Home

Arri Alexa User Manual

1. Figure 40 Delete fps list entry If the sensor fps is linked to the REC OUT frame rate a message appears instead of the list While this setting is active sensor fps can only be changed by changing the REC OUT frame rate To change this setting press the REC OUT screen button to access the REC OUT menu screen and set Link sensor fps to Off SENSOR FPS 24 fps 24 fps 24 fps REC OUT MON OUT PROJECT Figure 41 Fps screen with linked sensor fps Setting correct frame rates for recording with external devices It is very important to pay good attention to setting frame rates when recording with external devices Mistakes can result in dropped frames and ruin the shot The sensor fps setting determines the amount of frames per second generated by the sensor This can be anywhere in the range between 0 750 and 60 000 frames per second The images are then processed by the camera electronics for the different output paths Camera Controls Main Controls 59 The REC OUT is the recording output path It is connected to an external recorder where the images are stored lts frame rate can only be set to standard speeds The REC OUT frame rate must match the Sensor frame rate If the REC OUT frame rate 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 which are irretrievably lost If the REC OUT frame rate is higher than the sensor frame r
2. LOCK long pressing of the button locks the main and the operator controls LED indicates if lock is active Long pressing again deactivates the locking Figure 63 Operator UI EVF Controls The EVF controls are located on the electronic viewfinder They consist of a number of function buttons and a jogwheel CAM opens the viewfinder CAM menu EVF opens the viewfinder EVF menu ZOOM zooms into the image with a 2 25x magnification for focus checking This results in matching one sensor pixel to one viewfinder pixel Zoom remains active as long as button is pressed To keep it activated press the EXP button while the ZOOM button is pressed The ZOOM function will remain activated until the ZOOM button is pressed again EXP changes the EVF gamma from Rec 709 video to Log C no matrix as long as the button is pressed To keep it activated after the button press press the ZOOM button while the EXP button is pressed The log gamma will remain active until the EXP button is pressed again Note This only works when the Recording gamma is set to Log C no matrix If the Recording gamma is set to Rec 709 video the EVF gamma is always set to Video 78 Camera ControlsEVF Controls 11 3 1 Viewfinder EVF menu Pushing the EVF button opens a menu in the EVF display to set the viewfinder parameters Select the setting to be changed with the jogwheel press the wheel and set it to the desired value Press agai
3. User Manual ARRI ALEXA For ALEXA Software Update Packet 2 0 Printed on 9 September 2010 All rights reserved The system contains proprietary information of ARRI it is provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and is also protected by copyright law Reverse engineering of the system is prohibited 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 No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of ARRI 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 ALEXA Images 4 Introduction to ALEXA 4 1 About This Manual cccccccccccccceeecccceeseseeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeneneeees 5 Safety Instructions 5 1 Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications 0 5 2 General Safety INStructiOns ccccccccscccccsssteeeeeeseeesssneeeessaes 5 3 Specific Safety InstructiONS oooocccccnnoccnn
4. e ARRIRAW High quality cinema applications for multi format distribution Operation of The Camera Recording 85 422 1 5G YCbCr 422 is a color sub sampled format meaning that the camera native RGB image is transformed to YCbCr color space Y represenst luminance while Cb and Cr are color difference signals These are sampled with only half the horizontal resolution as the human eye is less sensitive to color resolution than to luminance resolution As a result bandwidth is saved in transmission while receiving good visual results For frame rates up to 30 fps 422 1 5G is transmitted over 1 HD SDI cable Frame rates higher than 30 fps require 2 cables 444 1 5G RGB 444 is still in the RGB color space and each color has its full reolution This is important when pulling chroma keys as these rely on color resolution 444 1 5G is transmitted over 2 HD SDI cables where each of both links carries a part of the image data It is important to e connect REC OUT A of the camera with REC IN A and REC OUT B of the camera with REC IN B of the recorder e use cables of equivalent lengths for link A and B ARRIRAW ARRIRAW is the name of raw data from ARRI cameras Raw data is the sensor image data before it is converted to RGB images As ALEXA has a single sensor with a Bayer pattern color filter array this means that every pixel only has information of one color channel With normal HD images the missing color channel inf
5. e Reel Counter 3 characters 001 999 Auto assigned to each card increased by one for each new card The user can change the counter to be given to the next card This should only be done on special occasions like 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 1 letter prefix user adustable between R and L and the camera serial number encoded in 3 letters Base36 0 9 A Z The date is separated by underscores at the start and the end The reel counter shall be set to 001 at the start of a shoot The camera will then automatically increase the reel counter whenever a card is recorded for the first time after formatting If a previously recorded card is used again comparable to a short end of a film roll this card will keep its reel count and the camera will remember how far it has counted If the reel counter has to be changed by the user it can be done via Menu gt Project gt Next reel count Note that this is only recommended for special occasions Example A typical file name could look like this A004C010_20100610_R1JL mov What it tells the user is that this clip was the tenth clip recorded on the fourth card used It w
6. K2 72007 0 K2 72016 0 K2 72022 0 K2 72015 0 K2 72023 0 K2 72026 0 K2 72020 0 K2 70110 0 12 7 Infos 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 take 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 temperatrue 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 I
7. 102 Mb s 147 Mb s 220 Mb s 330 Mb s Without alpha channel 444 only Recording time on 32 GB SxS Pro 30 fps 1h 35 min 42 min 29 min 19 min 12 min max frame rate 30 fps 30 fps 30 fps 30 fps 30 fps The camera is currently limited to 30 fps maximum frame rate for internal recording Camera Controls Main Controls 67 e Format SxS CARD 1 Format SxS CARD 2 Opens a screen where the SxS cards can be formatted Formatting is only enabled if the write protection of the card is switched off The write protection cannot be switched off while the card is mounted in the camera Note Formatting an SxS card removes all data irreversibly from the card Be careful not to format any SxS cards with data before they have been backed up When cards without a valid file system are inserted into the camera a screen will appear that asks for card formatting it is recommended to directly format the card and not to postpone this action REC OUT The camera has two HD SDI outputs that carry the camera image to be recorded with external recording devices e Frame rate The range of frame rates that can be set depends on the active HD SDI format See following table for frame rates and formats of REC OUT e HD SDI format Select the format that is used to transmit images See following table for format details Format Links Image Used Raster 422 1 1920x1080 1 5G 422 2 1920x1080 1 5G D
8. ASA ratings like 1600 ASA the images behave the opposite way Noise is increased which makes it important to judge the dark parts of the image while the clipping behavior will be even smoother EXPOSURE INDEX Figure 45 Exposure Index screen Camera Controls Main Controls 63 11 1 4 5 WB White Balance adjusts the color balance of the camera according to the lighting in use The WB list presets are 3200K for Tungsten 4300K for Fluorescent and 5600 for Daylight The white balance can be adjusted in steps of 100K from 2000 to 11000K In addition to the white balance which influences only the red blue balance of the image the CC color compensating shift can also adjust the green magenta balance Any light source that does not have a continuous spectrum like fluorescent tubes will have peaks in its spectrum that can not be corrected with the traditional white balance The CC shift can correct these peaks up to the same amount of a full green or a full magenta gel DELETE RENAME ADD WHITE BALANCE Figure 46 White balance list If the list lacks the required setting press the ADD screen button This opens a screen where the desired setting can be set Either use the jogwheel to set the desired value or additionally use the screen buttons for bigger adjustment steps The lower right screen button can be used to toggle between WB and CC values Confirming the desired setting with the jogwheel adds a new ne
9. additionally secured with retaining cords All fastening 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 17 62 8 0 CCH 1 ALEXA camera body including SxS module 13 79 6 26 EVF 1 2 42 1 1 VMB 1 0 55 0 25 KC 150S 0 26 0 12 26 Installation of The CameraElectronic Viewfinder EVF 1 Handle CCH 1 0 6 0 27 8 3 Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 The EVF 1 employs an LCOS imaging device together with a temperature stabilized LED light source to provide an accurate and bright view of the sensor image under all operating conditions The viewfinder is calibrated to match the image of the camera s HD outputs The image area of the EVF 1 has a size of 1280x720 pixels 32 additional pixels each above and below the image provide two status bars for displaying camera information The EVF 1 can display the 10 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 center with a magnification of 2 25x The low latency interface of the EVF 1 has a delay of less than 1 frame Installation of The Camera Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 27 The viewfinder is connected to the camera with the mounting bracket VMB 1 Figure 11 Camera with EVF Note Do not point the viewfinder eye piece at dire
10. data rate such as ProRes 4444 delivers the highest image quality but at the same time lowers the available recording time on an SxS card ProRes 422 Proxy On set monitoring and proxy editing while the master is captured with an external device ProRes 422 LT Same as above when higher image quality is desired ProRes 422 Basic television application if images do not require adjustments in post production ProRes 422 HQ High quality TV applications requiring color correction ProRes 4444 Cinema applications requiring color correction and pulling mattes If possible the full workflow pipeline with the preferred codec should be tested before a shoot 82 Operation of The CameraRecording Card file format SxS cards have to be formatted in the camera before they can be used for recording ALEXA uses an 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 SxS cards are named ARRI UDF after they are formatted in the camera until the first clip is record Clips are stored in a folder named exactly like the card In addition to the clips an XML file named like the card and the folder extended by _FCP example A001R1JL_FCP xml is created by the camera The XML file is according to the FinalCutPro XML specification If the XML file is opened in FinalCutPro directly from the ca
11. from resting on a back mounted battery when placed on a flat surface It is mounted by inserting its top lid into the pin receptacle on the end of the shoulder arc in the camera base Twist the knob clockwise to tighten Figure 20 Leveling Block LB 1 Shoulder Pad SP 3 The camera base has an integrated arch to fit to the operator s shoulder For extended handheld shoots the newly designed shoulder pad SP 3 can be attached to the base of the camera with velcro Installation of The Camera Shoulder Pad SP 3 35 Note The SP 3 can only be used with a BP 12 and 19 mm rods or with 15 mm rods and a WA 1 quick release base plate 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 SP 3 shoulder pad Figure 22 SP 3 below camera 36 ConnectorsShoulder Pad SP 3 9 Connectors Camera back Figure 23 Connectors at back From top to bottom MON OUT RET SYNC IN EXT REC OUT 1 amp 2 BAT ETHERNET Camera right aC 9 AUDIO IN e A 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 Connectors Shoulder Pad SP 3 37 Camera left Figure 25 Camera left SxS slots Top to bottom SxS slot 1 SxS slot 2 Camera front Figure 26 Camera front connector EVF connector 38 Co
