Embraced by the world’s leading filmmakers as soon as it was announced, the ALEXA Mini LF is ARRI’s flagship large-format camera. Versatile and adaptable due to its compact size, low weight, and multiple recording formats, the Mini LF offers the best overall image quality for large format and an exciting new REVEAL Color Science post workflow.
The ALEXA Mini LF was an ideal choice, capturing every detail authentically and allowing us to convey the intensity of the characters and the importance of the setting in a unique way. It is exceptional for close-ups, always keeping the essence of the surrounding environment alive.
Timoty Aliprandi
Cinematographer
I was looking for strong highlights and soft, natural skin tones as part of the look treatment without adding many filters on top. The flexibility that came with the ALEXA Mini LF bodies worked perfectly for our anamorphic approach.
Shelly Sharma
Cinematographer IWCC
The compact design of the ALEXA Mini LF was another significant factor because we had many scenes in tight shooting spaces. It allowed me to follow the actors closely and capture their performances more dynamically.
Dries Delputte SBC
Cinematographer
The expanded frame size of the Mini LF does an excellent job of placing the viewer right in the action.
Darron Savage
Writer, Producer, Director
The ALEXA Mini LF provides an out-of-the-box organic feel with spectacular skin tone fidelity. The small, lightweight Mini LF was essential for capturing the shots we needed.
Antonio Michael
Cinematographer
The ALEXA Mini LF provided the reliability and versatility we needed to experiment and tell our story exactly how we wanted to.
Andrew Trost
Cinematographer
I chose ALEXA Mini LF for my project because it offered me more flexibility. The shallow depth of field provided by the large format was essential, since I had very little distance between the LED wall and the talent.
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Dario Scommegna
Cinematographer
The large format was perfect for our film, because of the slightly enhanced way of separating the characters from the background.
Juan Sarmiento G. ADFC, BVK
Cinematographer
Learn all about ARRI’s new colorpipeline for ALEXA Mini LF, ALEXA 35 and other ALEXA models.
The ALEXA Mini LF is a versatile camera that allows my visual style to be captured just as I envisioned it. ARRI cameras are a legacy to cinema, and I couldn't picture the 90's retro-aesthetic of my film, "Hooky," with another camera.
Princess Usanga
Director
We chose ALEXA Mini LF for its reliability, versatility, and compact size. ALEXA’s highest dynamic range were extremely helpful for interior shots.
Silviu Stavila
Cinematographer
When I switched from analog to digital, I was immediately impressed by the unique quality of ALEXA cameras. Despite a lot of testing, I have captured all my films on these cameras ever since, with ALEXA Mini LF being my first choice.
Martin Langer
Cinematographer
Between the exceptional highlight response and the incredible low-light capabilities, the ALEXA Mini LF gave us the most flexibility when it came time to crafting our images.
Adriel Gonzalez
Cinematographer
The ALEXA Mini LF was an easy choice for its organic rendering of colours, even in the lowest light levels.
Jall Cowasji
Cinematographer
ALEXA Mini LF’s incredible color rendition, and the sensational images achievable by exploiting mixed lights, leave me free to experiment. The knowledge that everything I frame will reflect my vision without limits, enriching the creative flow, is something I consider of paramount importance.
Ferran Paredes Rubio
Cinematographer
The ALEXA Mini LF is a great handheld camera. I needed a camera with comfortable ergonomics that allowed me freedom to move around in space for long improvisations, and at the same time a good dynamic range and accurate color capture.
Wilssa Esser
Cinematographer
The dynamic range and accurate color reproduction of the ALEXA Mini LF allowed me to create a dedicated look. This was a perfect opportunity to combine all my knowledge and experience with ARRI color science on the Mini LF.
Eduardo Ramirez ADFC
Cinematographer
I love the sensor, the color sensitivity…I love the format because you can shoot a close-up with a slightly longer lens; I didn’t want that distortion you get with a wider lens.
