF 8 R NOE Shs All widths are in pixels All colors can be one of black white or user If you select user the color can be changed through the user interface You can add as many lines as you like Lines are defined by giving 3 distances from the border So if you specify top left and right it will be a horizontal line with the given distance from left right and from the top The values are in the range 0 1 where 0 is at the edge 1 is on the opposite edge So specifing 0 4 from left is the same as 0 6 from right gt lt framelines gt lt The description of the camera this will only be used for selecting the correct files So the user can only select glasses for his camera current setup gt camera type Alexa EV type lt sensor gt 3K lt sensor gt lt aspect gt 1 78 lt aspect gt lt hres gt 2880 lt hres gt lt vres gt 1620 lt vres gt lt camera gt user color line at top and bottom of 2 35 aspect line lt left gt 0 lt left gt lt top gt 0 12174 lt top gt lt right gt 0 lt right gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt line gt lt left gt 0 lt left gt lt bottom gt 0 12174 lt bottom gt lt right gt 0 lt right gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt Center cross horizontal lines user color gt lt line gt lt left gt 0 46355 lt
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12. The lens data system has failed Restart the camera if LDS is used The fibre signal quality of the ALEXA M camera is insufficient and requires cleaning of the connections The power level on the ALEXA M camera head is insufficient Use a power source with a power supply of at least 40 W The temperature of the camera head is too high Apply additional cooling to prevent automatic shutdown The fan of the ALEXA M camera head cannot reach a sufficient cooling speed Fan might have to be cleaned or replaced and meanings The battery attached to the BAT connector has reached its low level 10 below warning level Battery must be replaced The onboard battery has reached its low level 10 below warning level Battery must be replaced Batteries on both BAT connector and onboard battery s have to be replaced The SxS PRO card in slot 1 has reached the end of its life cycle and has become read only Use a new card The SxS PRO card in slot 2 has reached the end of its life cycle and has become read only Use a new card 204 Appendix Info Messages and Warnings Card 1 Write speed error Card 2 Write speed error Cards 1 amp 2 Full Cards 1 amp 2 End of lifetime Cards 1 amp 2 Wrong file system Cards 1 amp 2 Rec protected Camera overheating Low sensor temperature High sensor temperature System error Codec error Reboot Sensor error Reboot Sensor boot error Interface er
13. 132 13 6 Sensor modes 16 9 and 4 3 134 14 ALEXA Plus 136 14 1 General 136 14 2 ODptiCS 15i oet d eras He retest aes 137 14 2 1 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS 137 14 3 Radio SYStem ce ade 138 14 8 1 Yellow Radio 138 14 3 2 AWhite radio 139 14 4 Wireless Remote 139 TAAT Lens Motors ee eterne 139 14 4 2 Units rne Ro tette ei 141 VI Contents 14 5 Lens Data Display 142 14 6 Plus Camera 143 15 ALEXA Plus 4 3 148 16 ALEXA Studio 150 16 1 General 150 16 2 ALEXA Studio 150 16 3 8 E nete tana 153 16 3 1 Electronic Mirror Shutter 153 16 3 2 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS 154 16 3 3 Optical 22 2 4400 155 16 3 4 163 16 4 Studio Camera Controls esses 164 16 5 4 3 MOGGS HRS NERA 167 16 6 Licensed Features ede eerte 168 17 ALEXAM 169 17 1 General 404 169 17 2 ALEXA M
14. 4444 Max 40 fps REC 24 SxS CODEC SxS INFO SDI FPS Figure 34 SENSOR FPS screen Note Access to this screen is disabled during record The maximum frame rate that can be set is dependent on the type of SxS PRO card and the codec The following table shows the maximum available frame rate for all codec card combinations 60 Camera Controls Codec SxS PRO SxS PRO 8 32GB 64GB 16 9 HD ProRes 422 Proxy 60 fps 60 fps 120 fps 120 fps ProRes 422 LT 60 fps 60 fps 120 fps 120 5 ProRes 422 60 fps 60 fps 120 fps ProRes 422 HQ 60 fps 60 fps 120 fps ProRes 4444 40 fps 60 fps DNxHD 60 fps 60 fps 115 120 145 120 fps DNxHD 60 fps 60 fps 175x 185x 220x 120 fps 16 9 2K ProRes 422 Proxy 60 fps 60 fps through 422 HQ ProRes 4444 40 fps 60 fps 4 3 2K ProRes 422 Proxy 48 fps 48 fps through 422 ProRes 422 HQ 40 fps 48 fps ProRes 4444 30 fps 48 fps By installing a High Speed licence the maximum available frame rate can be increased to 120 fps If the desired frame rate cannot be set because it is grayed out change the SxS codec to one with a lower data rate For example when using a 32 GB SxS PRO card and the ProRes 4444 codec 60 000 fps will be grayed out Set the ProRes 422HQ codec to enable 60 000 fps There are shortcut buttons on the FPS screen for SxS CODEC SxS INFO and SDI FPS In the SDI FPS screen both MON OUT and REC OUT frame rates can be adjusted within the limits of th
15. Appendix 189 Recording media Recording compression codec Frame rates Image Outputs Recording output Monitoring outputs Timecode Type TC input TC outputs Dimensions and weight Sony SxS PRO cards Apple ProRes 422 4444 codec family Avid DNxHD requires license key 0 75 60 fps 60 120 fps in High Speed mode no ProRes 4444 2x REC OUT configurable as 2x 422 1 5G SL YCbCr frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 1x 422 1 5G DL YCbCr frame rates 48 50 59 94 and 60 fps or 2x 422 3G SL YCbCr frame rates 48 50 59 94 and 60 fps or 1x 444 1 5G DL RGB frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 2x 444 3G DL RGB frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 1x 444 3G DL YCbCr frame rates 48 50 59 94 and 60 fps or 1x ARRIRAW 1 5G DL frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 2x ARRIRAW 3G SL frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 1x ARRIRAW 3G DL frame rates 48 50 59 94 and 60 fps EVF out proprietary signal for EVF 1 with delay lt 1 frame 1x MON OUT 1x 422 1 5G frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps TC clock generator with crystal oscillator LTC in LTC out HD SDI LTC VITC out 190 Appendix Appendix Length x Width x Height body Camera body weight Camera setup weight incl EVF 1 VMB 1 CCH 1 Others SD card Sound level Environmental ALEXA Plus Length x Width x Hei
16. Operation of the Camera Format Only when the data has been copied to two independent devices and verified should the card be formatted to remove all data from it As a recommendation the person who verifies the primary and back up copies should also format the cards so that the camera crew only receives empty cards This functions as a failsafe the crew will be alerted if they receive a card with valid data on it and can catch a card that might not have been copied and backed up The card can be formatted with any file system as it has to be reformatted by the camera anyway Codec ALEXA can record both Apple ProRes as Quicktime files and Avid DNxHD as MXF OP1A files Note Recording in Avid DNxHD requires license key The Apple ProRes codec family consists of 5 different codecs Name Color Data Recording time on coding 30fps 32 GB SxS PRO 30 fps ProRes YCbCr 45 Mb s 1 h 23 min 422 Proxy ProRes YCbCr 102Mb s 37min 422 LT ProRes YCbCr 147Mb s 25min 422 ProRes YCbCr 220 Mb s 17 min 422 HQ ProRes RGB 330 Mb s 11 min 4444 Without alpha channel 444 only ProRes isa variable bit rate VBR codec This means that the available recording time depends on the image content The recording time in the table is the minimum available recording time for a 32 GB SxS PRO card When image content is easily compressed without loss of image quality the available recording
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18. 3112 x 2160 in 4 3 mode 2880 x 1620 2880 x 2160 in 4 3 mode 23 76 x 13 365 mm 23 76 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode 25 674 x 14 701 mm 25 674 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode Connector Pin Outs Appendix 193 A 2 Connector Pin Outs Note The drawings of the connectors are not to scale BAT GND 2 24 3 BAT COM GND 2 24V AUX 3 R S 194 Appendix Connector Pin Outs 12V 1 GND 2 12V AUX TC 1 GND 2 LTC IN 3 ASCII 4 TUNE OUT 5 LTC OUT Connector Pin Outs Appendix 195 EXT 1 RS422 TXD 4 2 RS232 TXD 3 CAN1 L 4 CAN1 H 5 CAN2 L 6 CAN2 H 7 24V AUX 8 RS232 RXD 9 RS422 RXD 10 RS422 RXD 11 RS422 TXD 12 GND 13 TTL IN1 14 TTL IN2 15 24 16 GND 196 Appendix Connector Pin Outs ETHERNET O 1 MX 1P 2 MX 1N 3 MX 2P 4 MX 2N 5 MX 3P 6 MX 3N 7 MX 4P 8 4 9 GND 10 24V ETH AUDIO IN 9 3 1 AGND 2 L IN Connector Pin Outs Appendix 197 L IN 4 5 AUDIO OUT 198 Appendix False Color Display A 3 False Color Display The false color display is a tool to check correct exposure It can be activated in the EVF and the MON OUT image When active the image is turned into a greyscale image with important luminance ranges shown in signal colors Color Encoding Six different colors are used to show the important luminance ranges
19. function buttons Operator controls Location camera left side Interface three assignable function buttons plus three fixed function buttons for easy operator access controls Location Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 Interface fixed function buttons and a jogwheel for adjustment of viewfinder parameters and primary shooting parameters 54 Camera Controls 12 1 12 1 1 12 1 2 Main Controls The main controls can be used to set all camera parameters Figure 30 Main controls Display The 3 inch LCD has a resolution of 400x240 pixels The back lit transflective display has exceptional contrast even in bright sunlight To adjust the LCD brightness e Onthe HOME screen rotate the jogwheel while pressing the BACK button A removable plastic shield protects the display from scratches It can be removed by pulling it off the four pins Screen Buttons Six screen buttons are located above and below the LCD display Their function varies depending on the screen content and is shown directly above or below each button If no function is shown above or below a button on the LCD it has no function for that screen Main Controls 55 12 1 3 As a failsafe operations that cannot be reversed and can result in the loss of data require pressing two buttons simultaneously to confirm the operation HOME screen SHUTTER Ii 249 00 2 1 72 H TC EXT00 00 00 024 16 9 REEL A 001 Pr
20. t Q u4ide oot 5 B N3 s o Jejue Jeondo MES EE 2 8 B 3 f D 23 p NA 3 C 23 3 o 3 A 3 y 4690 Y Y deep 01 91 8 ONN 86 uu deep y pW euejd pueyoeg do pueyoeg 20 2102 SNOISNAWIGC V83IAVO eBueuo o jeoruuoe a L 4AO jeondo L H22 197499 5 z t WwW S8 0L 892 46 exe pog gi amp zc 67 2 01 6 6 WW yc 91941 6x08 9 WW 69 4 L6 9 WW ZZL wee VL WW sxs Apog YIPIM u16ue oipnis VX31V deep uiuis 9 1 1 o9 3 NS HD Ham hl H WL of S3 Y ry s N 3 93 Y Y EE n 991 uu zy 1 re 904 i deep OL 91 8 ONN yayuay jeondo 10014 eeure 20 2102 SNOISNAWIGC V83IAVO OIPMS VXA1V
21. Frame lines color toggles the color of frame lines between X X White Red Green Blue Yellow and Black 82 Camera Controls Return in active Toggle SxS Color bars EVF surround EVF gamma EVF look EVF frame lines EVF status info EVF zoom EVF false color EVF peaking EVF anam desqueeze Grab still frame Check last clip Circle clip Auto WB Grab GUI toggles the RET IN signal on or off onthe X X EVF and MON OUT as set toggles the active SxS slot between SxS X X slots 1 and 2 SxS PRO cards must be loaded in both activates color bars on MON OUT and X X REC OUT toggles surround view on the EVF image X on or off toggles gamma on the EVF between X REC 709 and LOG C only when recording gamma is set to LOG C toggles the ARRI Look File on the X or off only if Look File is set and the EVF is set to REC 709 toggles frame lines on the EVF image on X or off toggles status info on the EVF image on X or off toggles the zoom function on the EVF X toggles false color display on the EVF X or off toggles peaking on the EVF on or off X toggles anamorphic desqueeze options X on EVF Note Requires a valid Anamorphic De squeeze license key installed on camera takes a still frame and saves it to the SD X card Note Disabled in High Speed mode plays the last 5 seconds of the last clip X then returns to a live image marks the clip as a good take or a prin
22. codecs up to ProRes 422 HQ in HD 1920x1080 resolution ProRes 4444 is not available in High Speed mode For a detailed table of available frame rates and possible codec card combinations please refer to the Chapter FPS on page 59 The REC OUT carries the same signal as the MON OUT during High Speed mode Note Camera boot time is increased by approximately 40 seconds when High Speed mode is active during a power cycle Monitoring The ALEXA s monitoring options are the electronic viewfinder EVF 1 and the MON OUT Surround view is available on both With surround view set to On 10 additional pixels outside the recorded image area on the ALEXA s ALEV III sensor are displayed allowing the operator to see outside the recorded image and keep unwanted objects such as microphone booms out of the shot To view only the recorded image set Surround view to off To aid in framing both the EVF 1 and MON OUT can display frame lines overlaid on the image Frame lines can be considered electronic versions of ground glasses in film cameras Frame Lines Frame lines are stored as XML files A standard set of frame lines is provided in each camera including e 1 331 e 1 66 1 e 1 781 1 85 1 e 2 39 2 39 1 2 0x anamorphic Note When shooting ProRes 2K 2048x1152 for a DCI 2K release in a 1 85 1 aspect ratio the preloaded frame line ARRI 1 85 2K DCI can be used to mark the corresponding 1998x1080 area for a DCI 2K 1 85 witho
23. left gt lt top gt 0 5 lt top gt lt right gt 0 50868 lt right gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt line gt lt left gt 0 50868 lt left gt lt top gt 0 5 lt top gt lt right gt 0 46335 lt right gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt Center cross vertical lines user color gt line lt left gt 0 5 lt left gt lt top gt 0 43519 lt top gt lt bottom gt 0 51543 lt bottom gt 128 Operation of the Camera 13 2 2 lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt line gt lt left gt 0 5 lt left gt lt top gt 0 51543 lt top gt lt bottom gt 0 43519 lt bottom gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt framelines gt Status Info Overlays The ALEXA can display camera status information on both the MON OUT and EVF 1 At the top and bottom of the screen the ALEXA displays textual status information The top status bar consists of sensor FPS shutter angle exposure index and white balance In the EVF 1 the status bar also works as a menu allowing the user to change the values when the CAM button is pressed The bottom status bar displays information about the battery levels recording standby flag and remaining capacity of internal storage On the left and right of the screen icons provide information about t
24. 16 9 4 3 SxS resolution Menu gt Recording gt SxS Cards Codec Menu gt Recording gt SxS Cards Project frame rate 23 976 24 25 29 97 30fps Camera index A Z Next reel count 001 999 Production info gt gt Director Cinematographer Location Production Secne Take User Info 1 2 SYSTEM menu Sensor gt gt Sensor 543 16 9 4 3 Sensor temperature Standard High humidity Mirror image horizontal On Off ower gt gt Plug warning 10 0 30 0V 21 0V BAT2 Onboard warning 10 0 30 0V 12 0V External sync gt gt Eye index L R Sensor sync Off EXT master EXT slave HD out phase 30 clocks 0 clocks Send HD sync trigger gt Settings sync Off ETH master ETH slave Test signal gt gt Color bar On Off Enable test tone On Off Test tone level 0 dB fs 9 dB fs 18 dB fs Display beeper gt gt Display button brightness 0 8 Button brightness Off Low Medium High Run beeper mode Off Start Stop Start Stop System time date gt gt set date time timezone and daylight saving time an gt gt Fan mode Regular Rec low D card gt gt Format prepare SD card 50 1 gt gt WNA state shows WNA 1 status WiFi power On Off Mode Ad Hoc Infrastructure SSID set SSID name Security mode None WEP 64 Password set Password IP Address adjust IP address Subnet adjust subnet mask address Frequency band 2 4
25. 19 minutes of ProRes 2K 4 3 and approximately 25 minutes in 16 9 ProRes 2K recording is not available in High Speed mode Outputs MON OUT clone see Chapter REC OUT on page 90 The REC OUT output can optionally be configured to show a cloned output from the MON OUT output This is the only mode available in High Speed mode since SUP 6 1 and can now optionally be activated for all other sensor and recording resolution configurations in regular speed mode The MON OUT clone option can be found at MENU Recording REC OUT HD SDI format Electronic Viewfinder and MON OUT Redesign of Status Display on EVF and MON OUT see Chapter Status Info Overlays on page 128 The status display in the electronic viewfinder and the MON OUT image has been redesigned New icons indicating SxS recording resolution screen grab RET IN active settings for MON OUT and EVF application of ARRI Look File e n 16 9 sensor mode the camera image is scaled to fit inside the status info border What s new in 7 0 e n 4 3 sensor mode a few lines on top and bottom of the camera image are covered by translucent status info bars e The electronic horizon the LDS info and reel and clip number when active extend into the camera image in all sensor modes ARRI 1 85 2K DCI Frame Lines see Chapter Frame Lines on page 125 The frame size of a 2K DCP container is 2048 x 1080 pixels A DCI compliant 2K image with 1 85 1 aspect ratio has a resolut
26. 1920x1080 resolution Recording 119 Card file format SxS PRO cards must be formatted in the camera before they can be used for recording The ALEXA uses the Universal Disk Format UDF file system This file system is read only for computers which means data can be copied from the card to another device but the data cannot be manipulated on the card itself CARD file structure After formatting in the camera SxS cards are named ARRI UDF until the first clip is recorded Once a clip has been recorded SxS cards are named with the camera index letter and reel number Clips are stored in a folder with the same name as card In addition to the clips recording writes an XML file that shares the card s naming convention and the folder extension FCP example A001R1JL FCP xml The XML file is adheres to the Final Cut Pro FCP XML specification If the XML file is opened in Final Cut Pro directly from the card all clips are imported as one bin If the clips are copied from the card to another destination the file paths in the XML file have to be adjusted to match the new file location 004 002 RlL mov 20 ADO4COO4 R1LJ mov 28 A004C005 _R1L mov 28 ADO4COO6 888 A004C007 RIL mov ADOARIU FCP xml Name A004C003 201008 ALIE 16 165 822 464 bytes Z Shared folder gt More info gt Name amp Extension Figure 62 Example of ALEXA SxS card opened in Mac OS X File naming schem
27. 2102 0184 SNOISNAWIC V83IAVO OIPMS VX3lV eBueuo o 12e qns ejeq 0 75 fps 60fps 120fps 24105 add delete value HIGHSPEED EXIT HS boot ALEXA to HS mode 60 120fps SxS CODEC MENU gt RECORDING gt SxS CARDS SxS INFO INFO gt SxS CARDS SDI FPS gt gt REC OUT 23 976 24 25 29 97 or 30fps MON OUT 23 976 24 25 29 97 or 30fps adjust CH1 level 20 10 unity adjust CH2 level 20 10 unity AUDIO OUT set AUDIO OUT Phones Level AUDIO OUT gt OPTIONS gt gt Left out CH1 CH2 CH1 2 None Right out CH1 CH2 CH1 2 None Audio OUT level Manual Unity max OPTIONS AUDIO IN gt OPTIONS gt gt Record On Off Channel 1 2 level Manual Unity Channel 1 2 source L R in Soundroll Tape edit name SHUTTER 5 0 358 0 172 89 in highspeed mode 5 0 356 0 5 add delete value see calculated exposure time MIRROR S On Off 1 GOASA 3200ASA 800ASA ND FILTER On Off BACK amp JOGWHEEL press BACK while turning the jogwheel to change the display brightness ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only SUP 7 0 SET LOOK choose delete load look from SD ARRI LCC look loaded b
28. 430 GHZ 3 2 435 GHZ 4 2 450 GHZ 5 2 455 GHZ 6 2 470 GHZ 7 2 475 GHZ White radio and yellow radio cannot be mixed in the same radio network of camera and hand units It is possible to use both systems in parallel within different radio networks Up to three hand units can be connected to one camera in parallel to form a radio network Note When a camera is set to Sensor sync EXT slave its radio module automatically switches itself off and the camera receives CLM control commands from the Master camera via the EXT cable Wireless Remote System Lens Motors The ALEXA Plus supports ARRI CLM 2 CLM 3 and CLM 4 motors CLM 1 motors are not supported CLM 2 CLM 3 and CLM 4 motors can be used in a mixed setup 140 ALEXA Plus Note Use only one lens motor per lens axis Lens motors should be connected according to their position on the lens to the IRIS FOCUS and ZOOM sockets on the camera right side Motor calibration After connecting a lens motor to the camera and the lens it must be calibrated The lens motor must be recalibrated under the following conditions e when the lens motor is detached from the lens e after a camera reboot after changing lenses e after a change in motor position while powered down Note Omitting motor calibration might lead to damage of the lens due to the high level of motor torque Motor direction The direction of the motors can be set in the ALEXA s menus To set th
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30. GHz 5 GHz Channel 1 thru 11 gh Speed License nly SUP 7 0 Select update file gt gt 2 Licensed features gt gt install delete licenses save hardware info LDS see Lens Data for PLUS STUDIO on the following pages FRAME GRABS menu File format Jpeg Tiff Dpx Ari Compare grab to live image gt gt load grab 4 Options Compare Options gt gt Compare mode Toggle Interleave Active on EVF On Off Active on MON OUT On Off Grabbed images inherit REC OUT settings Ari only possible when REC OUT ARRI RAW USER SETUPS menu Save current setup Load setup Factory reset USER BUTTON ASSIGNMENT None MON OUT surround MON OUT gamma MON OUT look None MON OUT surround MON OUT gamma MON OUT look MON OUT frame lines MON OUT status info MON OUT false color MON OUT peaking MON anam desqu Frame lines color EVF surround EVF gamma EVF look EVF frame lines EVF status info EVF zoom EVF false color EVF peaking EVF anam desqu Avose Grab still frame Return in active Toggle SxS Check last clip Circle clip Auto WB Color bars Grab GUI MON OUT frame lines MON OUT status info MON OUT false color MON OUT peaking MON anam desqu Return in active Frame lines color Toggle SxS Color bars Format Card1 Format Card2 False color index Mirror shutter ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High
31. Handle 5 1 41 Specific Safety 25 Status Info 15 132 Storage and 27 Studio Camera 168 SxS CARDS eae 14 15 91 SXS SIOIS ci c re nee tee tte quet 52 Syncing the Sensors of Two Cameras 106 135 Syncing the Settings of Two Cameras 107 136 System ue e eee ees 105 System Time Date 108 T WG m 50 79 Test Signals 25 udi Nemo gu Den 107 TIMECODE OPTIONS sse 79 Tripod and Remote 5 35 U USER euge hea 84 USER ete e 80 User Setups nire eee 113 Using Timecode 133 V Viewfinder Cables 37 Viewfinder CAM menu 118 Viewfinder menu 116 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket 38 V Lock rererere 31 WB zt dab e 75 Wedge Adapter WA 1 and Quick Release Plate QR aee 44 What s new in 7 0 422222 14 White radlos iiem 143 Wireless Remote 143 Y Yellow Radio eee reco tet tact ctia 14
32. IN path Electronic horizon sensitivity 1x False color index gt gt gt EVF Electronic viewfinder MON OUT Frame lines RET IN path Electronic horizon sensitivity False color index Select to adjust EVF 1 settings Select to adjust MON OUT settings Select to set up frame lines Select to set which of the monitoring output paths carries the signal at the RET IN connector as Return in active is toggled via a USER button Select to adjust the sensitivity of the electronic horizon Note Available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M only Select to open the FALSE COLOR INDEX screen which has a reference chart explaining the false color coding for EVF and MON OUT Electronic Viewfinder Rotate image Off Smooth mode Off Surround view On Frame lines status info gt Peaking Off gt Brightness Select to adjust the brightness of the EVF 94 Camera Conirols Rotate image Smooth mode Surround view Frame lines status info Peaking Anamorphic desqueeze Zoom position When mounting the EVF to the right side of the camera the image can be flipped to orient the image correctly in the viewfinder Affects only the EVF image MON OUT and recording images are not rotated Select to set Smooth mode On or Off With smooth mode on the EVF image shutters less when panning Note Smooth mode is only possible with frame rates up to 30 fps and shut
33. Joju82 jeondo euejd 10014 eBueuo o 12e qns ejeq jeoruuoe 20 2102 SNOISNAWIC V83IAVO deep 9 48 vec GbE 08 E l uu LZ 1 1 1 1 1 deep 01 91 8 ONN 1 1 jeondo yoeg eJeuie deep 9N 660 unu 0 o Du 5 52 3 od e 3 Tal O 1 lo N deep 01 91 8 ONN P H000 p 7 21 oZ deep 04 91 8 2 ONN WW ye eBueuo o JOeIqns jeoruuoe day 0 ZLOZ SNOISNAWIC V83IAVO 89 C 89 X 1 6 622 deep 01 91 8 deep 01 91 8 ONN ab n n ab psc uugygz uuygz ww pgz deep Buoj g pue apim 220 0
34. Lens Motors will support the compact and powerful CLM 4 in addition to CLM 2 and CLM 3 As for CLM 3 the motor torque is adjustable for smoother operation of lens rings with more resistance Imaging Sensor Readout Size for ProRes 2K Recording see Chapter SxS Cards on page 87 When the camera is switched from HD to 2K resolution in camera recording the size of the captured frame changes slightly This is necessary so that the de bayering can work with an optimized downscale factor and deliver the best possible 2K image quality e Recording ARRIRAW 16 9 HD Video ProRes HD and DNxHD uses 2880 x 1620 photosites with a frame size of 23 76 x 13 365 mm e ProRes 2K 16 9 uses 2868 x 1612 photosites 23 661 x 13 299 mm e ARRIRAW 4 3 uses 2880 x 2160 photosites 23 76 x 17 82 mm e ProRes 2K 4 3 uses 2868 x 2150 photosites 23 661 x 17 738 mm When recording ARRIRAW and ProRes 2K in parallel it is important to note that the ARRIRAW frame holds a few more columns and lines of pixels This is taken into account in the latest release of the ARRIRAW SDK where the user can select which ARRIRAW frame size will be used to create a 2K image Image Processing Look Files New Standard Speed De bayering Algorithm ADA 3 HW new and improved de bayering and downscale algorithm is now available for all ALEXA models The new algorithm produces cleaner high contrast edges and crisp fine detail which results in sharper images The camera uses ADA
35. Lt Apple ProRes 422 Apple ProRes 422 Hq Apple ProRes 4444 and the ProRes logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc used under license therefrom SxS and are trademarks of SONY corporation mkdosfs Portions 1998 Robert Nordier All Rights Reserved 1998 Robert Nordier All rights reserved Redistribution and use in source and binary forms with or without modification are permitted provided that the following conditions are met Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice this list of conditions and the following disclaimer Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and or other materials provided with the distribution THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR S AS IS AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR S BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT INDIRECT INCIDENTAL SPECIAL EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES LOSS OF USE DATA OR PROFITS OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY WHETHER IN CONTRACT STRICT LIABILITY OR TORT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTW
36. MON OUT signal with a maximum frame rate of 30 fps Note High Speed mode recording is possible in ProRes HD codecs only The maximum frame rate in ProRes 2K is 60 fps in 16 9 sensor mode and 48 fps in 4 3 sensor mode Main Controls 63 ARRI recommends using only Sony SxS PRO 64 GB cards in High Speed mode as only these allow recording at sensor frame rates from 60 120 fps with all High Speed codecs When using Sony SxS PRO 32 GB cards with codecs ProRes 422 ProRes 422 HQ DNxHD 115 120 145 and DNxHD 175x 185x 220x the sensor frame rate is limited to 60 fps maximum Note When using the ALEXA Studio ALEXA Plus 4 3 and ALEXA M High Speed mode is only available in 16 9 Sensor mode and ProRes HD codecs To load High Speed mode 1 HOME screen press the FPS button 2 On the FPS screen press the HIGHSPEED button 3 Press both LOAD buttons simultaneously Loading High Speed mode takes approximately 40 seconds and is indicated by a progress bar Load 16 9 HD SxS High Speed mode This takes approx 40 seconds Press both buttons LOAD LOAD Loading 16 9 HD SxS High Speed mode E This takes approx 40 seconds 4 After loading the current High Speed codec is displayed Press the SET CODEC button to set a different codec Loaded 16 9 HD SxS High Speed mode SxS codec ProRes 422 HQ To exit High Speed mode 1 HOME screen press the FPS HS button 6
37. On or Off Frame lines are a reference for framing that typically consist of an image frame a center mark and an aspect ratio reference See the appendix for more information on the ALEXA frame line format Select to adjust the Surround mask settings If surround view is set to On it must be separated from the recorded image area to allow proper framing Users can choose Main Controls 95 Center mark Status info Electronic horizon LDS info MON OUT e Black line e Color line e Mask 25 e Mask 50 e Mask 100 Select to set the Center mark to Off Dot or Cross to aid in image framing Select to set Status info to On or Off When set to On camera shooting parameters are displayed across the top of the EVF 1 s image outside the active image area and camera status information is displayed across the bottom of the EVF 1 s image outside the active image area Select to set the electronic horizon level to On or Off Only available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M Overlay showing LDS lens info Only available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M The MON OUT is a 422 1 5G single link HD SDI output The output range is fixed at legal range Frame rate Scan format Surround view Frame lines status info Select to set the MON OUT frame rate to 23 976 24 25 29 97 or 30 fps The frame rate should if possible match the sensor frame rate to avoid
38. Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only SUP 7 0 PLAY SxS PLAYBACK screen start Playback of last clip press wheel or PLAY 2x on operator s side 10 CLIPLIST OPTIONS PLAY Options gt gt Clip end action Pause Loop Show frame lines On Off Status info on MON OUT On Off STEPSIZE 1 frame 1 second CIRCLE CLIP INFO SYSTEM INFORMATION screen LIVE INFO SAVE SD VERSION SxS CARDS SYSTEM FPS INFO GRAB FRAME GRAB TRIGGER save Framegrab to SD Card 4 TIMECODE screen SET TC SET TO TIME RESET MANUAL OPTIONS Timecode Options gt gt Source Int TC Ext LTC Mode Rec run Free Run Generator Regen Jam Sync User bit source Internal LTC in UB USERBITS set Userbits PROJECT Menu gt Project TC LOCK BUTTON LOCK locks HOMESCREEN MENU PLAY INFO GRAB and TC also locks the buttons on and WRS 5 57000 ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only SUP 7 0 W 4 3 amp STUDIO RADIO STATUS Channel Units Ready Off WRS gt RADIO gt gt WRS radio power On Off WRS radio channel 0 7 STATUS READOUT FROM SENSORS Tilt 0 09 Roll 0 02 CAM LEVEL gt RESET use to reset your null