12. no SxS card is present 56 Camera ControlsMain Controls 11 1 4 2 If the list lacks the required setting press the ADD screen button This opens a screen where the desired value can be set Either by using the jogwheel for in or decrementing the value or additionally use the screen buttons for bigger adjustment steps When the desired value is set press the jogwheel to add the value to the list Note A maximum of 16 entries is supported by the list After reaching this number of entries it is no longer possible to add entries without deleting others first List values no longer required can be deleted by pressing the DELETE screen button This opens a screen where the values desired for deletion can be selected with the jogwheel To delete the selected value press the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously Note Every list contains standard values that cannot be deleted These values are grayed out in the DELETE screen Note The El list is static and cannot be changed by the user It contains ASA values from 160 1600 ASA in steps of 1 3 stop DELETE SENSOR FPS 24 fps 24 fps 24 fps REC OUT MON OUT PROJECT Figure 38 List example User list fps FPS Pressing the FPS screen button opens the FPS list screen It contains the default frame rates 23 976 24 000 25 000 29 970 30 000 48 000 50 000 59 940 and 60 000 fps Note Access to this screen is disabled during record The user can store a s
13. 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 e First check that the correct mains voltage is set on the mains unit fuse on back of unit e Connect the mains unit to AC mains power e Ensure that the camera power is turned off e Set the voltage switch on the mains unit to 26 V Plug the battery cable KC 20S or KC 295S spiral cable into the power supply socket on the camera and into the 26 V socket on the mains unit Note The 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 Cine style battery with level of 24 V and a three pin XLR out can be used to power the camera through a KC 20S or a KC 295 Available from ARRI is the battery CINE VCLX 2 battery 280 Wh with charger 20 Power SupplyOnboard Batteries 7 5 To connect the battery to the camera e Ensure that the main switch on the camera is off e Plug the battery cable KC 20S or KC 29S spiral cable into the power supply socket on the camera and the battery 28 V output socket Note When the battery voltage drops below the warning level the BAT1 level in the camera display will start flashing A
14. right side of the camera They have a 3 pin Fischer connector They can supply two devices with a combined load of up to 2 5 A depending on the camera power supply When the camera is powered from a source with a voltage below 24V they output 24V If the camera s power source is supplying more than 24V this voltage level is also present on the RS outputs Besides powering accessories these sockets can also be used to send a remote start stop signal to the camera Installation of The Camera Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation 25 8 Installation of The Camera 3 1 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation e ARRI ALEXA body including DTE SxS module and lens adapter PL mount LA PL 1 e EVF 1 electronic viewfinder e VMB 1 viewfinder mounting bracket e KC 150 S viewfinder cable short 0 35m 1 2ft e 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 and quick release base plate e SD card e Compatible power supply e Sony SxS Pro card for recording 8 2 Tripod and Remote Heads Tripod and remote heads used with ALEXA have to provide enough load capacity to support the camera and attached accessories The table to the right shows the camera weight for different components Note Check for the payload of remote heads and cranes e In applications where the camera mount is subject to high forces e g car or helicopter mounts the camera must be
15. separate destinations with the first copy being the working copy and the second copy being the Backup These two copy processes can be done in parallel as long as the result are two independent devices containing the verified data e Format Only when the data has been copied and verified to two independent devices the card should be formatted to remove all data from it It is also recommended that the card is formatted by the person that has verified the copy and backup so that the camera crew only receives empty cards This fuctions as a security check so that the crew is alerted if they receive a card with valid data on it which 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 Operation of The Camera Recording 81 Codec The Apple ProRes codec family consists of 5 different codecs Name Color Datarate Recording time max codin 30 fps on 32 GB SxS frame g Pro 30 fps rate ProRes YCbCr 45 Mb s 1h 35 min 30 fps 422 Proxy ProRes YCbCr 102 Mb s 42 min 30 fps 422 LT ProRes YCbCr 147 Mb s 29 min 30 fps 422 ProRes YCbCr 220 Mb s 19 min 30 fps 422 HQ ProRes RGB 330 Mb s 12min 30 fps 4444 Without alpha channel 444 only The camera is currently limited to 30 fps maximum frame rate for internal recording Selecting the codec that fits best for the shoot is a crucial task Choosing a codec with a high
16. shows the currently set TC By pressing the OPTIONS screen button the time code Options list opens where TC settings can be changed The currently active TC settings are displayed below the TC values e Source Choose the TC source 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 fps must match the sensor fps setting SDI LTC currently not supported SDI VITC currently not supported e Mode Defines how the TC is counted Rec Run TC will only increment during record Free Run TC is running 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 is incrementing with every new frame generated by the sensor while counting with the set time base project fps e Generator Regen Rec Run TC is regenerated from the last valid TC value With Ext LTC it means that the camera is continuously reading the TC signal at the LTC socket as long as it is present Only upon disconnection or loss of signal the camera continues counting on its own When the external signal reappears the camera uses the values of the external signal again With Int TC the value is increased with each new image generated by the sensor Jam sync Only Ext LTC can be jam synced This means that the external TC source is connected to the camera then the camera reads the external TC count and continues counti
17. the jogwheel and press the jogwheel to edit it Cancel an edit action by pressing BACK confirm the setting by clicking the jogwheel Monitoring Project System User setups VvV V V V Figure 49 MENU Recording Provides access to SxS CARDS and REC OUT and allows setting the gamma of the recorded images e Gamma defines the contrast curve that is applied to the images The user can choose between Rec 709 video and Log C no matrix Rec 709 video Gamma according to ITU R BT709 standard Images are prepared for playback on standard broadcast monitors Log C no matrix Gamma according to Cineon specification Images are prepared for output to film material or DI like treatment Images will appear flat on a standard broadcast monitors the use of external devices to apply a LUT such as TCube is a must to get visually pleasing images ona monitor 66 Camera ControlsMain Controls REC OUT Gamma Log C no matrix gt Figure 50 MENU gt RECORDING SxS CARDS ALEXA can internally record to Sony SxS Pro cards The card slots are located on the camera s left side e Codec Set the codec to be used for internal recording to SxS cards Choose from the full range of Apple ProResTM codecs Name ProRes 422 Proxy ProRes 422 LT ProRes 422 ProRes 422 HQ ProRes 4444 Color codin g YCbCr YCbCr YCbCr YCbCr RGB Data rate 30 fps 45 Mb s
18. 2 or 64 GB storage space Card file format SxS cards have to be formatted in the camera before they can be used for recording ALEXA uses an 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 preparation The typical usage cycle of a card is Format Record Copy Backup Verification Format e Format Before recording cards have to 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 a wrong file system and asks the user to format the card ALEXA uses an UDF file system This file system is read only for computer systems which minimizes the risk of data corruption e Record When pressing the REC button the camera starts to write a clip to the card With the first clip the card is a assigned a reel number More information on file naming later in this chapter e Copy After recording to the card is finished either because it is full or for any other reason the data should be copied to another device to minimize the risk of data loss Also the data should be verified after copying through checksums to ensure that no error has occured during the copy process e Backup The data should actually be copied to two physically
19. 52 MENU gt MONITORING Electronic Viewfinder Brightness Select the brightness of the EVF A level of 5 is recommended for normal circumstances White point Sets the color temperature of the EVF Default is 6500K Can either be matched to the white point of other monitoring devices on set or to match the white point of the llumination source NOT TO BE MISTAKEN WITH THE WHITE BALANCE OF THE CAMERA Rotate image When mounting the EVF to the right side of the camera the image can be flipped so it appears correctly in the viewfinder Affects only the EVF image MON OUT and recording images are not rotated Surround view The ALEV IIl sensor has 10 additional pixels outside the recorded image for a better monitoring experience The user can decide whether he wants to see these 10 in the viewfinder or not By switching surround view on objects that are not wanted in the image such as microphone booms can be seen by the operator before they enter the image Frame lines 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 70 Camera ControlsMain Controls e Status info At the upper and lower edge of the EVF right outside the active image area additional status info can be displayed The upper area contains camera image parameters the lower area contains camera status infos Wh
20. AAbout This Manual 4 Introduction to ALEXA ALEXA is a 35 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 the more than 90 years of ARRIs history The result is a camera that allows classic cinematographers to shoot digitally without the need for a excessive training when transforming from film People who are used to shoot digitally will experience a camera like they never did before providing more powerful features than any other camera available today Handling The camera is a true ARRI It has a high precision integrated camera housing with an ergonomic design It is rugged reliable and flexible Sealed to make it splash proof It also has countless 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 access to more controls than any camera before 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 b
21. ARG os does Mts 75 A neon seth he A 56 Frame LiN8S ccooooonncnnnnccocononnnennncnononononnnnonanonaronnnnos 71 FrAMeClinS cisco anna eneid 87 Function BU ONS cccccccoocccncnnccconononononnnnononarononnns 46 G General PrecautiOnS cccccccccooocnnnconnnooonanonnncnnnn 16 General Safety Instructions oconoccccnnocccnnononcnnos 13 Gold Mount Batteries cccooccoccccncccnoncooacnnnncn n 22 H HOMESCREEN cccccccsessseceeeeeeeesessseeeeeeeeesseees 53 l A E EE 49 Infos and Warnings 98 Installation of The Camera cccccccnncccocnnncnncnnnncans 25 Internal reCOrding cceseeceeeseeeeeeseeeeteseeeeeesseees 79 Introduction to ALEXA 0 c csseseseeeseeeeeeeeees 10 L Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS 42 Lens Suppolt icon sieeve 43 Leveling Block LB 1 eeren 34 Lists and User Lists nisinsin nnsa 55 M Main Controls ccccccccccccccccceceeececeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeneeeess 45 Mains Unit NG 12 26 R cccnccccccccncccnnconoccnonnncnonncnns 19 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation e RCA on iene ten eat 25 MON QUT cota 38 70 MOnitoring criticada 69 86 O Onboard Baltteri8S oooocccnnncninicicncnnncccnncnnancnnnncnnns 20 Operation of The Camera coocccccnoccnnoccconnnonccnnncnons 79 Operator controls ooooonccccnoccccocccconcnonanonannonancnananon 76 Optimus tanda 42 P Parallel recording ooccoononcconnncccnnnoncncnnnancnnnannnoo 86 POWER mensne
22. L 444 2 1920x1080 1 5G T Link 2 2880x1620 1 5G Sampling Structure 4 2 2 4 2 2 4 4 4 Bayer Color Mode YCbCr YCbCr RGB Bayer Possible Frame Rates fps 23 976 24 25 29 97 30 48 50 59 94 60 23 976 24 25 29 97 30 23 976 24 25 29 97 30 Note The RAW sensor image is transmitted wrapped as 1920x1080 RGBA This signal can only be recorded with Arriraw T Link certified recorders Note 3G formats are currently deactivated e Scan format Defines how images are transmitted p Progessive Images are transmitted line by line from left to right starting at the top left pixel 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 68 Camera ControlsMain Controls complies with SMPTE standards e Output range Defines which bit range of the full 10 bit 0 1023 is used to transmit image data Legal Uses values 640 940 for RGB and Y signals and values 64 960 for CbCr signals This complies with the SMPTE 274M 8 7 Extended uses values 5 1019 which results in about 10 more steps 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 e Link sensor t