Sir Roger Deakins CBE, ASC, BSC
Cinematographer
The ALEXA Mini LF has made possible what I thought was previously impossible with large-format photography. The freedom it allows me as a DP, to move the camera in whatever way I feel is best, is unbeatable.
Greig Fraser ACS, ASC
Cinematographer
When filming in a volume, you want to avoid having the LED screens in focus, which led us to the ALEXA Mini LF. The camera gave me the immersive large-format look that I really like and could be fed with a genlock signal to communicate directly with the LED wall.
Nik Summerer
Cinematographer
Owning an ALEXA Mini LF has really helped us grow as a company, elevating us to be able to produce three indie features in three years, and to move from a small basement to three offices with eight full-time employees.
Carson Nordgaard
Producer/cinematographer, D&N Cinematics LLC
Owning a Mini LF has opened up a whole new dimension of cinematography for me. The unique field of view and the ability to isolate talent within a frame has given my work a distinctive look. Being an owner-operator means I can use it on a variety of projects, no matter the budget.
Chris Bell
Cinematographer
The wildness of some of the locations was one of the reasons why I chose the ALEXA Mini LF, because I knew I could trust it.
Josua Stäbler about shooting with the ALEXA Mini LF for the YouTube climate change series, “Seat at the Table”
Cinematographer
The ALEXA Mini LF offers a wide choice of recording formats, among them 4.5K Open Gate and anamorphic Super 35 that fulfills 4K mandates. Multiple frame lines can be used simultaneously, including a vertical 9:16 crop for social media that takes full advantage of the tall ARRI sensor. Ideal for multi-format shoots or whatever aspect ratio, resolution, and data rate suit your production, the Mini LF is truly cinematic, and truly flexible.
Designed for flexibility
At only 2.6 kg / 5.7 lb. with the LPL lens mount, the ALEXA Mini LF is perfectly sized for the smallest rigs and stabilizers. Internal ARRI FSND filters, a hot-pluggable viewfinder, and built-in scratch mics are time-savers on set.
Fully featured inputs and outputs
ALEXA Mini LF offers a range of industry-standard connectors. Highlights include a 6G-capable SDI output supporting 4K monitoring, an EXT port for remote camera control and multiple-camera sensor-sync, built-in genlock, and 12 & 24 V power outputs for your accessories.
Media bay for robust Compact Drives
Originally launched with the 1TB CODEX Compact Drive, the ALEXA Mini LF now supports the 2TB Compact Drive for increased recording times.
Interchangeable lens mount
Industry-standard LPL and PL lens mounts support your favorite lenses with LDS, LDS-2, and Cooke/i lens data, while the PL-to-LPL adapter provides a rock-solid option for quickly switching between both standards. The new EF LBUS mount unlocks numerous specialty and budget-friendly options, and the Leitz M mount supports a unique and diminutive range of glass.
MVF-2 viewfinder or CCM-1 monitor
Full camera control, menu access and high quality monitoring is provided through the familiar, HDR-capable MVF-2 viewfinder or the new daylight viewable, touchscreen 7" CCM-1 monitor. Learn more about the CCM-1 here.
Integrated motor controller and radio module
A built-in motor controller with LBUS connectivity removes the need for bulky, external boxes and results in clean, elegant camera builds. An integrated EMIP radio module provides connectivity to a host of ARRI ECS hand units including the Hi‑5, WCU‑4, SXU-1, and RIA‑1 enabled LBUS controllers.
Next-gen B-Mount support
By utilizing one of our power splitting boxes, users can make use of existing V-Mount and Gold Mount batteries or adopt the new 24 V B-Mount system introduced with the ALEXA 35. Power splitting boxes also provide an additional 10 power outputs for accessories.
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EXT Port for multi-camera sync
Pixel-perfect sync of up to 16 ALEXA Mini LFs is effortless with the ARRI EDB-2 EXT Distribution Box. Client cameras will automatically respond to changes on a single host camera, giving you more time to focus on creating immersive background plates for VFX or cinematic VR imagery.