39. System menu select Sensor 2 Select Sensor mode The current sensor mode is indicated on the top line on the SENSOR screen 3 Press the jogwheel to select 16 9 or 4 3 sensor mode 4 Press the LOAD buttons simultaneously to load the new sensor mode Loading the new sensor mode takes approximately 30 seconds including a mandatory camera reboot A progress bar indicates the sensor mode loading progress Sensor temperature Standard Mirror image horizontal Off Sensor modes 16 9 and 4 3 135 Load 4 3 sensor mode Takes 30 seconds Requires reboot Includes factory reset Press both buttons LOAD LOAD Note Switching from 16 9 to 4 3 and vice versa always includes a factory reset When using 4 3 mode there are some important restrictions e SxS recording is only possible with ProRes codecs in 2K 2048x1536 resolution e The REC OUT output can only be set to the ARRIRAW format e No High Speed mode is available in 4 3 sensor mode When switching to High Speed mode the sensor mode automatically switches to 16 9 The current sensor mode can also be checked on the SYSTEM INFO screen by pressing the INFO button and SYSTEM button 136 ALEXA Plus 14 14 1 ALEXA Plus General Description The ALEXA Plus has a unique side cover that contains extended electronics and offers the following additional functions over the standard ALEXA Built in radio modem for wireless remote control of len
40. UltraPrimes the camera reads displays and records lens metadata The LDS screen can be accessed through the menu which contains an additional item LDS This menu item is only available on the ALEXA M Note Lens motors and the lens data archive LDA are not supported by the ALEXA M Lens Data System 181 18 RCU 4 FPS AUDIO SHUTTER 2400 1725 06 13 44 624 2MiN EEL A003 26 3V 800 5600 COLOR WB D Figure 101 RCU 4 remote control unit The camera can be remote controlled with an RCU 4 This device mirrors the controls on the camera s right side It is connected to the camera s Ethernet port Power is supplied via the Ethernet cable Note The ALEXA M features two ports labeled ETH in addition to the Ethernet port However these cannot be used for connecting the RCU 4 To power the RCU 4 press the power button after connecting the device to a camera During boot up the RCU 4 compares its firmware version with the camera firmware version If it detects a difference it will update itself to match the camera s firmware version When the update is completed the RCU 4 will shut down automatically The power button of the RCU 4 only affects the RCU 4 It is not possible to power or to shut down the camera with the RCU 4 When the camera is powered down the RCU 4 shuts down automatically as it loses its power supply The LOCK button of the RCU 4 locks only the
41. access all the clips recorded on an SxS PRO card To play a clip from the cliplist 1 Press the CLIPLIST button 2 Use the jogwheel to select a clip 3 Press the jogwheel to load the selected clip 4 Press the jogwheel to play the selected clip Additional CLIPLIST screen information e number of selected and total number of clips on the SxS PRO card codec of selected clip e duration of selected clip SxS CLIPLIST Clip2 of3 Dur 0 01 23 Codec ProRes 422 Proxy Circle Figure 58 SxS CLIPLIST screen Playback and Look Files The Look File applied to the camera outputs also applies to clips during playback A clip recorded in REC 709 with or without Look File will be played back as is even if the output is set to LOG C Please note that the currently active Look File is applied to the clip not the one that was active at the time of recording It is the responsibility of the user to make sure the correct Look File is applied during playback 86 Camera Controls 12 1 5 12 1 5 1 Menu The menu contains parameters for basic camera setup It has a tree structure and the current path in the menu is displayed across the top of every screen Press the MENU button to open the MENU screen There are six submenus in the main menu for setting up the ALEXA e Recording e Monitoring e Project e System e Frame grabs e User setups Links to submenus can be identified by an arrow bracket character
42. balance LENS DATA Status displays FOCAL LENGTH IRIS FOCUS and DoF close far Lens distance unit Metric Imperial Default Unit Circle of confusion 0 013 0 025 0 035 0 050mm Inverse iris scale On Off Inverse zoom scale On Off Inverse focus scale On Off available when non LDS lens in use manage lens data for non LDS lenses IRIS ZOOM FOCUS CLM CLM STATUS displays TYPE DIRECTION and TORQUE 1 4 CLM 3 8 4 set DIRECTION set TORQUE only for CLM 3 amp 4 CALIBRATE CALIBRATE ALL motors ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER EVF 1 Z00M FXP false color exposure check toggle mode ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only SUP 7 0 ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER EVF 1 CAM FPS set sensor speed 0 75 fps 60fps 120fps 24fps SHUTTER set shutter angle 5 0 358 0 172 8 in High Speed Mode 5 0 356 0 El set exposure index 160ASA 3200ASA 800ASA WB set white balance 2000K 11000 Auto WB 5600K and CC SHIFT EVF menu Brightness 0 5 Rotate Image On Off Smooth Mode On Off Surround View On Off Surround Mask Black line Color Line Mask 25 50 75 Status Info On Off Frame Lines On Off Select Frame Lines 1 choose from list Select Frame Lines 2 choose from list Center Mark Off Dot Cross User Re
43. but for 15 mm studio rods Note Make sure bridge plates are tightened firmly with a screwdriver not the commonly used coin Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 The bridge plate adapter BPA 1 can be used to attach a BP 3 BP 5 BP 8 BP 9 to ALEXA First attach the BPA 1 to the camera with the two screws Then attach the bridge plate to the adaptor with its two screws Make sure the screws are tightened firmly with a screwdriver 40 Camera Support 9 8 9 9 Wedge Adapter WA 1 and Quick Release Plate QR HD 1 The WA 1 can be mounted at the same position as a bridge plate It has a dove tail that slides into the counter part of a quick release plate like the ARRI QR HD 1 The quick release plate has a pin at its back which fits into the pin receptacle at the back of the camera base Figure 19 ARRI QR HD 1 Leveling Block LB 1 The Leveling Block LB 1 attaches to the bottom of the ALEXA in the pin receptacle on the back foot It prevents the camera from resting on a rear mounted battery when a bridge plate is attached and the camera is placed on a flat surface Attach the LB 1 by inserting its pin into the pin receptacle at the end of the shoulder arc in the camera base Twist the knob clockwise to tighten Figure 20 Leveling Block LB 1 5 3 41 9 10 Shoulder Pad SP 3 The camera base has an integrated arch to fit to the operator s shoulder F
44. button jumps out and the knob is locked again Diopter Adjustment e Note Depends on the eyepiece in use Description for default eye piece of ALEXA Studio e Turn the eyepiece barrel until the ground glass is in focus e A neutral unstructured bright out of focus image content helps with this Optics 161 Attaching the optical viewfinder Upon delivery the OVF is not connected to the camera and must be installed by the user e Remove the protective cover from the OVF by loosening its 2x 3mm allen screws e Remove the blinding plate from the camera by loosening its 2x 3mm allen screws e Place the OVF on the camera e Take special care that the electronic connectors of camera and viewfinder are connected before pushing the OVF in place e Tighten the 3mm allen screws of the OVF See OVF top view image for locations of screws Note The torx screws on the camera that are painted red may not be tightened or loosened as this would corrupt the alignment of the OVF Figure 90 OVF with cover plate Figure 91 Alexa Studio with cover plate 162 ALEXA Studio Swapping the optical viewfinder for an electronic viewfinder EVF 1 e Make sure the camera is powered down e Loosen the 3x 3mm hex screws of the OVF completely See OVF top view image for locations of screws e Remove the optical viewfinder e Place the EVA 1 electronic viewfinder adapter plate where the optical viewf
45. button to reset counter to zero The PROJECT button is a quick link into the PROJECT menu screen where project 1 5 can be adjusted Project fps sets the time base of the time code TIMECODE OPTIONS Press the OPTIONS button to open the TIME CODE OPTIONS screen Select Source to choose the timecode source Available sources are Int TC Internal TC counter Ext LTC TC is read from the LTC input Only possible with Mode set to Free Run and the project frame rate must match the sensor frame rate Select Mode to define how the timecode is counted Available modes are Rec Run TC will only run while recording The TC value increases with every frame generated by the sensor while recording in the project time base Free Run TC runs free If the source is set to Int TC and the sensor frame rate does not match the time base of the TC the value counts up with every new frame generated by the sensor in the project time base Camera Conirols Select Generator to set the camera s timecode generator Available generators are Regen Rec Run TC is regenerated from the last valid TC value When set to Ext LTC the camera continuously reads the TC signal at the LTC connector as long as it is present Upon disconnection or loss of signal the camera continues counting on its own When the external signal is reconnected the camera uses the values of the external signal again When set to Int TC the value increases with each new frame ge
46. dropped frames or duplicate frames on the output which would result in jittery images during camera movement or when image subjects are moving Select to set the type of scan Images are transmitted line by line from left to right starting at the top left pixel e psf Progressive segmented Images are first split into fields which are then transmitted line by line from left to right Select to set Surround view on the MON OUT On or Off When set to on the additional pixels outside the recorded image area on the ALEXA s ALEV III sensor are displayed allowing the operator to see outside the recorded image and keep unwanted objects such as microphone booms out of the shot To view only the recorded image set Surround view to off Select to set frame lines surround mask center mark and status info overlays to On or Off on the MON OUT 96 Camera Controls Peaking False color Anamorphic desqueeze Scan format psf Surround view On Frame lines status info gt Peaking Off gt False color Off Select to set peaking on the MON OUT to On or Off and the strength of peaking to low medium or high Select to activate the false color display on the MON OUT The false color display is an exposure tool that overlays the image with color coding to highlight areas with significant luminance values Select to set Anamorphic desqueeze to 1 3x 2 0x and 2 0xmag only available if a lice
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48. frame lines 1 In the FRAME LINES menu select Frame line 1 or Frame line 2 2 Press the ADD button 3 Onthe FRAME LINES SD CARD screen use the jogwheel to select the frame line you wish to add 4 Press the jogwheel to add it to the FRAME LINES list Using the jogwheel select the new frame line in the FRAME LINES list 6 Press the jogwheel to set the new frame line e Frame line 1 Select to set the primary frame line template Frame line 2 Select to set a secondary frame line if desired User rectangles Select to open the User rectangles menu where two custom user rectangle overlays can be adjusted Color Select to set the color of the frame lines In the frame lines definition file lines can either be given a fixed color or they can have the color specified as User If User is chosen for a line the setting chosen in this menu section is applied to the line Intensity Select to set the intensity of the frame lines The higher the number the brighter the frame lines appear User rectangles screen Userrectangles Select to set user rectangles to Off Rect 1 Rect 2 or Rect 1 amp 2 The ALEXA can display up to two additional rectangles that can be adjusted manually Set rect 1 Select to set the shape of rectangle 1 Activate it through User rectangles Set rect 2 Select to set the shape of rectangle 2 Activate it through User rectangles Note Default frame lines have User specified as color for a
49. is not an SxS PRO card The card in slot 2 is not an SxS PRO card The camera has problems writing to the SxS PRO card in slot 1 Continue with a fresh card The camera has problems writing to the SxS PRO card in slot 2 Continue with a fresh card The camera system s temperature is reaching a critical level this can either be due to a blocked camera fan or ambient temperature exceeding the system s limits Apply additional cooling or switch of the camera to prevent hardware damage The sensor temperature is lower than it should be High image quality is still guaranteed The sensor temperature is higher than it should be High image quality is still guaranteed Info Messages and Warnings Appendix 201 Ext TC Different frame rate Re jam Timecode soon Re jam Timecode now TC source forced to internal TC mode forced to Rec Run Interface bit error Internal processing problem Internal battery error System problem System problem 126 bus error External TC Incompatible frame rate HD outs not synced Trigger now Connect with Ethernet slave Connect with Ethernet master External TC Jamming Please wait External TC Signal missing External TC Incompatible frame rate Framegrab Grabbing image failed The external TC signal s time base differs from the project fps of the camera Syncing is still possible Accuracy of jammed Timecode can soon expire Re jam camera
50. must incorporate sufficient safety measures in their work with the system and have to heed the stated canonic use ARRI or its subsidiaries do not assume any responsibility for incurred losses due to improper handling or configuration of the camera or other system components due to sensor contamination occurrence of dead or defective pixels defective signal connections or incompatibilities with third party recording devices ARRI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document The information is subject to change without notice For product specification changes since this manual was published refer to the latest publications of ARRI data sheets or data books etc for the most up to date specifications Not all products and or types are available in every country Please check with an ARRI sales representative for availability and additional information Neither ARRI nor its subsidiaries assume any liability for infringement of patents copyrights or other intellectual property rights of third parties by or arising from the use of ARRI products or any other liability arising from the use of such products No license express implied or otherwise is granted under any patents copyrights or other intellectual property right of ARRI or others ARRI or its subsidiaries expressly exclude any liability warranty demand or other obligation for any claim representation or cause or action or whatsoever express o
51. radio system Pressing the screen button opens a screen where radio can be set on or off and the channel number can be set When radio is switched on a small icon appears in the camera homescreen WRS radio channel 3 Figure 67 WRS radio screen CAM LEVEL Shows the tilt and roll of the camera in degrees as measured by the camera s position sensor This sensor can be reset if it appears to have an offset Press the CAM LEVEL screen button to access the reset screen By pressing the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously the sensor is reset Note The sensor can only be reset while both axis are within a threshold of 10 144 ALEXA Plus degrees around 0 1 Level camera Tilt 0 0 Roll 0 0 Reset threshold OK 2 Reset motion sensor Press both buttons RESET RESET Figure 68 Motion sensor reset screen LENS DATA Shows the type of LDS lens connected and the LDS status The LENS DATA screen button leads to the LDS screen where lens info like lens type current focal length iris focus distance and close and far point of depth of field are shown The OPTIONS screen button opens the LDS options screen where the LDS unit can be switched between imperial and metric and the circle of confusion for correct calculation of depth of field can be set Note After connecting a new LDS lens turn all lens rings slowly until all lens axes have transmitted their current positions 85 0
52. the default user setup name by pressing the CLEAR ALL button 5 Use the jogwheel to enter new name by scrolling to the desired character and pressing to select it Aa ERASE CLEAR ALL SET NAME PON gt BBcDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 1 lt gt DONE 6 When you have finished entering the new user setup name press the DONE button 110 Camera Conirols 7 Press the jogwheel to save the new user setup to the SD card To load a user setup 1 Press the MENU button 2 Use the jogwheel to select User Setups 3 Select Load setup SETUPS SD CARD DefaultSetup1 4 Use the jogwheel to select the desired setup in the list and press the jogwheel to load the setup 5 Press the PROJECT button to validate your project settings Note User setups work only in the SUP version they are created in After a SUP update a new user setup must be created and saved A recommended procedure for working with user setups is as follows 1 Before shooting perform a factory reset to restore factory default settings 2 Save auser setup named Reset or similar This will be used instead of performing the ALEXA s factory reset 3 Adjust the camera s shooting parameters and settings and load the desired frame lines and ARRI Look Files 4 Save another user setup with a descriptive name such as Show Title A Cam 5 To reset the camera to the default settings without losing the frame
53. the recorded image area to allow proper framing Users can choose e Black line e Color line e Mask 25 e Mask 50 e Mask 100 Select to set Status info to On or Off When set to On camera shooting parameters are displayed across the top of the EVF 1 s image outside the active image area and camera status information is displayed across the bottom of the EVF 1 s image outside the active image area Select to set frame lines to On or Off Frame lines are a reference for framing that typically consist of an image frame a center mark and an aspect ratio reference See the appendix for more information on the ALEXA frame line format Select to set the main frame lines template from those stored in the camera Select to set the secondary frame lines template from those stored in the camera Select to set the Center mark to Off Dot or Cross to aid in image framing Select to display up to two additional user editable rectangles in the EVF 1 image Select to adjust the user rectangles Select to set the color of the frame lines Select to set the brightness of the frame lines 114 Operation of the Camera 12 3 2 13 13 1 13 1 1 Viewfinder CAM menu Press the CAM button to open a the Viewfinder CAM menu in the EVF 1 display and set the camera parameters Use the jogwheel on the EVF 1 to select and set menu options Press the CAM button to exit the Viewfinder CAM menu FPS Select to set the sensor fram
54. this icon is colored orange Warns that smooth mode is active in the EVF 1 As smooth mode alters the image reproduction in the EVF 1 this icon is colored orange Indicates that the current Look file is applied to the EVF 1 Indicates that the current Look file is applied to the MON OUT output Indicates that the current Look file is applied to the SxS recording path Indicates that the current Look file is applied to the REC OUT output Using Timecode Timecode ensures that every image of recorded media can be identified with a unique value and synced with corresponding media such as sound or the second camera in a 3D application When used with other metadata such as reel names all recorded media maintains its unique identity Following are two ways timecode can be used on a production 130 Operation of the Camera External TC Time of day Use This format is often used on multi camera productions with sync sound When all cameras are running at sync sound speed which is also the project frame rate sound and image time code match and allow for easy syncing in post Setup The sound department acts as the timecode master and generates timecode which uses the time of day as a value and a time base matching the project frame rate Twenty four hours of time will translate into twenty four hours of time code Timecode is fed to the camera via the TC connector The timecode source must be set in the camera t
55. time can exceed the number given in the table Also note that the available recording time is given for a 32 GB SxS PRO card at 30 fps A lower sensor frame rate will increase the available recording time while a higher sensor frame rate will decrease it For a detailed table of available frame rates and possible codec card combinations please refer to the Chapter FPS on page 59 Recording 117 DNxHD The following Avid DNxHD codecs are available on an ALEXA with a valid DNxHD license installed Name Color Data Recording time on coding 29 97 32 GB SxS PRO fps 29 97 fps DNxHD YCbCr 145Mb s 29min 115 120 145 DNxHD YCbCr 220 Mb s 19 min 175x 185x 220x DNxHD 115 120 145 has a bit depth of 8 bit DNxHD 175x 185x 220x has a bit depth of 10 bit The listed recording times are not dependent on image content DNxHD is a fixed bitrate codec The codec naming convention indicates the codec s project frame rate e DNxHD 115 23 976 24 fps DNxHD 120 25 fps DNxHD 145 29 97 fps 30 fps is not available DNxHD 175x 23 976 24 fps e DNxHD 185x 25 fps e DNxHD 220x 29 97 fps 30 fps is not available For a detailed table of available frame rates and possible codec card combinations please refer to the Chapter FPS on page 59 Choosing a codec Selecting the right codec for the production is a crucial task Choosing a codec with a high data rate such as ProRes 4444 delivers the highes
56. tion dedi ila tege eite tee 44 10 4 MON COUT EE 44 10 5 EA 44 10 6 45 10 7 45 10 8 na 45 10 9 MEUM MM EE 45 TUIO IE 46 Taten ere ee ete ee reet t eee e e i I RH 46 10 12 AUDIO tidied S eee ae 46 10 13 gt SDi Care A 46 OSXS SOE 48 11 Lens Mounting 50 11 1 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS 50 11 2 LenS Supports hoi teet de eiie ut eie 51 12 Camera Controls 53 12 1 Main Controls 54 AAAS nsina EU tt t te e 54 12 12 Screen BUMONS eee eene ene e creen rns 54 12 1 3 HOME roin e rante tenes ternos 55 12 1 3 1 Lists and User 57 12 13 2 EP S7 nter iet AE 59 12 13 39 AUDIO vax eet bea dte ut ied eret 64 12 3 3 4 SHUT TER ne 66 12 3 5 El ene ee ee e e i 67 12 1 3 6 COL QBL e eer et eed vede v dne ee e ae 68 12 97 iiec e erede cana 71 12 1 4 Function Buttons 24 44 0 1 01 enne 73 Contents
57. up to 2 2 A depending on the camera power supply Powering 24 V Accessories Two 24 V remote start stop RS outputs with 3 pin Fischer connectors are located on the right side of the camera They can supply two devices with a combined load of up to 2 2 A shared with the EXT connector power out depending on the camera power supply When the camera is powered from a source with a voltage below 24 V they output 24 V If the camera s power source supplies more than 24 V this voltage level is also present on the RS outputs Besides powering accessories the RS outputs can also be used to send a remote start stop signal to the camera Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation 31 9 9 1 9 2 Camera Support Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation e ARRI ALEXA camera body including SxS module and Lens Adapter PL mount without LDS LA PL 1 e EVF 1 Electronic Viewfinder e VMB 1 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket KC 150 5 Viewfinder Cable short 0 35m 1 2ft CCH 1 Center Camera Handle e BP 12 Bridge Plate with base plate or BPA 1 with BP 5 BP 8 Bridge Plate and base plate or WA 1 Wedge Adapter and Quick Release HD Baseplate SDcard Compatible power supply Sony SxS PRO card for recording Tripod and Remote Heads Tripod and remote heads must have adequate load ratings to support the ALEXA and attached accessories See the following table for camera and component weights Note Always check the payl
58. will create the required folder structure on the SD card after formatting Note Formatting the SD card will irreversibly remove all data on the SD card To create the required folder structure on the SD card in the ALEXA without formatting Press the MENU button Using the jogwheel select System Select SD Card Select Prepare SD card The ALEXA will create the required folder structure on the SD card without formatting or deleting any data PON gt Note Firmware update files are recognized by the camera anywhere within the structure but it is recommended to copy the them into the Firmware folder 48 Connectors 10 14 SxS Slots The ALEXA records clips using the SxS module on the camera left side The two SxS card slots can be accessed by opening the SxS door towards the camera body The SxS door was designed for accessibility when the ALEXA is operated in confined spaces or mounted on rigs such as remote heads Note Keep the SxS slot door closed to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the camera To load an SxS card 1 Insert the SxS PRO card into the SxS slot with the contacts facing the front of the camera and the label facing out away from the camera body 2 Push the card in against the spring until the lock engages 3 Close the SxS door Note Do not force an SxS PRO card into the slot backwards or with the label side in the contacts in the SxS module and the SxS PRO card could be
59. with external Timecode soon Accuracy of jammed Timecode has expired Re jam camera with external Timecode Sensor fps does not match Project fps External Free Run TC cannot be used camera has switched to Int Rec Run TC Sensor fps does not match Project fps External Free Run TC cannot be used camera has switched to Int Rec Run TC Reboot camera If error continues to occur contact ARRI service Reboot camera If error continues to occur contact ARRI service The internal battery which powers the real time clock must be replaced Contact an ARRI service center near you Reboot the camera If error continues to occur contact ARRI service Problem on camera data bus Reboot the camera If error continues to occur contact ARRI service The external TC signal s time base is not accepted by the camera Appears on slave cam with Ext sync activated but not using settings sync Send trigger from Ext sync master camera to ensure the REC OUTs of both cameras are in sync Camera is set to Settings sync Enet master but is not connected with slave camera via Ethernet Camera is set to Settings sync Enet slave but is not connected with master camera via Ethernet Camera jams to external TC signal Do not disconnect TC source from camera until warning disappears Camera is set to Ext LTC regen but external TC signal is missing The external TC signal has a time base that does not match the project fps of the
60. 0 fps according to SMPTE standards 274M 292M 372M and 425M Level B In addition it outputs ARRIRAW in a proprietary format that is supported by a range of third party recorders RGB 444 at frame rates of 48 50 59 94 and 60 fps is output in a proprietary format utilizing two 3G connections The signal format can be changed in the Recording menu The connectors are located at the back of the camera on the camera right side RET SYNC IN A return signal from another image source can be fed into the ALEXA s RET connector for displaying on EVF and or MON OUT The signal must be a 1920x1080 422 1 5G single link according to SMPTE 274M and 292M The output routing of the RET in signal can be set in the Monitoring menu The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera right side The MON OUT is a single BNC connector capable of carrying a 1920x1080 422 YCbCr 1 5G HD SDI signal with frame rates of 23 976 24 25 29 97 30 fps according to SMPTE standards 274M and 292M The signal format can be changed in the Monitoring menu The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera right side EXT The EXT connector is a multi pin accessory connector that carries signals for communication with various accessories and 24V power The maximum power output is 2 2A shared with the RS outputs Cables are currently available for e Connecting a UMC 3 remote motor controller ETHERNET 45 10 6 10 7 1
61. 0 8 10 9 model UMC Connection Cable 0 80m 2 6ft K UMC3 ALEXA e Connecting two ALEXA cameras for synchronized operation model EXT to EXT Cable 2 00m 6 6ft KC 155 S The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera right side ETHERNET Standard ethernet connectors can deliver neither the power nor the durability and reliability required by ARRI so the ALEXA uses a specially designed 10 pin LEMO connector The ARRI KC 153 S cable is required to connect the Ethernet socket to a standard RJ 45 Ethernet port The ethernet port can be used to operate two ALEXA cameras with synced settings by connecting the cameras with a KC 156 S cable or to connect the Remote Control Unit RCU 4 to the camera The ethernet connector can output 24 V with 1 2 A power The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera right side EVF The EVF connector connects the camera to an EVF 1 electronic viewfinder The signals on this connector are proprietary and can only be used to drive an EVF 1 This proprietary signal assures low latency for the viewfinder image The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera left side AUDIO IN 2 channel analog line level audio can be fed to the camera via the 5 pin XLR connector located at the front of the camera on the camera right side The ALEXA converts the audio signal from analog to 24 bit 48 kHz PCM RS The two RS connectors supply external accesso
62. 2 187 Appendix In this appendix Appendix Connector Pin Outs False Color Display Info Messages and Warnings Dimensions Weights and Menu Structure Trees 188 193 198 199 207 188 Appendix Appendix A 1 Appendix Image Sensor Type Sensor frame rates Shutter angle Total active pixels incl surround view Pixels of recorded image Aperture of recorded image Image aperture incl surround view Pixel pitch Aspect ratio Filters Color filters Lens Lens mount Flange focal depth Image processing White balance CC Shift EI rating Recorded image resolution Viewfinder Type Technology Resolution Power Power supply Power management Power consumption Power outputs Recording ALEV III CMOS sensor 0 750 60 000 fps 60 000 120 000 fps in High Speed mode 5 0 358 0 5 0 356 0 in High Speed mode 3112 x 1782 2880 x 1620 23 76 x 13 365 mm 25 674 x 14 701 mm 8 25 um 1 78 1 16 9 optical low pass UV IR RGB primary colors Exchangeable lens mount with PL mount LA PL 1 installed 52 00 mm nominal 2000 11000 Kelvin 8 to 8 translates to full magenta full green gel correction 160 3200 ASA 1920 x 1080 pixels downscaled from 2880 x 1620 ARRI EVF 1 LCOS imaging device 1280 x 784 pixels DC 11 34V Active ORing between BAT connector and onboard battery adapters ca 85W w o accessories 2 x RS 24V 1x 12V Appendix
63. 20 2102 0184 SNOISNAWIGC V83IAVO eonou 1 eBueuo o ase 1 qp IN VX31V 467 uu 9 6 deep y 416 607 2 jeondg 1 1 ZEN 5 3 S Bs Na 99 8 98 deep 90 53 I g deep 01 91 8 ONN 5 ig SEE deep y Sg 4 5008 ww 104 Jeidepy sqow 91 99 9 0 4864 aye juwo 270 wu g g eue d z 31v 1d Qv3H 01 z 31V 1d QV3H 0 ZLOZ uois49A SNOISNAWIG VH3IAVO IN VX31V eBueuo oj 12e qns jeoruuoe W deep y pW jue jeondo amp eH TT 9 SQ M aS E MS ES aS jan 3 43 3 deep 01 91 8 2 ONN deep 01 9 8 6 ONN 486 deep 7 96 Y