23. Mounting Bracket Viewfinder Extension Bracket Viewfinder Cable Short 0 35m 1 2ft Viewfinder Cable Medium 0 65m 1 2ft Viewfinder Cable Long 2 00m 6 6ft ALEXA Ethernet RJ 45 Cable 3 00m 9 8ft ALEXA Ethernet Ethernet Cable 2 0m 6 6ft ALEXA External Remote Cable 2 0m 6 6ft ALEXA 12V Accessory Cable Battery Adapter Top for Gold Mount Battery Adapter Top for V Lock Battery Adapter Back for Gold Mount Battery Adapter Back for V Lock UMC Connection Cable 0 80m 2 6ft Spare Fan Module ALEXA Case Bridge Plate Set Bridge Plate Wedge Adapter Bridge Plate Adapter Leveling Block Model EVF 1 VMB 1 VEB 1 KC 150 S KC 151 S KC 152 S KC 153 S KC 156 S KC 155 S KC 154 SP S BAT G BAT V BAB G BAB V K UMC3 ALEXA SFM 1 BP 12 Set BP 12 WA 1 BPA 1 LB 1 Ident K2 72019 0 K2 72018 0 K2 72008 0 K2 72009 0 K2 72000 0 K2 72012 0 K2 72013 0 K2 72014 0 K2 72021 0 K2 72033 0 K2 72032 0 K2 72031 0 K2 72006 0 K2 72011 0 K2 72003 0 K2 72010 0 K2 65239 0 K4 72117 0 K2 72030 0 K0 71031 0 K2 72004 0 K2 72002 0 K2 72001 0 K2 72017 0 Shoulder Pad Center Camera Handle Side Camera Handle Adjustable Center Grip Tall Handle Extension Block Low Mode Support Set ALEXA Rain Protector Lens Adapter Panavision Mount Air Drying Cartridge SP 3 CCH 1 SCH 1 ACG 2 HEB 2 LMS 3 ARP 1 LA PV 1 K2 72005 0
24. NFO screen are shown in the following tables ALEXA status message System state Good Everything works fine Relax ALEXA warning messages and meanings Warning message Meaning Main Bat Power warning The battery attached to the BAT connector has reached its warning level Battery power is about to end and a replacement battery should be prepared Onboard Bat Power warning The battery attached to the onboard battery adapter has reached its warning level Battery power is about to end and a replacement battery should be prepared Card 1 Low capacity Card 2 Low capacity 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 Camera overheating Low sensor temperature High sensor temperature The SxS card in slot 1 has less than 3 minutes recording time left Prepare a new card for recording The SxS card in slot 2 has less than 3 minutes recording time left Prepare a new card for recording The SxS 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 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 card in slot 1 is selected but the SxS
25. P 12 ccccccceeeeeessseccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesaeaneeeeees 32 8 7 Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 cccceeeeseseeeeeeeeeeeteeeneeeeeees 33 8 8 Wedge Adapter WA 1 Quick Release Plate 0008 33 8 9 Leveling Block LB 1 00 cccccceeeesseeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeesneneaeeeees 34 8 10 Shoulder Pad SP 3 csc ace diia fade 34 9 Connectors 36 9 1 BAW sites Foes aie e Ries 38 9 2 REG OUT 1802 ai ncn ete testes hd eee e 38 9 3 RET SYNC Nic nee el See EA ee Ada 38 9 4 MON OUT cients ail ceva lc air 38 9 5 BX cash a le eek ee tan dd 38 9 6 EEO Enmen a a aa tree taasegiens eeuiery 39 9 7 A E aaa 39 9 8 AUDIOUN ois te a a ve A in eee 39 9 9 Artio dial 39 9 10 A cote aannd niin adic Manica ein alee Nach 39 9 11 WG be E eich eet eee eral aie ecient ett 40 9 12 3 5mm TRS connector Headphone Jack ccscceceesteeeees 40 9 13 SD Card itch nian ETE 40 9 14 SIS lots 2er 41 10 Optics 42 10 1 Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS ccccnccccccncnnnncos 42 10 2 Lens SUPPOMt sited vcd vee sti Meteo neal 43 11 Camera Controls 45 11 1 Main Gontrols uti 45 Use e 46 11 1 2 Screen Buttons serisine a oia 46 11 1 3 Function BUTIONS coana nanes a aranean arenai E Siaa 46 111 3 1 TO Time Code e tes ee bt 47 11132 INFO tia A ir 49 IEA USER A ee ee Sees 51 11 1 4 HOMESCREEN cuca aos 53 11 1 4 1 Lists and User Lists ooooccconnnccccnnnnccnnnnnccnnnnnncrrnnnnnrrennnarrnnnnn 55 A A sett Navses Sae heedendheel ee fe
26. Power consumption Power outputs Recording Recording media Recording compression codec Frame rates Image Outputs Recording output Monitoring outputs DC 11 34V Active ORing between BAT connector and onboard battery adapters ca 85W w o accessories 2x RS 24V 1x 12V Sony SxS Pro cards Apple ProRes 422 4444 codec family 0 75 30 fps 2x REC OUT configurable as 2x 422 1 5G YCbCr frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 fps or 1x 444 1 5G RGB 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 1x ARRIRAW T Link frame rates 23 976 24 25 29 97 and 30 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 Timecode Type TC input TC outputs Dimensions and weight Length x Width x Height body Camera body weight Camera setup weight incl EVF 1 VMB 1 CCH 1 Others TC clock generator with crystal oscillator LTC in LTC out HD SDI LTC VITC out 329 x 158 x 153 mm 6 26 kg 13 79 Ib 8 0 kg 17 62 Ib SD card slot for FAT FAT32 SD cards Fan module with noise level lt 20 dB A 24 fps and ambient temperature lt 25 C Lemo Ethernet port for remote control and firmware updates 12 6 Camera Dimensions A 1 ALEXA Camera Accessory List Name SxS Pro Card SD Card 2 GB Electronic Viewfinder Viewfinder
27. TC time base settings 23 976 and 29 97 are currently always counted as non dropframe time code USER BITS The content of the User binary group in the time code Can contain 8 letters of Hex values 0 9 A F Press the SET UB screen button to adjust the User Bits values Camera Controls Main Controls 49 11 1 3 2 USER BITS User bits source Internal Figure 31 User bits screen Note User bits are currently not embedded in SDI out INFO STATUS Info The first INFO screen contains information on the current state of the camera system If the camera behaves normally the message System state Good is displayed Other messages can either contain a warning or an error message When an SD card is present a system log can be stored to the SD card by pressing the lower mid screen button labeled SAVE TO SD Patience is required as it can take about a minute until the log is written to the SD card Note Saving a system log is only necessary if the camera is showing unnormal behavior It can then be sent to the ARRI camera service for analysis The log is not human readable and can only be analyzed by the ARRI camera service STATUS VERSION SxS CARDS System state Good SYSTEM SAVE TOSD VERSION Info e Cam serial no the serial number of this camera 50 Camera ControlsMain Controls e Cam ID translation of the camera serial number to Base36 with an additional prefix for 3D applic
28. When a power source is connected to the camera the ON OFF button flashes once per second when the camera is switched off e REC Starts stops internal recording to SxS cards e LOCK Press long to lock the user interface Locking the camera also loads the Homescreen Buttons USER REC HOME and ON OFF are not affected by the lock e GRAB Currently not in use e TC Enters the screen for configuring Time code e PLAY Loads a list of all clips on the mounted SxS cards Playback from cards is currently not possible e INFO Enters the Status Info screen where you get information on the system s state Also available is version info where you get information on camera hard and firmware storage info giving details about SxS cards and system info Camera Controls Main Controls 47 e USER Enters the user screen where you can assign the three user buttons of the operator controls as well as the six screen buttons of the user screen Note the top three screen buttons of the user screen reflect the behavior of the three user buttonsthat are part of the operator controls e MENU Starts the menu where most camera settings can be adjusted Navigate inside the menu with the jogwheel e BACK When navigating this button brings you back to the previous screen When editing this button reverts your adjustment and quits edit mode e HOME Returns to the Homescreen from any other screen 11 1 3 1 TC Time Code The TC screen
29. a overheating Low sensor temperature High sensor temperature Systrem error DTE codec error Reboot Sensor error Reboot Sensor boot error Fan error Contact service Fatal system error Reboot camera now The current write speed could not be handled by the SxS card in slot 2 Both SxS cards are full Use fresh cards Both SxS cards have reached the end of their life cycle and has become read only Use fresh cards Both SxS cards are not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the cards Both SxS 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 The fan module is not working properly Either install an SFM 1 or contact the ARRI service Camera has to be rebooted If this error continues to occur a hardware problem might be the reason Contact the ARRI service If any error that requires rebootin
30. adphone jack is currently not in use It is located on the camera right lower front SD Card The SD card slot is located at the bottom on the camera right side middle Any SD or SDHC card with a capacity of up to 4 GB can be used The card must be pre formatted with an FAT or FAT32 file system The slot is protected from dirt and rain by a slider door Insert the SD card according to the drawing on the camera housing Note Always keep the slider door closed during operation to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the camera On the SD card the following folder structure should be created by the user prior to first use of the card e ARRI ALEXA Firmware Framelines Setups Connectors SxS Slots 41 9 14 SxS Slots On the camera s left side are two SxS card slots They are behind a door that can be opened by pulling the top lid backwards The door opens towards the camera housing for permanent accessability even in tight spaces or on special rigs Make sure the door is always closed to prevent moisture and dirt from entering the camera The cards are inserted with the card contacts first and the SxS labeled side outwards They have to be pushed inwards against a spring until they lock in place Make sure the cards are locked before closing the door or the cards could be damaged To release a card push it inwards until it is unlatched The spring will push the card outwards Be careful that the card does not drop o
31. after color compensation is shown as an exponent of the WB value Positive values are marked with a and negative values with a Center Info Bar TC Displays current time code including source INT internal or EXT external source Frames are not displayed instead the timebase of the time code is shown in small digits REEL Identifies current reel SxS card name Consists of camera index and reel counter CLIP Identifies current clip Consists of Clip index and clip counter DUR Duration of current clip during recording or length of last recorded clip during standby Shown as h mmiss CARD section Displays capacity information of SxS cards Top Capacity of currently active card in minutes Calculated for currently set framerate and codec Bottom Green capacity bar showing remaining capacity in percentage Grey if card slot is empty Red if card cannot be recorded In this case see INFO screen for more details lt Marks the active card Camera Conirols Main Controls 55 11 1 4 1 STBY State of camera is shown below the remaining recording time Note The value that is shown is the minimum available recording time As Apple ProRes the codec family used for image encoding in ALEXA is a variable bit rate codec the available recording time depends on the image content It can well be that the available recording time exceeds the value displayed here e Icons Icons inform the user about the sys
32. amera right side LCD display The brightness can also be adjusted when the Homescreen is active by turning the jogwheel e Button brightness Set the brightness of the button illumination Button brightness Off Figure 59 MENU gt SYSTEM gt DISPLAY Camera Controls Main Controls 75 System Clock Date Set date and time of the camera to match your current location P 07 20 12 00 00 lt gt DONE Figure 60 MENU gt SYSTEM gt CLOCK DATE Use the lower screen buttons to navigate between the elements in the screen and to finish your setting Run beeper The camera has a beeper to acoustically signal the start and or stop of recording Firmware e Select update file If an SD card containing update files is inserted in the camera you can select an update file from the list and perform an update Start the update procedure by pressing the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously 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 Note On rare occasions the update process can fail If the update procedure fails try it again until you succeed e Current version Release code of currently installed firmware Figure 61 MENU gt SYSTEM gt FIRMWARE 76 Camera ControlsOperator controls 11 1 5 5 User Setups 11 2 In this section the user can store the current setup to the SD car
33. as recorded on the 10th of June 2010 and the camera had the Base 36 serial number 1JL which translates into the decimal serial number 2001 Plenty of Base 36 to decimal converters can be found on the Internet for example here http www translatorscafe com cafe units converter numbers calculator decimal to base 36 http www translatorscafe com cafe units converter numbers calculator decimal to base 36 Additional recommendations To ensure correct card handling and reduce the risk of data loss ARRI recommends the following procedure for card and data handling e Pre format cards Format all available cards in the camera before the shoot starts This reduces downtime during production caused by the need to format Cards do not receive a reel counter before the first clip is recorded to them so there is no need to record the cards in a certain order Formatting a 32 GB card usually takes less than 10 seconds 84 Operation of The CameraRecording 12 1 2 e Limit card recording time Codecs with lower data rates like Pro Res 422 Proxy can be recorded for quite a duration onto SxS cards with high capacities Users should consider limiting the recording time per card to a maximum of 30 minutes of material as it is easier to handle and reduces the impact on the production in case of a problem e Immediately copy the data after a card change The data should be in a single instance for the shortest time possible e Switch on wr