Regular updates
Software updates are regular and free for all users, often introducing new features and helping ARRI cameras to hold their value for longer. The latest software release for the ALEXA Mini LF supports the Camera Control Monitor CCM-1. Explore more.
Camera Companion App
The ARRI Camera Companion App offers remote control of one or multiple cameras, with a focus on functions that are most frequently needed during production. Nearly all camera functions can be controlled via the app, playback, frame rate, ND filters, and white balance. Adjusting these parameters has never been so simple or intuitive – and you can do it without even having to touch the camera. Explore more.
Industry Standard Apple ProRes
Supported natively by all major postproduction tools, Apple ProRes is used daily across countless productions, big and small. Every recording format in the ALEXA Mini LF supports Apple ProRes recording at the maximum possible frame rate. Explore more.
Uncompressed ARRIRAW
ARRIRAW is ARRI’s format for uncompressed, unencrypted, and uncompromised sensor data. It can be considered a digital version of the camera negative, free from artifacts introduced by image compression. The HDE workflow now offers significantly reduced data rates for ARRIRAW capture, without affecting image quality. Explore more.
CODEX High Density Encoding (HDE) is a loss-less encoding scheme that reduces ARRIRAW file sizes by around 40%. Despite the smaller footprint, HDE does not compromise on quality. Once decoded, the output results in a bit-for-bit perfect match to the original ARRIRAW file. Supported by leading content providers and postproduction applications, HDE reduces storage, shortens transfer times, and speeds up workflows, which translates to direct savings of time and money.
The many accessory options for the ALEXA Mini LF further enhance its flexibility and make it suitable for a huge range of shooting styles. Our three Ready to Shoot Sets include everything you need except a card reader, as there are two to choose from. Lightweight, modular, and based on decades of experience, ARRI accessories are famously rugged and reliable. SAM plates provide a quick way to transition from shoulder or tripod to stabilizer.
The ALEXA Mini LF uses the same sensor as the ALEXA LF. This is the ALEV 3 A2X sensor, which has the same photosite size and type as ARRI Super 35 digital cameras. The ALEV 3 A2X has 4448 x 3096 photosites (yes, it is therefore a 4.5K sensor) and measures 36.70 x 25.54 mm / 1.444 x 1.005" and requires a 44.71 mm / 1.760" image circle.
Watch the video here.
The ALEXA Mini LF supports large-format as well as Super 35 recording formats, please see the table below.
The ALEXA Mini LF (left) has the same dimensions and the same mounting points as the ALEXA Mini (right), except for the media bay on the camera left side. The ALEXA Mini LF camera body with an LPL lens mount weighs 2.6 Kg/5.7 lbs. The ALEXA Mini LF MVF-2 viewfinder weighs 800 g/1.7 lbs.
The ALEXA Mini LF uses the new, small and cost-effective Codex Compact Drive 1 TB and 2 TB.
The Compact Drive has been specifically designed for the small form factor of our cameras, using new flash technology in a miniaturized tough enclosure. The ALEXA Mini LF accepts Compact Drives directly, without the need for an adapter. ALEXA LF and ALEXA SXT W do not support the Compact Drive.
Both ARRIRAW and Apple ProRes recording can utilize the drive's full recording capacity. The drive will be formatted by the ALEXA Mini LF in the UDF format for ARRIRAW and Apple ProRes. Therefore, both ARRIRAW and Apple ProRes can be recorded onto the same media without reformatting or switching drives.
To get an overview of recording media for ARRI cameras, please take a look at the Supported Recording Media document.
The ALEXA Mini LF has an input voltage range from 11 V to 34 V. Therefore, it can be easily powered by any 12 V on-board battery as well as by a 24 V on-board battery. The ALEXA Mini LF has a power draw slightly higher than the ALEXA Mini, at around 65 W when recording ARRIRAW at 24 fps with the MVF-2 viewfinder connected. Electronic accessories will, of course, increase power draw.