64. 3 HW for HD SDI ProRes and DNxHD output at up to 60 fps Note The ARRIRAW Converter and ARRIRAW SDK additionally provide ADA 3 SW a more sophisticated software version of the new algorithm New High Speed De bayering Algorithm About This Manual 11 The High Speed de bayering algorithm provides the same overall image characteristics as the regular speed de bayering algorithm The new version improves the rendition of flat color fields and delivers a cleaner overall image It is used for HD SDI monitoring and ProRes or DNxHD output from 60 to 120 fps Note In certain situations saturated objects with little or no texture may exhibit a faint checkered pattern in the red and blue color channel This artifact was clearly visible in the previous SUP release and is now considered to be reduced to a degree where it does no longer pose a problem Low Contrast Curve see Chapter ARRI Look Files on page 70 The LCC ARRI Look File is now part of the SUP It is always available in the camera menu even after a factory reset SxS Onboard Recording ProRes 2K recording see Chapter SxS Cards on page 87 Recording 2K resolution to the camera storage module is only possible in one of the QuickTime ProRes codecs ProRes recording in HD and 2K resolution put very similar requirements on the recording media A 64 GB SxS Pro card allows recording up to 60 fps in 16 9 aspect ratio and up to 48 fps in 4 3 aspect ratio It will hold approximately
65. 4 Camera Controls 12 1 3 3 2 Onthe FPS HIGHSPEED screen press the EXIT HS button 3 Press both EXIT buttons simultaneously Exiting High Speed mode takes approximately 40 seconds and is indicated by a progress bar AUDIO Press the AUDIO button on the HOME screen to open the AUDIO screen This screen shows the ALEXA s two audio channel levels The audio levels are displayed from 45 dBFS to 0 dBFS Note No audio meters are displayed on the HOME screen or AUDIO screen when audio is set to Off or audio is disabled Audio is disabled when the sensor frame rate does not match the project frame rate Light blue markers show reference levels of 20 18 and 9 dB FS Red markers at levels 1 and 0 dBFS of clipping With a proper audio signal levels the red markers should almost never be visible AUDIO OUT CH 2 LI 1 TIT 45 OPTIONS 1 Figure 36 Audio screen Gain can be applied to the audio channels by turning the jogwheel to set both channels or by pressing the CH 1 CH 1 CH 2 and CH 2 buttons The amount of gain applied by the camera is indicated next to the levels as light gray numbers Press the OPTIONS button to open the AUDIO IN gt OPTIONS screen and set audio parameters Channel 1 level Manual Channel 2 level Manual Channel 1 source Lin Channel 2 source Lin Sou
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67. ALEXA Software Update Packet 7 0 USER MANUAL Date 19 November 2012 ARRI All rights reserved This document is provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and is also protected by copyright law Due to continued product development this information may change without notice The information and intellectual property contained herein is confidential between ARRI and the client and remains the exclusive property of ARRI If you find any problems in the documentation please report them to us in writing ARRI does not warrant that this document is error free Arnold amp Richter Cine Technik Tuerkenstr 89 D 80799 Munich Germany mailto service arri com http www arri com Contents 1 Disclaimer 2 Scope 3 What s new in 7 0 4 Introduction to the ALEXA 4 1 About This Manuala 5 Layout of the ALEXA 6 Safety Guidelines 6 1 6 2 6 3 Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications General Safety Guidelines Specific Safety nnne nn nenene nennen 7 General Precautions 7 1 7 2 7 3 Storage and Electromagnetic Interference CONAENS ATION 8 Power Supply 8 1 8 2 8 3 8 4 8 5 8 5 1 8 5 2 8 6 8 6 1 8 6 2 Power B
68. ARE EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE This product meets CE regulations About This Manual 2 Scope This instruction manual applies to the following hardware software and firmware versions ARRI ALEXA ARRI ALEXA Plus ARRI ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA M with ARRI EVF 1 electronic viewfinder ARRI ALEXA Studio with optical viewfinder or ARRI EVF 1 electronic viewfinder e Camera software update packet SUP 7 0 e EVF 1 software packet 1 34 Document revision history SUP ID drawing release date revision 2 1 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 FG5445 29th Nov 2010 3 0 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 K7741 11th Feb 2011 3 1 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 K7776 04th Apr 2011 3 1 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 7781 07th Apr 2011 4 0 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 D K7817 05 Jul 2011 4 0 1 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 K7845 24th Aug 2011 5 0 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 F K7874 16th Nov 2011 5 0 5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 G K7890 19th Dec 2011 5 1 5 0 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 H 8005 26th Jan 2011 5 1 51 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 8021 12th Feb 2012 6 0 6 1 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 8071 14th May 2012 7 0 K5 72550 0 2031 00 00 00 99 8128 19th Nov 2012 What s new in 7 0 What s new in 7 0 This chapter gives an overview of what has changed with SUP 7 0 Equipment Accessories Supported CLM 4 Support All ALEXA models with integrated motor drivers for ARRI Controlled
69. AT ihi gta e Mains Unit NG 12 26 Cine Style Batteries sess Onboard Batteries V Lock Batteries eese Gold Mount Batteries nennen Powering 12 V Accessories Powering 24 V Accessories 9 Camera Support 9 1 9 2 9 3 9 3 1 9 3 2 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation Tripod and Remote Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 eene Viewfinder Viewfinder Mounting 10 14 17 18 20 20 20 21 23 23 23 23 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 30 30 30 IV Contents 9 4 Center Camera Handle CCH 1 36 9 5 Side Camera Handle 1 37 9 6 Bridge Plates 12 13 38 9 7 Bridge Plate adapter 1 39 9 8 Wedge Adapter WA 1 and Quick Release Plate QR HD 1 40 9 9 Leveling 1 40 9 10 Shoulder Pad 5 3 41 10 Connectors 42 10 1 itae eta eer oe ot 44 10 2 REG OUT ui enn e Ren enn rn 44 10 3 RET SYINQ IN 3
70. Black line Color line Mask 25 50 75 Center mark Off Dot Cross Status info On Off Electronic horizon On Off LDS info On Off Peaking Off On gt gt Peaking On Off Peaking level Low Medium High Anamorphic desqueeze V Off 1 3x 2 0x 2 0xmag Zoom position Centered Eye level Framerate 23 976 24 25 29 97 30fps Scanformat psf p Surround view On Off Frame lines On Off Surround mask Black line Color line Mask 25 50 75 Center mark Off Dot Cross Status info On Off Electronic horizon On Off LDS info On Off Show reel clip number On Off Camera index letter On Off Peaking On Off Peaking level Low Medium High False color On Off Anamorphic desqueeze vo Off 1 3x 2 0x 2 0xmag Frame lines gt gt Frame line 1 choose add delete Off D Frame line 2 choose add delete Off User rectangles gt gt User rectangles Off Rect 1 Rect 2 Rect 1 2 Top Bottom Left Right 0 1000 Reset Color Red Green Blue Yellow Black White Intensity 1 4 RET IN path EVF OUT EVF MON Electronic horizonsensitivity 1x 2x 4x 8x 16x False color index gt gt ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only ANAMORPH requires Anamor PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS SUP 7 0 PROJECT menu Sensor Mode som s43
71. CK button for 3 seconds counted down on the main controls LCD to lock the main and operator controls A blue LED beside the LOCK button on the camera left side indicates the lock is active A lock icon on the LCD display on the camera right side indicates the lock is active Press and hold the LOCK button for 3 seconds to unlock the main and operator controls Figure 61 Operator 1 112 Camera Controls 12 3 12 3 1 EVF 1 Controls The EVF 1 controls are located on the electronic viewfinder They consist of a number of function buttons and a jogwheel CAM Press the CAM button to open the EVF 1 s CAM menu EVF Press the EVF button to open the EVF 1 s EVF menu ZOOM Press the ZOOM button to magnify the EVF 1 image 2 25x for focus check The magnification ratio is 1 1 or one sensor pixel to one EVF 1 display pixel Active magnification is indicated by an orange frame around the image Frame lines are deactivated while zoom is active EXP Press the EXP button to toggle false color display on and off When the LOCK button on the main controls is engaged the CAM and EVF buttons are locked with the main controls and operator controls The ZOOM and EXP buttons are not affected by the lock The message Button is locked is displayed in the EVF 1 when the CAM EVF button is pressed while the main controls are locked Viewfinder EVF menu Press the EVF button to open a the Viewfinder EVF menu i
72. COMPRESSED AIR OR GAS TO BLOW OFF THE DUST This can severely damage optical elements e f the sensor cover glass has been contaminated by solid dirt or grease special optical cleaning kits should be used for dirt removal under very high care If the contamination cannot be removed the camera should be taken to an ARRI service center for cleaning 22 Safety Guidelines THE USE OF METHANOL TO CLEAN OPTICAL SURFACES IS NOT RECOMMENDED NEVER USE ACETONE TO CLEAN OPTICAL SURFACES NEVER TRY TO REMOVE THE SENSOR COVER GLASS DO NOT POINT THE CAMERA INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT VERY BRIGHT LIGHT SOURCES OR HIGH ENERGY LIGHT SOURCES e g laser beams This may cause permanent damage to the camera image sensor DO NOT POINT THE VIEWFINDER INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT VERY BRIGHT LIGHT SOURCES OR HIGH ENERGY LIGHT SOURCES e g laser beams This may cause permanent damage to the viewfinder display and optical elements Storage and Transport 23 7 7 1 7 2 7 3 General Precautions Storage and Transport Use alens port to prevent damage to the sensor cover glass and sensor whenever there is no lens attached e Unplug all cables when transporting the Alexa in a camera case e Do not store the camera in places where it may be subject to temperature extremes direct sunlight high humidity severe vibration or strong magnetic fields Electromagnetic Interference ALEXA meets EC regulations by fulfilling the specific
73. ER ANGLE screen The shutter angle range is 5 0 to 358 0 In High Speed mode the shutter angle is limited to a maximum of 356 0 Below the list the actual exposure time at the currently set frame rate is shown Note Be aware that the combination of long exposure times a low sensor frame rate Main Controls 67 12 1 3 5 and large shutter angle and high exposure indexes can lead to image artifacts DELETE SHUTTER ANGLE Exposure time 24 000 fps 1 50 s Figure 40 Shutter list EI The Exposure Index El is the applied sensitivity of the camera The ALEXA has a base sensitivity of 800 ASA This means that the dynamic range is almost evenly distributed above and below neutral gray with low noise in the shadows and clean smooth clipping behavior in the highlights Due to its high dynamic range the ALEXA s sensitivity can be set from 160 to 3200 ASA in steps of 1 3 stops while maintaining high image quality EXPOSURE INDEX Figure 41 Exposure Index screen Note The Exposure Index list has fixed content meaning that it cannot be changed by the user Applying the exposure indexes at the extremes of the range will nonetheless have an influence on the images At low exposure indexes such as 160 ASA the dynamic range below neutral gray increases reducing noise even further At the same time the dynamic range above neutral gray is slightly reduced Highlight clipping itself is not influe
74. ET DIRECTOR The System menu contains submenus of system settings Power Test signal External sync Display beeper System time date temperature Mirror image horizontal Select to set the sensor temperature to Standard default or High humidity When shooting in tropical conditions with high temperature and high humidity the sensor temperature can be changed from Standard to High humidity to prevent condensation from forming on the sensor coverglass Select to mirror the image horizontally on all image paths Sensor temperature Standard Mirror image horizontal Off 102 Camera Controls Power BAT1 Plug warning BAT2 Onboard warning Select to adjust the voltage level at which a power warning is displayed for the power source connected to the BAT plug The level can be adjusted to match the battery type used The default value is 21 0V Select to adjust the voltage level at which a power warning is displayed for the onboard battery The level can be adjusted to match the battery type used The default value is 12 0V Note When the voltage level reaches a point 10 below the warning level set in the POWER menu the ALEXA displays a battery error message and recording is unavailable The camera will read the voltage level as insufficient BAT2 Onboard warning 11 0 Smart batteries that transmit their remaining load to the camera emit a war
75. Even if the user forgets to assign different camera indices to two cameras on the same project the Camera ID metadata guarantees unique tape names The Quicktime file carries a single timecode track In DNXHD MXEF files metadata is stored as an ale file on the SxS cards and in an XML file embedded in the MXF For more information please refer to the Metadata white paper available for download on the ARRI website Dual recording The Dual recording function in the ALEXA allows recording to two SxS PRO cards in parallel creating an instant backup at the time of recording To enable dual recording set Dual recording to On in the SxS CARDS menu in Recording menu Requirements for dual recording The SxS PRO cards must be of the same capacity e When reloading or changing reels both cards must be formatted 122 Operation of the Camera 13 1 2 e The SxS PRO cards must have identical file structure Follow the procedures for normal recording to a single SxS PRO card but manage the SxS cards as a set Download and back up one card and keep the other card as an additional backup External recording In addition to internal recording the ALEXA can also output uncompressed HD and unprocessed ARRIRAW data to external recorders over the REC OUT Choose the preferred output format based on the following basic guidelines e 422 1 5G use for television applications that require only color correction and high speed capt
76. I format Select to set the format of the REC OUT outputs see below for details e 422 1 5G DL 3G SL 3GDL e 444 1 5G DL 3G SL ARRIRAW 1 5G DL 3G SL 3GDL e MON OUT clone Scan format Select to set the type of scan Images are transmitted line by line from left to right starting at the top left pixel e psf Progressive segmented Images are first split into fields which are then transmitted line by line from left to right Note Frame rates over 30 fps are only available in progressive scan This complies with SMPTE standards Main Controls 91 Output range Select to set which bit range of the full 10 bit range 0 1023 is used to transmit image data e Legal Uses values 64 940 for RGB and Y signals and values 64 960 for CbCr signals This complies with SMPTE 274M 8 7 e Extended uses values 5 1019 which results in about 10 more steps This complies with SMPTE 274M 8 12 called undershoot overshoot Note Check which mode your recorder supports If you set the camera to extended but your recorder only supports legal you will end up with clipped images REC OUT fps sets If set to On the sensor will always follow the sensor fps REC OUT frame rate setting This ensures no frames are dropped on the output Note Both REC OUT and MON OUT carry a flag in their data stream to signal an external recorder that the camera has started or stopped recording internally
77. RCU 4 It does not affect the camera lock For more info please refer to the RCU 4 user manual 19 183 Index 1 cuu a eol 50 4 4 I ModE ERE 171 183 A About This 2 21 ALEXA M pec EET 173 ALEXA M Camera 180 ALEXA M Camera Head 179 ALEXA 174 ALEXA Plus 140 ALEXA Plus 4 NOOR Ob eM 152 ALEXA StU diO ettet retenir 154 ALEXA Studio Images 154 191 192 Look 15 74 ANOD O 68 AUDIO esee 49 AUDIO 50 BAT a 48 BAT Gonnector iiiter e 29 Bridge Plate adapter 1 43 Bridge Plates 12 13 42 C Camera none die 57 Camera 35 2 E 180 Center Camera Handle 1 40 Cine Style Batteries 30 COLOR Oeics 72
78. REC OUT Menus and screens on the Main Camera Controls are written in all capital letters for example RECORDING menu and HOME screen Buttons are written in bold typeface capital letters for example PLAY button The appendix at the back of the manual contains useful reference material including ALEXA specifications connector pin out diagrams a false color display explanation error and warning message explanations ALEXA dimensional drawings and a menu structure tree 18 Layout of the ALEXA 5 Layout of the ALEXA Figure 1 ALEXA right ARRI Figure 2 ALEXA left B LIL Figure 3 ALEXA top About This Manual 19 Figure 4 ALEXA bottom Figure 5 ALEXA front Figure 6 ALEXA back 20 Safety Guidelines 6 1 6 2 Safety Guidelines Any violation of these safety instructions or non observance of personal care could cause serious injuries including death to users and affiliates and damage to the equipment or other objects Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications Indicates a possible risk of injury or damage to the equipment Indicates the risk of electric shock or fire danger that could result in injury or damage to the equipment Note Indicates further information or information from other instruction manuals General Safety Guidelines IN e Always follow these guidelines to ensure against in
79. Res 422 and 12 bit for ProRes 4444 DNxHD can be natively edited in AVID MediaComposer without transcoding Quicktime movie clips and and MXF files be played back in the camera with output on REC OUT MON OUT and the electronic viewfinder Audio recording Analog 2 channel audio can be recorded as 24 bit 48 kHz PCM in the Quicktimes as well as embedded to the HD SDI signals Licensed features By adding license keys new camera features can be enabled that go beyond the initial camera specification Introduction to the ALEXA High speed image capture In Regular Speed mode ALEXA has a frame rate range from 0 75 to 60 fps By adding a license key for High Speed mode the frame rate range of the camera can be extended up to 120 fps About This Manual 17 4 1 About This Manual ARRI recommends that all users of the ALEXA read the manual in its entirety prior to use For experienced users the manual s structure also provides quick access for reference In this manual e Layout of the ALEXA e Safety Guidelines e General Precautions e Power Supply e Camera Support e Connectors e Lens Mounting e User Interface e Operation of the ALEXA How to Use This Manual All directions are given from a camera operator s point of view For example camera right side refers to the right side of the camera when facing toward the front of the camera Connectors are written in all capital letters for example
80. S recording on takes approximately 15 seconds Codec Select to set the codec e full range of Apple ProRes codecs e two types of Avid DNxHD codecs requires license key Note Not available in High Speed mode HS codec Select to set the codec for High Speed mode e full range of Apple ProRes codecs e two types of Avid DNxHD codecs requires license key Note Only available in High Speed mode SxS resolution Select to set the SxS resolution e HD 1920x1080 2K 2048x1152 in 16 9 mode 88 Camera Controls Note In 4 3 mode resolution is fixed at 2K 2048x1536 Note DNxHD codecs are only available in HD 1920x1080 resolution Dual recording Select to set simultaneous recording to two SxS PRO cards Both cards must be of the same capacity and have matching formatting and content Quick format SxS Select to format an SxS PRO card To CARD 1 and 2 complete the action press both FORMAT buttons on the confirmation prompt A quick format erases only the file allocation table Erase SxS CARD 1 Select to erase an SxS PRO card To complete and 2 the action press both ERASE buttons on the confirmation prompt This action takes longer than the quick format but ensures that all data on the card is erased Erasing an SxS PRO card can increase its write speed Note Before formatting or erasing an SxS PRO card make sure the write protect tab on the back edge of the SxS PRO card is disengaged Do not engage or dise
81. Shows the active sensor mode 16 9 or 4 3 4 3 mode is only available on the ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M Current temperature of image sensor Target is 35 C in standard mode 40 C in high humidity mode IP address of the camera s ethernet port Shows the total operating time of the camera in hours since first installation of SUP 4 0 or higher VERSION SxS CARDS 13 02 07 2012 08 20 1380 rpm 169 254 1 24 FPS INFO Figure 52 SYSTEM info screen FPS Info The FPS Info screen displays an overview of the current frame rates set in the camera and the maximum frame rate possible on the SxS PRO cards loaded in the camera at the current settings Sensor fps Frames per second generated by the sensor 80 Camera Controls 12 1 4 3 Project fps Time base the camera will use for counting timecode and the frame rate used for on camera playback of internally recorded clips REC OUT Frame rate output over the REC OUT HD SDI frame rate MON OUT Frame rate output over the MON OUT HD SDI frame rate SxS Maximum frame rate the SxS PRO card in card slot 1 CARD 1 can record at the current SxS codec max fps SxS Maximum frame rate the SxS PRO card in card slot 2 CARD 2 can record at the current SxS codec max fps LIVE INFO VERSION SxS CARDS Sensor fps 24 000 fps Project fps 24 fps REC OUT frame rate 24 fps MON OUT frame rate 24 fps SxS CARD 1 max fps current 60 fps SxS CARD 2 max f
82. SxS recording is off and sensor fps does not match REC OUT fps switch on Vari flag to prohibit duplicate frames Reminder for active tropical mode Issued when SxS is switched on and sensor fps is bigger than project fps ALEXA Studio only ND filter slider has mechanical problems ALEXA Studio only Mirror sector has mechanical problems ALEXA Studio only Mirror cannot reach speed due to technical problems ALEXA Studio only Power supply voltage level insufficient to drive mirror shutter ALEXA Studio only Mirror shutter and sensor are out of phase may result in exposure artifacts Info Messages and Warnings Appendix 203 Some buttons are defect SxS Check last clip Low data rate Loading highspeed mode LDS failure restart camera M head Clean fibre connection M head Power warning M head High temperature M head Low fan speed ALEXA error messages Main Bat Low power Onboard Bat Low power All Bats Low power Card 1 End of lifetime Card 2 End of lifetime Camera button signals are failing Reboot camera reappearing after reboot contact service for button replacement Mostly hardware problem Data rate of last recorded clip is very low Check for artifacts in replay Can also occure when forgetting to remove lens cap during recording While High Speed Mode is loading the camera functionality is limited Wait until High Speed mode loading has finished
83. When SxS recording is switched off the REC button will only send the flag to trigger the external recorder it will not start or stop internal recording to SxS Additionally the Vari flag marks duplicate images in the HD SDI stream A recorder that supports the Vari flag can detect these frames and discard them This ensures that no duplicate frames are recorded if HD SDI is set to a higher frame rate than the sensor HD SDI formats and corresponding frame rates Format Links Image Sampling Color Possible Used Raster Structure Mode Frame Rates fps 422 1 1920x108 4 2 2 YCbCr 23 976 24 1 5G SL 0 25 29 97 30 422 2 1920x108 4 2 2 YCbCr 48 50 59 94 1 5G DL 0 60 422 1 1920x108 4 2 2 YCbCr 48 50 59 94 3G SL 0 60 444 2 1920x108 4 4 4 RGB 23 976 24 1 5G DL 0 25 29 97 30 444 2 1920x108 4 4 4 RGB 23 976 24 3G SL 0 25 29 97 30 444 2 1920x108 4 4 4 RGB 48 50 59 94 3G DL 0 60 ARRIRAW 2 2880x162 Bayer Bayer 23 976 24 1 5G DL 0 25 29 97 30 92 Camera Controls 12 1 5 2 ARRIRAW 2 2880x162 Bayer Bayer 23 976 24 3G SL 0 25 29 97 30 ARRIRAW 2 2880x162 Bayer Bayer 48 50 59 94 3G DL 0 60 MON OUT 1 1920x108 4 2 2 YCbCr 23 976 24 clone 0 25 29 97 30 Proprietary signal format as no SMPTE standard supports RGB 444 with frame rates higher than 30 fps Only supported by some recorders RAW sensor image is transmitted wrapped as 1920x1080 RGBA This signal can only be recorded with ARRIRAW T L
84. XA accepts an input voltage range from 10 5 to 34 V DC The camera can be powered through the BAT connector or battery adapters accepting V Lock or Gold Mount batteries The power supply should deliver an output of more than 90 W to power the camera sufficiently The power draw of the camera in basic configuration is about 85 W A 12 to 15 V battery should have at least 6 A maximum output current Note when powering accessories through the camera the total power draw of the camera is increased by the amount of power drawn by the accessories 8 1 Power Management When using the BAT connector and one or more onboard battery adapters simultaneously the camera s power management system ensures that the power source with the highest voltage level is used When the voltage level of one power source drops below the level of the other or a power source is disconnected from the camera the power management system automatically switches to the other power source avoiding shutdown of the camera For example a 12 V onboard battery can be used as backup for the main 24 V battery Using a 12 V onboard battery in addition to the main 24 V battery also allows for quick switchover to handheld mode the power cable can simply be disconnected from the BAT connector When using two onboard battery adapters with batteries in parallel one on top and one on the back the camera will treat them as a single source When used this way the load is spre
85. XA has a base sensitivity of 800 ASA The camera s El rating can be adjusted from 160 to 3200 ASA 56 Camera Conirols COLOR Note ASA rating is identical to 150 rating Note Exposure Index is not applied to ARRIRAW signals Opens the color screen where gamma and look settings for SxS REC OUT MON OUT and EVF can be changed Sets the camera s white balance This is the color temperature of the light source that the ALEXA is currently adjusted for The white balance can be adjusted from 2000 to 11000 Kelvin in steps of 100 Kelvin In addition to the red blue correction of the white balance the ALEXA can also compensate for a green magenta tint This value called CC color compensation is shown as an exponent of the WB value Positive values are marked with a and negative values with a The user can execute an automatic white balance by pressing the AUTO WB button in the WB screen Camera Status Section TC MASTER UJ gt 2 REEL CLIP UR D SxS1 14 20 lt Displays the current time code including the source INT internal EXT external source Frames are not displayed The timebase of the time code is shown after the sign Camera is set to Ext sync MASTER Camera is set to Ext sync SLAVE Settings sync is active The voltage level of the power source present at the BAT connector or the remaining capacity of an attached battery in percentage if it transmits th
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87. able and to attach a ZMU 3 A wheel and a slider can be used to control focus and iris axes Zoom axis can be controlled by attaching a ZMU 3 at an LCS port The WCU 3 also has a display where it shows current fps shutter angle exposure index and white balance of the camera Wireless Main Unit WMU 3 The WMU 3 is a radio system for wireless connection to the camera Both WFU 3 and WZU 3 can be attached to the WMU 3 Wireless Focus Unit WFU 3 The 3 has a knob and a slider that can be used to control focus and iris axes It connects to the camera through a WMU 3 or WHA 3 Wireless Zoom Unit WZU 3 The WZU 3 controls the zoom axis It connects to the camera through a WMU 3 or a WHA 3 Wired Hand Adapter WHA 3 The WHA 3 allows both WFU 3 and WZU 3 to connect to the camera via cable 142 ALEXA Plus 14 5 Zoom Main Unit ZMU 3 The ZMU 3 controls the the zoom axis It can be connected to the camera via cable to an LCS port or via cable through LCS port of WCU 3 or wirelessly by using a WZE 3 Wireless Zoom Extension WZE 3 The WZE 3 is a radio system that enables direct wireless connection of a ZMU 3 and a camera Hand Unit Priorization Different priority levels are assigned to the hand unit devices to ensure only one device has control over a motor at a time A device s knob that is assigned to an axis has a higher priority than a device s slider assigned to the same axis When steering ite
88. ad across two batteries creating a strong power source 8 2 BAT Connector The BAT connector is the primary power input on the ALEXA It is a Fischer 2 pin socket located at the back of the camera on the camera right side 26 Power Supply 8 3 8 4 The socket accepts power cables KC 20S and 295 The cables can either be connected to the mains unit NG 12 26R or to 24 V cine style batteries with three pin XLR outputs Figure 7 BAT connector Mains Unit NG 12 26 R Use of the mains unit is recommended for shooting in the studio and when using electronic accessories with high power consumption To power the ALEXA using the Mains Unit NG 12 26 R 1 Set the correct mains voltage on the mains unit using the fuse on the back of the unit For example set it to 220 V if the AC mains power source is 220 V Connect the mains unit to AC mains power Ensure that the camera power is turned off Set the voltage switch on the mains unit to 26 V Connect the battery cable KC 20S or 295 spiral cable to the power supply socket on the camera and the 26 V socket on the mains unit Note NG 12 24 R was the original design that provided 12 amp 24 volts output it was superseded by the NG 12 26 R which outputs 12 amp 26 volts The NG 12 24 R can easily be upgraded to NG 12 26 R specification at an ARRI service center Cine Style Batteries Any 24 V cine style battery with a three pin XLR outp
89. age area and camera status information is displayed across the bottom of the MON OUT image outside the active image area Select to set the electronic horizon level to On or Off Only available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M Select to set the LDS lens information overlay to On or Off Only available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M Select to display reel and clip numbers on the MON OUT image Select to display the camera index letter in the top left corner of the MON OUT image Frame line 2 gt User rectangles Off gt Color Red Intensity 2 Frame lines are an image the MON O ALEXA frame lines image overlay that can be applied to either the EVF UT image or both are stored as XML files that define the frame lines aspect ratio marker style line width center marker and more The color of the frame lines is 5 et on the camera The following default frame lines are loaded onto the ALEXA 1 331 1 66 1 1 781 e 1 851 2 39 1 e 2 39 1 2 0x anamorphic 98 Camera Conirols Additional frame lines can be loaded from the SD card To create additional frame lines use ALEXA Frameline Composer a free web tool at http www arri com camera digital cameras Save the new frame lines as XML files to an SD card formatted on the ALEXA in the Frame lines folder The ALEXA supports up to 16 frame line templates To load additional
90. ailable BAB G Back mount adapter Gold Mount batteries BAB V Back mount adapter V Lock batteries BAT G Top mount adapter Gold Mount batteries BAT V Top mount adapter V Lock batteries Note Adapters must be installed by a trained technician V Lock Batteries V Lock batteries from different manufacturers may be used on the ALEXA When batteries from manufacturers such as ID X and Bebop are used their remaining capacity will be displayed as a percentage on the Home screen To attach a V Lock battery 1 Align the v shaped wedge on the battery with the v shaped notch on the battery plate 28 Power Supply 8 5 2 2 Press the battery downwards until you hear a click 3 Check that the battery is securely mounted on the battery plate To release a V Lock battery 1 Press the release button on the camera left side or top of the battery manufacturer dependent 2 While pressing the release button slide the battery upwards Figure 8 ALEXA with BAB V and V Mount battery Note Not all V Lock batteries deliver enough power to supply the camera Use only batteries with a capacity of 90 Wh or more to prevent damage to the battery and unpredictable camera behavior Any camera battery combination should be tested prior to use especially when accessories are powered through the camera Gold Mount Batteries If the ALEXA is equipped with a Gold Mount Anton Bauer batteries can be used Their r
91. amaged Card 2 files damaged Card 1 invalid cardtype Card 2 invalid cardtype Card 1 write problem Card 2 write problem Camera overheating Low sensor temperature High sensor temperature The SxS PRO card in slot 1 is Rec protected Remove the card from the camera slide the switch located on the camera back end to the Rec enable position and re insert the card The SxS PRO card in slot 2 is Rec protected Remove the card from the camera slide the switch located on the camera back end to the Rec enable position and re insert the card SxS PRO card in slot 1 is selected but the SxS PRO card is full Use a new card Card in other slot can still record SxS PRO card in slot 2 is selected but the SxS PRO card is full Use a new card Card in other slot can still record The SxS PRO card in slot 1 is not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the card The SxS PRO card in slot 2 is not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the card The write speed of SxS PRO card in slot 1 is insufficient for the sensor fps set on the camera Use a card with a higher write speed The write speed of SxS PRO card in slot 2 is insufficient for the sensor fps set on the camera Use a card with a higher write speed One or more files on SxS PRO card in slot 1 Continue with a fresh card One or more files on in slot 2 are defect Continue with a fresh card The card in slot 1
92. ations of the European Directive 2004 108 EC 15th December 2004 This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority to operate the equipment Complies with the canadian ICES 003 Class A specifications Cet appareil num rique de la Classe A est conform a la norme NMB 003 du Canada This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada This Class A device meets all the requirements of the Canadian interference causing equipment regulation Cet appareil num rique de la Class A respecte toutes les exigences du R glement sur le mat rial brouilleur du Canada Condensation IN When moving the camera from a cool to a warm location or when the camera is used in a damp environment condensation may form inside the lens port
93. atted and recorded on If a previously recorded card is reloaded in the camera comparable to a short end of a film roll this card will keep its reel number and the camera will remember how far it has counted The next new SxS card will inherit the correct next reel number To change the next reel number manually select Next reel count in the Project menu Note that this is only recommended for special circumstances Examples A typical ProRes Quicktime file name would look like this e A004C010 20100610 R1JL mov A typical DNxHD MXF file name would look like this A004C010 20100610 R1JL mxf The translation of this clip name is as follows e this clip was the tenth clip recorded on the fourth card used reel number e this clip was recorded on June 10 2010 e the camera assigned the Base 36 serial number 1JL which translates into the decimal serial number 2001 For a Base 36 to decimal converter visit http www translatorscafe com cafe units converter numbers calculator decimal to base 36 or conduct an internet search Additional recommendations To minimize the risk of lost data ARRI suggests the following guidelines for SxS card and data management Recording 121 e Pre format cards Format all the SxS cards in the camera before shooting begins This can save production time otherwise used formatting cards at every reload Cards do not receive a reel number until the first clip is recorded so there is no need to
94. atures 11111111111 Screen 58 SD Card i ies duties 109 SIDE IEEE 50 NITIDE 105 M Sensor modes 16 9 and 4 Main Controls eee 16 58 3 138 Mains Unit NG 12 26 30 Menus eee eet ben Da eed D 89 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation xev diete eode eed EA ces 35 eee teres 48 99 MOnitoring aeree reet 96 129 ND Filter 167 Onboard 31 Operation of the Camera 118 Operator 115 Optical 4 159 141 157 Parallel 128 PEAY ao eR 87 Plus Camera 147 POWGI tite 31 106 Power 29 Power Outputs Power Supply ro ege epe eee Powering 12 V Accessories 34 Powering 24 V Accessories 34 Production 01 104 103 R Index 185 Shoulder Pad 3 45 SHUTTER tnm esent 70 Side Camera
95. ble frame rates and possible codec card combinations please refer to the Chapter FPS on page 59 Avid DNxHD codecs Avid DNxHD codecs supported by the ALEXA when the required license key is installed Name Color Data Recording time on coding 29 97 32 GB SxS PRO fps 29 97 fps DNxHD YCbCr 145 Mb s 29 115 120 145 DNxHD YCbCr 220 Mb s 19 min 175x 185x 220x DNxHD 115 120 145 has a bit depth of 8 bit DNxHD 175x 185x 220x has a bit depth of 10 bit The listed recording times are not dependent on image content DNxHD is a fixed bitrate codec The codec naming convention indicates the codec s project frame rate DNxHD 115 23 976 24 fps e DNxHD 120 25 fps e DNxHD 145 29 97 fps 30 fps is not available DNxHD 175x 23 976 24 fps e DNxHD 185x 25 fps e DNxHD 220x 29 97 fps 30 fps is not available For a detailed table of available frame rates and possible codec card combinations please refer to the Chapter FPS on page 59 90 Camera Controls REC OUT HD SDI format 422 1 56 SL Scan format psf Output range Legal REC OUT fps sets sensor fps Off Select the REC OUT submenu to adjust parameters for recording to external recorders over the HD SDI REC OUT outputs Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables for recording to ensure error free data transmission Frame rate Select to set the frame rate of the REC OUT outputs independent of sensor frame rate HD SD
96. camera A problem occured in the camera The frame grab failed 202 Appendix Info Messages and Warnings Framegrab Storing image failed Playback failed EVF smooth mode not possible Ext LTC Forced to JAM sync Playback failed Card removed Playback failed Calibrate lens motors Temperature at limit Fan RPM raised Master slave Focus unit mismatch Slave No lens table active REC OUT Switch on Vari flag Tropical mode active REC OUT Switch on Vari flag ND filter stuck Mirror sector problem Mirror cannot reach sync speed Voltage too low for mirror Mirror out of phase A problem occured with the SD card The frame grab failed The camera could not play back the internally recorded clips Smooth mode is set to On but either sensor fps is higher then 30 000 or shutter angle is higher than 180 0 Ext LTC had to be switched to Jam sync by camera system A problem with playback occured Camera had to abort playback Camera had to abort playback as SxS card was removed New lens motors are attached to the camera Prior to use they must be calibrated With camera fan is in Rec low mode fan noise might exceed silent level because camera is becoming too hot With ALEXA Plus and 3D lens sync both cameras must have same focus unit activated which is not the case here With ALEXA Plus and 3D lens sync select lens table on slave when using LDA When
97. cated in the manual Unplug the power cable by gripping the power plug not the cable Never insert objects of any kind into any part of the system if not clearly qualified for the task in the manual as objects may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts This could cause fire or electrical shock e Unplug the system from the power outlet before opening any part of the system or before making any changes to the system especially the attaching or removing of cables Do not use solvents to clean Do not remove any stickers or paint marked screws e Always place a lens or a protective cap in the lens mount receptacle e Never run a camera with a mirror shutter without a lens or a protective cap in the lens mount receptable e Changing camera lenses should be done in a dry and dust free environment If this is not possible take extra care that no dust enters the camera while the lens is off e When no lens is attached to the camera immediately place the protective on the lens mount to avoid contamination of the sensor cover glass After changing lenses always perform a dust check to make sure no dust has settled on the sensor cover glass e Clean optical lens surfaces only with a lens brush or a clean lens cloth in cases of solid dirt or grease moisten a lens cloth with pure alcohol Discard contaminated lens cloth after use Never attempt to clean a lens brush with your fingers NEVER USE CANS WITH
98. cient for regular cleaning while the wet cleaners are better with strong and sticky contaminations Regular cleaning of at least one time per day is recommended as well as any time the signal quality deteriorates Fibre connection status Next to the fibre connectors of the ALEXA M is a fibre status LED that reflects the signal strength A green LED reflects a good signal strength If the LED is alternately flashing between green and amber the signal is weak which can be caused by dirty connectors faulty cables or a bad connection Power down the camera clean the connectors reconnect the cable to the camera and repower the camera in this particular order If the problem does not go away swap the cable An amber LED indicates a link error The camera must be rebooted If the link error reoccurs follow the steps described for the green amber flashing LED 4 3 179 17 6 4 3 The ALEXA Studio ALEXA M and ALEXA Plus 4 3 cameras can operated in 4 3 mode In 4 3 mode the camera captures images from a vertically extended sensor area The used area is 23 76 x 17 82mm in size which translates to 2880 x 2160 sensor pixels Note The sensors of regular ALEXA and ALEXA Plus cameras are not capable of creating a 4 3 image Loading 4 3 mode Go to MENU gt Systems gt Sensor mode The currently loaded mode is shown the first line Press the wheel To load the new mode press the two lower scr
99. composites rely on color resolution 444 1 5G is transmitted over two HD SDI cables with each cable carrying part of the image data It is important to Recording 123 e connect REC OUT 1 on the camera with record input 1 or A on the external recorder and REC OUT 2 on the camera with record input 2 or B on the external recorder e use matched lengths of HD SDI cables for links 1 and 2 444 3G RGB There are two types of 444 3G signal e The single link version contains the same signal as the 444 1 5G signal but according to SMPTE 425M over a single cable e The dual link version uses a proprietary image mapping for frame rates from 30 to 60 fps and is only currently supported by certain recorders ARRIRAW 1 5G DL ARRIRAW is the proprietary raw data generated by ARRI cameras Raw data is the sensor image data before it is converted to RGB images The ALEXA has a single sensor with a Bayer pattern color filter array meaning that every pixel has only one channel of color information With normal HD images the missing color channel information is calculated from the adjacent pixels in the camera With raw data this calculation is delayed until after the recording to save bandwidth and creative options Shooting ARRIRAW allows many decisions on how to convert the images to be made in post production ALEXA ARRIRAW specs e Bayer pattern color coding e 12 bit log luminance coding e No white balance applied e No expo
100. ct External Sync On the EXT SYNC screen set Settings sync to ETH master In the System menu on the slave camera select External Sync On the EXT SYNC screen set Settings sync to ETH slave The two ALEXAs will automatically negotiate IP addresses It takes approximately five seconds to establish a connection wh The master camera will initially distribute its settings to the slave camera Once this is done settings can also be changed on the slave camera and the change will take effect on both cameras This is useful if the master camera s controls are not accessible If a camera is set to ETH master or ETH slave but is not connected to another camera a warning is displayed on the STATUS Info screen Synced settings The following settings are synced when syncing two ALEXAs WB gt White Balance CC Tint El gt Exposure Index Syncing the Settings of Two Cameras 133 FPS gt Sensor FPS FPS gt HIGH SPEED gt High Speed mode SHUTTER Shutter Angle COLOR gt Gamma gt SxS COLOR gt Gammas gt REC OUT COLOR gt Gamma gt MON OUT COLOR Gamma REC OUT COLOR gt Gamma gt EVF COLOR gt Gamma gt LOG C film matrix MENU gt Recording gt SxS gt SxS Recording MENU gt Recording gt SxS gt SxS Codec MENU gt Recording gt SxS gt High Speed codec MENU gt Recording gt SxS gt Dual recording MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt Frame rate MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt HD SDI format MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt Scan format MENU gt Recor
101. ctangles Off Rect 1 Rect 2 Rect 1 amp 2 Edit User Rectangles only when User Rectangles active Frame Lines Color Red Green Blue Yellow Black White Frame Lines Intensity 1 4 MIRROR VI switch to VIEW mode Operator sees an image press VEW GATE for spinning mirror G AT switch to GATE mode sensor amp all video outs see an image press GATE VIEW spinning mirror ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only
102. ctronic mirror shutter is located between the PL mount and the image sensor at an angle of about 45 It is part of the optical reflex viewfinder system in that it reflects the lens image into the optical viewfinder It is synchronized with the electronic shutter of the camera sensor so that the sensor is only read out in the dark phase This completely removes rolling shutter effects of the sensor readout Its 180 mirrored surface reflects the lens image into the optical viewfinder The open sector of the mirror shutter can be reduced through an electronically controlled sector gate The mirror shutter rotates 360 for every capured frame controlling the exposure of the sensor through its open sector The readout of the sensor happens while the mirror reflects the light of the optical path into the optical viewfinder The angle of the open sector is electronically controlled via the regular camera controls 154 ALEXA Studio 16 3 2 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS The lens mount of the ALEXA Studio supports the ARRI Lens Data System The LDS lens must be mounted in the 12 o clock or 3 o clock position to enable the LDS functions Take great care not to harm any elements of the LDS contacts on either lens or camera when attaching or deattaching a lens or lens port cover Besides the LDS feature the same rules as with the LA PL 1 apply Figure 81 ALEXA Studio PL Mount Optics 155 Note Due to the optica
103. d over Ethernet the trigger is automatically sent When the outputs are synced jitter between the two cameras HD outputs is less than 500 ns The HD output of each camera can be advanced or delayed by up to 30 HD clocks 1 HD clocks 13 46 ns allowing for a total shift of 60 HD clocks 808 ns total between cameras 132 Operation of the Camera 13 5 Timecode Timecode is also transmitted from the master to the slave over the EXT cable When a camera has been set to slave it automatically uses the timecode values transmitted over the EXT cable The TC screen will display EXT TC from master camera as TC source and all options are disabled Note When the mirror shutter is switched on an ALEXA Studio can only be synced to another ALEXA Studio Syncing the Settings of Two Cameras Two ALEXAs can be operated with synchronized settings ARRI recommends to sync the settings ALEXAs of the same model only for example two ALEXA Plus models Camera connection The settings of two ALEXAs can be synchronized over ethernet using the ALEXA Ethernet Ethernet Cable KC 156 S or over an ethernet hub using the ALEXA Ethernet RJ 45 Cable KC 153 S Camera setup To sync the settings of two ALEXAs over Ethernet 1 Connect an ALEXA Ethernet Ethernet Cable KC 156 S to the EXT ports on both ALEXAs or an ALEXA Ethernet RJ 45 Cable KC 153 S to the ethernet hub and the EXT port of each ALEXA In the System menu on the master camera sele
104. damaged Note Do not force the SxS door closed if the SxS PRO card is not fully inserted and the lock engaged To release an SxS card e Push the SxS PRO card in until the lock disengages taking care to prevent the card from dropping out of the SxS slot SxS PRO cards do not have to be mounted or unmounted they can be inserted or removed whenever the camera is not recording to the SxS module If a card is removed during recording only the last second of the current clip will be lost All clips on the card will remain accessible and the card will remain fully functional Note If the recording process is interrupted by power loss or card removal transfer all the data from the SxS PRO card and format it before using it again To toggle between SxS slots e With the SxS door open press the metal card select button located between the SxS slots The active SxS slot is indicated by the LED in the SxS window Explanation of SxS LED States Each card has an LED that signals the SxS PRO card s state to the user SxS Slots 49 LED state Card state Off No card present Card is unreadable e g wrong file system Card is inactive Solid green Card is selected and ready Solid red Card is accessed read write DO NOT REMOVE THE CARD Note Only Sony SxS PRO cards can be used with ALEXA Sony SxS 1 cards are not supported 50 Lens Mounting 11 11 1 Lens Mounting The ALEXA is equipped with an interchangeabl
105. ddition a lens motor calibration can be triggered either for all lens motors or only for the one featured in the particular screen Note When starting a motor calibration make sure each motor s cog wheel is connected properly to the lens Pay extra attention that no one is close to the motors or holding them Catching a finger cloth or anything else on the motor s cog wheel can cause sever body harm as well as damage to the system IRIS CLM CALIBRATE CAL ALL Figure 72 Iris CLM screen Plus Camera Controls 147 Shows status direction and torque of the CLM connected to the IRIS socket Press the IRIS CLM screen button to access the iris CLM screen This screen shows the type of motor connected to the IRIS socket its direction and torque Direction and torque can be changed by the screen buttons below and above the value The upper left screen button calibrates only the iris motor Pressing the lower left screen button starts calibration of all connected lens motors ZOOM CLM CALIBRATE CAL ALL Figure 73 Zoom CLM screen Shows status direction and torque of the CLM connected to the ZOOM Socket Press the ZOOM CLM screen button to access the zoom CLM screen This screen shows the type of motor connected to the ZOOM socket its direction and torque Direction and torque can be changed by the screen buttons below and above the value The upper left screen button calibrates only the zoom motor Pressing
106. described at the bottom of the screen for each license selected 6 Press the jogwheel to install the license co RON Note Only license keys that have been created for the camera in use will appear in the SD card license list 108 Camera Controls 12 1 5 5 License keys can be deleted from the camera to prevent the use of the feature The license can be reinstalled at any time To delete a license e Onthe INSTALLED LICENSES screen press the DELETE button e Use the jogwheel to select the license you wish to delete e Press both DELETE buttons simultaneously Note Keep an offline copy of the license key in a secure place In the event of a lost license key you can re download it from your account in the ALEXA LICENSE SHOP Frame grabs Still frames from the camera s sensor can be taken The still images inherit the REC OUT gamma and Look File settings Available still image formats include jpg tif and dpx when the REC OUT is set to 422 or 444 output formats When the REC OUT is set to ARRIRAW only ari format still frames can be taken When the REC OUT acts as a MON OUT clone frame grabbing is not available To set the still frame format 1 Inthe Frame grabs menu select File format 2 Use the jogwheel to select the desired format and press the jogwheel to set it Unavailable formats are grayed out To take a still frame and save it to the SD card e Press the GRAB button The time needed for saving t
107. ding device will be permanently altered by that Look File Note If both the SxS and REC OUT paths are set to REC 709 gamma a Look File can only be applied to either both or none of them Note In High Speed mode a Look File cannot be applied to the REC OUT as the MON OUT output path is rerouted to the REC OUT Additional Look Files can be added to the ALEXA from the SD card The Look Files must be copied into the LookFiles folder on the SD card The required folder structure on the SD card can be created via MENU gt System gt SD card gt Prepare SD card To add a Look File to the camera On the HOME screen press the COLOR button Press the SET LOOK button Press the ADD button Using the jogwheel select a Look File from the list on the LOOK FILES SD CARD screen 5 Press the jogwheel to add the Look File The Look File will be added to the list on the LOOK FILES screen PO Nee To delete a Look File from the camera 1 Onthe LOOK FILES screen select a Look File from the list 2 Press the DELETE button 3 Press both new DELETE buttons simultaneously The Look File will be deleted from the camera but will remain on the SD card Playback and Look Files The Look File applied to the camera outputs also applies to clips during playback A clip recorded in REC 709 with or without Look File will be played back as is even if the output is set to LOG C Please note that the currently active Look File is applied to the cl
108. ding gt REC OUT gt Output range MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt REC OUT fps sets sensor fps MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt SDI remote MENU gt Recording gt REC OUT gt Vari flag MENU gt Monitoring gt EVF gt Status info MENU gt Monitoring gt EVF gt Surround view MENU gt Monitoring gt EVF gt Surround mask MENU gt Monitoring gt EVF gt Framelines MENU gt Monitoring gt EVF gt Anamorphic desqueeze MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Frame MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Scan format MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Status info MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Surround view MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Surround mask MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Framelines 134 Operation of the Camera 13 6 MENU gt Monitoring gt MON OUT gt Anamorphic desqueeze MENU gt Project gt Project fps In addition the slave camera takes over the Camera ID of the master camera so file names are identical except for the Camera ID prefix It is important to give the master and the slave camera different Camera ID prefixes to prevent duplicate file names Valid license for anamorphic desqueeze must be installed on both cameras Valid license for SxS High Speed recording must be installed on both cameras Sensor modes 16 9 and 4 3 The ALEXA M ALEXA Plus 4 3 and ALEXA Studio have ALEV III sensors and can be operated in 16 9 or 4 3 mode Note ALEXA and ALEXA Plus can only be operated in 16 9 mode To change the sensor mode 1 In the
109. e ALEXA automatically names files as they are created on the SxS card While it is possible to change the file names later on a computer it is not recommended as the ALEXA naming scheme has been developed to minimize the risk of duplicate file names The file name consists of 6 parts e Camera Index One character A Z User assignable should match the camera unit For example the camera index A can be assigned to the A camera and B to the B camera 120 Operation of the Camera e Reel Counter 3 characters 001 999 Auto assigned to each card automatically advanced by one for each new card The user can change the counter to for the next reel card This should only be done under special circumstances such as after changing the camera body in the middle of a shoot e Clip Index One character fixed to C Main use is to separate the reel counter from the clip counter If more than 999 clips are recorded to one card not likely to happen it changes to D e Date Current date in order YYYYMMDD as set in Menu gt System Time Date e Camera ID Consists of a one letter prefix user adjustable between and L and the camera serial number encoded in 3 letters Base36 0 9 A Z The date is separated by underscores at the beginning and end The reel counter should be set to 001 at the beginning of a shoot The camera will then automatically advance the reel number each time a new SxS card is loaded into the camera form
110. e EVF 1 has a delay of less than 1 frame The EVF 1 has button controls for false color check and zoom as well as buttons and a jogwheel to control EVF and camera settings Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 33 9 3 1 Connect the viewfinder to the camera using the viewfinder mounting bracket VMB 1 Figure 11 Camera with EVF 1 Note Do not point the viewfinder eyepiece at direct sunlight or bright light sources as this could damage the LCOS imaging device If possible cover the eyepiece when not in use to prevent any damage Viewfinder Cables The viewfinder cables are unidirectional with a male plug to connect to the camera and a female plug to connect to the viewfinder Cables are available in the following lengths Model Length m ft 150 6 0 35 1 2 151 5 0 65 2 KC 152 S 2 00 6 6 Suggested use For use of EVF 1 on camera left side in handheld mode For use of EVF 1 on camera right side or when using Viewfinder Extension Bracket VEB 1 Longest possible length for use with specialty rigs 34 Camera Support 9 3 2 Figure 12 EVF cables KC 150S center KC 151S middle KC 152S outer Viewfinder Mounting Bracket The Viewfinder Mounting Bracket VMB 1 VMB 2 is attached to the camera using two captive 3mm hex socket head screws on top of the camera at the front Attach the EVF 1 to the Viewfinder Mounting Bracket by sliding the dove tail into the rece
111. e 47 WB SET NAME screen Note Default white balance values cannot be renamed Function Buttons The main controls feature the following function buttons ON OFF Press once to switch the camera on Press and hold for 5 seconds to switch off the camera A countdown will be displayed on the HOME screen If the button is released before the countdown has elapsed the camera does not switch off REC Press to start and stop internal recording to SxS PRO cards and send start and stop record signals over the REC OUT to an external recording device 74 Camera Controls LOCK GRAB TC WRS PLAY INFO USER MENU BACK HOME Press and hold for 3 seconds to lock or unlock the main camera controls and function buttons The recessed function buttons USER REC and ON OFF cannot be locked and remain available A lock symbol on the HOME screen indicates that the lock is engaged Press to take a still frame and write it to the SD card The write process is indicated by a flashing camera icon followed by a flashing SD card icon on the HOME screen When writing is finished a new still frame can be taken Press to open the TIMECODE screen Press to open the Wireless Remote System screen Available on ALEXA Plus ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M only Press to open the playback screen and activate playback on MON OUT and EVF When the playback screen is opened the last clip on the SxS PRO card that is on active standby will b
112. e code USER BITS Press the USER BITS screen button to access the USER BITS screen For each user bit values from 0 to 9 and A to F can be set Main Controls 77 12 1 4 2 Press the SET UB button to start editing the user bits values USER BITS User bits source Internal Figure 49 USER BITS screen Note On HD SDI out the last two digits of the user bits contain the Variflag Full user bits are only stored on the SxS cards INFO STATUS Info The STATUS INFO screen displays information about the current state of the camera system System state Good means that all components in the ALEXA are functioning normally Other messages can contain error messages prefixed with or warnings prefixed with W For more information about error messages and warnings see A 4 Error Messages and Warnings in the Appendix Press the SAVE TO SD button to save a system log to the SD card This may take up to one minute Note It is only necessary to save a system log if the camera experiences multiple error messages or other abnormal behavior The system log is not a human readable file and should be sent to an ARRI Camera Service center for analysis Camera Conirols LIVE INFO VERSION SxS CARDS System state Good SYSTEM SAVETOSD FPS INFO VERSION Info Cam serial The serial number of the camera no Cam ID Translation of the camera serial number to Base36 with an additional prefix for 3D a
113. e direction of a motor 1 Press the WRS button 2 Select the lens by pressing the IRIS CLM ZOOM CLM or FOCUS CLM button 3 Pressthe LEFT or RIGHT button to set the direction of the lens motor Motor torque For CLM 3 and CLM 4 motors the motor torque can be set in the ALEXA s menus To set the torque on a CLM 3 or CLM 4 lens motor 1 Press the WRS button 2 Select the lens by pressing the IRIS CLM ZOOM CLM or FOCUS CLM button 3 Press the 1 or 1 buttons to increase or decrease the motor s torque Available torque settings are 1 to 4 with 1 being the lowest torque level Note Ensure that the motor torque level matches the lens to avoid lens damage Wireless Remote System 141 14 4 2 3D lens sync When two ALEXA Plus cameras are set to Sensor sync EXT master and EXT slave the slave camera will switch off its radio module and receive motor control commands from the master camera over the EXT connection Note Matching of the master and slave cameras lenses in terms of focus iris and zoom ring positions depends on the mechanical accuracy of the lenses Make sure the lenses in use are matched as closely as possible Hand Units For detailed information of the hand units please refer to the device s own manuals Wireless Compact Unit WCU 3 The WCU 3 is a compact hand unit featuring a radio system to connect to the camera wirelessly It has two LCS ports for connecting the device to the camera via c
114. e dot structured ring according to the engravings LOOSE and FRICTION to loosen or tighten the friction of the OVF barrel Contrast Filter To achieve a temporary subjective reduction of viewfinder contrast range a contrast filter density 0 6 can be pivoted into the optical beam path e Use the lever next to the level bubble to pivot the contrast filter into the optical path e Releasing the lever pivots the contrast filter back out of the optical path Optics 157 Ground glasses The ground glass is the equivalent to the image sensor for the optical viewfinder The image created by the lens is projected to the ground glass from where it is picked up by the optical viewfinder Ground glasses contain frame and format markings to show the recorded image area and the area of interest The sensor aperture of the ALEXA Studio is different from the camera aperture of ANSI and DIN Super35 formats Therefore Super35 ground glasses of the ARRICAM system do not provide exact frame markings in the ALEXA Studio viewfinder image For exact framing use only ground glasses made specifically for the ALEXA Studio To exchange a ground glass e Press the VIEW button so that the sensor is protected by the mirror shutter e Turn off the camera and disconnect it from power supply e Remove the lens or protective cap e Screw the ARRI Ground Glass Puller into the ground glass e Carefully pull out the ground glass e Check that the new ground gla
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116. e is lower than the sensor frame rate the images cannot be output as fast as they are created by the sensor resulting in dropped frames and loss of data Note If the REC OUT frame rate is lower than the sensor frame rate a warning will appear over the SDI FPS button If the REC OUT frame rate is higher than the sensor frame rate duplicate frames are output over the REC OUT For example if the sensor is set to 10 fps and the REC OUT is set to 30 fps every image is output three times resulting in two duplicate frames following every active frame A standard recorder would record these duplicate frames which would have to be removed in post To prevent this extra step the ALEXA marks the duplicate frames with a Variflag If the recorder supports Variflag recording it will discard the duplicate frames and only record the active frames This saves valuable storage space and post production work 62 Camera Controls The MON OUT should match the sensor and the REC OUT frame rate If the sensor frame rate exceeds the available MON OUT frame rates set the MON OUT to half the sensor frame rate if possible to maximize the smoothness of the image when panning and tilting To correctly set frame rates for the REC OUT 1 Press the MENU button 2 Using the jogwheel select the Recording menu 3 Select REC OUT 4 Set Frame rate to the desired frame rate This frame rate should match the frame rate setting on the external record
117. e lens mount Available adapters include e Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 e Lens Adapter Panavision Mount LA PV 1 Note Lenses must cover an image circle of at least 30 mm in diameter to prevent vignetting Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS The Lens Adapter LA PL 1 is the standard lens mount delivered with the ALEXA It can be used to attach any modern PL mount lens to the camera To mount a PL mount lens 1 Turn the bayonet ring anti clockwise until it stops 2 Remove the lens port cap 3 Carefully insert the lens into the lens port Align the notch in the lens flange with the index pin on the mount keeping the lens rotated into a position where the lens markings are visible from either side of the camera 4 Press the lens flange flat onto the lens mount Turn the bayonet ring clockwise until the lens is locked securely e 6 Ensure that the lens is properly mounted Note When no lens is attached to the camera use the lens port cap to prevent dust from entering the lens cavity Note The sophisticated design principle of the camera s optical module delivers outstanding images with a cinematic look and feel but also makes the imager sensitive to contamination Dust particles that have settled on the sensor cover glass during a lens change may become visible as dark spots in the output image similar to lint leaving marks on exposed film The degree of this effect depends on the aperture of the lens Lens S
118. e loaded automatically Press to open the LIVE INFO screen The LIVE INFO screen displays the camera s current system state and any current error messages On the LIVE INFO screen there are buttons to access the following additional information screens e VERSION e SxS CARDS e SYSTEM SAVE TO SD press to save a log file FPS INFO Press to open the USER BUTTONS screen There are six user buttons that can be assigned by the user Buttons 1 2 and 3 are shared with User Buttons 1 2 and 3 in the operator controls Press the jogwheel to see a complete list of user button options Press to open the MENU screen where most camera settings can be adjusted Press to go back to the previous menu or screen when navigating Press to cancel settings adjustments and revert to the previous setting Press to return to the HOME screen from any menu or screen Main Controls 75 12 1 4 1 TC Press the TC button to open the TIMECODE screen The TIMECODE screen displays the current timecode and timecode format settings TIMECODE Format Int TC Rec Run Regen 24 fps OPTIONS USER BITS PROJECT Figure 48 Timecode screen Note Individual frame values are not shown but are still counted Press the SET TC button to set the TC counter only when the timecode source is set to Int TC On the SET TIMECODE screen press the SET 2 TIME button to match the counter to the camera s system clock Press the RESET
119. e rate Preconfigured and previously added user defined values can be selected in the FPS list SHUTTER Select to set the shutter angle Preconfigured and previously added user defined values can be selected in the Shutter list EI Select to set the exposure index Settings from El 160 to El 3200 can be selected in steps of 1 3 stop WB Select to set the white balance Preconfigured and previously added user defined values can be selected in the WB list Operation of the Camera This chapter covers tasks the user will encounter while using the ALEXA While previous chapters contained specific procedures for basic use this chapter will outline broader tasks and offer recommendations and best practices including camera configuration Recording Internal recording This chapter contains information and recommendations for recording with SxS PRO cards The user is encouraged to adapt the recommendations and workflow to individual and production needs Note ARRI cannot be held responsible for the loss of any data in conjunction with internal recording Recording 115 The ALEXA records internally to Sony SxS PRO cards The SxS PRO card uses the ExpressCard34 form factor and is available in 8 16 32 and 64 GB capacities Card file format SxS PRO cards must be formatted in the camera before they can be used for recording ALEXA uses the Universal Disk Format UDF file system This file system is read only for computers
120. een buttons Note Loading 4 3 or 16 9 mode results in all settings being set to factory reset values Frame rate The maximum sensor frame rate in 4 3 is 48 fps Recording SxS recording is only possible with ProRes codecs in 2K 2048x1536 resolution External recording is only possible in ARRIRAW with recorders that support ARRIRAW 4 3 Monitoring For monitoring the 4 3 image is downscaled to 960 x 720 pixels for the EVF and 1440 x 1080 for the MON OUT Only horizontal surround view is available in 4 3 mode The image is not rescaled for surround view but horizontally extended The non active area of the EVF and MON OUT is filled with black pillarboxed 180 ALEXA M 17 7 17 8 Anamorphic desqueeze Both 1 3x and 2x anamorphic desqueeze is available in 4 3 mode 1 3x anamorphic desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 720 for the EVF and 1920 x 1080 for the MON OUT while 2x desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 480 for the EVF and 1920 x 720 for the MON OUT 4 3 and Highspeed Mode It is possible to switch from 4 3 to High Speed mode and vice versa In High Speed mode only the 16 9 center area of the image sensor is read out Licensed Features Licensed features SxS High Speed Recording and Anamorphic desqueeze are automatically enabled in the ALEXA M Lens Data System The ALEXA M is equipped with a LA PL 2 lens mount with LDS contacts When using a LDS lens such as Master Primes or LDS
121. eir current format Setting sensor fps through REC OUT fps When the FPS button is pressed on the HOME screen and the sensor frame rate is linked to the REC OUT frame rate a message appears instead of the list While this setting is active the sensor frame rate can only be set by setting the REC OUT frame rate Main Controls 61 To link or unlink the sensor frame rate to the REC OUT frame rate 1 Press the MENU button 2 Onthe Recording menu use the jogwheel to select REC OUT 3 Select REC OUT fps sets sensor fps and set On or Off HIGHSPEED SENSOR FPS 40 fps REC 24 SxS CODEC SxS INFO SDIFPS Figure 35 SENSOR FPS screen with linked sensor frame rate Setting the correct frame rates when recording with external devices When recording ARRIRAW or the 444 signal from the ALEXA to an external recorder correct frame rate settings are critical Mismatched sensor and REC OUT frame rates could result in dropped frames and lost footage Setting the sensor frame rate determines the number of frames per second generated by the sensor The range is 0 750 to 60 000 frames per second The images are then processed by the camera electronics for the different output paths The REC OUT is the recording output path which transmits images to an external recorder The REC OUT frame rate is limited to standard speeds Ideally the REC OUT frame rate matches the sensor frame rate If the REC OUT frame rat
122. emaining capacity will be displayed as a percentage on the Home screen To attach a Gold Mount battery 1 Align the three pins on the back of the battery to the three corresponding holes on the battery plate 2 Press the battery to camera right until you hear a click Onboard Batteries 29 3 Check that the battery is securely mounted on the battery plate To release a Gold Mount battery 1 Press the release button on the camera left side of the battery plate 2 While pressing the release button slide the battery camera left and pull it straight out Figure 9 Camera with BAB G and a Gold Mount battery Note Not all Gold Mount batteries deliver enough power to supply the camera Use only batteries with a capacity of 90 Wh or more to prevent damage to the battery and unpredictable camera behavior Any camera battery combination should be tested prior to use especially when accessories are powered through the camera 30 Power Supply 8 6 8 6 1 8 6 2 Power Outputs The ALEXA has two 24 V power outputs and one 12 V power output for accessories ALEXA Plus ALEXA Plus 4 3 and ALEXA Studio models have three 24 V power outputs and one 12V power output AUDIO IN Figure 10 24 V outputs RS and 12 V output Powering 12 V Accessories One 12 V output with a 2 pin LEMO connector is located on the right side of the camera Itis limited to 12 V and can supply a device with a current of
123. en press the WB button 2 Press the ADD button 3 Rotate the jogwheel to adjust the white balance value in steps of 100K or press the 1000K and 1000K buttons 4 Press the jogwheel or lt gt button to select the CC adjustment 5 Rotate the jogwheel to adjust the CC value 6 Press the jogwheel to add the new white balance to the WHITE BALANCE list To perform an automatic white balance 1 the HOME screen press the WB button 2 Press the AUTO WB button 3 Place a well lit gray card in the center of the image and press the AUTO WB button The ALEXA will calculate the white balance and color compensation values and set these values for the Auto WB entry in the list Note The automatic white balance will be overwritten each time a new one is calculated Main Controls 73 12 1 4 Note If the gray card is significantly over or underexposed the ALEXA may not be able to calculate a white balance value and will display an error message 1 Place grey card in image center 2 Press button to calculate Auto WB To rename a white balance On the HOME screen press the WB button 2 Using the jogwheel select the name of the white balance you wish to rename 3 Press the RENAME button 4 Use the jogwheel to enter a new name 5 Press the DONE button to save the new name Aa ERASE CLEAR ALL SET NAME BecDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 11 lt gt DONE Figur
124. end weight Lens mount Sensor frame rates Viewfinder Shutter angle Aspect ratio Total active pixels incl surround view Pixels of recorded image Aperture of recorded image Image aperture incl surround view ALEXA Plus 4 3 Length x Width x Height body Camera body weight Camera setup weight incl EVF 1 VMB 1 CCH 1 Lens mount 2880 x 1620 2880 x 2160 in 4 3 mode 23 76 13 365 mm 23 76 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode 25 674 x 14 701 mm 25 674 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode 212 x 129 x 149 mm 8 35 x 5 08 x 5 87 2 9 kg 6 39 Ib 323 x 153x 158 mm 12 72 x 6 02 x 6 22 5 5 kg 12 Ib Exchangeable lens mount with PL mount LA PL 2 installed 0 750 60 000 fps 60 000 120 000 fps in High Speed mode 0 75 48 000 fps in 4 3 mode Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 5 0 358 0 5 0 356 0 in High Speed mode 1 78 1 16 9 1 33 3 in 4 3 mode 3112 x 1782 3112 x 2160 in 4 3 mode 2880 x 1620 2880 x 2160 in 4 3 mode 23 76 x 13 365 mm 23 76 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode 25 674 x 14 701 mm 25 674 x 17 82 mm in 4 3 mode 332 x 175 x 158 mm 12 95 x 6 89 x 6 22 8 0 kg 17 6 Ib 8 4 kg 18 5 Ib Exchangeable lens mount with PL mount LA PL 2 installed 192 Appendix Appendix Aspect ratio Total active pixels incl surround view Pixels of recorded image Aperture of recorded image Image aperture incl surround view 1 78 1 16 9 1 33 3 in 4 3 mode 3112 x 1782
125. ensor Please wait A slave is not ready Software error reboot camera SxS Audio recording failed REC OUT Frame drops Set frame rate SxS cards differ Recording prohibited REC OUT Frame drops Set FPS REC error please reboot Mirror shutter not calibrated Mirror shutter phase error Mirror shutter Cannot reach sync speed No M head detected reboot camera Camera has to be rebooted If this error continues to occur a hardware problem might be the reason Contact the ARRI service The sync signal clock does not match the camera setting Make sure the settings match Slave camera syncs to master camera Wait until message disappears before starting to record One of the slave cameras is not ready for recording A part of the camera software has stopped functioning properly and requires a camera reboot Audio recording on SxS card failed Frame rate of REC OUT is smaller than sensor fps Make sure REC OUT frame rate matches sensor fps With dual recording active the two SxS PRO cards must have identical file structure Use two fresh SxS PRO cards and analyze the not matching ones SxS is switched off and sensor fps is higher than REC OUT fps Increase REC OUT fps to at least the sensor fps value Error in the recording module Reboot camera ALEXA Studio only Mirror shutter must be calibrated by ARRI service ALEXA Studio only Mirror shutter continuosly not i
126. er 5 the desired sensor frame rate is a standard speed set REC OUT fps sets sensor fps to On 6 Press the HOME button to exit To correctly set frame rates for the MON OUT Press the MENU button Using the jogwheel select the Monitoring menu Select MON OUT Set Frame rate to the same frame rate as the REC OUT If the REC OUT frame rate exceeds the range of the available MON OUT frame rates set the MON OUT frame rate to half the value of the REC OUT frame rate 5 Press the HOME button to exit e Cor To set a non standard frame rate for the REC OUT Press the MENU button Using the jogwheel select the Recording menu Select REC OUT Set REC OUT fps sets sensor fps to Off Press the HOME button to exit On the HOME screen press the FPS button Select the desired frame rate from the list or add a user defined frame rate see Adding a list value in Lists and User Lists O9 grim Ww High Speed Mode If a valid High Speed license key is installed on the ALEXA frame rates from 60 000 to 120 000 fps are available in High Speed mode Frame rates below 60 000 fps are not available Exit High Speed mode to record frame rates lower than 60 000 fps Default frame rates in the FPS list are 60 000 72 000 75 000 90 000 96 000 100 000 and 120 000 fps High Speed mode recording is possible only to SxS PRO cards When High Speed mode is loaded the REC OUT outputs switch output paths and carry the
127. era from it Figure 16 Camera with CCH 1 side view Side Camera Handle SCH 1 37 9 5 The Handle Extension Block 2 mounts to the front end of the 1 and adds one more focus hook to the camera in a high position allowing the tape measure to clear the matte box Side Camera Handle SCH 1 The Side Camera Handle SCH 1 is used in conjunction with a BAT V or BAT G top mounting battery adapter or with third party onboard recorders It is attached to the camera using three captive 3mm hex socket head screws two at the front and one at the back Ensure that the SCH 1 is securely fastened before attempting to lift the camera from it If a tall battery or a tall third party onboard recorder is used the adjustable center grip of the SCH 1 can be replaced by the taller Adjustable Center Grip Tall ACG 2 38 Camera Support 9 6 Figure 17 SCH 1 Figure 18 Camera with SCH 1 side view Bridge Plates BP 12 BP 13 The bridge plate BP 12 for 19 mm studio rods has been newly developed for ALEXA It mounts directly to the camera body using two 3 8 16 screws and ensures that support rods matte boxes and follow focus units are positioned properly in regards to the optical center of the camera just like all other ARRI cameras Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 39 9 7 The bridge plate BP 13 is equivalent to the BP 12
128. eral Safety Guidelines 24 Gold Mount 32 H Hand UNIS BERE RR 145 High Speed 129 HOME eine retenir 59 INFO tete tert 81 Info Messages and Warnings 203 Internal 118 Introduction to the ALEXA 18 eee ee a 142 184 Index L Pun 185 REG OUT nene ee eme tete decenni 15 94 Layout of the 22 REG OUT 132 ettet rte es 48 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS 54 Recording esi uo ote certus 90 118 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS 158 5 48 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS 141 HS 49 Lens Data Display 0 146 Lens Data 184 Lens Molors 5 ee eere trei 143 Lens Mounting eee 54 Lens Support xc re eere ees 55 S Leveling 1 2 44 pim Licensed Fe
129. for the EVF and 1920 x 720 for the MON OUT 4 3 and Highspeed Mode It is possible to switch from 4 3 to High Speed mode and vice versa In High Speed mode only the 16 9 center area of the image sensor is read out 150 ALEXA Studio 16 ALEXA Studio 161 General Description The ALEXA Studio extends the features of an ALEXA Plus 4 3 by Optical viewfinder Brand new construction from ARRI featuring optical anamorphic desqueeze diopter correction image flip camera left right positioning and horizontal distance adjustment Electronic mirror shutter The electronic mirror shutter can be adjusted in a range of 11 2 to 180 0 degrees When in use it completely removes rolling shutter effects of the sensor Built in motorized ND filter The ND filter has a density of 1 3 and can be moved in and out of the optical path with the push of a button It is located between the mirror shutter and the image sensor so the optical viewfinder image is not affected by the filter and stays bright 16 2 ALEXA Studio Images Figure 75 ALEXA Studio right ALEXA Studio Images 151 Figure 76 ALEXA Studio left Figure 77 ALEXA Studio top 152 ALEXA Studio Figure 78 ALEXA Studio bottom Figure 79 ALEXA Studio front Optics 153 16 3 16 3 1 Figure 80 ALEXA Studio back Optics Electronic Mirror Shutter The ele
130. ght body Camera body weight Camera setup weight incl EVF 1 VMB 1 CCH 1 Lens mount ALEXA Studio Length x Width x Height body Camera body weight Camera setup weight incl SxS module OVF CCH 1 Lens mount Sensor frame rates Viewfinder Mirror shutter Shutter angle Aspect ratio Total active pixels incl surround view 332 x 153 x 158 mm 12 95 x 6 02 x 6 22 6 26 kg 13 79 lb 7 65 kg 16 85 Ib most SD cards with FAT FAT32 up to 4 GB under 20 dB A 24 fps and ambient temperature lt 25 C 77 F 20 C to 45 C 95 relative humidity max non condensing 332 x 175 x 158 mm 12 95 x 6 89 x 6 22 8 0 kg 17 6 Ib 8 4 kg 18 5 Ib Exchangeable lens mount with PL mount LA PL 2 installed 363 x 177 x 163 mm 14 29 x 6 97 x 6 41 7 0 kg 15 4 Ib 10 2 kg 22 5 Ib Exchangeable lens mount with PL mount LA PL 2 installed 0 750 60 000 fps 60 000 120 000 fps in High Speed mode 0 75 48 000 fps in 4 3 mode Optical viewfinder Electronic mirror shutter 5 0 358 0 5 0 356 0 in High Speed mode 11 2 180 0 Mirror shutter on 1 78 1 16 9 1 33 3 in 4 3 mode 3112 x 1782 3112 x 2160 in 4 3 mode Appendix Appendix 191 Pixels of recorded image Aperture of recorded image Image aperture incl surround view ALEXA M Length x Width x Height M head M head weight Length x Width x Height M M back
131. hat are either MOS or use a dumb slate to sync picture and sound Record run timecode guarantees continuous timecode on all recorded data Record runtime code also works with over and under cranking Setup The timecode source must be set to Int TC the mode to Rec Run and the generator to Regen Timecode counts up only during recording by one frame for each image generated by the sensor The timecode counts at the project frame rate set on the camera Normally the timecode hour value advances by one hour for each new reel using only hours 01 20 for reel 1 20 and then restarting at hour 01 for reel 21 Variations Record run timecode might be used for off speed work on productions that use external timecode sources for all sync sound Restrictions None Syncing the Sensors of Two Cameras 131 13 4 Syncing the Sensors of Two Cameras Two ALEXAs can be synced for 3D applications or any application requiring sensor sync using the EXT connectors and corresponding cable When synced images are captured from each camera s sensor at precisely the same time Note Syncing two sensors is possible at frame rates between 1 000 and 60 000 fps To sync the sensors of two ALEXAS Connect an EXT cable KC 155 S to the EXT ports on each ALEXA In the System menu on the master camera select External Sync On the EXT SYNC screen set Sensor sync to EXT master In the System menu on the slave camera select External Sync On the EXT SYNC
132. he current status of the camera The icons are organized into groups The left icon group is labeled SYS and contains information about the general system state of the ALEXA On the right side there are three groups labeled MON EVF and LOOK They provide specific information about the MON OUT EVF 1 and the application of ARRI Look Files The following table explains the icons in the SYS group Icon Description Indicates that the current recording resolution is set to HD Indicates that the current recording resolution is set to 2K Indicates that there is a warning condition in the camera Warns that the camera has detected an error Indicates that the camera temperature is outside of its optimal range Using Timecode 129 13 3 Warns that the camera temperature has reached a critical point where it can no longer be operated and must be powered down Indicates that the camera controls are locked Only shown in EVF 1 Indicates that a frame grab is currently in progress Indicates that the signal from the RET IN connector is currently displayed The following table explains the icons in the MON EVF and LOOK group on the right Indicates that the gamma of the respective output is set to REC 709 Indicates that the gamma of the respective output is set to LOG C Warns that peaking is active on the respective output As peaking may alter the image in subtle ways not easily noticed otherwise
133. he ALEXA can be further enhanced through licensed features available for online purchase Visit the ALEXA LICENSE SHOP at http alshop arri de and follow the instructions for purchasing and downloading license keys Available licenses include DNxHD License Key High Speed License Key e Anamorphic De squeeze License Key License keys are linked to each ALEXA s serial number and cannot be transferred from one camera to another Before purchasing a license key you must save the camera s hardware info file for upload during the purchasing process To save the hardware info file 1 Inthe System menu select Firmware 2 Select Licensed features 3 Onthe INSTALLED LICENSES screen press the HW INFO button 4 Press the SAVE button The hardware info file will be saved on the SD card in the root directory It will look like sn AlexaHardware ipkg The INSTALLED LICENSES screen displays a list of installed licenses New license can be installed from the SD card DELETE INSTALL INSTALLED LICENSES HW INFO To install new licenses after purchase 1 Copy the license key it will have the suffix lic into the Licenses folder on an SD card formatted on the ALEXA Load the SD card into the camera In the System menu select Firmware Select Licensed features Press the INSTALL button On the LICENSE FILES SD CARD screen select the license to be installed The licensed feature enabled by the license key is
134. he HD outputs of the cameras are synced Press the jogwheel to send the trigger ALEXA cameras can be operated in synced settings mode where the settings of two cameras can be synced via Ethernet See Settings sync on page 132 for more information Sensor sync Off HD out phase 0 clocks Send HD sync trigger gt Settings sync ETH master Test Signal Color bars Test tone Test tone level Select to activate SMPTE color bars on MON OUT and REC OUT The color bars are a 10 bit signal according to SMPTE RP 219 2002 Note Color bar is switched off when recording is started Note When REC OUT is set to ARRIRAW REC OUT is set to black while color bar is active Select to activate a 1 kHz audio test tone on all channels when color bar is active Note Test tone is only active when audio recording is on and possible Select to sets the level of the audio test tone to 0 dbFS 9 dBFS or 18 dBFS 104 Camera Controls Test tone Off Test tone level 0 dBFS Display Beeper Display Select to adjust the brightness of the LCD display on brightness the camera right side To adjust the display brightness when the HOME screen is displayed press and hold the BACK button while rotating the jogwheel Button Select to adjust the brightness of the button brightness illumination Run beeper Select to set the Run beeper mode to mode Off e Start e Stop e Start Stop Button brightness Off Ru
135. he camera has reached speed About This Manual 13 The Project menu was extended to show sensor mode 16 9 or 4 3 SxS resolution 2K or HD in addition to active codec project frame rate camera index next reel count and production info It is now possible to enter upper and lower case characters for all user created items e g user setup One additional USER button Pressing the jog wheel opens the edit menu New USER button options for MON OUT look EVF look Color bars on MON OUT and REC OUT Grab GUI to store a png of the current menu screen use operator side buttons 1 3 Mirror shutter to leave the shutter spinning or stop in VIEW GATE position when stopping the recording ALEXA Studio only Introduction to the ALEXA Introduction to the ALEXA The ALEXA is a 35mm format film style digital camera made by ARRI the world leader in professional cinematographic imaging It combines leading edge digital technology with film camera features that have been refined over more than 90 years of ARRI history The result is a camera that allows cinematographers with a film background to shoot digitally without the need for extensive training People who are used to shoot digitally will experience a camera like they never did before providing more powerful features than in any other camera available today Handling The camera is a true ARRI It has a high precision integrated housing with an e
136. he image to the SD card will vary depending on the file format Additional still frames may not be taken while saving Still frames can also be taken by assigning User buttons 1 2 or 3 to Grab still frame This allows still frames to be taken from the operator s side of the camera camera left side Still frames will be saved in the Grabs folder on the SD card Compare grab 2 live image gt Grabbed images inherit REC OUT settings Main Controls 109 12 1 5 6 User Setups Load setup Factory reset A user setup is a profile of the current settings on the ALEXA that can be saved to the SD card User setups can be given custom names saved to the SD card and loaded onto multiple ALEXAs Rather than resetting the camera to its factory default settings a user setup can be used to reset the camera to a user s default settings A user setup contains all parameters set in the camera except files that have been transferred via SD card specifically frame lines and ARRI Look Files These are not affected by loading a user setup and are only cleared by performing a factory reset Requirements e formatted SD card loaded in the SD card slot on the ALEXA To create a user setup e Set all the desired parameters on the ALEXA To save a user setup Press the MENU button Use the jogwheel to select User Setups Select Save current setup To apply a custom name to your user setup press the RENAME button Erase
137. inder was e Tighten the 2x 3mm hex screws e Attach the EVF mounting bracket with the EVF 1 to the camera housing with its 2x 3mm allen screws e Connect the EVF cable to the camera e Power the camera Figure 93 ALEXA Studio with mounted EVF 1 Optics 163 16 3 4 ND Filter The ALEXA Studio has a ND filter in front of the sensor which can be moved in and out of the optical path The motorized filter slider contains a ND filter with a density of 1 3 and a cover glass without additional density The filter slider is sealed so that no dirt or dust can enter the area between the slider and the sensor Note Perform regular dust checks on the outside of the ND filter slider as dust that might collect on top of it As the slider is very close to the sensor dust or dirt collecting on it might be visible as artifacts in images When performing a dust check make sure the camera is switched off and disconnected from any power source to prevent the mirror shutter from activation during the cleaning process The ND filter can be activated in the El screen by pushing the lower right Screen button EXPOSURE INDEX Figure 94 El screen If activated the ASA rating in the Homescreen will have an ND index next to it SHUTTER 000 8 2 4 2 1 7 2 0 00 00 24 16 9 REELAOO1 ProRes HD BAT1 14 8V CLIP C 003 SxS1 14 20 BAT2 50 DUR 0 01 23 SxS2 0 00 lt 800
138. ink certified recorders Some recorders only support certain types of ARRIRAW T Link When in High Speed mode REC OUT is always set to MON OUT clone 30 60 fps recording with ALEXA over HD SDI Unlike the ARRIFLEX D 21 which used a proprietary mode for recording frame rates between 30 60 fps the ALEXA complies with the SMPTE 372M standard for image transmission in 422 1 5G DL and 3G SL formats This means that images are split into fields and every field is transmitted over one link The second field of every image is transmitted over the other link so that every link carries an interlaced signal in field integration mode The recorder realigns the images correctly into a progressive sequence Two proprietary formats allow transmission of 444 RGB or ARRIRAW images at frame rates between 30 60 fps These are 444 3G DL for RGB and ARRIRAW 3G DL for raw images These formats do not comply to a SMPTE standard and are only supported by a few recorders Please refer to the manual of your recorder to see if it supports these formats Monitoring Select the Monitoring submenu to adjust parameters for monitoring on the EVF 1 and over the MON OUT output These outputs are meant for monitoring and not recording Main Controls 93 Frame lines set in the Frame lines submenu apply to both MON OUT and EVF 1 Select the Electronic viewfinder and MON OUT submenus to switch the set frame lines on or off individually MON OUT Frame lines RET
139. ion of 1998 x 1080 pixels When recording ProRes 2K it is therefore necessary to either scale down the recorded image to get to the DCI size or to crop it from the frame ALEXA offers frame lines called ARRI 1 85 2K DCI These were created to show the proper framing when a 2K 1 85 1 DCI image shall be cropped from the captured image Metadata and Time Code External Time Code The camera will no longer REGEN or JAM time code while it is recording as this is suspected to have caused single underexposed frames Lens Metadata The lens metadata is now recorded as both raw lens encoder information and interpreted LDS information Remote Control 30 on ALEXA M 3D sync features are now available without license key on all ALEXA M cameras User Interface GUI Homescreen and Menus Updates see Chapter Main Controls on page 54 Sensor mode 16 9 and 4 3 SxS ProRes recording resolution and remaining recording time are now indicated on the camera menu s home screen e The color settings DCI P3 and Film Matrix On were removed Vari Flag and SDI Rec Flag were removed as options and are now permanently enabled e The Electronic level option was renamed to Electronic horizon e The Tropical sensor temperature setting was renamed to High humidity progress bar now indicates the remaining time for switching between regular and high speed mode e The WNA 1 menu was removed e The RUN beeper indicates when t
140. ip not the one that was active at the time of recording It is the responsibility of the user to make sure the correct Look File is applied during playback WB White Balance WB is the color balance of the camera according to the lighting in use There are three options for setting the white balance e white balance presets e user defined white balance e automatic white balance On the HOME screen press the WB button to open the WHITE BALANCE screen The ALEXA has the following white balance presets 72 Camera Controls Tungsten 3200K 0CC Fluorescent 4300K 0CC Daylight 5600K 0CC Daylight Cool 7000K 0CC White balance is a red blue adjustment of the image To adjust the green magenta balance use the color compensating CC adjustment For example a fluorescent source will have peaks in its spectrum that cannot be corrected with the traditional white balance The CC shift can correct these peaks up to a full green or full magenta gel One step of CC SHIFT is equal to 035 Kodak CC values or 1 8 Rosco values DELETE WHITE BALANCE Figure 46 WHITE BALANCE screen ARRI recommends adjusting white balance and color compensation using appropriate measuring equipment such as a vectorscope with calibrated gray card or a color meter If the desired white balance setting does not appear in the WHITE BALANCE list a user defined white balance can be added To add a white balance 1 the HOME scre
141. ired list value 2 Press the jogwheel to set the list value Adding a list value If the desired list value does not appear in the list a user defined value can be added To add a list value 1 Press the ADD button 2 the ADD screen use the jogwheel or buttons to enter a new list value 3 When you are finished entering the new list value press the jogwheel to add it to the list Note Each list supports a maximum of 16 entries To add new user defined list values to a full list you must delete previously added user defined list values Deleting a list value User defined list values that are no longer required can be deleted To delete a list value 1 Press the DELETE button 2 On the DELETE screen use the jogwheel to select the user defined value you wish to delete 3 Press both DELETE buttons simultaneously Main Controls 59 12 1 3 2 Note Preconfigured values cannot be deleted and will appear grayed out on the DELETE screen DELETE SENSOR FPS 23 976 fps 24 000 fps Default entries cannot be deleted Figure 33 DELETE SENSOR FPS screen Note The list is static and cannot be changed by the user It contains ASA values from 160 3200 ASA in steps of 1 3 stop FPS Press the FPS frames per second button on the HOME screen to open the SENSOR FPS list screen which lists the default frame rates as well as user defined frame rates DELETE HIGHSPEED ADD
142. is information The voltage level of a battery attached to the onboard battery adapter or the remaining capacity of an attached battery in percentage if it transmits this information Identifies the current reel with the camera index letter such as A or B and the reel number Identifies the current clip with the clip index and clip number Displays the duration of the current clip during recording or the length of the last recorded clip while in standby in the format h mm ss Capacity of the currently active SxS PRO card in minutes It is calculated for the current framerate and Marks the active SxS PRO card The camera is in standby and ready to record The camera is recording An error occurred and recording is not possible Press the INFO button for more information If nothing is shown the camera has detected no errors but no SxS PRO card is present for recording Note When SxS recording is set to ProRes the value shown is the minimum available recording time for the current sensor frame rate and codec combination Main Controls 57 12 1 3 1 Apple ProRes is a variable bit rate codec so the actual remaining recording time depends on the image content When using Avid s DNxHD the remaining recording time is accurate Icons Name Description Important information is waiting on the INFO Screen General Warning An error has occurred Check the INFO screen for more informati
143. jury to yourself or others and damage to the system or other objects e This safety information is in addition to the product specific operating instructions in general and must be strictly observed for safety reasons e Read and understand all safety and operating instructions before you operate or install the system e Retain all safety and operating instructions for future reference e Heed all warnings on the system and in the safety and operating instructions before you operate or install the system Follow all installation and operating instructions e Do not use accessories or attachments that are not recommended by ARHI as they may cause hazards and invalidate the warranty Do not attempt to repair any part of the system Repairs must only be carried out by authorized ARRI Service Centers Specific Safety Instructions 21 6 3 Specific Safety Instructions NG e Do not remove any safety measures from the system e Do not operate the system in areas with humidity above operating levels or expose it to water or moisture e Do not cover the fan openings at the camera back top and bottom Do not subject the system to severe shocks e Do not place the system on an unstable trolley hand truck stand tripod bracket table or any other unstable support device The system may fall causing serious personal injury and damage to the System or other objects Operate the system using only the type of power source indi
144. ke some time to reach the correct level This can be the case right after booting or with very hot or cold ambient temperatures A red temperature icon indicates that the sensor temperature is too far off to guarantee a high image quality while a white temperature icon indicates that image quality is still in the very high set quality limits required by ARRI The related messages in the INFO screen are shown in the following tables ALEXA status message System state Good Camera works properly ALEXA warning messages and meanings Warning message Meaning Main Bat Power The battery attached to the BAT connector has warning reached its warning level Battery power is about to end and a replacement battery should be prepared Onboard Bat Power The battery attached to the onboard battery warning adapter has reached its warning level Battery power is about to end and a replacement battery should be prepared Card 1 Low capacity SxS PRO card slot 1 has less than minutes recording time left Prepare a new card for recording Card 2 Low capacity SxS PRO card in slot 2 has less than minutes recording time left Prepare a new card for recording 200 Appendix Info Messages and Warnings Card 1 Rec protected Card 2 Rec protected Card 1 Full Card 2 Full Card 1 Wrong file system Card 2 Wrong file system Card 1 Card is too slow Card 2 Card is too slow Card 1 files d
145. l mirror shutter the use of Angenieux Optimo Rouge lenses any Super16 lenses or lenses with dimensions not matching the dimensions in the figure Allowed lens dimensions with mirror shutter drawing cannot be used with the ALEXA Studio as they would destroy the rotating mirror shutter 1 2 S Ss 58 E a 9 uc t 27 5max 315 max 2 52 30 015 Figure 82 Allowed lens dimensions with mirror shutter 16 3 3 Optical Viewfinder The ALEXA Studio has an optical reflex viewfinder system with interchangeable ground glasses It offers an exceptional viewing quality favoured by a large optical design Special care has been taken to avoid the unpleasant vignette effect that could occur by moving the eye 156 ALEXA Studio Note To use the optical viewfinder the mirror shutter must be set to On The viewfinder is adjustable in two axes laterally extendable for left eye operation and shows illuminated frame lines ARRIGLOW The viewfinder image stays upright and correct left to right when the viewfinder is swivelled within the main axis Figure 83 OVF top view with mounting points marked Extending the viewfinder arm e Loosen the straight structured ring next to the FIX engraving counter clockwise contrary to the arrow Adjust the horizontal position e Tighten the ring clockwise with the arrow direction Adjust Barrel Friction Move th
146. least 40W of power CCH 2 The Camera Center Handle 2 CCH 2 is the handle for the ALEXA M camera head It is mounted with 4x 3mm allen screws and can be attached either to the top or the bottom of the camera head Figure 98 CCH 2 mounted on ALEXA M camera head Note The CCH 2 only fits the ALEXA M camera head and not the ALEXA M backend or any other ALEXA camera ALEXA M Camera Backend The ALEXA M camera backend contains the main controls image processing output and recording It behaves like any regular ALEXA only that it lacks the operator controls and is slightly longer Fibre Connection 177 17 5 Fibre Connection Figure 99 SMPTE 31 1optical fibre connectors The ALEXA M utilizes SMPTE 311 fibre connectors and cables The camera head can be powered with hybrid fibre power cables with a length of up to 30m if the backend power supply can deliver 120 W in total Note When powering the camera head from the backend the power supply must have an output of at least 24V due to a voltage drop over the hybrid cable If this is not the case the head should be powered separately through its BAT connector with a power supply that delivers at least 40W of power For regular fibre cable a signal loss of up to 10 dB is acceptable 1 km of fibre cable has a signal loss of 0 5 dB while a fibre connector pair introduces a signal loss of 0 5 2 dB depending on the amount of dirt on the optical contact
147. lines or ARRI Look Files load the Reset user setup User setups can be used to ensure that cameras on multi camera shoots have matching settings or to transfer a show s setup onto daily cameras to ensure they carry the same shooting specifications User setups can also be created for regular speed and high speed modes eliminating the need to change settings individually after switching modes For example to switch from regular speed mode to high speed mode the user can simply load the high speed mode user setup that he created saving production time Note You cannot switch between sensor modes by loading a user setup To switch sensor modes go to the SENSOR menu or PROJECT menu Operator controls 111 12 2 Operator controls The operator controls are located on the camera left side and consist of three function buttons plus three assignable buttons 1 User button 1 Can be assigned functions with the USER button on the Main controls 2 User button 2 Can be assigned functions with the USER button on the Main controls 3 User button 3 Can be assigned functions with the USER button on the Main controls REC Press the REC button to start and stop internal recording A red LED tally indicates recording PLAY Press the PLAY button once to load the last clip Press the PLAY button again to toggle between play and pause Press and hold the PLAY button for 2 seconds to stop playback LOCK Press and hold the LO
148. ll content Main Controls 99 False Color Index Select False color index to display a reference chart showing the relationship between the color overlays signal level in percent and descriptions False color is available on the EVF 1 and over the MON OUT outputs Signal Level White clipping 100 99 Just below white clipping 99 97 One stop over medium gray Caucasian skin 56 52 18 medium gray 42 38 Just above black clipping 4 0 2 5 Black clipping 2 5 0 0 Figure 60 False Color Encoding 12 1 5 3 Project Sensor mode SxS resolution Codec Project fps Camera index Next reel count Production info Select to set which sensor mode is active 4 3 or 16 9 Note Only on ALEXA Plus 4 3 ALEXA Studio and ALEXA M Select to set the current SxS recording resolution Links to MENU gt Recording gt SxS CARDS Select to set the current SxS recording codec Links to MENU gt Recording gt SxS CARDS Note When SxS is switched off the currently active REC OUT format is shown Select to set the timebase of the time code which determines how many frames the time code counts per second and the frame rate of Quicktime clips recorded to SxS PRO cards during playback Select to set the camera indentifier Identifies the individual camera unit in clips and is reflected in clip names on SxS PRO cards Select to set the reel
149. mm t 16 5 ARRI Zeiss UP85 T1 8 OPTIONS Figure 69 LDS info screen LDA When 05 lens is connected the user can achieve LDS functionality by using the Lens Data Archive In the LDS screen a button labelled LDA appears except when a LDS lens is connected Plus Camera Controls 145 The LDA consists of a user list and a main archive list The user list should only contain the lenses currently used to achieve quick access to the desired lens tables The main archive contains a set of lens tables for ARRI Zeiss Highspeed Master Primes and Ultra Primes and can be extended with additional lens tables for any PL Mount lens DELETE USER LDA OPTIONS PRESET LDA Figure 70 User LDA Note Custom lens tables may have to be created manually beforehand Pressing the LDA button opens the User LDA Select a lens table and press the wheel After calibrating the lens motors the LDS functionality can be used To add a lens table from the main archive access the User LDA screen and press the ADD button This opens the Main LDA list From the main archive first select a lens type the a lens model and then a lens class The lens class can be found on the lens barrell below the infinity symbol of the focus scale Then select to add the lens table to the user list Press ADD use it without adding USE or both ADD USE DELETE MAIN LDA Figure 71 Main LDA screen To delete a lens table from
150. ms of the same type are assigned to the same axis the one connected via WRS has highest priority second highest priority has a device cable on the upper LCS port the lower LCS port has the lowest priority Of two radio devices with the same steering items assigned to the same axis the one that connects to the camera first gains control Cabled devices can gain control of an axis at the time of connection Wireless devices must be rebooted if an axis has become idle before they can gain control An exception to the rule are devices on the zoom axis Here the cabled devices have the highest priority with LCS port 1 having priority over LCS port 2 Lens Data Display LDD FP The Lens Data Display for Focus Pullers LDD FP can be used to display lens information Connect it to the LDD port of the Plus module Plus Camera Controls 143 14 6 Plus Camera Controls The ALEXA PLUS has an additional function button labeled WRS It gives access to the WRS screen from where all camera settings related to the Plus camera features can be handled The WRS screen gives an overview of radio status camera level LDS status and CLM status The screen buttons lead to screens containing more detailed info on these topics and where settings can be changed CAM LEVEL LENS DATA IRISCLM ZOOMCLM FOCUS CLM Figure 66 WRS screen RADIO Shows the currently set radio channel the number of connected hand units and the staus of the
151. n phase with sensor If rebooting does not solve the problem contact ARRI service ALEXA Studio only Mirror shutter continuosly not reaching sync speed If rebooting does not solve the problem contact ARRI service ALEXA M was booted without head connected Connect head and reboot camera 206 Appendix Info Messages and Warnings Fibre Connection Error M head Low power M head Temperature high M head Fan error Contact service If any error that requires rebooting continues to occur regularly contact the ARRI service Fibre connection between ALEXA M head and backend could not be established or has terminated Check and clean connection then reboot The power level of the ALEXA M head is critical Make sure power supply can deliver at least 40 W of power Check if power warning levels are set correctly The temperature of the ALEXA M head is too high Apply additional cooling to prevent automatic shutdown The fan of the ALEXA M camera head is defect If replacing the fan does not solve the problem contact the camera service Dimensions Weights and Menu Structure Trees Appendix 207 A 5 Dimensions Weights and Menu Structure Trees Dimensional drawings including weights information are attached to the end of this document A version with higher resolution can be downloaded from the ARRI website http www arri com camera digital cameras downloads A Menu Structure Tree can also b
152. n beeper mode Start Stop System Time Date Time Displays the current time read only Date Displays the current date read only Set time date Select to set time and date Time zone Select to set the time zone to match your current location DST Select to set daylight savings time Main Controls 105 Set time date Time 13 02 07 Date 2010 07 20 Time zone UTC 12 00 DST Standard time Use the lower screen buttons to navigate between the elements in the screen and to finish your setting To set the time and date 1 Inthe System menu select System time date 2 Select Set time date 3 Use the jogwheel to adjust the date value starting with the year 4 Press the gt button to jump to the month day hour minute and second Press the lt button to jump back one step 5 Press the DONE button when finished gt DONE Fan Fan mode Select to set the fan mode to Regular for locations with ambient temperatures up to 30 C 86 F For locations with ambient temperatures higher than 30 C 86 F set to Rec low SD card Format Select to format the SD card and creates the required prepare SD folder structure after confirmation card Note This erases all data present on the SD card Prepare SD Select to create or complete the required folder card structure on the SD card without erasing any data present on the SD card 106 Camera Controls Firmware To keep the ALEXA up to date
153. n the EVF 1 display and set the viewfinder parameters Use the jogwheel on the EVF 1 to select and set menu options Press the EVF button to exit the Viewfinder EVF menu Brightness Select to set the brightness of the EVF from 1 least bright to 5 brightest A brightness level of 5 is recommended for normal shooting scenarios EVF 1 Controls 113 Rotate image Smooth mode Surround view Surround mask Status info Framelines Select framelines 1 Select framelines 2 Center mark User rectangles Edit user rectangles Framelines color Framelines intensity When mounting the EVF to the right side of the camera the image can be flipped to orient the image correctly in the viewfinder Affects only the EVF image MON OUT and recording images are not rotated Select to set Smooth mode On or Off With smooth mode on the EVF image shutters less when panning Note Smooth mode is only possible with frame rates up to 30 fps and shutter angles of 180 0 or less Select to set Surround view on the EVF 1 On or Off When set to on the additional pixels outside the recorded image area on the ALEXA s ALEV III sensor are displayed allowing the operator to see outside the recorded image and keep unwanted objects such as microphone booms out of the shot To view only the recorded image set Surround view to off Select to adjust the Surround mask settings If surround view is set to On it must be separated from
154. n to get to the Shutter list screen 4 3 167 16 5 e Press the ADD button in the Shutter list screen to the Shutter angle screen e Press the MAX button in the Shutter Angle screen and confirm by pressing the jogwheel twice e The maximum possible shutter angle is now a part of the shutter list and can be set by pressing the jogwheel When the mirror shutter is on the camera redirects the user to the Shutter list screen after setting the sensor frame rate where the shutter angle can be adjusted as desired To cancel this action press the HOME button 4 3 Mode The ALEXA Studio ALEXA M and ALEXA Plus 4 3 cameras can be operated in 4 3 mode In 4 3 mode the camera captures images from a vertically extended sensor area The used area is 23 76 x 17 82mm in size which translates to 2880 x 2160 sensor pixels Note The sensors of regular ALEXA and ALEXA Plus cameras are not capable of creating a 4 3 image Loading 4 3 mode Go to MENU gt System gt Sensor mode The currently loaded mode is shown in the first line Press the wheel To load the new mode press the two lower screen buttons Note Loading 4 3 or 16 9 mode results in all settings being set to factory reset values Frame rate The maximum sensor frame rate in 4 3 is 48 fps Recording SxS recording is only possible with ProRes codecs in 2K 2048x1536 resolution External recording is only possible in ARRIRAW with recorders that sup
155. nced by this but the shoulder of the gamma curve will get slightly steeper reducing the smoothness of the clipping 68 Camera Controls 12 1 3 6 At high exposure indexes such as 1600 ASA the images behave in the opposite way Noise is increased which makes it important to judge shadow detail while the highlight clipping behavior will be even smoother El 16055 EI 2007 EI 40057 EI 8007 EI 16007 EI 3200 4 Figure 42 Exposure Indexes and latitude above and below neutral gray 160 200 EI 400 EI 800 1600 3200 7 4 Stops 6 3 Stops 5 0 Stops 9 4 Stops 4 6 Stops 8 4 Stops 5 6 Stops 6 6 Stops 7 7 Stops 9 0 Stops 8 7 Stops Figure 43 Graphical comparison of latitude at different exposure indexes COLOR Press the COLOR button to open the COLOR screen The COLOR screen displays a graphical overview of the color management settings applied to the camera s output paths including Main Controls 69 e the current gamma setting of the MON OUT REC OUT SxS e which ARRI Look File is set e which output paths the Look File is applied to The COLOR screen also has buttons for opening the GAMMA screen selecting a Look File and applying Look Files to the camera s output paths SET LOOK MON OUT REC OUT Figure 44 COLOR screen Gamma Press the GAMMA button to open the GAMMA screen and set the gamma of the SxS REC OUT MON OUT and EVF image path
156. ndroll Tape gt Figure 37 AUDIO IN gt OPTIONS screen Main Controls 65 Option Record Channel 1 level Channel 2 level Channel 1 source Channel 2 source Soundroll Tape Description Turns audio recording On or Off If audio recording is switched off no audio is recorded on SxS cards the HD SDI contains no audio and the Audio out is muted Manual allows the user to manually apply gain to the input signal on channel 1 to reach a correct level Unity matches a 4 dBu input signal to 20 dBFS This setting leaves enough headroom for recording and avoids audio clipping When Unity is selected audio levels cannot be adjusted by the user Manual allows the user to manually apply gain to the input signal on channel 2 to reach a correct level Unity matches a 4 dBu input signal to 20 dBFS This setting leaves enough headroom for recording and avoids audio clipping When Unity is selected audio levels cannot be adjusted by the user Select the left or right input signal as the source for Channel 1 Select the left or right input signal as the source for Channel 2 Enter a name for the sound roll also known as Tape in the menus of some recorders of an external audio recorder for easier sound synching in post production The name will be written to the FCP XML file and the Avid Log Exchange ALE file on the SxS PRO cards AUDIO OUT Left Ch 1 2 Right Ch 1 OPTIONS
157. nerated by the sensor Jam sync Only Ext LTC can be jam sync d This means that the external TC source is connected to the camera then the camera reads the external TC count and continues counting on its own The precise crystal oscillator in the ALEXA will count accurately for up to eight hours After eight hours re jam sync the camera to prevent timecode offset The camera can be sync d to TC signals whose time base differs from the camera s project time base as long as both are integer 24 25 and 30 fps or non integer 23 976 and 29 97 fps signals It is not possible to mix integer and non integer signals Note It is recommended to jam sync after every shooting break to avoid the risk of losing timecode sync during a shot Note The camera will keep its TC for about 10 minutes after disconnection from the power source If a power source is connected the camera will remember its TC for as long as the power source is connected even if it is switched off Select User bit source to set the source of the user bits Available user bit sources are Internal User bits are set manually in the User Bit screen UB in Ext TC When the timecode source is set to Ext LTC the user bits are sampled from the external signal Note The camera will force timecode to Int TC and Regen if the sensor frame rate does not match the project frame rate Note Non integer TC time base settings 23 976 and 29 97 are always counted as non dropframe tim
158. ngage the write protect tab while the card is loaded in the SxS slot Note Formatting or erasing an SxS PRO card removes all data irreversibly from the card Follow data management best practices to prevent loss of data If an SxS PRO card without a valid file system is loaded in the camera you will be prompted to format the SxS PRO card immediately ARRI recommends immediate formatting of SxS PRO cards that trigger this warning Apple ProRes codecs Apple ProRes codecs supported by the ALEXA Name Color Data Recording time coding 30fps on 32 GB SxS PRO 30 fps ProRes YCbCr 45 Mb s 1123 min 422 Proxy ProRes YCbCr 102 Mb s 37 min 422 LT ProRes YCbCr 147 Mb s 25 min 422 ProRes YCbCr 220 Mb s 17 422 HQ ProRes RGB 330 Mb s 11 min 4444 Main Controls 89 Without alpha channel 444 only ProRes is a variable bit rate codec meaning that the available recording time is subject to the image content The number given in the table is the MINIMUM available recording time for a 32 GB card When image content is easily compressed without loss of image quality the available recording time may exceed the number given in the table Also note that the available recording time is listed for a 32 GB SxS PRO card at 30 fps A lower sensor frame rate will increase the available recording time while a higher sensor frame rate will decrease it For a detailed table of availa
159. ning at 10 remaining capacity and an error at 5 remaining capacity Currently batteries made by ID X Bebop Anton Bauer and any battery using the Tl protocol support this feature External Sync Eye index Sensor sync HD out phase Select to set the Eye index to left L or right R The first letter of the Camera ID will be changed to L or R for stereoscopic productions to identify left and right eye cameras The eye index is reflected in clip names on SxS cards Select to sync the sensors of two ALEXAs See Sensor sync on page 131 for more information e Off The camera is in non synced mode for regular use e EXT master The camera sends signals to an EXT SLAVE camera via the EXT connector containing sync clock and TC signals e EXT slave The camera receives signals from an EXT MASTER camera containing sync clock and TC signals through the EXT connector Select to adjust the phase of the REC OUT output in Main Controls 103 Send HD sync trigger Settings sync the range of 30 to 30 HD clocks 1 HD clock 13 4 ns This can be necessary for 3D applications with external recorders that require the slave signal to arrive after the master signal Shift the phase backwards on a slave camera or forwards ona master camera to achieve the correct signal order When using two cameras in sensor sync mode without settings sync the EXT MASTER camera must send a trigger to the EXT SLAVE camera to ensure t
160. nse for anamorphic desqueeze is active in the camera The desqueeze corrects the image for 1 3x and 2 0x anamorphic lenses With 2 0x lenses the user can choose between viewing the full sensor image 2 0x or only the relevant image area 2 0xmag where left and right sides of the MON OUT image outside the 2 39 aspect area are cropped Only available if a license for anamorphic desqueeze is active in the camera Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables for monitoring to ensure error free data transmission Frame lines status info screen Frame lines Surround mask Center mark Select to set frame lines to On or Off Frame lines are a reference for framing that typically consist of an image frame a center mark and an aspect ratio reference See the appendix for more information on the ALEXA frame line format Select to adjust the Surround mask settings If surround view is set to On it must be separated from the recorded image area to allow proper framing Users can choose e Black line e Color line e Mask 25 e Mask 50 e Mask 100 Select to set the Center mark to Off Dot or Cross to aid in image framing Main Controls 97 Status info Electronic horizon LDS info Show reel clip info Camera index letter Frame Lines Select to set Status info to On or Off When set to On camera shooting parameters are displayed across the top of the MON OUT image outside the active im
161. number assigned to the next new SxS PRO card used for recording The ALEXA automatically advances the reel number every time a new SxS PRO card is formatted on the camera The reel number is reflected in clip names on SxS PRO cards Select to open the PRODUCTION INFO screen where the user can enter metadata information specific to the production 100 Camera Controls Note The user should set the value of the Next reel count to 001 at the beginning of a shoot SxS resolution HD 1920x1080 gt ProRes 4444 gt Project frame rate 24 fps Camera index A Next reel count 001 Production Info The PRODUCTION INFO screen has fields to enter metadata information specific to the production The user can enter the names of the director cinematographer location production scene and take Two additional fields allow to enter other data Director Cinematographer Location Production Scene Take User Info 1 User Info 2 Location Scene Take Cinematographer JOHN DOE gt Production Enter the name of the director Enter the name of the cinematographer Enter the name of the location Enter the name of the production Enter the name of the scene Enter the name of the take Enter other info Enter other info THE SHACK gt ABCD gt 34 B gt 02 gt Main Controls 101 12 1 5 4 BeBcDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 _ l lt gt DONE System Aa ERASE CLEAR ALL S
162. o Ext LTC and the mode to Free Run The project fps setting must match both the sensor frame rate and the time base of the external timecode signal The camera can be set to use Jam sync generator in which it samples the timecode value once and then continues counting based on its own high precision crystal clock The timecode source can be disconnected from the camera after jamming in Jam sync generator mode This mode ensures stable timecode with an offset of less than one frame for each eight hours after which the camera has to be re jammed Alternatively the camera can be set to regenerate mode or Regen on the TIMECODE OPTIONS screen In Regen mode the camera uses the timecode value of the external timecode source This ensures correct timecode for an infinite duration but the timecode source must remain connected to the camera Variations shooting starts close to midnight the timecode might be started with an offset time of day to prevent a rollover at midnight Restrictions External timecode is only possible if the camera is running at sync sound speed If the camera is over or under cranking the timecode frame rate will no longer match the sensor framerate and timecode values would either be duplicate or dropped To prevent this the ALEXA will automatically switch to Int TC source and Regen mode when the sensor frame rate is changed Internal TC Rec Run Use Record run timecode is often used on single camera productions t
163. oRes HD BAT1 14 8V CLIP C 003 SxS1 14 20 BAT2 50 DUR 0 01 23 SxS2 0 00 lt 800 3200 WB Figure 31 HOME screen The HOME screen is the ALEXA s default screen It shows the most important camera parameters and gives quick access to changing them through the screen buttons To return to the HOME screen from any menu in the camera press the HOME button Note To adjust the LCD brightness from the HOME screen rotate the jogwheel while pressing the BACK button Screen buttons Button Function FPS Sets the frame rate of the sensor adjustable from 0 750 60 000 fps in Regular Speed Mode and from 60 000 120 000 fps in High Speed Mode Note High Speed Mode can only be activated with a valid High Speed license key installed in the camera AUDIO Shows the current audio level If AUDIO is set to Off the audio input is switched off no audio is embedded in the HD SDI outputs and no audio tracks are recorded on the SxS PRO cards The same applies if AUDIO is disabled which is the case if the sensor frame rate is different from the project fps setting for example while over or undercranking SHUTTER Sets the shutter angle of the sensor adjustable from 5 0 358 0 Shutter angle and sensor fps determine exposure time of the sensor in seconds by the following equation angle 360 fps Note In High Speed mode the shutter angle is limited to a maximum of 356 0 EI Sets the exposure index rated in ASA The ALE
164. oad limits of a remote head and crane before mounting a camera In applications where the camera mount is subject to high forces e g car or helicopter mounts the camera must be additionally secured with appropriate safety restraints All mount screws must be tightened firmly with an appropriate screwdriver not with the commonly used coin Camera weight Ibs kg ARRI ALEXA incl SxS module EVF 1 VMB 1 16 85 7 65 CCH 1 1505 ALEXA camera body including SxS module 13 79 6 26 Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 1 65 0 75 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket 1 0 55 0 25 Camera Support Viewfinder Cable short KC 150S 0 26 0 12 Center Camera Handle CCH 1 0 60 0 27 9 3 Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 The electronic viewfinder EVF 1 employs a liquid crystal on silicon LCOS imaging device with a temperature stabilized LED light source to provide a bright accurate view of the sensor image in all operating conditions Each EVF 1 is calibrated to precisely match the image on the ALEXA s HD outputs The EVF 1 has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels with 32 additional lines of resolution above and 32 below the image to display camera status information The EVF 1 can also display a 1096 surround view area of the sensor to help the operator track unwanted elements before they enter the recorded image area Focus can be checked by temporarily zooming into the image with a magnification factor of 2 25x The low latency interface of th
165. ocessing modules Both parts are connected via a fibre interface The advantages of this system are e Better access to small spaces where a regular ALEXA would not fit into e Lighter handheld operation e Lighter and smaller setups on 3D rigs e Easy camera operability when the camera head cannot be accessed e g a camera crane or a helicopter rig 170 ALEXA M 17 2 ALEXA M Images ALEXA M Images 171 172 ALEXA M Figure 96 ALEXA M Backend left side ALEXA M Images 173 Figure 97 ALEXA M Backend right side ALEXA M 174 ALEXA M Camera Head 175 17 3 ALEXA M Camera Head The ALEXA M camera head contains the image sensor and parts of the image processing Images are transmitted to the Backend via fibre cable The fibre connection is bi directional and returns the EVF image to the camera head from the Backend 176 ALEXA M 17 3 1 17 4 Due to the fibre connection the ALEXA M has an increased power draw of approximately 120W with the head drawing 40W The head can be powered from the backend with hybrid fibre cables of up to 30m length Note When powering the head from the backend power supplies with at least 24V output must be used due to the voltage drop over the hybrid cable The head can also be powered directly through its BAT connector if the battery delivers at
166. on General Error Temperature Warning There is a minor sensor temperature offset Image quality may be slightly affected Temperature Error There is a substantial sensor temperature offset Image quality may be seriously affected Lock The Main Controls are locked SD Card An SD card is present The icon turns orange when the card is accessed Grab The GRAB icon flashes while a still frame is being taken and written to the SD card High Humidity Mode The sensor is in High Humidity mode i e the sensor is kept at 40 C sensor temperature to avoid condensation The WRS radio is active ALEXA Plus only ah BG Oe Radio hd Note A sensor temperature warning or error after boot up is normal as the sensor takes a few seconds to reach its preset temperature Lists and User Lists On the HOME screen press the FPS SHUTTER WB white balance and El exposure index buttons to open lists of preconfigured values for each setting User defined values can be added to the FPS SHUTTER and WB lists The EI list is fixed and user defined values cannot be added It contains values from 160 3200 ASA in steps of 1 3 stops 58 Camera Controls Seiting a list value DELETE MHIGHSPEED ADD 4444 Max 40 fps REC 24 SxS CODEC SxS INFO SDI FPS Figure 32 SENSOR FPS screen Any value in a list may be set Invalid values will appear grayed out To set a list value 1 Rotate the jogwheel to select the des
167. on the right side To access a submenu select the submenu link and press the jogwheel to open the submenu Press the BACK button to step back one menu Menus also contain parameters with editable values The parameter name is displayed on the left side of the menu and the current value is displayed on the right side of the menu To change a parameter value select it with the jogwheel and press the jogwheel to start editing the value Press the BACK button to cancel an edit When a parameter is displayed in gray it cannot be edited with current camera settings Press the HOME button from any menu or submenu to return to the HOME screen Monitoring Project System Frame grabs User setups Figure 59 MENU Recording Select the Recording menu to adjust all recording parameters for recording to SxS PRO cards and to external recorders over the REC OUT outputs The Recording menu contains two submenus 5 5 CARDS Main Controls 87 e REC OUT REC OUT gt SxS CARDS Select the SxS CARDS submenu to adjust parameters for recording internally to the SxS PRO cards Codec ProRes 4444 SxS resolution HD 1920x1080 Dual recording Off Quick format SxS CARD 1 gt Quick format SxS CARD 2 gt SxS recording Select for SxS recording options Off e ProRes DNxHD requires license key With SxS recording off power consumption is reduced by 15 W Switching Sx
168. on the sensor cover glass between the sensor and the sensor cover glass and on internal or external electrical connections 24 General Precautions Operating the camera while condensation is present may result in personal injury or damage to the equipment Condensation on the optical components may have a visible effect on the output images To reduce the risk of condensation Find a warmer storage location Attach the ARRI air drying cartridge silica bottle to the PL Mount of the camera during storage Note Do NOT leave the air drying cartridge attached to the PL Mount during transportation of the camera If camera needs to be stored in a place that is considerably cooler than the location where it will be used consider keeping the camera powered from a mains unit in addition to using the air drying cartridge In ambient temperatures above 30 C 86 F and or humidity above 60 always attach the air drying cartridge to the PL Mount of the camera when not in use This not only applies to storage but also to shooting breaks and situations when the camera remains without an attached lens for an extended time MAKE SURE THE SILICA BOTTLE IS SECURELY FASTENED UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SPILL SILICA INTO THE LENS PORT Power Management 25 8 Power Supply 4 e Use only ARRI recommended power supply solutions e Manipulation of power supplies could result in serious injury or death or damage to the ALEXA The ALE
169. or extended handheld shots the newly designed shoulder pad SP 3 can be attached to the base of the camera with velcro Note The SP 3 can only be used with a BP 12 and 19 mm rods or with 15 mm rods and a Wedge Adapter WA 1 and Quick Release Plate QR HD 1 When using the BPA 1 with a BP 5 BP 8 the bridge plate has to be removed prior to attaching the SP 3 Figure 21 5 3 shoulder pad Figure 22 5 3 below camera 42 Connectors 10 Connectors Camera back Figure 23 Connectors at back From top to bottom MON OUT RET SYNC IN EXT REC OUT 1 REC OUT 2 BAT ETHERNET Camera right RS A 4 3 AUDIO IN Figure 24 Connectors on right side From left to right top to bottom 2x RS 24 V out AUDIO OUT TC 12V out AUDIO IN SD CARD camera bottom 5 3 43 Camera left Figure 25 Camera left Top to bottom SxS slot 1 SxS slot 2 Camera front Figure 26 Camera front EVF connector 44 Connectors 10 1 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 BAT The BAT connector can be used to power the camera from an external power source with cables KC 20S and 295 It is located at the back of the camera on the camera right side REC OUT 1 2 The REC OUT consists of two BNC connectors capable of carrying 1920x1080 1 5G or 3G HD SDI signals with frame rates from 23 976 to 6
170. port ARRIRAW 4 3 168 ALEXA Studio 16 6 Monitoring For monitoring the 4 3 image is downscaled to 960 x 720 pixels for the EVF and 1440 x 1080 for the MON OUT Only horizontal surround view is available in 4 3 mode The image is not rescaled for surround view but horizontally extended The non active area of the EVF and MON OUT is filled with black pillarboxed Anamorphic desqueeze Both 1 3x and 2x anamorphic desqueeze is available in 4 3 mode 1 3x anamorphic desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 720 for the EVF and 1920 x 1080 for the MON OUT while 2x desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 480 for the EVF and 1920 x 720 for the MON OUT For the optical viewfinder anamorphic desqueeze can be achieved by flipping an anamorphic element into the optical path By default the OVF has an optical element for 2x desqueeze Elements for 1 3x desqueeze are also available 4 3 and Highspeed Mode It is possible to switch from 4 3 to High Speed mode and vice versa In High Speed mode only the 16 9 center area of the image sensor is read out Licensed Features Licensed features DNxHD High Speed mode and Anamorphic Desqueeze are automatically enabled in the ALEXA Studio General Description 169 17 17 1 ALEXA M General Description The ALEXA M is a specialty camera where the camera body is split into two parts The camera head contains the image sensor while the backend contains the image pr
171. pplications Firmware Version number of the currently installed camera Software Update Packet SUP EVF serial The serial number of the Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 no attached to the camera EVF Version number of the Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 firmware firmware LIVE INFO VERSION Cam serial 2010 Cam ID 1JL Firmware 6 1 19000 EVF serial no 16 EVF firmware 1 27 SYSTEM FPS INFO Figure 50 VERSION info screen SxS CARDS Info Codec Current codec for internal recording Status Current status of SxS PRO cards in slot 1 and 2 Free Free storage space of SxS PRO cards displayed as capacity a percentage Max fps Maximum frame rate of the SxS PRO cards with current current codec Card size Total available storage space on SxS PRO card Main Controls 79 Card size LIVE INFO SxS CARDS Codec ProRes 4444 SxS 1 SxS 2 Status Stby Stby Free capacity 80 80 Max fps current 40 fps 40 fps SYSTEM FPS INFO 60 06B 60 068 Figure 51 SxS CARDS info screen SYSTEM Info Time Date Fan speed Sensor mode Sensor temperature IP address Operating time LIVE INFO Time Date Fan speed IP address SYSTEM Sensor mode 16 9 Sensor temperature Operating time 2h Current date and time To set the date and time press the MENU button select SYSTEM and select DATE TIME Speed of the camera s cooling fan in rotations per minute
172. procedures as with the LA PL 1 apply Figure 65 Lens adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS Radio System The ALEXA Plus module contains a radio unit that enables wireless lens control lens data communication and remote control of basic camera functions There are two radio systems available for the ALEXA yellow radio and white radio Yellow Radio The ALEXA Plus can be equipped with the yellow radio system which has commonly been used on ARRI film cameras It may be a cost effective option for rental companies that already own equipment with yellow radio ALEXAs equipped with yellow radio would communicate with their existing inventories of yellow radio wireless control units without hardware updates or modification Yellow radio can be identified by a yellow ring at the base of the antenna mount Note Only a limited supply of yellow radio units is still available Yellow radio is no longer produced and will no longer be available once all existing units are sold Wireless Remote System 139 14 3 2 14 4 14 4 1 Channel Frequency 1 3 5 6 2 406 2 435 GHz Low band 0 2 4 6 8 2 444 2 472 GHz High band Note Only odd numbered channels are legally permitted in France White radio The ALEXA Plus is equipped with the white radio system as standard It has eight available channels White radio can be identified by a white ring at the base of the antenna mount point Channel Frequency 0 2 410 GHZ 1 2 415 GHZ 2 2
173. ps current 60 fps SYSTEM FPS INFO Figure 53 FPS Info screen USER Press the USER button to open the USER BUTTONS screen There are six assignable user buttons Buttons 1 2 and 3 are shared with User Buttons 1 2 and 3 in the operator controls Press the jogwheel to see a complete list of user button options Figure 54 USER BUTTONS screen Main Controls 81 Assign functions to the buttons by using the jogwheel Figure 55 Edit User Button assignment The following table lists all available functions and if they can be assigned to user buttons 1 3 identical for on screen and buttons on camera left side 4 6 or both Name Description 1 3 4 6 None button has no function X X MON OUT surround toggles surround view of the MON OUT X X on or off MON OUT gamma toggles gamma of MON OUT between X X REC 709 and LOG C only when recording gamma is set to LOG C MON OUT look toggles the ARRI Look File on the MON X X OUT on or off only if Look File is set and the MON OUT is set to REC 709 MON OUT frame lines toggles frame lines on the MON OUT on X X or off MON OUT status info toggles status info on the MON OUT onor X X off MON OUT false color toggles false color display on MON OUT X X on or off MON OUT peaking toggles peaking on MON OUT on or off X X MON anam toggles anamorphic desqueeze options X X desqueeze on MON OUT Note Requires a valid Anamorphic De squeeze license key installed on camera
174. ptacle and closing the lever on the EVF 1 The position of the EVF 1 can be adjusted by loosening the levers on the Viewfinder Mounting Bracket adjusting the position as desired and closing the levers to retighten The EVF 1 can be mounted on the camera right side by unscrewing the threaded end cap on the side to side adjustment rod removing the rod itself and inserting it from the other side Remember to reattach the threaded end cap Note Camera right operation is not possible with the standard EVF cable KC 150 S Instead the longer cable KC 151 S is needed Figure 13 VMB 1 on camera Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 35 The Viewfinder Extension Bracket VEB 1 extends the mounting point of the EVF 1 further back It can be attached to a tripod head for use with geared heads or greater comfort when using fluid heads using itsstandard attachment point for the ARRI Eyepiece Leveler EL 3 To avoid damage to the VMB 1 VMB 2 when using the VEB 1 with an eyepiece leveler loosen the friction on VMB 1 VMB 2 s rotating assembly Figure 14 EVF extension bracket Figure 15 Camera with EVF 1 on extension and cable KC 151S 36 Camera Support 9 4 Center Camera Handle CCH 1 The Center Camera Handle CCH 1 is attached to the camera top with three captive 3mm hex socket head screws two at the front and one at the back Ensure that the CCH 1 is securely fastened before attempting to lift the cam
175. r implied whether in contract or tort including negligence or incorporated in terms and conditions whether by statue law or otherwise In no event shall ARRI or its subsidiaries be liable for or have a remedy for recovery of any special direct indirect incidental or consequential damages including but not limited to lost profits lost savings lost revenues or economic loss of any kind or for any claim by third party downtime good will damage to or replacement of equipment or property any cost or recovering of any material or goods associated with the assembly or use of our products or any other damages or injury of the persons and so on or under any other legal theory In the case one or all of the foregoing clauses are not allowed by applicable law the fullest extent permissible clauses by applicable law are validated ARRI is a registered trademark of Arnold amp Richter Cine Technik GmbH Co Betriebs KG Note This product and the accessories recommended by the manufacturer fulfill the specifications of the European Directive 2004 108 EC 15th December 2004 Disclaimer The ALEXA viewfinder EVF 1 contains proprietary technology owned by Fourth Dimension Displays Limited and licensed by ARRI This product contains licensed technology from Linotype Quicktime and Quicktime logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc used under license therefrom Apple ProRes 422 Proxy Apple ProRes 422
176. ra Controls PLAY screen buttons STEPSIZE Toggle the scrub step size between one frame and second CIRCLE Press to mark the clip as a circle take This information CLIP will be embedded in the metadata of the clip 10 Advance the current clip by ten percent of the clip duration 10 Rewind the current clip by ten percent of the clip duration Note Recorded clips do not contain the surround view portion of the EVF 1 or MON OUT image When playing back clips the surround view portion will not be visible The jogwheel can be used to scrub through the paused clip The scrub stepsize is shown in the lower middle section of the screen Additional PLAY screen information e clip name e playback progress bar with current playback position in time and total clip duration e playback timecode Note Do not eject an SxS PRO card during playback OPTIONS The OPTIONS screen button opens a list of general playback options Show frame lines Off Status info on MON OUT Off Figure 57 PLAY OPTIONS screen Clip end action Determines what happens when the end of a clip is reached Options are Pause and Loop Main Controls 85 Show frame lines Sets frame lines to On or Off during playback Center mark is always switched off during playback Status info on MON Sets status info overlays on MON OUT during OUT playback to On or Off CLIPLIST Press the CLIPLIST button to open the SxS CLIPLIST screen and
177. rallel recording Recording to both SxS PRO cards and external recorders simultaneously offers additional workflow options For example the SxS PRO recording can be used for dailies and proxy editing while the external recorder captures the master data In another scenario the internal recording can be used for TV broadcast and the ARRIRAW captured on the external recorder can be used for theatrical distribution Remote controlling the external recorder Whenever the camera switches between record and standby mode it triggers the SDI record flag on the REC OUT connectors signaling an attached recorder to start or stop recording The SDI record flag is an ancillary data packet in the blanking area of the HD SDI signal that contains information about active recording Note There is no feedback channel providing information to the camera if the external recording is active Check the external recorder directly to determine whether or not recording is active Timecode on external recorders To keep timecode locked across the SxS PRO card and the external recorder when recording in parallel configure the external recorder so that it uses the TC embedded in the HD SDI stream from the camera Monitoring 125 13 1 4 13 2 13 2 1 High Speed recording When a valid High Speed license key is installed frame rates of 60 to 120 fps are enabled in High Speed mode High Speed recording is only possible on SxS PRO cards with ProRes
178. rgonomic design It is rugged reliable flexible and sealed to make it splash proof It also has mounting points for accessories as ALEXA integrates well with existing ARRI accessories In addition a new range of accessories specifically designed for ALEXA is available Operation ALEXA features a unique user interface designed to make camera operation easier than ever while giving easy access to a large number of controls There are three different control interfaces e The main user interface on the right side gives access to every camera parameter through a graphical display and a button panel e The operator user interface on the left side for basic control adjustable to the operator s individual needs by supplying assignable buttons in addition to function buttons e The viewfinder user interface for adjusting the most important image parameters with buttons on the viewfinder and the interface graphics overlayed to the viewfinder image Power management The camera accepts any input voltage from 10 5 34 V DC Different power sources can be connected to the camera simultaneously The camera s power management ensures that the power source with the highest voltage level is used Power sources are hot swappable to minimize the risk of sudden power loss ALEV Ill sensor The ALEV sensor has a horizontal pixel count of 3 5K resulting in true 2K resolution It covers the full Super 35 format and it provides a latitude of 14 s
179. ries with at least 24 V power and a combined load of up to 2 2 A shared with the EXT connector power out The sockets also accept an ARHI remote start stop trigger The connectors are located at the front of the camera on the camera right side 46 Connectors 10 10 10 11 10 12 10 13 12 12 V connector supplies an external accessory with 12 V power and up to 2 2 A current The connector is located at front of the camera on the camera right side The TC connector is a 5pin LEMO socket It accepts and distributes a Longitudinal Time Code LTC signal It can be used to e jam sync the ALEXA s time code to a Clockit TC Slate or another camera e transmit the ALEXA s time code to a Clockit TC Slate or another camera e tune the frequency of the ALEXA s crystal oscillator with an Ambient ACC Clockit Controller The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera right side AUDIO OUT The AUDIO OUT is a 3 5mm TRS connector headphone jack which outputs audio fed to the 5 pin XLR AUDIO IN connector with a maximum power of 2 5 dBm The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera right side Note Connecting a headphones to the camera while recording can cause a short audio signal interruption due to static electricity SD Card The ALEXA saves data such as user setups frame grabs and system logs to an SD card Firmware additional frame lines and ARRI Look File
180. ror reboot Fan error Contact service The current write speed could not be handled by the SxS PRO card in slot 1 The current write speed could not be handled by the SxS PRO card in slot 2 Both SxS PRO cards are full Use fresh cards Both SxS PRO cards have reached the end of their life cycle and has become read only Use fresh cards Both SxS PRO cards are not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the cards Both SxS PRO cards are rec protected Eject the cards switch off the protection and re insert the cards The camera is getting too warm Apply additional cooling or shut down to prevent hardware damage Sensor temperature is out of range Wait until error message disappears before continuing to shoot Sensor temperature is out of range Wait until error message disappears before continuing to shoot Reboot the camera An error in the compression module has occured and recording was aborted Reboot the camera before you continue to record The image sensor has a problem reboot the camera The sensor has not booted Reboot the camera An internal data interface has a problem If rebooting does not solve the problem contact the ARRI service The fan module is not working properly Either install an SFM 1 or contact the ARRI service Info Messages and Warnings Appendix 205 Fatal system error Reboot camera now Sync clock out of range Syncing s
181. s REC OUT REC 709 MON OUT REC 709 EVF REC 709 Figure 45 GAMMA screen Gamma defines the contrast curve that is applied to the image In the ALEXA there are two gamma settings available e LOGC e REC 709 Note Starting with SUP 7 0 DCI P3 is no longer available as a gamma option 70 Camera Conirols LOG C LOG C is a Cineon specification gamma for output to film print or digital intermediate Color grading is a required post production step in the LOG C workflow Standard broadcast monitors cannot properly display LOG C images so a conversion look up table LUT is necessary for display dailies and editing proxies LOG C images will appear flat and desaturated when displayed on standard broadcast monitors ALEXA preview LUTs can easily be generated using the ARRI LUT Generator a web application available on www arridigital com REC 709 REC 709 is a video display gamma that complies with the ITU R BT709 standard REC 709 images can be displayed on standard broadcast monitors Note In High Speed mode a gamma setting cannot be applied to the REC OUT as the MON OUT output path is rerouted to the REC OUT ARRI Look Files ARRI Look Files are a way for the user to alter the parameters the ALEXA uses when converting the sensor image data to a video color space This can be described as applying a custom look to the different image output paths The Look File can be applied directly to the recorded image destr
182. s Typically a cable length of up to 1 km with 4 connection joints is still acceptable To connect the cable to the camera make sure the cable direction is correct Line up the red guides and push the cable connector onto the camera connector piece A clicking sound indicates the connector has locked Plug the rubber caps of the connectors into each other to protect their inside from dirt To disconnect the cable from the camera head pull on the rubber end of the connector in the direction of the cable To disconnect the cable from the backend push the metal ring of the camera connector piece and pull on the cable connector in the opposite direction 178 ALEXA M Connect the camera head to the backend via the optical link before powering the camera Disconnecting the head from the backend during operation requires both parts to be powered down and reconnected before powering up the system again A 8 OPTICAL LINK Figure 100 Correctly aligned fibre connectors Cleaning of fibre connectors Cleaning of the fibre connectors is an important task Only use cleaning devices certified for SMPTE 311 connectors like the IBC M20 which is delivered with the camera package Never use compressed air or any other uncertified cleaning method as this could permanently damage or destroy the fibre connectors Both dry and wet cleaning tools are available with the dry cleaners having proved to be more effi
183. s and camera A level sensor to determine the camera s tilt and roll in degrees Three CLM ports for driving CLM 2 CLM 3 or CLM 4 motors Two LCS bus interfaces for connecting WCU 3 WHA 3 and ZMU 3 hand units LDS Lens Data System for reading lens data from LDS lenses Depth of field calculation for LDS lenses and LDA Lens Data Archive lenses in combination with calibrated lens motors LDD Lens Data Display interface Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS support Control of LDS radio and lens motors through the camera user interface A third RS socket second MON OUT output An additional function button labeled WRS Wireless Remote System It gives access to the WRS screen from where all camera settings related to the Plus camera features can be adjusted Any ALEXA can be upgraded to an ALEXA Plus by installing the Plus module Note The Plus module must be installed by an authorized ARRI service center only Figure 63 CLM sockets Optics 137 14 2 14 2 1 Figure 64 ALEXA Plus connectors Optics Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 2 with LDS The ALEXA Plus lens mount supports the ARRI Lens Data System An LDS lens must be mounted in the 12 o clock or 3 o clock position to enable the LDS functions Take care not to damage the LDS contacts on the lens and the camera when mounting or unmounting a lens or lens port cover 138 ALEXA Plus 14 3 14 3 1 Apart from the LDS feature the same
184. s are loaded onto the camera from the SD card The SD card slot is located on the bottom of the camera on the camera right side To access the SD card slot slide the door towards the front of the camera SD Card Requirements e SDor SDHC card most brands are compatible maximum capacity of 4GB 50 47 e FAT or FAT32 format Note Keep the SD card slot door closed to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the camera The SD card can be formatted on the ALEXA or the following folder structure can be created manually on a computer The SD card must be properly formatted prior to its first use 7 DEVICES i Name Date Modified ize Kind E iDisk May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder Firmware May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder Framelines May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder gt SHARED Grabs May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder LDA May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder Licenses May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder A Applications LookFiles May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder Documents Setups May 2 2011 1 33 PM Folder Desktop SEARCH FOR Macintosh HD PLACES Today Yesterday Past Week All Images All Movies All Documents Figure 27 Folder structure required for SD card To format an SD card on the ALEXA Press the MENU button Using the jogwheel select System Select SD Card Select Format prepare SD card Press both FORMAT buttons simultaneously The ALEXA
185. screen set Sensor sync to EXT slave It takes approximately five seconds for the two ALEXAs to sync Qv ON The master camera triggers the slave camera so that images are created at the same moment of time with an accuracy of 10 us Whenever an error occurs the camera will issue a warning Image integration between master and slave camera has a locked offset of less than 10 us This means that the worst case exposure differs by 4 3 60 fps frame rate and 5 0 shutter angle With a regular exposure time 24 fps 172 89 the maximum difference is 0 05 Synchronizing Image Output The REC OUTs and MON OUTs of two ALEXAs can also be synchronized To achieve this the user must send a trigger from the master camera to the slave camera after sensor sync is established To sync the REC OUTs and MON OUTs of two ALEXAs Ensure that the sensors of the two ALEXAs are synced In the System menu on the master camera select External Sync On the EXT SYNC screen select Send HD sync trigger Press the jogwheel to send the trigger to the slave camera The camera will display the message HD sync trigger sent to slave If the sensors are not synced the camera will display the error message Trigger not sent Camera must be set to Ext sync Master Too qe After the sync trigger has been sent the slave camera will no longer display the warning HD outs not synced Trigger now If the two cameras settings are synce
186. ss and the ground glass holder are clean e Screw the ARRI Ground Glass Puller into the new ground glass and push it into the holder e Make sure the ground glass is inserted completely and correctly locked in place e Attach a lens or a protective cap to the lens mount Figure 84 Ground glass in camera with Ground Glass Puller attached 158 ALEXA Studio Figure 85 Ground glass with attached Ground Glass Puller To remove the field lens which is located above the ground glass e Remove the ground glass first e Screw the ARRI Ground Glass Puller into the field lens e Carefully pull out the field lens Figure 86 Field lens in camera with attached Ground Glass Puller Figure 87 Field lens with attached Ground Glass Puller Optics 159 Note Due to the risk of displacement caused by shock force we recommend to remove both ground glass and field lens before transportation and shipping of the camera Whenever removing the camera from its case check that both ground glass and field lens are properly seated before switching on the camera to prevent any damage to the mirror shutter ARRIGLOW The ARRIGLOW module is integrated in the optical viewfinder system of the ALEXA Studio It allows illuminated format markings to be superimposed onto the viewfinder image with adjustable brightness e Press the buttons on the left side of the OVF below the DIMMER engravement to adjust the brightness of
187. sure index applied e Full sensor resolution 2880x1620 ARRIRAW is transmitted to the recorder via ARRIRAW T Link using standard HD SDI dual link cables with proprietary encoding The HD SDI signal complies with the SMPTE 372M standard An ARRIRAW T Link certified recorder must be used for recording ARRIRAW Certified recorders are available from Codex Keisuko Giken and S Two among others For more information visit http www arri de arriraw ARRIRAW 3G SL The ARRIRAW 3G SL signal format uses a single HD SDI signal that complies with the SMPTE 425M standard It is similar to ARRIRAW 1 5G DL but uses only one cable 124 Operation of the Camera 13 1 3 ARRIRAW 3G DL This output format is fully proprietary and does not follow SMPTE standards It is used to transmit ARRIRAW with frame rates between 30 and 60 fps Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables on all HD SDI outputs to ensure error free data transmission Triggering record on an external recorder When SxS recording is set to Off the REC button triggers only the SDI record flag signaling the recorder to start and stop recording The SDI record flag is an ancillary data packet in the blanking area of the HD SDI signal that contains information about active recording This packet is always embedded in the HD SDI signal Note With the SDI record flag successful recording cannot be guaranteed as there is no feedback from the recorder to the camera Pa
188. t image quality but lowers the available recording time on an SxS card ProRes Use for on set monitoring and proxy editing while the 422 Proxy master is captured with an external device ProRes Use for on set monitoring and proxy editing while the 422 LT master is captured with an external device and higher quality is required ProRes Use for basic television applications if images do not 422 require color correction in post production ProRes Use for high quality TV applications requiring color 422 HQ correction ProRes Use for cinema applications requiring color correction 4444 and visual effects work such as pulling mattes DNxHD Use for basic television applications if images do not 115 120 145 require color correction in post production 118 Operation of the Camera Use for high quality TV applications requiring color 175x 185x 220x Correction Whenever possible test the full workflow pipeline with the preferred codec before shooting Resolution Shooting ProRes no longer limits the recording resolution to HD 1920x1080 Starting in SUP 7 0 two new 2K ProRes recording options are available In 16 9 sensor mode available ProRes resolutions are HD 1920x1080 e 2K 2048x1152 The 2K format is aimed at 2K DCI workflows and eliminates the need for up scaling in post production In 4 3 mode available ProRes resolutions are e 2K 2048x1536 only Note DNxHD only supports HD
189. t X during recording or playback Press once to open the AUTO WB sceen X Press again to perform an automatic white balance takes a still image of the current main X camera control screen on the LCD and saves it to the SD card as a png file in the ScreenCaptures folder Main Controls 83 12 1 4 4 Format Card 1 quick link to the Format SxS CARD 1 screen Format Card 2 quick link to the Format SxS CARD 2 screen False color index displays the FALSE COLOR INDEX screen Mirror shutter toggles the mirror shutter between View position Gate position and running ALEXA Studio only PLAY Clips that have been recorded to the SxS PRO cards can be played back by the camera on the EVF MON OUT and REC OUT Note The REC OUT signal cannot be used for playback when it is set to ARRIRAW To play clips that have been recorded internally 1 2 3 Press the PLAY button On the PLAY screen the last clip recorded loads Press the jogwheel to play the clip Press the jogwheel to pause the clip Rotate the jogwheel to advance the clip frame by frame or in one second steps Press the STEPSIZE button to toggle between seconds and frames Press the 10 and 10 buttons to advance or rewind the clip by ten percent of its duration Press the HOME button or BACK button to exit and output a live image over the output paths CLIPLIST 1 3 Wheelpress Play 1 second OPTIONS Figure 56 PLAY screen 84 Came
190. ter angles of 180 0 or less Select to set Surround view on the EVF 1 On or Off When set to on the additional pixels outside the recorded image area on the ALEXA s ALEV III sensor are displayed allowing the operator to see outside the recorded image and keep unwanted objects such as microphone booms out of the shot To view only the recorded image set Surround view to off Select to set frame lines surround mask center mark and status info overlays to On or Off in the EVF Select to set peaking in the EVF to On or Off and the strength of peaking to low medium or high Select to set Anamorphic desqueeze to 1 3x 2 0x and 2 0xmag The desqueeze corrects the image for 1 3x and 2 0x anamorphic lenses With 2 0x lenses the user can choose between viewing the full sensor image 2 0x or only the relevant image area 2 0xmag where left and right sides of the EVF 1 image outside the 2 39 aspect area are cropped Only available if a license for anamorphic desqueeze is active in the camera Select to set the Zoom position to Centered or Eye level Press the ZOOM button on the EVF 1 to magnify Centered the center of the image is magnified for focus check e Eye level the image is magnified for focus check along a line approximately one third from the top where an actor s eyes are commonly located in image composition Frame lines status info screen Frame lines Surround mask Select to set frame lines to
191. ter by 180 0 degrees into the VIEW position To restart the mirror shutter press both VIEW and GATE simultaneously Note After booting the camera the mirror shutter is parked in the GATE position for safety reasons When stopping the mirror shutter always opens up the electronic sector gate to 180 0 and closes down when it is restarted A live image on EVF MON OUT and REC OUT is available when the mirror shutter is spinning or parked in the GATE position A parked mirror shutter will automatically start spinning when recording is started When the mirror shutter is switched off it is parked in the GATE position Note For safety reasons it is required to power down the camera before performing gate check Do not check or clean the sensor cover glass while the camera is powerded up and the mirror is parked in the GATE position Frame rate and shutter angle with mirror shutter on When the mirror shutter is switched on the sensor frame rate is limited to 60 fps in 16 9 and 48 fps in 4 3 Frame rates higher than 37 fps in 4 3 or 46 fps in 16 9 reduce the maximum possible mirror shutter angle When the frame rate change reduces the allowed mirror shutter angle below the currently active shutter angle the camera automatically sets the shutter angle to 135 0 The technically possible maximum shutter angle depends on the frame rate To achieve the maximum possible shutter angle e Press the SHUTTER button in the Homescree
192. the ARRIGLOW At its lowest brightness setting the ARRIGLOW is switched off e The ARRIGLOW color is set in the camera menu under MENU gt Monitoring gt Frame lines Frame lines color Figure 88 ARRIGLOW buttons Changing the ARRIGLOW mask The ground glass used for the optical viewfinder should be combined with a matching glow mask To change the glow mask e Loosen the 3mm allen screw next to the level bubble e Remove the level bubble element Grab the glow mask with a Hirschmann clamp at the forceps hole and pull it out of the glow mask frame e Check that both the new glow mask and the glow mask frame are clean e Carefully push the new glow mask into the glow mask frame e Make sure the glow mask is inserted completely 160 ALEXA Studio e Place the bubble element on top of the ARRIGLOW module and tighten the 3mm allen screw e Turn on the ARRIGLOW and check that ground glass and glow mask are correctly aligned Figure 89 Glow mask slot Anamorphic Desqueeze e Turn the wheel on top of the OVF ball element to swing the anamorphic desqueeze element into the optical path e Note By default the anamorphic element is for 2x anamorphic lenses It can be changed to an element for 1 3x anamorphic lenses Image Flip e Press the button next to the image flip symbol e Turn the knob next to the image flip symbol until the image is fully flipped e To undo the flip rotate the knob until the
193. the lower left screen button starts calibration of all connected lens motors FOCUS CLM CALIBRATE CAL ALL RIGHT Figure 74 Focus CLM screen 148 ALEXA Plus 4 3 15 Shows status direction and torque of the CLM connected to the FOCUS socket Press the FOCUS CLM screen button to access the focus CLM screen This screen shows the type of motor connected to the FOCUS socket its direction and torque Direction and torque can be changed by the screen buttons below and above the value The upper left screen button calibrates only the focus motor Pressing the lower left screen button starts calibration of all connected lens motors 3D Lens Sync When two cameras are connected and their sensors are synced with via the EXT connectors the slave camera will receive its motor commands from the master camera Its radio module switches automatically off Calibration of lens motors must happen individually for each camera ALEXA Plus 4 3 The ALEXA Plus 4 3 is identical to ALEXA Plus except for its ALEV III sensor which has a 4 3 active area This makes the camera the ideal companion camera to an ALEXA Studio Licenses The ALEXA Plus 4 3 includes a bundle license which enables DNxHD High Speed recording and anamorphic desqueeze The license is pre installed on the camera and cannot be deleted Note Do not downgrade the camera to a software version before SUP 6 1 4 3 mode The ALEXA Studio ALEXA M and ALEXA Pl
194. the user archive access the user list and press the DELETE button Select the lens table to delete and press the two buttons labelled DELETE simultaneously Repeat this procedure to delete further lens tables 146 ALEXA Plus Custom lens tables can be added to the main archive via the SD card Place the lens table on the SD card in a folder named LDA Insert the SD card into the camera Go to the main archive list and press ADD Select the desired lens table and press the wheel The lens table will be located in the main archive as lens type Custom To delete a custom lens table from the camera go to the main archive list and press DELETE Select the lens table and press the two buttons labelled DELETE simultaneously Repeat this procedure to delete further custom lens tables Lenses can also be equipped with the lens data mount LDM The mount contains a chip with the lens table stored inside so the lens transmits its data to the camera as soon as it is connected For information on current ring positions these lenses must be used in combination with controlled lens motors CLM screens The screens for IRIS FOCUS and ZOOM controlled lens motors all have the same layout They show the motor type motor direction and motor torque Note For CLM 2 motors the torque value is greyed out as torque is only active for CLM 3 motors It can nonetheless be changed in case a CLM 3 motor might be used but is currently not at hand In a
195. tops and a base sensitivity of 800 ASA About This Manual 15 The sensor temperature is kept stable by a Peltier element to ensure optimum image quality under all operating conditions AIT ARRI Imaging Technology ARRI imaging technology ensures the most organic film like image quality of any digital camera with natural color rendition and pleasing skin tones Thermal concept The camera electronics are fully sealed to protect them from dirt and moisture Camera heat is transported via heat pipes to a radiator which is cooled by a fan The fan itself is very silent so the camera noise level is below 20 dB A this is the same as with ARRI sync sound film cameras If the fan noise level starts to increase due to fan aging the fan can be swapped in a matter of minutes by a trained technician at 24 fps and ambient temperature lt 25 C EVF 1 electronic viewfinder ARRI is redefining electronic viewfinders with LED lighting high resolution and a viewing experience that comes as close to an optical viewfinder as possible Internal recording ALEXA can internally record Quicktime movie clips with Apple ProRes or MXF files with AVID DNxHD codecs to Sony SxS PRO cards The cards deliver high data rates and are very robust ProRes can be natively edited in Apple FinalCutPro eliminating the need to transcode ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes 4444 deliver visually lossless compressed images with a color depth of 10 bit for Pro
196. uctive workflow or just to the monitoring paths and included in the clip as metadata only non destructive workflow The ALEXA contains one preloaded Look File called Low Contrast Curve LCC This Look File contains a custom tone map curve that creates a video image with lower contrast compared to the standard REC 709 output As a result the image holds as much dynamic range information as possible without using LOG C encoding Highlight and shadow detail that would be lost in the typical REC 709 tone mapping can still be accessed ARRI LOOK Creator a free application from ARRI and some third party applications can be used to create ARRI Look Files from DPX format frame grabs taken on the ALEXA To apply a Look File 1 the HOME screen press the COLOR button 2 Press the SET LOOK button 3 Using the jogwheel select a Look File from the list on the LOOK FILES screen The default preloaded Look File is LCC 4 Pressthe jogwheel to set the Look File On the COLOR screen press the EVF MON OUT SxS and or REC OUT buttons to apply the Look File to the desired output paths An applied Look File is indicated by a check mark in the box corresponding to each output path Look Files can only by applied to output paths that are set to REC 709 gamma Note If the SxS or REC OUT paths are set to REC 709 gamma and a Look File is Main Controls 71 12 1 3 7 applied the recorded image on the SxS Pro card or external recor
197. upport 51 11 2 Figure 28 PL mount LA PL 1 with index pin Lens Support Heavy lenses may require additional lens support Using a lens support guarantees that the weight of the lens will not influence the flange focal depth and reduces stress on the lens mount To support a lens use 15mm studio or 19mm studio rods and an appropriate lens bridge 15mm studio rods require a bridge plate with 15mm studio rod support such as a BP 3 BP 9 BPA 1 while 19mm studio rods require a bridge plate with 19mm studio rod support such as a BP 12 or BP 5 BP 8 BPA 1 Mount the lens bridge LS 10 for 15 mm studio rods by pushing it onto the rods from the front Mount the lens bridge LS 9 for 19 mm studio rods by clipping it on the rods from the top 52 Lens Mounting Slide the bridge into position on the rods directly under the lens support ring on the lens and fix it in place by tightening the lever on its side Align and tighten the center screw in the lens support ring adjusting the height of the center screw with the lever on the back of the lens bridge Figure 29 Camera with BP 12 19mm studio rods and lens bridge Lens Support 53 12 Camera Controls The ALEXA can be controlled through three user interfaces Main controls Location camera right side Interface 3 inch LCD screen with floating function buttons a jogwheel to navigate through menus and adjust parameters and a range of fixed
198. ure above 30 fps 444 1 5G Use for high quality television applications that require color correction and visual effects work such as pulling mattes and for cinema applications ARRIRAW Use for high quality cinema applications destined for multi format distribution 422 1 5G YCbCr 422 is a format in which color is sub sampled meaning that the camera native RGB image is transformed to a YCbCr color space Y represents luminance while Cb and Cr are color difference signals Cb and Cr are sampled with only half the horizontal resolution as the human eye is less sensitive to color resolution than to luminance resolution 422 is a good balance of lower bandwidth in transmission and high quality visual results For frame rates up to 30 fps 422 1 5G is transmitted over a single HD SDI cable REC OUT 1 and REC OUT 2 carry the identical signal independently When shooting frame rates higher than 30 fps the signal is split across both REC OUT 1 and REC OUT 2 and requires connecting two HD SDI cables 422 3G YCbCr 3G is an improved HD SDI format that can transmit signals over a single cable which previously required two cables It transports the same signal as 422 1 5G YCbCr dual link but over one cable with a higher clock rate REC OUT 1 and REC OUT 2 carry the identical signal independently 444 1 5G RGB 444 is still in the RGB color space with each color at its full resolution This is important when chroma keying as these
199. us 4 3 cameras can be operated in 4 3 mode In 4 3 mode the camera captures images from a vertically extended sensor area The used area is 23 76 x 17 82mm in size which translates to 2880 x 2160 sensor pixels Note The sensors of regular ALEXA and ALEXA Plus cameras are not capable of creating a 4 3 image Loading 4 3 mode Go to MENU gt System gt Sensor mode The currently loaded mode is shown in the first line Plus Camera Controls 149 Press the wheel To load the new mode press the two lower screen buttons Note Loading 4 3 or 16 9 mode results in all settings being set to factory reset values Frame rate The maximum sensor frame rate in 4 3 mode is 48 fps Recording SxS recording is only possible with ProRes codecs in 2K 2048x1536 resolution External recording is only possible in ARRIRAW with recorders that support ARRIRAW 4 3 Monitoring For monitoring the 4 3 image is downscaled to 958 x 720 pixels for the EVF and 1440 x 1080 for the MON OUT Only horizontal surround view is available in 4 3 mode The image is not rescaled for surround view but horizontally extended The non active area of the EVF and MON OUT is filled with black pillarboxed Anamorphic desqueeze Both 1 3x and 2x anamorphic desqueeze is available in 4 3 mode 1 3x anamorphic desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 720 for the EVF and 1920 x 1080 for the MON OUT while 2x desqueeze results in an image size of 1280 x 480
200. use the cards in the same order they were pre formatted Formatting a 32 GB card normally takes less than 10 seconds e Limit the recording time on each card Codecs with lower data rates like ProRes 422 Proxy have long record times on high capacity SxS PRO cards Users should consider limiting the recording time to 30 minutes of material per card to make managing the data more efficient and reduce the impact on the production in the event of a problem e Download and back up data immediately after reloading the camera to minimize the time that data exists in a one place the SxS card When a full SxS card is removed from the camera switch the card s write protect tab to on red indicator before sending it to the data wrangler e After an SxS card has been downloaded and backed up switch the card s write protect tab to off before formatting Metadata Metadata is stored in the index xml file as well as the Quicktime file header The most important metadata for post production workflow is the tape name as it will be one of the primary identifiers used in the EDL The term tape name is an existing post production naming convention that is also used for nonlinear media The term ree name may also be used The tape name of ALEXA files is limited to 8 letters to match the CMX 3600 EDL standard It consists of the Camera Index reel counter and the Camera ID Based on the previous example the tape name of the clip would be A004R1JL
201. ut can be used to power the camera through a KC 20S a 295 The Anton Bauer CINE VCLX 2 battery 280 Wh with charger is available from ARRI Onboard Batteries 27 8 5 8 5 1 To connect the battery to the camera 6 Ensure that the main switch on the camera is off 7 Connect the battery cable KC 20S or 295 spiral cable to the power supply socket on the camera and the 28V output on the battery Note When the battery voltage drops below the warning level the BAT1 level in the camera display will start flashing A white i will appear signaling more information is available on the INFO screen For more information on setting the low battery warning level see Menu System Power on page 102 To charge the battery 1 Connect the charger to AC mains power 2 Plug the charger cable into the charge input socket of the battery 3 Charge the battery until complete Fully charged batteries be left connected to the charger until required for shooting Note For more information refer to the Anton Bauer CINE VCLX 2 manual Onboard Batteries The camera can be equipped with adapters for either V Lock or Gold Mount video style batteries When a battery equipped with the TI protocol for battery communication is used the ALEXA will display remaining capacity as a percentage on the Home screen For these batteries the user does not need to set the battery warning level Four different adapters are av
202. ut requiring any scaling in post production Do not use this frame line in ProRes HD 1920x1080 The user can also create custom frame lines to match production specifications 126 Operation of the Camera Description of the frame lines XML file The different sections in the file are camera describes the ALEXA model that the frame lines file is made for line frame lines and the center cross in the active image area consist of single lines The line orientation is defined by three attributes left right bottom and top for horizontal lines top bottom left and right for vertical lines Two attributes define the start and end points and the third attribute defines the distance from the image edge Distances for start end and position are relative to the width or the height of the image and have a precision of 5 To create a centered frame line with a center cross as in the example a total of six lines is necessary To calculate the position of a line for a given aspect ratio use the following formulas horizontal lines for aspect ratios gt 1 78 e g 1 85 1 1 78 Aspect 2 distance from bottom or top vertical lines for aspect ratios 1 78 e g 1 33 1 Aspect 1 78 22distance from left or right Monitoring 127 XML example The following sample XML code illustrates the frame lines system It describes frame lines for a 2 35 centered aspect ratio inside the camera s 1 78 recorded image
203. which means data can be copied from the card to another device but the data cannot be manipulated on the card itself Card preparation The typical usage cycle of a card is 1 Format 2 Record 3 4 Backup 5 Verify data 6 Format Format Before recording cards must be formatted in the camera The camera always performs a blank format which means that the cards contain no meta data and are not assigned a reel number prior to recording the first clip The camera auto detects cards with an invalid file system and asks the user to format the card The ALEXA uses the UDF file system This file system is read only for computer systems which minimizes the risk of data corruption Record When the REC button is pressed the camera starts to write a clip to the card With the first clip the card is a assigned a reel number There is more information on file naming later in this chapter Copy After recording to the card is finished the data should be copied to another device to minimize the risk of data loss The data should also be verified after copying using checksums to ensure that no errors have occurred during the copying process Backup The data should ideally be copied to two physically separate destinations The first copy should be the working copy and the second copy should be the backup copy These tasks can be done in parallel as long as the end result is verified data on two independent devices 116
204. with new features the camera firmware can be updated by the user Download the latest Software Update Packet SUP from http www arri com camera digital cameras and be sure to read the included instructions To update the camera to a new SUP 1 Copy the new SUP into the Firmware folder on an SD card formatted in the ALEXA Load the SD card into the camera 2 Inthe System menu select Firmware 3 Select Select update file 4 Select the new SUP from the list on the FIRMWARE SD CARD Screen 5 Press both UPDATE buttons simultaneously to update the camera s firmware Note Do not interrupt the update once it has started Make sure the camera power supply will remain sufficient for the duration of the update app 15 minutes Select update file Select to update the camera s firmware If an SD card containing update files is loaded in the camera you can select an update file from the list and perform an update Current version Select to display the release code of current installed firmware Licensed features Select to manage licensed features on the INSTALLED LICENSES screen Note On rare occasions the update process can fail If the update procedure fails try it again until you succeed Note If SxS recording is switched off switch it back on again before performing a firmware update Licensed features gt Main Controls 107 12 1 5 4 1 1 Licensed Features The capabilities of t
205. y default set COLORPATH EVF LOOK ON OFF FOR REC709 MON OUT LOOK ON OFF FOR REC709 SxS REC OUT LOOK ON OFF FOR REC709 COLOR gt GAMMA gt gt 5 5 709 1060 RECOUT 709 LOGC ARRIRAW MON OUT 709 1060 REC709 1060 WS 2000 11000 Auto WB 5600K and CC SHIFT add rename delete value RECORDING menu SxS Recording Off ProRes DNxHD Codec ProRes 422 Proxy 422 LT 422 422 4444 DNxHD 115 120 145 or DNxHD 175x 185x 220x HS Codec 5 ProRes 422 Proxy 422 LT 422 422 DNxHD 115 120 145 or DNxHD 175x 185x 220x SxS resolution HD 1920x1080 2K 2048x1152 1536 Dual Recording On Off Quick format SxS CARD 1 2 Erase SxS CARD 1 2 Framerate 23 976 24 25 29 97 30 48 50 59 94 60fps HD SDI format 422 1 5G 51 422 1 5G DL 422 36 SL 444 1 5 DL 444 3G SL 444 3G DL RAW 1 5G DL RAW 3G SL RAW 3G DL or MON OUT clone Scan format psf p Output range Legal Extended Raw REC OUT fps sets sensor fps On Off ANAMORPH requires Anamorphic Desqueeze License DNxHD requires DNxHD License HS requires High Speed License PLUS ALEXA PLUS only PLUS 4 3 ALEXA PLUS 4 3 only STUDIO ALEXA STUDIO only M ALEXA M only SUP 7 0 MENU MONITORING menu Electronic viewfinder gt gt Brightness 0 5 Rotate image On Off Smooth mode On Off Surround view On Off Frame lines status info gt gt Frame lines On Off Surround mask

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