34. aser 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 16 General PrecautionsStorage and Transport 6 6 1 6 2 6 3 General Precautions Storage and Transport e To prevent damage to the optical filters and the sensor a protective cap must be on the lens mount receptacle while no lens is attached e All cables have to be unplugged from the camera when it is transported or stored inside a camera case e Do not store the camera in places where it is subject to extreme temperatures direct sunlight high humidity severe vibration or near strong magnetic fields Electromagnetic Interference Portable communication devices such as mobile phones or walkie talkies may cause interference with video signals or even lead to malfunction of the camera It is recommended to keep these devices turned off when near the camera Condensation AVA 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 compartment on the sensor cover glass between sensor and its cover glass and on internal or external electrical connections e Operating the camera in these conditions may result in personal injury or damage to the equip
35. ate duplicate frames are output on the REC OUT For example if the sensor is running at 10 fps and the REC OUT is set to 30 fps every image is output 3 times resulting in two duplicate frames following every active frame Note ALEXA does currently not support Variframe recording The recorder would record these duplicate frames which have to be removed in post 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 This minimzes to risk of jittering image movements How to correctly set frame rates for recording with external devices e Decide which frame rate you want to set e Inthe Homescreen of the camera display press the FPS screen button e Inthe Fps screen press the REC OUT screen button This opens the REC OUT menu screen e Set the REC OUT frame rate to the desired value The HD SDI format should match the recorder s setting e Ifthe desired sensor frame rate is a standard speed set Link sensor fps to On This way the sensor always follows the REC OUT frame rate avoiding dropped or duplicate frames e When the REC OUT settings are done press BACK to load the Sensor Fps screen e Inthe Sensor Fps screen decide if the MON OUT frame rate is OK If not press the MON OUT screen button this loads the MON OUT menu screen e Set the MON OUT frame rate to the desired value If th
36. ations e Firmware version number of the camera firm and software packet e EVF serial number the serial number of the EVF attached to the camera e EVF firmware version number of the EVF s firmware TATUS VERSION SILLON Cam serial no 2010 Cam ID 1JL Firmware 2 0Beta EVF serial no 16 EVF firmware 1 24 SYSTEM Figure 32 VERSION info screen SxS CARDS Info e Codec currently set codec for internal recording e Status current status of SxS cards in slot 1 and 2 e Free capacity free storage space of SxS cards in percent e Write speed maximum write speed of the SxS cards Determined by camera during format STATUS MAIN SxS CARDS Codec ProRes 422 HQ SxS 1 SxS 2 Status Stby Empty Free capacity 80 0 Write speed 450 Mb s 0Mb s SYSTEM Figure 33 SxS CARDS info screen SYSTEM Info e Date currently set date Can be set in MENU gt SYSTEM gt DATE TIME e Time currently set time Can be set in MENU gt SYSTEM gt DATE TIME e Fan speed speed of camera cooling fan in rotations per minute Camera Controls Main Controls 51 e P address IP address of the camera s Ethernet port STATUS VERSION SxS CARDS Date 2010 07 20 Time 12 00 00 Fan speed 0 rpm IP address 169 254 1 24 SYSTEM Figure 34 SYSTEM info screen 11 1 3 3 USER By pressing the USER button the USER screen is loaded where the screen buttons can be assigned with user defined functions The upper t
37. be used to set all camera parameters Figure 29 Main user interface 46 Camera ControlsMain Controls 11 1 1 11 1 2 11 1 3 Display The LCD display on the right side has a diameter of 3 and a resolution of 400x240 pixels The display is back illuminated and transflective which results in exceptional contrast even in bright sunlight The brightness of the display can quickly be adjusted by simply turning the jogwheel when the Homescreen is displayed The removable protective plastic shield protects the display from scratches and can simply be removed by pulling it off the four pins on its corners that hold it in place Screen Buttons Six screen buttons are located above and below the display They change their behavior depending on the screen content The function related to each button in a screen is shown by a black label in the screen located below or above the button Buttons without a black label have no function in that screen Operations that cannot be reversed and can result in the loss of data require the simultaneous pressing of two buttons to prevent them from accidental use Function Buttons The main controls feature the following function buttons e ON OFF Press shortly to switch the camera on To switch off the camera the button must be pressed for several seconds In the Homescreen a countdown is displayed If the button is released before the countdown has elapsed the camera does not shut down
38. card is full Use a new card Card in other slot can still record SxS card in slot 2 is selected but the SxS card is full Use a new card Card in other slot can still record The SxS card in slot 1 is not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the card The SxS card in slot 2 is not formatted in the file system required by the camera Format the card The write speed of SxS 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 card in slot 2 is insufficient for the sensor fps set on the camera Use a card with a higher write speed 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 External TC Wrong frame rate Re jam Timecode soon Re jam Timecode now TC source forced to internal Interface bit error Internal processing problem Internal battery error System problem The time base of the TC signal present at the LTC input does not match the camera s project fps Accuracy of jammed Timecode can soon expire Re jam camera with external Timeco
39. ch the 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 Installation of The Camera Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 29 The viewfinder extension bracket VEB 1 extends the mounting point of the EVF further back It can be attached to a tripod head for use with geared heads or greater comfort when using fluid heads The VEB 1 has a standard attachment point for the ARRI eyepiece leveler EL 3 Figure 14 EVF extension bracket Figure 15 Camera with EVF 1 on extension and cable KC 151S 30 Installation of The CameraCenter Handle CCH 1 8 4 Center Handle CCH 1 The center handle CCH 1 is attached to the camera top with 3 screws two at the front and one at the back Make sure the screws are well tightened with a 3mm allen key Figure 16 Camera with CCH 1 side view Installation of The Camera Camera Side Handle CSH 1 31 8 5 2000001 UMA The handle extension block HEB 2 mounts to the front end of the CCH 1 and adds one more focus hook to the camera in a high position so the tape measure clears the matte box Camera Side Handle CSH 1 The CSH 1 is used in conjunction with a BAT V or BAT G battery top mounting adapter or with third party onboard recorders It is attached to the camera with 3 screws two at the front and one at the back Ma
40. ct sunlight or bright light sources as this could damage the LCOS imaging device If possible cover the eye piece when not in use to prevent any damage 8 3 1 Viewfinder Cables The viewfinder cables are unidirectional with a male plug to connect to the camera and a female plug to connect to the EVF Cables are available in the following lengths Model Length Purpose m ft KC 150 S 0 35 1 2 For use of EVF 1 on camera left side in handheld mode KC 151 S 0 65 2 1 For use of EVF 1 on camera right side or when using Viewfinder Extension Bracket VEB 1 KC 152 S 2 00 6 6 Longest possible length for use with specialty rigs 28 Installation of The CameraElectronic Viewfinder EVF 1 8 3 2 Figure 12 EVF cables KC 150S center KC 151S middle KC 152S outer Viewfinder Mounting Bracket The viewfinder mounting bracket VMB 1 is attached to the camera with two 3mm hex screws at the very front of the camera top The viewfinder is attached to the mounting bracket by sliding the dove tail into the receptacle of the mounting bracket and then closing the lever on the viewfinder The position of the viewfinder can be adjusted by loosening the levers of the mounting bracket adjusting the position as desired and closing the levers It can be flipped over by first unscrewing the cap at the end of the side adjusting rod then removing the rod itself and inserting it into its mount from the other side Then reatta
41. d or load previously stored setups from the SD card An SD card must be present in the camera to perform these operations Only complete camera setups can be stored or loaded Note It is recommended to create a default starting setup to load into any new camera you work with This way you can ensure all parameters meet your expectations e Save current setup A setup containing the current camera settings is stored to the SD card File is named with time and date stamp e Load setup Loads a list with all setups located on the SD card Select a setup and load it Note Before loading or saving a setup make sure an SD card is present When saving a setup the write protection of the SD card must be switched off e Factory reset Resets the camera to factory defaults Confirm factory reset by pushing the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously when the request appears Load setup Factory reset Figure 62 MENU gt SETUPS Operator controls The operator controls are located on the camera left side and consist of three function buttons plus three assignable buttons e 1 2 3 The assignable buttons labeled 1 2 3 can be assigned with functions through the USER button on the main UI e REC starts and stops internal recording LED tally goes red during record e PLAY loads a list of all clips on the mounted SxS cards Playback from cards is currently not possible Camera Controls EVF Controls 77 11 3
42. dditional functions Name Format Card 1 Format Card 2 description quick link to the menu screen where SxS card 1 can be formatted quick link to the menu screen where SxS card 2 can be formatted 24 000 E cint00 00 00024 sxs1 SHUTTER 1 0min REEL A 001 BAT 1 14 8V CLIP C 003 DUR 0 01 23 SxS 2 D BAT 2 50 SxS 1 lt 5600 Figure 37 BETA Homescreen 54 Camera ControlsMain Controls The HOMESCREEN is the default screen of the main UI It shows the most important camera parameters and gives quick access to changing them through the screen buttons Screen content Screen Buttons e FPS Currently set frame rate of sensor adjustable from 0 750 60 000 fps e SHUTTER Currently set shutter angle of 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 El Currently set exposure index rated in ASA ALEXA has a base sensitivity of 800 ASA the camera rating can be adjusted from 160 1600 ASA Note ASA rating is identical to ISO rating Note Exposure Index is not applied to Arriraw signals WB Camera white balance This is the color temperature of the light source the camera is currently adjusted for Can be adjusted from 2000 11000 Kelvin In addition to the red blue correction of the white balance ALEXA can also compensate for a green magenta tint This value called CC
43. de 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 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 ALEXA error messages and meanings Main Bat Low power Onboard Bat Low power All Bats Low power Card 1 End of lifetime Card 2 End of lifetime Card 1 Write speed error 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 card in slot 1 has reached the end of its life cycle and has become read only Use a new card The SxS card in slot 2 has reached the end of its life cycle and has become read only Use a new card The current write speed could not be handled by the SxS card in slot 1 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 Camer
44. e Ethernet socket to a standard RJ 45 Ethernet socket In addition the Ethernet port is used for service and future accessories It is located on the camera back lower right 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 very low latency for the viewfinder image It is located on the camera front lower left AUDIO IN The 5 pin XLR Audio connector is currently not in use It is located on the camera right lower front The two RS connectors supply external accessories with at least 24 V power and combined load of up to 2 5 A The sockets also accept an ARRI remote start stop trigger button They are located on the camera right lower front The 12 V connector supplies an external accessory with 12 V power and up to 2 5 A current It is located on the camera right lower front 40 ConnectorsTC 9 11 9 12 9 13 TC The TC connector is a 5pin LEMO socket It accepts and distributes LTC time code signals It can be used to e Jam sync the camera time code to a Clockit TC Slate or another camera e Transmit the camera s time code to Clockit TC Slate or another camera e Tune the camera crystal oscillator s frequency with an Ambient ACC Clockit Controller It is located on the camera right lower front 3 5mm TRS connector Headphone Jack The 3 5mm TRS connector he
45. e Connectors what goes into the camera and what comes out e Optics how to get a good image into the camera e Camera controls how to set up the camera e Operation of the camera gives examples and recommendations on camera operation Safety Instructions Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications 13 5 5 1 5 2 Safety Instructions 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 Instructions e Always follow these instructions to ensure against injury 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 t
46. e REC OUT menu screen it is possible to control external recorders if they support this feature This is only possible while recording to an SxS card Note There is no feedback channel providing information to the camera if the external recording is active make sure to check the external recorder directly Timecode on external recorders To guarantee the same Timecode for images that are parallely record internally and exterally set the external recorder so that it uses the TC embedded in the HD SDI stream coming from the camera Monitoring The electronic viewfinder and the MON OUT can be used for monitoring purposes They can both display the surround view area an extra 10 of image outside the recorded area to track any unwanted objects before they enter the image To help the framing both EVF 1 and MON OUT can overlay frame lines to the image these frame lines are an electronic version of the ground glass of analog cameras Operation of The Camera Monitoring 87 12 2 1 Framelines Frame lines are stored as XML files A standard set of frame lines is stored in each camera In addition the user can create personal frame lines matching his preferences Once the idea behind the frame lines system is understood personal frame lines can be created with little effort Description The different sections in the file are camera describes the camera that the frame lines file is made for As the ALEXA camera syste
47. e eed eles 56 1121 4 3 SHUTTER iion alee 60 K E i lisesi eae ae ee hae a Oat ag ee tags eat ed 62 TALA DO WB eae Biren TA eee 63 IBES lt as YA BAe AAR AAAA 65 11 1 5 1 Recording e eel ii ias 65 ND Monto ist 69 MANR A Sok Sus pee Aci 72 A A A EE AEEA E A 73 14 535 User Setups ia 76 11 2 Operator CONtrO S ienee E a con nn nn cana ENST 76 11 3 EVECONtO Sacco ia rai 77 11 3 1 Viewfinder EVE Menu cccceescceeeeeseeeeeeeneeeeeeeneeeeeeeneeeeeennees 78 11 3 2 Viewfinder CAM MeNu ccesssceeeseeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeenaes 79 12 Operation of The Camera 79 12 1 RECO INIA A eat 79 12 1 1 Internal recordinQ omocccnnnnnccnnnnnnccnnnnncnnnnnnnncrnnnnner rana 79 12 1 2 External recording kreion tardana ii aiaia 84 12 1 3 Parallel recording iik eaaa aii 86 12 2 MOnItOriM gees E eek a aaa 86 12 2 1 Framelings misasi tica 87 12 3 Using Time COG cccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneneaeeeeeeeeeeesenaaaeeees 89 12 4 Working with User Setup comcocccconocncnnononnnnnnnnnnnnnnonannnnconannnos 90 Appendix 91 12 5 Technical Specifications ccccccccceeeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeesnaeeeeeees 92 12 6 Camera DIMENSIONS asiansa sinear aran AAEN ARARA E 95 A 1 ALEXA Camera Accessory List cooocccccoccnnnnccccccncnnncnnnanannncnnnnnos 96 12 7 Infos and Warnihgs snepi oeii oesi iadi i aias 98 13 Index 103 4 DisclaimerAbout This Manual 1 Disclaimer Before using the products described in this manual be sure to read and under
48. e sensor frame rate exceeds the available MON OUT frame rates set the MON OUT to half the sensor frame rate if possible e When the MON OUT settings are done press the BACK button to load the Sensor fps screen e Choose the desired sensor fps value from the list and press the jogwheel 60 Camera ControlsMain Controls e fthe desired value is not available press the ADD screen button to set the desired value and add it to the list by pressing the jogwheel e All frame rate settings should be correct now 11 1 4 3 SHUTTER Pressing the SHUTTER screen button in the HOMESCREEN opens the SHUTTER list screen The list contains default shutter angles 11 2 22 5 45 0 90 0 172 8 180 0 270 0 and 358 0 Note Access to this screen is disabled during record DELETE SHUTTER ANGLE Figure 42 Shutter list Camera Controls Main Controls 61 To add a new entry to the list press the ADD button This opens the Set shutter screen In this screen the new list entry can be set with the jogwheel With the screen buttons the value can be in or decreased in bigger steps Any shutter angle in the range of 5 0 358 0 degrees can be set First set the integer value with the jogwheel clicking it will start edit on the fractional part Note A maximum of 16 entries is supported by the list After reaching this number of entries it is no longer possible to add entries without deleting others first Figure 43 Add Shut
49. eeeeeseeeeeeesenenes 21 WwW W Beet awit eee tainted 63 Wedge Adapter WA 1 Quick Release Plate 33 Working with User Setups cooooccioccnnccccocccnncccnannnos 90
50. election of his preferred fps settings for quick access To select an fps preset turn the jogwheel until the selection bar is on the desired value then press the jogwheel again Camera Controls Main Controls 57 The screen buttons on the screen bottom are shortcuts to the menu screens of REC OUT MON OUT and PROJECT where their frame rates can be adjusted to match the sensor fps DELETE SENSOR FPS 24 fps 24 fps 24 fps REC OUT MON OUT PROJECT Figure 39 List example User list fps If the list lacks the required setting press the ADD screen button This opens a screen where the desired setting can be set Either use the jogwheel to set the desired value or additionally use the screen buttons for bigger adjustment steps When the desired value is set press the jogwheel to add the value to the list Note A maximum of 16 entries is supported by the list After reaching this number of entries it is no longer possible to add entries without deleting others first 10FPS 0 1 FPS List values no longer required can be deleted by pressing the DELETE screen button This opens a screen where the values desired for deletion can be selected with the jogwheel To delete the selected value press the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously 58 Camera ControlsMain Controls Note Default frame rates cannot be deleted Select the entry you wish to delete SENSOR FPS Press both buttons DELETE DELETE
51. g continues to occur regularly contact the ARRI service 13 Index 1 VOM PE aa 39 12 V ACCOSSONNES iii eiii 24 2 24 N ACCOSSOMNES caida aiii 24 3 3 5mm TRS connector Headphone Jack 40 A About This Manual occcccccccccnconccnnnnnccononononononononon 12 ALEXA Camera Accessory LiStocooocnnicinnininnninn 96 ALEXA IMA JES inapenda reia aiaiai aiai 8 Appendix ist 91 AUDIO Ni dodo 39 B BA Tesista td te Gabe iii 38 BAT COnN CtOP nreo armador talas lets 19 Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 eeeeeeseereereees 33 Bridge Plate BP 12 eee eeeeseeeeeneeeeeeenneeeeennees 32 Cc Camera Controls rni hunaia nt 45 Camera DIMENSIONS cccecececececeeeeeeeeeeesesenenene 95 Camera Side Handle CSH 1 coccccccccnccccocnnncnnnnnnn 31 Center Handle CCH 1 ccccceccccceeeeeeeeeeeseneneee 30 Cine Style Batteries ooooocccinnicnnncnnnonnccccnnrnconcnonnos 19 CoONdenSati0N cccccccncnnnnnnnnnininininininininininininininininns 16 COMECtOS uva 36 D Disc Merit 4 olee N EEEE TET 46 74 A Se E E A EEEN 62 Electromagnetic Interference cceeee 16 Electronic Viewfinder cccccccccooonnncncnnncconononnnonns 69 Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 ccccssssseceeeees 26 EMO tii 39 EVE e E o EE 39 EVE GONIMO Siciooisatoota n iris 77 Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications 13 EM dd ia 38 External recording ooooccccnnoncnononcncnononcnonanancnnnnnnnos 84 F FIRIIW
52. h iim pixels No pixel is drawn in active visible area gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt The color can be one of black white or user If you select user the color can be changed through the user interface gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt border gt lt surround gt US SB color bine at top and bottom ot 2739 ASpech gt lt line gt 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 Operation of The Camera 12 3 lt Center cross horizontal lines user color gt lt line gt lt left gt 0 46355 lt 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 lt line gt lt left gt 0 5 lt left gt lt top gt 0 43519 lt top gt lt bottom gt 0 51543 lt bottom gt lt width gt 4 lt width gt lt color gt user lt color gt lt line gt lt line gt lt left g
53. he system Follow all installation and operating instructions e Do not use accessories or attachments that are not recommended by ARRI as they may cause hazards and invalidate the warranty e Do not attempt to repair any part of the system Repairs must only be carried out by authorized ARRI Service Centers 14 Safety InstructionsSpecific Safety Instructions 5 3 Specific Safety Instructions Do not remove any safety measures from the system Do not operate the system in areas with humidity above operating levels or expose it to water or moisture Do not cover the fan openings at the camera back top and bottom Do not subject the system to severe shocks 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 indicated 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 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 u
54. hree screen buttons of the USER screen mirror the behavior of the three assignable buttons on the camera left side labeled 1 2 3 The two outer lower screen buttons function as additional assignable buttons with extended functionality By pressing the lower right EDIT screen button the functions can be assigned to the buttons USER BUTTONS Figure 35 User screen 52 Camera ControlsMain Controls Assign functions to the buttons by using the jogwheel Figure 36 Edit User Button assignment Camera Conirols Main Controls 53 11 1 4 HOMESCREEN For user buttons 1 3 which are also available on the camera left side the following functions can be assigned Name None Mon out surround Mon out gamma Mon out frame lines Mon out status info Frame lines color EVF surround view EVF gamma EVF frame lines EVF status info description button has no function toggles surround view of the MON OUT image on off toggles gamma of the MON OUT between REC 709 and log C only with recording gamma set to log C toggles frame lines of the MON OUT image on off toggles status info of the MON OUT image on off toggles color of frame lines image on off toggles surround view of the EVF image on off toggles gamma of the EVF image between REC 709 and log C only with recording gamma set to log C toggles frame lines of the EVF image on off toggles status info of the EVF image on off User buttons 4 and 5 have two a
55. id dni 20 73 Power Management e cceeeesseeeeseeeeeeeneeeeenaees 18 Power Outputs c ocooccccoccccoccconcconnccnancnonn conan cn nancnnnncos 23 Power SUPplVunacinandap aprisa 18 Pro JO timimi tata 72 R REG OU Tis 67 REG QUT 2 eron ienai aoan dese cinco 38 Record umi eran lacie 65 79 RET SYNG IN tora tan 38 FS Siete ied di tise ee E na Ss 39 RUN beeper usina aiii is 75 S Safety Instructions 0 eeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeteeteneeteneetees 13 O 7 Screen ButtONs eitia e i n aie 46 SD Carde A sta 40 Shoulder Pad SP 3 cocoococoncccconcconcccnoncnnancncancncnnanonns 34 SHUTTER E E N E EE 60 Specific Safety Instructions coooococinnnccnnnnoccccnnnos 14 Storage and Transport ecceeeceeeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeetens 16 SXS CARDS iio tata 66 SKS SOS seca eet tee he ae A 41 CEAN EE TTE EATE 73 System Clock Date oooooconcccioocicoccccooncnanccnoncncancnnnns 75 T Murano 40 TG Mme Code iii fete radiata ia 47 Technical Specifications ooooonncccnnnnoccnnonccnnnannnos 92 Tripod and Remote HeadS oooccnoccinocccionccccnccnnnos 25 U WSERie Si eet ie eek Me oe 51 USER BTS cues rias ias 48 User SetUPS octal tatiana 76 Using Time Codeine a aeaa 89 V Viewfinder Cables ccceeceeeseeeeceeeeereeeneeeneees 27 Viewfinder CAM Menu cecceseceeeeeeeeteeeeteeeneees 79 Viewfinder EVF MeNU ocoonccccononcncnononcnonanancnonannnnnns 78 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket 28 V Mount Batteries eceecccceeeser
56. ite point 6500K Rotate image Off Surround view On Frame lines Off Status info On Figure 53 MENU gt MONITORING gt EVF MON OUT The MON OUT is a 422 1 56 single link HD SDI output The output range is fixed to legal range e Frame rate The MON OUT frame rate can be set to 23 976 24 25 29 97 or 30 fps The frame rate should if possible match the sensor frame rate to avoid frame drops or duplicate frames on the output which would result in jittering images when image content is moving e Scan format Defines how images are transmitted P Progessive Images are transmitted line by line from left to right starting at the top left pixel Psf Progressive segmented Images are first split into fields which are then transmitted line by line from left to right e Gamma defines the contrast curve that is applied to the images The user can choose between REC 709 video and Log C no matrix REC 709 video Gamma according to ITU R BT709 standard Images are prepared for playback on standard broadcast monitors Log C no matrix Gamma according to Cineon specification Images are prepared for output to film material or DI like treatment Images will appear flat on a standard broadcast monitors the use of external devices to apply a LUT such as TCube is a must to get visually pleasing images ona monitor Note Log C no matrix can only be chosen if the Recording gamma is set to Log C no matrix Camera Co
57. ite protection when a card has been recorded and is sent to the copy instance e Switch off write protection when data has been copied and backed up then format the card Metadata Metadata is stored in the index xml file as well as the quicktime file header Most important for the post production workflow is the tape name as it will be one of the main image identifiers in an EDL Even though tape name is not quite a good name for nonlinear media it is used due to post production naming conventions Alternatively reel name is used sometimes 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 The tape name of the clip from the previous example would then be AO04R1JL Even if the user forgets to assign different camera indices to two cameras on one shoot the Camera ID guarantees unique tape names Currently one time code track is recorded in the quicktime file External recording Uncompressed HD and unprocessed ARRIRAW data is available via the REC OUT for recording with external devices The preferred output format also depends on the application As a rule of thumb the following guideline can be used e 422 1 5G Television applications that only require color correction high speed capture above 30 fps e 444 1 5G High quality television applications that require color correction and pulling mattes cinema applications
58. ke sure the screws are tightened firmly with a 3 mm allen key If a tall battery or a tall third party onboard recorder is used the adjustable center grip of the CSH 1 can be replaced by the taller Adustable Center Grip Tall ACG 2 32 Installation of The CameraBridge Plate BP 12 Figure 17 CSH 1 Figure 18 Camera with CSH 1 side view 8 6 Bridge Plate BP 12 The bridge plate BP 12 has been newly developed for ALEXA It mounts directly to the camera housing with two screws Installation of The Camera Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 33 8 7 8 8 Bridge Plate adapter BPA 1 The bridge plate adapter BPA 1 can be used to attach a BP 5 BP 8 to ALEXA First attach the BPA 1 to the camera with the two screws Then attach the BP 5 BP 8 to the adaptor with its two screws Make sure the screws are tightened firmly with a screwdriver Wedge Adapter WA 1 Quick Release Plate The WA 1 can be mounted to 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 OR 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 OR HD 1 34 Installation of The CameraLeveling Block LB 1 8 9 8 10 Leveling Block LB 1 The leveling block LB 1 attaches to the bottom of the ALEXA back foot It prevents the camera
59. l frame lines currently stored in the camera e Color 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 72 Camera ControlsMain Controls Color Red Intensity 2 Manage frame lines gt Note Default frame lines have User specified as color for all content Intensity Sets the intensity of the frame lines The higher the number the brighter the frame lines appear Figure 55 MENU gt MONITORING gt FRAMELINES Manage Frame Lines Load frame lines from SD Loads all frame lines contained on the SD card to the camera Reset to default frame lines Deletes all frame lines in the camera and then loads the ARRI default frame lines Delete camera frame lines Deletes all frame lines currently stored in the camera Reset to default frame lines Delete camera frame lines 11 1 5 3 Project Project fps Sets the timebase of the time code which determines how many frames the time code counts per second Also sets the frame rate of Quicktime clips recorded to SxS cards during playback Camera index Identifies camera unit in clips Influences clip names on SxS cards Camera Controls Main Controls 73 e Next reel count Counter assigned to the next new card used for recording Automatically increased by the camera Influences clip names
60. laimer About This Manual 5 ARRI is a registered trademark of Arnold amp Richter Cine Technik GmbH amp 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 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 Apple ProRes 4444 and the ProRes logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc used under license therefrom SxS and SAS are trademarks of SONY corporation This product meets CE regulations Scope This instruction manual applies to the following ARRI ALEXA hardware software and firmware versions ARRI ALEXA camera with ARRI EVF 1 electronic viewfinder e Camera software update packet 2 0 e EVF 1 software packet 1 24 8 ALEXA ImagesAbout This Manual 3 ALEXA Images Figure 1 Camera right side Figure 2 Camera left side ED ALOL Figure 3 Camera top ALEXA Images About This Manual 9 Figure 4 Camera bottom Figure 5 Camera front Figure 6 Camera back 10 Introduction to ALEX
61. m will consist of several cameras in the future this is necessary to differentiate between the camera types surround the 10 surround view area outside the recorded image opacity opaque masking of the surround area O transparent 1 black border additional frame around the image if surround view is switched on in EVF or MON OUT image with attributes color and width Omit the border tag if you do not want the frame around the image line all frame lines and the center cross in the active image area consist of single lines The line orientation is defined by three attributes left and right and bottom or top for horizontal lines top and bottom and left or right for vertical lines where two attributes define the start and end point and the third defines the distance from the parallel 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 6 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 lt 1 78 e g 1 33 1 Aspect 1 78 2 distance from left or right 88 Operation of The CameraMonitoring XML example The best way to understand the frame lines sys
62. ment Condensation on the optical components may have a visible effect on the output images To reduce the risk of condensation e Find a warmer storage location e Attach the ARRI air drying cartridge silica bottle to the PL Mount of the camera during storage NOT during transport e 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 General Precautions Condensation 17 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 COMPARTMENT 18 Power SupplyPower Management 7 7 1 Power Supply e Only use recommended power supply solutions e Manipulation of power supplies can result in severe damage to the equipment and humans including death ALEXA accepts an input voltage range from 11 to 34 V DC The camera can be powered through the BAT connector or can be quipped with battery adapters accepting V Lock or Gold Mount batteries The power supply should deliver an output of more than 90 W to power the came
63. n to confirm To quit the menu press the EVF button Brightness Select the brightness of the EVF A level of 5 is recommended for normal circumstances White point Sets the color temperature of the EVF Default is 6500K Can either be matched to the white point of other monitoring devices on set or to match the white point of the illumination source NOT TO BE MISTAKEN WITH THE WHITE BALANCE OF THE CAMERA Rotate image When mounting the EVF on the camera right side the image can be flipped so it appears upright in the viewfinder Affects only the EVF image MON OUT and REC OUT are not affected Surround view The ALEV IIl sensor has 10 additional pixels outside the recorded image for a better monitoring experience The user can decide whether he wants to see these 10 in the viewfinder or not By switching surround view on objects that are not wanted in the image such as microphone booms can be seen by the operator before they enter the image Status info At the upper and lower edge of the EVF right outside the active image area additional status info can be displayed The upper area contains camera image parameters the lower area contains camera status infos Frame lines Frame lines are a reference for framing that typically consist of an image frame a center cross and an aspect ratio reference See the appendix for more information on the ALEXA frame line format Select frame lines Choose a frame lines file from those
64. nal Then the camera can either use Jam sync mode in which it samples the TC value once and then continues counting based on its own high precision crystal clock and the TC signal can be disconnected from the camera after jamming This mode ensures stable time code with an offset of less than 1 frame for 8 hours after which the camera has to be re jammed Or the camera can be set to Regenerate mode where the camera uses the TC value of the external TC signal This ensures correct CT for an infinite duration but the TC signal must remain connected to the camera Variations If the shooting starts close to midnight the TC might be started with an offset to prevent a rollover at midnight Restrictions Only possible if the camera is running at sync sound speed If the camera is over or under cranking the TC frame rate will no longer match the sensor frame rate so that TC values would eiteh be duplicate or dropped Due to this reason the camera will automatically switch to Int TC Regen when the sensor frame rate is changed Internal TC Rec Run Use Single camera productions either MOS or where a classical slate is used for alignment of image and sound Guarantees continuous time code for each storage medium Works alos with over and under cranking Setup The camera is set to Int TC Rec Run Regen TC is only increased during record by 1 frame for each image generated by the sensor The TC counts with the project fps set on the came
65. ng on its own Due to a highly precise crystal oscillator in ALEXA the internal counter will count accurately for 8 hours After that period the camera has to be resynced to avoid any TC offset 48 Camera ControlsMain Controls Note It is recommended to sync after every shooting break to avoid the risk of having to resync during the shoot 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 e Userbit source shows the source of the user bits Internal User bits are set manually in the User Bit screen LTC in UB When using Ext LTC as TC source the user bits are sampled from the external signal Press the SET TC screen button to adjust the TC counter only with Int TC as source Reset it or match it to the system clock with the upper screen buttons that appear during edit mode Press the USER BITS screen button to access the USER BITS screen TIMECODE Format IntTC RecRun Regen 24 24 fps OPTIONS USER BITS PROJECT Figure 30 Timecode screen Note The camera will force Time code to Internal Rec Run Regenerate if the sensor fps does no match the project fps The PROJECT button is a quick link into the PROJECT menu screen where project fps can be adjusted Project fps sets the time base of the time code Note Non integer
66. nirols Main Controls 71 e Surround view The ALEV Ill sensor has 10 additional pixels outside the recorded image for a better monitoring experience The user can decide whether he wants to see these 10 in the MON OUT or not By switching surround view on objects that are not wanted in the image such as microphone booms can be seen by the operator before they enter the image e Frame lines Frame lines are a reference for framing that typically consist of an image frame a center cross and an aspect ratio reference See the appendix for more information on the ALEXA frame line format e Status info At the upper and lower edge of the MON OUT image additional status info can be overlayed to the image The upper area contains camera image parameters the lower area contains camera status infos Scan format psf Gamma Rec 709 video Surround view On Frame lines On Status info On Figure 54 MENU gt MONITORING gt MON OUT Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables for monitoring to ensure error free data transmission Frame Lines Frame lines are an image overlay that can be applied to either the EVF image the MON OUT image or both ALEXA frame lines are stored as XML files containing definitions what the frame lines look like The camera contains default frame lines for 1 33 1 1 78 1 1 85 1 and 2 35 1 aspect ratios Additional frame lines can be loaded from the SD card e Frame lines Shows a list of al
67. nnectorsBAT 9 1 9 2 9 3 9 4 9 5 BAT The BAT connector can be used to power the camera from an external power source with cables KC 20S and KC 29S It is located on the camera back lower right REC OUT 1 amp 2 The REC OUT consists of two BNC plugs capable of carrying 1920x1080 1 5G HD SDI signals with frame rates from 23 976 to 60 fps according to SMPTE standards 274M 292M and 372M The signal format can be changed in the camera menu It is located on the camera back mid right RET SYNC IN This BNC connector is currently not in use It is located on the camera back mid right MON OUT The MON OUT is a single BNC connector capable of carrying a 1920x1080 422 YUV 1 5G HD SDI signal with frame rates of 23 976 24 25 29 97 or 30 fps according to SMPTE standards 274M and 292M The signal format can be changed in the camera menu It is located on the camera back upper right The EXT connector is a multi pin accessory connector It carries signals for communication with various accessories Cables are currently available for e Connecting a UMC 3 remote motor controller The connector is located on the camera back mid right Connectors Ethernet 39 9 6 9 7 9 8 9 9 9 10 Ethernet Regular Ethernet connectors do not deliver the durability and reliability required by ARRI so ALEXA uses a 10 pin LEMO connector A special cable available from ARRI model KC 153 S is required to connect th
68. nt 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 movies with Apple ProRes codecs to Sony SxS cards The cards deliver high data rates and are very robust ProRes can be natively edited in 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 ProRes 422 and 12 bit for ProRes 4444 12 Introduction to ALEXAAbout This Manual 4 1 About This Manual It is recommended that all users of the ALEXA camera read the manual front to back prior to the first usage The manual s structure also provides quick access for reference to experienced users All directions are given from an operator s point of view e Images give a quick overview of the camera e Safety instructions general precautions very important do not skip this part e Power supply overview how the camera is supplied with power e Installation of the camera information on camera mechanics
69. nt lens to the camera Attaching a lens to the camera e Twist the bayonet ring handle anti clockwise as far as it will go e Remove the protective lens cap e Insert the lens into the lens mount receptacle without catching it at the edges One of the four slots on the lens mount must fit over the index pin in the lens mount receptacle e Choose a lens position that gives a good readability of lens markings e Press the lens flat onto the lens mount receptacle e Twist the bayonet ring handles clockwise until the lens is attached e Make sure the lens is properly mounted Note When no lens is attached to the camera use the protective cap to avoid dust 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 Optics Lens Support 43 10 2 Figure 27 PL mount LA PL 1 with index pin Lens Support Heavy lenses may require additional lens support This guarantees that the flange focal depth is not influenced by the lens weight and reduces stress on the lens mount To support a lens use 15mm or 19mm rods and a fitting len
70. o REC OUT If set to On the sensor will always follow the REC OUT frame rate setting This ensures no frames are dropped on the output HD SDI format 444 1 56 Scan format psf Output range Legal Link sensor to REC OUT Off SDI remote Off Figure 51 MENU gt REC OUT e SDI remote When set to On the REC OUT and MON OUT will carry a flag in their data stream to signal an external recorder if the camera is currently recording internally Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables for recording to ensure error free data transmission High speed recording with ALEXA over HD SDI Unlike the ARRIFLEX D 21 which used a proprietary mode for high speed recording ALEXA complies with SMPTE standard 372M in terms of image transmission 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 Camera Controls Main Controls 69 11 1 5 2 Monitoring The Monitoring section defines setup of EVF 1 electronic viewfinder and MON OUT These outputs are meant for monitoring not for recording of images The frame lines setup applies to both MON OUT and EVF 1 Frame lines can of course be switched on or off individually for MON OUT and EVF 1 MON OUT Framelines Figure
71. on SxS cards Note The user should set the value to 001 before a shoot begins e Camera ID prefix The first letter of the Camera ID can be changed between L and R for stereoscopic productions to identify left and right eye camera Influences naming of clips on SxS cards Project frame rate 24 fps Camera index A Camera ID prefix L Figure 56 MENU gt PROJECT 11 1 5 4 System Contains groups of system settings Display System clock date Run beeper Firmware VVV Vv Figure 57 MENU gt SYSTEM Power e BAT1 Plug warning The level at which a power warning is exhibited for the power source connected to the BAT plug Can be adjusted to match the used battery type Default value is 21 0V e BAT2 Onboard warning The level at which a power warning is exhibited for the onboard battery Can be adjusted to match the used battery type Default value is 12 0V Note At a level 10 below the set warning level a battery error is emitted This 74 Camera ControlsMain Controls means that the power source is treated as insufficient to power the camera any further BAT2 Onboard warning 12 0V Figure 58 MENU gt SYSTEM gt POWER Smart batteries that transmit their remaining load to the camera emit a warning at 10 remaining capacity and an error at 5 remining capacity Currently batteries by ID X and Anton Bauer support this feature Display e Display brightness Set the brightness of the c
72. onananononananoncnananonnnanos 6 General Precautions 6 1 Storage and TranSpOrt cccccccccsseeccesseceecesseeeeeesseeeeeessneeeesees 6 2 Electromagnetic Interference oooooonoccccccnnnnncconancnnncnnnnnananananes 6 3 CondensatiO Nica 7 Power Supply 7 1 Power Manageme i cccccccceeceeeceeeeeeeeeeeenaaeeeeeeeeeenesaeeeeee 7 2 BAT Connector miii 7 3 Mains Unit NG 12 26 Recnnonnncccononccinnccnannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ca nnnnnnnnnnnnnns 7 4 Cine Style Batteri8S oonooccconoccccconooncnnnononcnnnnnoncnc nano nonoranoncnnnnns 7 5 Onboard Batteries ooococcnnccononccnonnncnnncnnnrnnn ran n narrar 7 6 V Mount Batteries aruensis a a N a 7 7 Gold Mount Batteries cc eeseceeeeeneeeeeeeneeeeeeenneeeeeenneeeeenaes 7 8 POWEF OUTPUTS onani E A 7 8 1 12 V AcceSSO TOS cia onh alan ese 78 2 24V AGCOSSOTIOS ando aa a a ia 8 Installation of The Camera 8 1 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation 8 2 Tripod and Remote Heads ccccceeeeseeeeeeceeeeeeeeeesseseeeeees 8 3 Electronic Viewfinder EVF 1 ccesseceeeesseeeeeeeeeeeeeesneeeeeenaes 8 3 1 Viewfinder Cables ceccscceeesseeeeeeeneeeeeeeeneeeeeeneeeeeeeneeeeeennees 8 3 2 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket oooconnnnnoccccnnncccinnncccnccnnnnnnannns II Contents 8 4 Center Handle CCH 1 ooo eee eeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeneeeeenae 30 8 5 Camera Side Handle CSH 1 cececesseeeeseeeeeeeeeneeeeseeeeneeens 31 8 6 Bridge Plate B
73. ormation is calculated from the adjacent pixels in the camera For raw data this calculation is delayed until after the recording to save bandwidth and creative options as many decisions on how to convert the images can be made in post ALEXA ARRIRAW specs e Bayer pattern color coding e 12 bit log luminance coding e No white balance applied e No exposure index applied e Full sensor resolution 2880x1620 86 Operation of The CameraMonitoring 12 1 3 12 2 ARRIRAW is transmitted to the recorder via the ARRIRAW T Link by using a standard HD SDI dual link connection with a proprietary coding An ARRIRAW T Link certified recorder must be used for recording These are available from a number of manufacturers like Codex Keisuko Giken or S Two For more information go to www arri de arriraw Note Only use double shielded HD SDI cables on all HD SDI outputs to ensure error free data transmission Parallel recording Recording to both SxS cards and external devics at the same time requires additional attention from the user First it has to be determined what function the two sets of data have For example the internal recording could be used for on set review and proxy editing while the external device captures the master data Or the internal recording is used for TV utilization and the external recorder captures ARRIRAW for cinematic use Remote controlling the external recorder By activating the SDI remote in th
74. ormation on their remaining capacity to the camera ALEXA displays the remaining capacity in percent on the Homescreen of the camera display For ID X batteries the user does not need to set the battery warning level due to the communication of camera and battery Attaching the battery to the adapter e Place the battery with the V shaped wedge into the adapter so that the wedge sits right above its counterpart of the mount e Move the battery downwards until you hear a snap e Make sure it is connected correctly and sits tight Releasing the battery e When facing the battery press the button located on the mount on the left side Some batteries have an additional top release mechanism e Move the battery upwards and remove it Figure 8 ALEXA with BAB V and V Mount battery 22 Power SupplyGold Mount Batteries 7 7 Note Not all V Mount batteries deliver enough power to supply the camera We recommend to not use any batteries with a capacity of less than 90 Wh 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 Gold Mount is the battery mounting system of Anton Bauer batteries The batteries transmit information on their remaining capacity to the camera ALEXA displays the remaining capacity in percent on the Homescreen of the camera display For Gold Moun
75. ra as time base Normally the TC hour value is increased by 1 hour for each new reel usiong only hours 01 20 for reel 1 20 and then restarting at hour 01 for reel 21 Variations Might be used on a production normally using external TC for high speed scenes then returning to Ext TC for regular scenes later Restrictions None 12 4 Working with User Setups Appendix In this appendix Technical specifications Camera Dimensions ALEXA Camera Accessory List Infos and Warnings 92 95 96 98 12 5 Technical specifications 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 Image processing White balance CC Shift El rating Recorded image resolution Viewfinder Type Technology Resolution Power ALEV III CMOS sensor 0 750 60 000 fps 5 0 358 0 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 2000 11000 Kelvin 8 to 8 translates to full magenta full green gel correction 160 1600 ASA 1920 x 1080 pixels downscaled from 2880 x 1620 ARRI EVF 1 LCOS imaging device 1280 x 784 pixels Power supply Power management
76. ra sufficiently The power draw of the camera in basic configuration is about 85 W Note when powering accessories through the camera the power draw of the camera is increased by the amount of power drawn by the accessories Power Management When using the BAT connector and one or more onboard battery adapters simultaneously the camera power management 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 automatically switches to the other power source avoiding shutdown of the system So as an example one could use a 12 V onboard battery as backup for the main 24 V battery or power the camera from the 24 V battery while on a tripod and use the 12 V battery for fast switching to handheld mode by just unplugging the power cable When using two onboard battery adapters with batteries in parallel they are treated as one source by the camera This allows combining small batteries with less load per item into one strong power source Power Supply BAT Connector 19 7 2 7 3 7 4 BAT Connector The BAT connector of ALEXA is a Fischer 2 pin socket located on the bottom back of the camera right side The socket accepts power cables KC 20S and KC 29S The cables can either be connected to the mains unit NG 12 26R or to 24V Cine style batteries with three pin XLR
77. rd all clips are imported as one bin into FCP 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 AON L A004R1U Info AQOARALJ Modified Today 5 03 PM Y Spotlight Comments KB available _RlLJ mov Y Preview ZA A004C002 _RlLj mov A004C003 __R1Lj mov Te B A004C004 _RlLj mov a Se ene saa 3 eated Today 5 ZA A004C005 _RlLJ mov cs Modified Today 5 03 PM A004C006 _R1LJ mov lt Format Universal Disk Format UDF E ADO4C007 _R1LJ mov Capacity 16 17 GB Available Zero KB Used 16 17 GB on disk 16 165 822 464 bytes 7 AOOAR1LJ_FCP xml Name A004C003_201008 13_R1L mov Kind QuickTime movie Size 160 5 MB on disk Created Today 5 04 PM Modified Today 5 04 PM Last opened Today 5 04 PM More Info Dimensions Duration O Shared folder gt Name amp Extension Y Preview More info Figure 64 Screenshot of ALEXA SxS card under Mac OS X File naming scheme 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 Operation of The Camera Recording 83
78. s bridge 15mm rods can be directly inserted into the camera housing 19mm rods require a bridge plate with 19mm rod support BP 12 or BP 5 BP 8 BPA 1 The lens bridge LS 10 for 15 mm rods is mounted to the rods by pushing it on the rods from the front while the lens bridge LS 9 for 19 mm rods is mounted to the rods by pushing it on the rods from the top 44 OpticsLens Support When the bridge is in the right position on the rods it is fixed with the screw or lever on its side It is attached to the lens support ring with its center screw The lever on the back of the lens bridge fixes the height of the center screw Figure 28 Camera with BP 12 19mm rods and lens bridge Camera Controls Main Controls 45 11 Camera Controls The camera can be controlled through three different interfaces e Main controls Located on the camera right side Consist of a 3 LCD screen with screen buttons changing their behavior depending on the screen content a jogwheel to navigate through menus and adjust parameters and a range of function buttons with dedicated behavior e Operator controls Located on the camera left side Consist of three assignable function buttons plus three function buttons for quick and easy operator interaction e EVF controls Located on the electronic viewfinder Allow adjustment of viewfinder parameters and the most important image related parameters 11 1 Main Controls The main controls can
79. se solvents to clean Do not remove any stickers or paint marked screws Always place a lens or a protective cap in the lens mount receptacle 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 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 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 COMPRESSED AIR OR GAS TO BLOW OFF THE DUST This can severely damage optical elements Safety Instructions Specific Safety Instructions 15 If 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 NEVER USE METHANOL OR 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 l
80. stand 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 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 occurence 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 representati
81. stored in the camera Note Switching surround view ON and frame lines OFF is a dangerous combination as there is no indication in the EVF image that it shows more than is recorded which can lead to framing errors Operation of The Camera Recording 79 11 3 2 Viewfinder CAM menu 12 12 1 12 1 1 Pressing the CAM button on the EVF opens the cam menu The settings displayed in the top bar section of the viewfinder can be adjusted These are Sensor Fps Shutter Angle Exposure Index and White Balance The values that can be chosen mirror the content of the respective lists in the main UI Select the setting to be changed with the jogwheel press the jogwheel to open the list Select a list value and press the jogwheel again To quit the menu press the CAM button Operation of The Camera This chapter describes what has to be done overall to perform a certain task It contains the necessary hardware setup and camera configuration to perform the task Recording Internal recording This chapter contains in formation and recommendations for recording with SxS cards The user is of course free to modify the recommended worksteps to his needs Note ARRI cannot be held responsible for the loss of any data in conjunction with internal recording 80 Operation of The CameraRecording ALEXA can internally record on Sony SXS Pro cards These cards have an ExpressCard34 form factor and are currently available with 8 16 3
82. t 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 Using Time code The purpose of Time code is to ensure that each image stored on one medium has a unique value through which it can be identified By doing this in combination with correct reel naming which is toi ensure that each storage medium used in a production has a unique name each image acquired in a production can be identified uniquely There are many different ways how Timecode can be used in a production The 2 most common ways are presented as examples External TC Time of day e Use This format is often used on multi camera productions with sync sound The cameras are running on a sync sound speed which is also the project frame rate if done correctly sound and image time code should match and allow an easy alignment in post e Setup The sound department acts as the Time code master and generates a Timecode which uses the Time of day as a value and the time base is the project frame rate 24 hours of time will translate into 24 hours of Time code Using Time code 89 90 Operation of The CameraWorking with User Setups This Time code is fed to the camera via the LTC in The camera must be set to Ext LTC Free Run and the project fps setting must match both the sensor frame rate and the time base of the external TC sig
83. t batteries the user does not need to set the battery warning level due to the communication of camera and battery Attaching the battery to the adapter e Place the battery with the three pins into the adapter so that the pins sit in the corresponding holes of the mount e Move the battery to the right until you hear a snap e Make sure it is connected correctly and sits tight Releasing the battery e When facing the battery move the lever located on the left side of the mount down Power Supply Power Outputs 23 7 8 e Move the battery left then pull it towards you and remove it Figure 9 Camera with BAB G and a Gold Mount battery Note Not all Gold Mount batteries deliver enough power to supply the camera We recommend to not use any batteries with a capacity of less than 90 Wh 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 Power Outputs The camera has three power outputs for accessories 2x 24 V and 1x 12 Figure 10 24 V outputs RS and 12 V output 24 Power SupplyPower Outputs 7 8 1 7 8 2 12 V Accessories The 12 V output is located on the right side of the camera It has a 2 pin LEMO connector and can supply a device with a current of up to 2 5A depending on the camera power supply 24 V Accessories Two RS outputs are located on the
84. tem is by looking at an example The following example describes a frame lines file for a 2 35 centered aspect ratio inside the cameras 1 78 recorded image lt xml version 1 0 encoding UTF 8 gt SINO MES 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 tor selecting the correct files So the user can only select glasses for his camera current setup gt lt camera gt lt type gt Alexa EV lt type gt 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 lt This describes the surround view or overscan area You can select the opacity in the range 0 1 with discrete steps 0 O525 W557 VETS and the border width and color gt lt surround gt lt opacity gt 0 5 lt opacity gt lt If you omit the border tag no border is shown gt lt border gt lt l This 1S the widt
85. tem state Info Shows that important information is waiting on the Info screen White icon signals warning red icon signals error Thermometer informs about a sensor temperature problem White icon signals small temperature offset slightly reduced image quality red icon signals high temperature offset significantly reduced image quality Note A sensor temperature warning or error after bootup is normal until the sensor has reached its preset temperature Lock Signals that the Ul is locked Not all buttons are affected buttons that still work USER HOME REC ON OFF SD card Signals that an SD card is present The color changes to orange while the card is accessed read write All icons of the Homescreen from left to right Info white red Thermometer white red Lock SD card L O Lists and User Lists The HOMESCREEN screen buttons FPS SHUTTER WB White Balance and El Exposure Index open screens with lists that contain preconfigured values for the respective setting Except for El all lists are user lists where the user can store a selection of his preferred settings for quick access To select a preset turn the jogwheel until the selection bar is on the desired value and press the jogwheel Note In the FPS list selection of frame rates higher than 30 fps are disabled if an SxS card is inserted Frame rates of 30 60 fps for recording with external devices can only be set if
86. ter angle Press the DELETE button to delete list entries Entries must first be selected with wheel Deletion must be confirmed by pressing the two lower screen buttons simultaneously After deletion the SHUTTER list screen is loaded and a new value must be selected Note Default values cannot be deleted Select the entry you wish to delete SHUTTER ANGLE Press both buttons DELETE DELETE Figure 44 Shutter list delete screen 62 Camera ControlsMain Controls 11 1 4 4 El The Exposure Index is the applied sensitivity of the camera Note The Exposure Index list has a fixed content meaning that it cannot be changed by the user ALEXA has a basic sensitivity of 800 ASA This means that the dynamic range is evenly distributed above and below neutral grey with very low noise in the blacks and a very screen clipping behavior in the whites Due to its high dynamic range the sensitivity can be set in a range from 160 1600 ASA in steps of 1 3 stops while keeping a high image quality Applying the extreme ASA ratings will nonetheless have an influence on the images At low ASA ratings like 160 ASA the dynamic range below neutral grey gets bigger which will reduce noise even further At the same time the dynamic range above neutral grey is slightly reduced The clipping itself is not influenced by this but the shoulder of the gamma curve will get slightly steeper which will reduce the smoothness of the clipping At high
87. try to the list 1 step of CC SHIFT translates to 035 Kodak CC values or 1 8 Rosco values 64 Camera ControlsMain Controls Note A maximum of 16 entries is supported by the list After reaching this number of entries it is no longer possible to add entries without deleting others first WHITE BALANCE adds Green adds Magenta Figure 47 Ad WB screen White balance and color compensation should be adjusted only with the help of appropriate equipment This can either be a color meter or a vectorscope together with a calibrated grey card List values no longer required can be deleted by pressing the DELETE screen button This opens a screen where the values desired for deletion can be selected with the jogwheel To delete the selected value press the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously Note Default values cannot be deleted Select the entry you wish to delete WHITE BALANCE Press both buttons Figure 48 Delete WB list enrty Camera Controls Main Controls 65 11 1 5 11 1 5 1 Menu The menu contains parameters for the basic camera setup It has a tree structure and the current path in the menu is displayed in the top section of every screen To access a new menu level select the group with the jogwheel and press the jogwheel This will open the next level To go one level back up press BACK A parameter has its value displayed at the right part of the screen Select it with
88. ut of the slot Cards do not have to be mounted or unmounted They can be ejected whenever the camera is not writing to the cards Even if cards are ejected during record they maintain their functionality with the last take intact except that the last three seconds of the take are lost Note If a writing process is interrupted by power loss or card eject remove the card from the camera copy all data from the card and format the card before using it again A card select button is located between the card slots By pushing it the currently active card can be toggled Each card has an LED that signals the card state to the user 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 CARD Currently only Sony SxS Pro cards can be used with ALEXA Sony SxS One cards are not supported yet 42 OpticsLens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS 10 10 1 Optics ALEXA is equipped with an exchangeable lens mount By using different adapters not only PL mount lenses are supported but a wide range of Cine and still photo lenses Note Lenses must cover an image circle of at least 30 mm diameter to eliminate the risk of vignetting Lens Adapter PL Mount LA PL 1 no LDS The lens adapter LA PL 1 is the standard lens mount delivered with ALEXA It can be used to attach any PL mou
89. ve 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 or 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 Disc
90. white i will appear signaling more information is available on the INFO screen Note For more information on setting the low battery warning level see Menu gt System gt Power on page 73 Charging the battery e Connect the charger to AC mains power e Plug the charger cable into the charge input socket of the battery e Once charged batteries may be kept on the charger until required Note For more information on CINE VCLX 2 battery and charger please check the corresponding manual Onboard Batteries The camera can be equipped with adapters for either V Mount or Gold Mount video style batteries The following two adapters are currently available e BAB G Back mount adapter Gold Mount batteries e BAB V Back mount adapter V Mount batteries Two further adapters will be available soon e BAT G Top mount adapter Gold Mount batteries e BAT V Top mount adapter V Mount batteries Note Adapters must be installed by a trained technician Anton Bauer Gold Mount batteries and ID X V Mount batteries transmit their remaining capacity to the camera which is displayed in percent on the Homescreen of the camera display For these batteries the user does not need to set the battery warning level due to the communication between the camera and the battery Power Supply V Mount Batteries 21 7 6 V Mount Batteries V Mount batteries are available from a number of manufacturers V Mount batteries from ID X transmit inf
91. y 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 11 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 Switching power sources without the need to reboot saves valuable time during a shoot Introduction to ALEXA About This Manual 11 ALEV Ill sensor The ALEV lll 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 stops at a base sensitivity of 800 ASA The result is a superior image quality 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 sile

Arri Alexa User Manual

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents