ARRI ALEXA LF User manual

ALEXA LF

ALEXA LF

Software Update Package 4.0

Software Update Package 4.0

U S E R M A N U A L

U S E R M A N U A L

6 November 2018

6 November 2018

2 Copyright

Copyright

All rights reserved.

This document is provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use
and disclosure and is also protected by copyright law.

Due to continued product development this information may change without notice.
The information and intellectual property contained herein is confidential between
ARRI and the client and remains the exclusive property of ARRI. If you find any
problems in the documentation, please report them to us in writing. ARRI does not
warrant that this document is error-free.

Arnold & Richter Cine Technik
Tuerkenstr. 89
D-80799 Munich
Germany

mailto: [e-mail]
http://www.arri.com

Contents 3

Contents

1 Disclaimer...............................................................................................7

2 About This Manual................................................................................ 9

3 Scope.................................................................................................... 10

4 Introduction to the ALEXA LF............................................................11

5 Layout of the ALEXA.......................................................................... 12

6 Safety Guidelines.................................................................................14

6.1 Explanation of Warning Signs and Indications.................................... 14

6.2 General Safety Guidelines.................................................................. 14

6.3 Specific Safety Instructions................................................................. 14

7 General Precautions............................................................................16

7.1 Storage and Transport........................................................................ 16

7.2 Condensation.......................................................................................16

8 Sensor related image issues..............................................................17

9 Power Supply.......................................................................................18

9.1 Power Management............................................................................ 18

9.2 BAT Connector.................................................................................... 18

9.3 Mains Unit NG 12/26 R.......................................................................19

9.4 Cine-Style Block Batteries................................................................... 19

9.5 Onboard Batteries............................................................................... 20

9.5.1 V-Lock Batteries................................................................................ 20

9.5.2 Gold Mount Batteries.........................................................................20

9.6 Power Outputs.....................................................................................21

10 Camera Support...................................................................................22

10.1 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation........................... 22

10.2 Tripod and Remote Heads.................................................................. 22

10.3 Electronic Viewfinder........................................................................... 22

10.3.1 Viewfinder Cables..............................................................................24

10.3.2 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket.............................................................24

10.4 Center Camera Handle CCH-1........................................................... 26

10.5 Bridge Plates BP-12/BP-13................................................................. 27

10.6 Bridge Plate adapter BPA-1................................................................ 28

10.7 Wedge Adapter WA-1 and Quick-Release Plate QR-HD-1................. 28

10.8 Levelling Block LB-1............................................................................28

10.9 Shoulder Pad SP-3..............................................................................29

4 Contents

11 Connectors........................................................................................... 30

11.1 BAT...................................................................................................... 31

11.2 RET IN.................................................................................................31

11.3 MON OUT 1/2/3.................................................................................. 31

11.4 EXT...................................................................................................... 32

11.5 ETHERNET..........................................................................................32

11.6 EVF...................................................................................................... 32

11.7 AUDIO IN.............................................................................................32

11.8 RS........................................................................................................ 32

11.9 12 V..................................................................................................... 33

11.10 TC........................................................................................................ 33

11.11 AUDIO OUT.........................................................................................33

11.12 SD Card...............................................................................................33

11.13 LBUS Support......................................................................................34

12 Recording Module............................................................................... 36

13 Lens Mounting..................................................................................... 40

13.1 LPL mount........................................................................................... 40

13.2 PL-to-LPL Adapter...............................................................................41

13.3 Lens Support....................................................................................... 41

14 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM........................................................ 43

14.1 Safety instructions for in-camera filtration........................................... 44

14.1.1 Maximum lens mounting depth for PL lenses................................... 44

14.1.2 Basic precautions.............................................................................. 45

14.1.3 Required shimming and maximum lens mounting depth.................. 45

14.2 LF FSND Filter Set (Full).................................................................... 45

14.3 Shimming the lens mount................................................................... 46

14.4 Mounting in-camera filters................................................................... 52

14.5 Filter cleaning...................................................................................... 55

15 Camera Controls..................................................................................57

15.1 Main Controls...................................................................................... 57

15.1.1 Display............................................................................................... 57

15.1.2 Screen Buttons.................................................................................. 58

15.1.3 HOME screen.................................................................................... 58

15.1.3.1 Lists and User Lists.................................................................................... 61

15.1.3.2 FPS..............................................................................................................62

15.1.3.3 AUDIO......................................................................................................... 63

15.1.3.4 SHUTTER....................................................................................................66

15.1.3.5 EI................................................................................................................. 66

15.1.3.6 COLOR........................................................................................................ 68

15.1.3.7 WB............................................................................................................... 71

Contents 5

15.1.4 Function Buttons................................................................................73

15.1.4.1 TC................................................................................................................ 74

15.1.4.2 INFO............................................................................................................ 75

15.1.4.3 USER...........................................................................................................78

15.1.4.4 PLAY............................................................................................................82

15.1.4.5 Wireless Remote System............................................................................ 85

15.1.5 Menu.................................................................................................. 93

15.1.5.1 Recording.................................................................................................... 94

15.1.5.2 Monitoring.................................................................................................... 96

15.1.5.3 Project........................................................................................................104

15.1.5.4 System.......................................................................................................106

15.1.5.5 Frame Grabs............................................................................................. 116

15.1.5.6 User Setups...............................................................................................117

15.2 Operator controls...............................................................................119

15.3 EVF Controls..................................................................................... 120

15.3.1 Viewfinder EVF menu......................................................................121

15.3.2 Viewfinder CAM menu.....................................................................122

15.4 Web Remote......................................................................................123

16 Wireless Video................................................................................... 124

16.1 Setting the region of the wireless video function...............................125

16.2 Preparation........................................................................................ 125

16.3 Status LEDs.......................................................................................125

16.4 Pairing camera and receivers........................................................... 125

16.5 Supported resolutions........................................................................127

16.6 Sample setups...................................................................................127

16.7 Software update................................................................................ 128

17 Operation of the Camera.................................................................. 129

17.1 Internal recording...............................................................................129

17.1.1 Recording Module........................................................................... 129

17.1.2 Internal Recording Formats............................................................. 129

17.2 Monitoring.......................................................................................... 136

17.2.1 Frame Lines.....................................................................................136

17.2.2 Status Info Overlays........................................................................137

17.3 Using Timecode.................................................................................139

17.4 Syncing the Sensors of Two Cameras..............................................140

17.5 Syncing the Settings of Two Cameras.............................................. 142

18 Remote Control Unit RCU-4............................................................. 145

19 Index....................................................................................................146

20 Appendix.............................................................................................149

20.1 Technical data....................................................................................149

20.2 Connector Pin Outs...........................................................................152

6 Contents

20.3 False Color Display........................................................................... 157

20.4 Warning and Error Messages............................................................158

20.5 Dimensions and Weights...................................................................162

20.6 Declarations of Conformity................................................................ 162

Disclaimer 7

1 Disclaimer

Before using the products described in this manual be sure to read and understand all
respective instruction.

The ARRI ALEXA is only available to commercial customers. The customer grants by
utilization that the ARRI ALEXA or other components of the system are deployed for
commercial use. Otherwise the customer has the obligation to contact ARRI preceding
the utilization.

While ARRI endeavors to enhance the quality, reliability and safety of their products,
customers agree and acknowledge that the possibility of defects thereof cannot be
eliminated entirely. To minimize risk of damage to property or injury (including death)
to persons arising from defects in the products, customers must incorporate sufficient
safety measures in their work with the system and have to heed the stated canonic
use.

ARRI or its subsidiaries do not assume any responsibility for incurred losses due to
improper handling or configuration of the camera or other system components, due
to sensor contamination, occurrence of dead or defective pixels, defective signal
connections or incompatibilities with third party recording devices.

ARRI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The
information is subject to change without notice.

For product specification changes since this manual was published, refer to the
latest publications of ARRI data sheets or data books, etc., for the most up-to-date
specifications. Not all products and/or types are available in every country. Please
check with an ARRI sales representative for availability and additional information.

Neither ARRI nor its subsidiaries assume any liability for infringement of patents,
copyrights or other intellectual property rights of third parties by or arising from the
use of ARRI products or any other liability arising from the use of such products. No
license, express, implied or otherwise, is granted under any patents, copyrights or
other intellectual property right of ARRI or others.

ARRI or its subsidiaries expressly exclude any liability, warranty, demand or other
obligation for any claim, representation, or cause, or action, or whatsoever, express
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.

ARRI is a registered trademark of Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co Betriebs
KG.

The ALEXA viewfinder EVF-1 contains proprietary technology owned by Fourth
Dimension Displays Limited and licensed by ARRI.

This product contains licensed technology from Linotype.

Quicktime and Quicktime logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc., used under license therefrom.

Apple ProRes 422 Proxy, Apple ProRes 422 LT, Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes
422 HQ, Apple ProRes 4444, Apple ProRes 4444 XQ, and the ProRes logo are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., used under license
therefrom.

8 Disclaimer

SxS and are trademarks of SONY corporation.

mkdosfs

Portions ©1998, Robert Nordier. All Rights Reserved.

© 1998, Robert Nordier. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.

Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR(S) “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR(S) BE
LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY,
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA,
OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

About This Manual 9

2 About This Manual

ARRI recommends that all users of the ALEXA read the manual in its entirety prior
to use. For experienced users, the manual's structure also provides quick access for
reference.

How to Use This Manual

All directions are given from a camera operator's point of view. For example, camera­right side refers to the right side of the camera when standing behind the camera and
operating it in a normal fashion.

Connectors are written in all capital letters, for example, MON OUT. Menus and
screens on the Main Camera Controls are written in all capital letters, for example,
RECORDING menu and HOME screen. Buttons are written in italic typeface capital
letters, for example, PLAY button.

The appendix at the back of the manual contains useful reference material including
ALEXA specifications, connector pin-out diagrams, a false color display explanation,
error and warning message explanations, ALEXA dimensional drawings and a menu
structure tree.

10 Scope

3 Scope

This instruction manual applies to the following hardware, software and firmware
versions:

ALEXA LF: with Electronic Viewfinder EVF-1 or EVF-2;

Camera Software Update Package (SUP) for ALEXA LF cameras: 4.0

Document revision history

Document ID: D45 10003373

Version Release Date

2.0 K09699 19 March 2018

K09716 6 April 2018

3.0 K09810 7 August 2018

4.0 K09867 6 November 2018

Introduction to the ALEXA LF 11

4 Introduction to the ALEXA LF

The ALEXA LF (Large Format) camera is part of a complete large-format system that
meets and exceeds modern production requirements. Based around a large-format

4.5K version of the ALEXA sensor, the system comprises the ALEXA LF camera,
ARRI Signature Prime lenses, new LPL lens mount and PL adapter. These system
elements have been designed to take fullest advantage of the enlarged sensor, while
also offering full compatibility with existing lenses, accessories and workflows.

Featuring a sensor slightly larger than full frame, ALEXA LF records native 4.5K with
ARRI’s best overall image quality. This allows filmmakers to explore an immersive
large-format aesthetic while retaining the sensor’s proven suitability for HDR
and WCG workflows. Versatile recording formats, including efficient ProRes and
uncompressed ARRIRAW up to 150 fps, provide unprecedented creative freedom.

ALEXA LF has the biggest sensor area of any cinema camera on the market, second
only to ARRI Rental’s ALEXA 65. Maintaining the ALEXA family’s optimal pixel size for
highest overall image quality results in a 4448 x 3096 picture, which can be recorded
in full using the LF Open Gate sensor mode. An LF 16:9 sensor mode maximizes
lens options while meeting 4K deliverable standards, and an LF 2.39:1 sensor mode
combines a cinematic widescreen image with high frame rates for sensuous slow
motion. All sensor modes offer true 800 ASA sensitivity as well as reduced noise,
providing the perfect canvas for modern, subtle lighting techniques.

A crucial element of the new system is the LPL lens mount, with dimensions optimized
for large format sensors. A wider diameter and shorter flange focal depth allows the
ARRI Signature Primes and all future large format lenses to be small and lightweight
with a fast T-stop and pleasing bokeh, a combination of features that would not
be possible within the confines of the PL lens mount. The LPL mount will also be
available for other ARRI cameras such as the ALEXA Mini, so the Signature Primes
can be used for large format and Super 35. In addition, the LPL mount is being
licensed to other lens and camera manufacturers, creating a new universal standard.

Although camera, lens mount and lenses are new, compatibility with existing PL mount
lenses and ALEXA accessories is a cornerstone of the system's design. A PL adapter
offers full backwards compatibility with all PL mount lenses, be they Super 35 or full
frame. Since the PL adapter clips securely into the LPL lens mount without tools,
crews can rapidly switch between PL and LPL lenses on set, offering an unlimited
lens choice to the cinematographer. Since the ALEXA LF is based on the proven,
robust ALEXA camera design, most existing accessories will work right out of the box.
Since all other features and the user interface are the same as in the ALEXA SXT W,
including the integrated wireless video transmitter and the user interface, crews will
quickly adapt to this new camera.

ALEXA LF offers the same proven, versatile workflows as other ALEXA cameras.
Recording at various resolutions is possible in uncompressed, unencrypted ARRIRAW
up to 150 fps or in fast, efficient ProRes up to 100 fps. Lens metadata can be recorded
from LDS-1, LDS-2 or /i capable lenses. Existing ARRI Look Files (ALF-2) can be
used with ALEXA LF and the entire range of ARRI workflow software tools has been
reworked to support ALEXA large-format images.

12 Layout of the ALEXA

5 Layout of the ALEXA

Layout of the ALEXA 13

14 Safety Guidelines

6 Safety Guidelines

Any violation of these safety instructions or non-observance of personal care could
cause serious injuries (including death) to users and affiliates and damage to the
equipment or other objects.

6.1 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.

NOTICE

Indicates further information or information from other instruction manuals

6.2 General Safety Guidelines

Always follow these guidelines to ensure against injury to yourself or others and
damage to the system or other objects.

This safety information is in addition to the product specific operating instructions
in general and must be strictly observed for safety reasons.

Read and understand all safety and operating instructions before you operate or
install the system!

Retain all safety and operating instructions for future reference.
Heed all warnings on the system and in the safety and operating instructions

before you operate or install the system. Follow all installation and operating
instructions.

Do not use accessories or attachments that are not recommended by ARRI, as
they may cause hazards and invalidate the warranty!

Do not attempt to repair any part of the system! Repairs must only be carried out
by authorized ARRI Service Centers.

6.3 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!

Safety Guidelines 15

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 use 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 cap 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.

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.

THE USE OF METHANOL TO CLEAN OPTICAL SURFACES IS NOT
RECOMMENDED!

NEVER USE ACETONE TO CLEAN OPTICAL SURFACES!
NEVER TRY TO REMOVE THE SENSOR COVER GLASS!
DO NOT POINT THE CAMERA INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT, VERY BRIGHT LIGHT

SOURCES, OR HIGH-ENERGY LIGHT SOURCES (e. g. laser beams)! This may
cause permanent damage to the camera image sensor.

DO NOT POINT THE VIEWFINDER INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT, VERY BRIGHT
LIGHT SOURCES, OR HIGH-ENERGY LIGHT SOURCES (e. g. laser beams)!
This may cause permanent damage to the viewfinder display and optical
elements.

During extended operation, high data rates and/or operation at high ambient
temperatures, the camera's surfaces and especially the area around the
ventilation grille on top of the camera at the camera rear can get hot. Use caution
and never cover, obstruct or block the fan inlets or outlets while the camera is
powered.

16 General Precautions

7 General Precautions

7.1 Storage and Transport

Use a lens port cap to prevent damage to the sensor cover glass and sensor
whenever there is no lens attached.

Unplug all cables when transporting the ALEXA in a camera case.
Do not store the camera in places where it may be subject to temperature

extremes, direct sunlight, high humidity, severe vibration, or strong magnetic fields.

7.2 Condensation

When moving the camera from a cool to a warm location or when the camera is
used in a damp environment, condensation may form inside the lens port, on the
sensor cover glass, between the sensor and the sensor cover glass, and on internal or
external electrical connections.

Operating the camera while condensation is present may result in personal injury or
damage to the equipment.

Condensation on the optical components may have a visible effect on the output
images. To reduce the risk of condensation:

Find a warmer storage location.
If the 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.

Sensor related image issues 17

8 Sensor related image issues

Single Frame Spots of Various Shape – also known as “Digital Dust” or
“White Flecks”

Natural and/or artificial radiation may cause a “false exposure” on the image sensor.
The shape of these spots may vary from dots to lines or other, sometimes irregular
shapes. These spots occur in random locations of the image, last only for a single
frame and are more visible in dark images. This is a principle issue of all image
sensors and not a malfunction.

Flicker

Some light sources (i.e. discharge tubes or LEDs) may cause an interference with
sensor exposure. This may result in image flickering or “bands” of different brightness
moving up or down the image. Please note that at higher frame rates (100 fps in 50Hz
countries, 120 fps in 60Hz countries) even tungsten light may flicker. A short recording
and playback will show this flicker.

Rolling Shutter

Due to the rolling shutter design principle of the sensor the following effects can be
observed in certain situations:

Skewed/slanted vertical lines: fast panning or fast-moving objects may result in
vertical structures to appear "skewed/slanted”. The intensity of the effect depends
on the relative speed of panning/object.

Partial exposure: very short light effects (i.e. a photographer’s flash or strobe light)
may result in the upper part of the image showing the light effect whereas the
lower part does not or vice versa.

"Black Sun"

Very bright lights (i.e. the sun, or a photographer’s flash) may result in a black/
magenta spot. Note: pointing the camera directly into the sun may damage the sensor.

Stuck Pixels at Long Exposure Times

At longer exposure times (longer than the standard 1/50th of a second), stuck pixels
may become visible in darker image areas. The longer the exposure time the more
pixels will be affected. When using exposure times longer than 1/50th of a second,
carefully check your image whether the quality meets your requirements.

Stitching with ALEXA LF

The ALEXA LF sensor consists of a large sensor structure that is created by exposing
two Super 35 sensor structures side by side onto a silicon wafer. This process is,
somewhat misleadingly, called “stitching”. As is common with stitched large format
sensors in our industry, in rare situations it is possible to notice the boundary between
the left and right image halves.

18 Power Supply

9 Power Supply

Use only ARRI-recommended power supply solutions.
Manipulation of power supplies could result in serious injury or death, or damage

to the ALEXA.

The ALEXA accepts an input voltage range from 18.5 V to 34 V DC on the on-board
battery and a range from 19.5 V to 34 V DC on the BAT connector. Do not supply
power outside the specified voltage range.

In order to process the increased pixel count while still maintaining ALEXA best
overall image quality, the ALEXA LF draws between 120W and 160W while recording,
with EVF-1 and wireless video transmitter on, but no further accessories attached.
120W have been measured while recording ProRes 4444 in LF 16:9 sensor mode at
24 fps onto SxS PRO+ 256 GB cards. 160W have been measured while recording
ARRIRAW at 90 fps in LF Open Gate sensor mode onto SXR Capture Drives.
Electronic accessories will increase power draw based on the accessories’ draw.

The camera requires a voltage of at least 19.5 V on the BAT connector or 18.5
V on the on-board battery to power on, but it will continue running on a voltage
of down to one volt less (18.5 V / 17.5 V) on the respective inputs.

When powering accessories through the camera, the total power draw of the
camera is increased by the amount of power drawn by the accessories.

Always keep the BAT connector or attached battery accessible so that they can
be unplugged quickly in case of emergency.

9.1 Power Management

When using the BAT connector and an onboard battery adapter simultaneously, the
camera’s power management system ensures that the power source with the highest
voltage level is used. When the voltage level of one power source drops below the
level of the other, or a power source is disconnected from the camera, the power
management system automatically switches to the other power source, avoiding
shutdown of the camera.

Note that this also means that when the onboard battery provides a higher voltage
than the BAT connector, the onboard battery gets used first.

NOTICE

9.2 BAT Connector

The BAT connector is the primary power input on the ALEXA. It is a Fischer 2-pin
socket located at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

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 24 V cine-style batteries with three-pin
XLR outputs. Do not use cables longer than 4m.

Power Supply 19

Fig. 1: BAT connector

9.3 Mains Unit NG 12/26 R

Use of the mains unit is recommended for shooting in the studio and when using
electronic accessories with high power consumption.

To power the ALEXA using the Mains Unit NG 12/26 R:

1. Set the correct mains voltage on the mains unit using the fuse on the back of the
unit. For example, set it to 220 V if the AC mains power source is 220 V.

2. Connect the mains unit to AC mains power.

3. Ensure that the camera power is turned off.

4. Set the voltage switch on the mains unit to 26 V.

5. Connect the battery cable KC-20S or KC-29S (spiral cable) to the power supply
socket on the camera and the 26 V socket on the mains unit.

NOTICE

The NG 12/24 R was the original design that provided 12 & 24 volts output – it was
superseded by the NG 12/26 R, which outputs 12 & 26 volts. The NG 12/24 R can
easily be upgraded to NG 12/26 R specification at an ARRI service center.

9.4 Cine-Style Block Batteries

Any 24 V cine-style block battery with a three-pin XLR output can be used to power
the camera through a KC-20S or a KC-29S battery cable connected to the camera's
BAT connector. The camera will accept any voltage from 19.5 to 34 V on this
connector.

To connect the battery to the camera:

1. Ensure that the main switch on the camera is off.

2. Connect the battery cable KC-20S or KC-29S (spiral cable) to the power supply
socket (BAT) on the camera and the 24V output on the battery.

NOTICE

When the battery voltage drops below the warning level, the BAT1 level in the
camera display will start flashing. A white i will appear, signaling more information
is available on the INFO screen. For more information on setting the low battery
warning level, see Menu>System>Power (on page 109).

20 Power Supply

9.5 Onboard Batteries

The camera can be equipped with battery adapters that accommodate a number
of on-board batteries. When a battery equipped with the TI-protocol for battery
communication is used, the ALEXA will display remaining capacity as a percentage on
the HOME screen.

The top end of the ALEXA LF power draw at 12V can generate currents that various
components in the camera/battery-adapter/on-board-battery system are not rated for.
Therefore, the power input of the ALEXA LF has been set to 18.5 - 34 V for the on­board battery interface, which in turn means that the current ALEXA battery adapters
for 12V Gold mount (BAB-G K2.72003.0 and BAT-G K2.72006.0) and 12V V Lock
(BAB-V K2.72010.0 and BAT-V K2.72011.0) will not work with the ALEXA LF.

While many on-board battery manufacturers have solutions for the ALEXA LF now,
three different adapters are available from ARRI:

RP-CFA1: Hawk-Woods 26V Reel Power Fitting
BAB-HG: Battery Adapter for High Load Gold Mount batteries
BAB-HV: Battery Adapter for High Load V-Lock batteries

NOTICE

Adapters must be installed by a trained technician.
Use only batteries providing a current of at least 15 A for a camera setup

without any accessories. When using accessories like motors or monitors,
choose batteries with higher current according to the power draw of the
accessories.

9.5.1 V-Lock Batteries

V-Lock batteries get their name from the characteristic v-shape of the mounting
mechanism on the back of the battery.

To attach a V-Lock battery:

1. Align the v-shaped wedge on the battery with the v-shaped notch on the battery
plate.

2. Press the battery downwards until you hear a click.

3. Check that the battery is securely mounted on the battery plate.

To release a V-Lock battery:

1. Press the release button on the camera-left side or top of the battery
(manufacturer dependent).

2. While pressing the release button, slide the battery upwards.

9.5.2 Gold Mount Batteries

Gold Mount batteries use three, typically gold colored, off-centered mounting pins to
attach to the battery adapter. Their remaining capacity will be displayed as percentage
on the HOME screen.

To attach a Gold Mount battery:

1. Align the three pins on the back of the battery to the three corresponding holes on
the battery adapter.

2. Press the battery to camera-right until you hear a click.

3. Check that the battery is securely mounted on the battery plate.

Power Supply 21

To release a Gold Mount battery:

1. Press the release button on the camera-left side of the battery adapter.

2. While pressing the release button, slide the battery camera-left, and pull it straight
out.

9.6 Power Outputs

The ALEXA LF has four 24 V power outputs, two at the front and two at the back of
the camera, and one 12 V power output.

For detailed information, see Chapters "RS", page 32 and "12 V", page 33.

22 Camera Support

10 Camera Support

10.1 Minimum Equipment Recommended For Operation

ALEXA LF camera body and LPL mount
Electronic Viewfinder EVF-1 or EVF-2
Viewfinder Mounting Bracket
KC 150-S Viewfinder Cable short 0.35m/1.2ft
CCH-1 Center Camera Handle
BP-12 Bridge Plate with base plate, or BPA-1 with BP-5/BP-8 Bridge Plate and

base plate, or WA-1 Wedge Adapter and Quick Release HD Baseplate
SD card
Compatible power supply
Suitable media for recording

10.2 Tripod and Remote Heads

Tripod and remote heads must have adequate load ratings to support the ALEXA and
attached accessories. See the dimensional drawings and weights for your camera
model in the Appendix of the manual.

NOTICE

Always check the payload limits of a remote head and crane before mounting a
camera.

In applications where the camera mount is subject to high forces (e.g. car or helicopter
mounts) the camera must be additionally secured with appropriate safety restraints. All
mount screws must be tightened firmly with an appropriate screwdriver (not with the
commonly used coin!).

10.3 Electronic Viewfinder

EVF-1

Camera Support 23

The electronic viewfinder EVF-1 employs a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) imaging
device with a temperature-stabilized LED light source to provide a bright, accurate
view of the sensor image in all operating conditions. Each EVF-1 is calibrated to
precisely match the image on the ALEXA's HD-SDI outputs.

The EVF-1 has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, with 32 additional lines of resolution
above and 32 below the image to display camera status information. The EVF-1 can
also display a 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. The low-latency interface of the EVF-1 has a
delay of less than 1 frame.

The EVF-1 has button controls for false color check and zoom, as well as buttons and
a jogwheel to control EVF and camera settings.

Connect the viewfinder to the camera using the viewfinder mounting bracket.

EVF-2

A new and greatly improved electronic viewfinder, the EVF-2, is available as of
mid-August 2018 for the ALEXA LF camera to answer customer's requests for
a better way to judge focus, dynamic range and color. While still maintaining its
predecessor’s proven robustness, reliability and ergonomics, the EVF-2 is equipped
with a new display with full HD resolution and higher contrast, greatly improving the
operator's ability to judge focus and dynamic range. A new glass eyepiece based
on the ARRICAM/AMIRA design provides a clean image, free of distortions and with
greater freedom of movement for the operator through a wider exit pupil. The fully
revamped color science further improves the image, including more accurate color
rendition, a better match to on-set monitors and a stable color balance at all ambient
temperatures, display brightness settings and image brightness levels. An "EVF-1
gamma" setting emulates the EVF-1 tonal behavior for situations where EVF-2 and
EVF-1 are used together on set.

24 Camera Support

NOTICE

Do not point the viewfinder into direct sunlight, very bright light sources, or high­energy light sources (e. g. laser beams)! This may cause permanent damage to the
viewfinder display and optical elements. If possible, cover the eyepiece when not in
use to prevent any damage.

10.3.1 Viewfinder Cables

The viewfinder cables are unidirectional with a male plug to connect to the camera
and a female plug to connect to the viewfinder.

Cables are available in the following lengths:

Model Length

(m / ft)

KC-150-S 0.35 / 1.2 For use of EVF on camera left side in handheld

KC-151-S 0.65 / 2.1 For use of EVF on camera right side or when

Suggested use

mode

using Viewfinder Extension Bracket VEB-1 or
VEB-3

10.3.2 Viewfinder Mounting Bracket

The Viewfinder Mounting Bracket VMB-3 is attached to the camera using two captive
3mm hex socket head screws on top of the camera at the front. The VMB-3 features a
leveling bubble and two internally threaded 15mm rods with standard 60mm distance.
These can be exchanged for or extended with standard 15mm rods for mounting
matte boxes, lens motors and the like above the lens if need be.

Attach the EVF to the Viewfinder Mounting Bracket by sliding the dove tail into the
receptacle and closing the lever on the EVF.

The position of the EVF can be adjusted by loosening the levers on the Viewfinder
Mounting Bracket, adjusting the position as desired and closing the levers to retighten.

The EVF can be mounted on the camera-right side by unscrewing the threaded end
cap on the side-to-side adjustment rod, removing the rod itself and inserting it from the
other side. Remember to reattach the threaded end cap.

NOTICE

Camera-right operation is not possible with the standard EVF cable KC-150-S.
Instead, the longer cable KC-151-S is needed.

Camera Support 25

The Viewfinder Extension Bracket VEB-3 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 using its standard attachment point for the ARRI
Eyepiece Leveler EL-3.

To avoid damage to the VMB-3 when using the VEB-3 with an eyepiece leveler,
loosen the friction on VMB-3’s rotating assembly.

Fig. 2: VEB-3 with closed fold-out arm

26 Camera Support

Fig. 3: VEB-3 with opened fold-out arm

10.4 Center Camera Handle CCH-1

The Center Camera Handle CCH-1 is attached to the camera top with three captive
3mm hex socket head screws (two at the front and one at the back). Ensure that the
CCH-1 is securely fastened before attempting to lift the camera.

Camera Support 27

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, allowing the tape measure to
clear the matte box.

10.5 Bridge Plates BP-12/BP-13

The bridge plate BP-12 for 19 mm studio rods has been specifically developed for
ALEXA. It mounts directly to the camera body using two 3/8-16 screws and ensures
that support rods, matte boxes and follow focus units are positioned properly in
regards to the optical center of the camera, just like all other ARRI cameras.

The bridge plate BP-13 is equivalent to the BP-12, but for 15 mm studio rods.

NOTICE

Make sure bridge plates are tightened firmly with a wide bladed screwdriver, not the
commonly used coin!

28 Camera Support

10.6 Bridge Plate adapter BPA-1

The bridge plate adapter BPA-1 can be used to attach a BP-3/BP-5/BP-8/BP-9 to
ALEXA. First attach the BPA-1 to the camera with the two screws. Then attach the
bridge plate to the adaptor with its two screws. Make sure the screws are tightened
firmly with a screwdriver.

10.7 Wedge Adapter WA-1 and Quick-Release Plate QR-HD-1

The WA-1 can be mounted at the same position as a bridge plate. It has a dove tail
that slides into the counter part of a quick-release plate, like the ARRI QR-HD-1. The
quick-release plate has a pin at its back, which fits into the pin receptacle at the back
of the camera base.

Fig. 4: ARRI QR-HD-1

10.8 Levelling Block LB-1

The Leveling Block LB-1 attaches to the bottom of the ALEXA in the pin receptacle on
the back foot. It prevents the camera from resting on a rear-mounted battery when a
bridge plate is attached and the camera is placed on a flat surface.

Attach the LB-1 by inserting its pin into the pin receptacle at the end of the shoulder
arc in the camera base. Twist the knob clockwise to tighten.

Camera Support 29

Fig. 5: Leveling Block LB-1

10.9 Shoulder Pad SP-3

The camera base has an integrated arch to fit to the operator's shoulder. For extended
handheld shots, the shoulder pad SP-3 can be attached to the base of the camera
with velcro.

NOTICE

The SP-3 can only be used with a BP-12 and 19 mm rods or with 15 mm rods and
a Wedge Adapter WA-1 and a Quick-Release Plate QR-HD-1. When using the
BPA-1 with a BP-5/BP-8, the bridge plate has to be removed prior to attaching the
SP-3.

Fig. 6: SP-3 shoulder pad

Fig. 7: SP-3 below camera

30 Connectors

11 Connectors

Camera back

Left column

MON OUT 1A
RET IN
EXT
MON OUT 2
MON OUT 3
BAT
ETHERNET

Right column

ECS antenna
connector

MON OUT 1B
LCS (2x)
RS (2x)

Camera right

From top to bottom, left to right:

CLM connectors IRIS, ZOOM, FOCUS, SD CARD (camera bottom), 2x RS (24 V) out,
TC in/out, AUDIO OUT, 12V out, AUDIO IN

Connectors 31

Camera left

Camera front

11.1 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 at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.2 RET IN

A return signal from another image source can be fed into the ALEXA’s RET connector
for displaying on EVF and/or MON OUT. The signal must be a 1920x1080 422 1.5G
single link according to SMPTE 274M and 292M. The output routing of the RET in
signal can be set in the Monitoring menu.

The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.3 MON OUT 1/2/3

The MON OUT connectors are BNC connectors capable of carrying a 1920x1080 422
YCbCr 1.5G SDI signal with frame rates of 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30 fps according
to SMPTE standards 274M and 292M. MON OUT 1 and 2 can also carry a 3840x2160
422 YCbCr 6G SDI signal with the same frame rates as above. The signal format can
be changed in the Monitoring menu.

32 Connectors

The connectors are located at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.4 EXT

The EXT connector is a multi-pin accessory connector that carries signals for
communication with various accessories and 24V power. The maximum power output
is 2.2A, shared with the RS outputs.

Cables are currently available for:

Connecting a UMC-3 remote motor controller (model UMC Connection Cable
(0.80m/2.6ft) K-UMC3-ALEXA)

Connecting two ALEXA cameras for synchronized operation (model EXT to EXT
Cable (2.00m/6.6ft) KC 155-S)

The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.5 ETHERNET

Standard Ethernet connectors cannot deliver the durability and reliability required
by ARRI, so the ALEXA uses a specially designed 10-pin LEMO connector. The
ARRI KC-153-S cable is required to connect the Ethernet socket to a standard RJ-45
Ethernet port.

The Ethernet port can be used to operate two ALEXA cameras with synced settings
by connecting the cameras with a KC 156-S cable, or to connect the Remote Control
Unit RCU-4 to the camera.

The Ethernet connector can output 24 V with 1.2 A power.

The connector is located at the back of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.6 EVF

The EVF connector connects the camera to an EVF electronic viewfinder. The
signals on this connector are proprietary and can only be used to drive an EVF. This
proprietary signal assures low latency for the viewfinder image.

The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera-left side.

11.7 AUDIO IN

2-channel analog line-level audio can be fed to the camera via the 5-pin XLR
connector located at the front of the camera on the camera-right side.

The ALEXA converts the audio signal from analog to 24 bit 48 kHz PCM.

11.8 RS

The RS connectors can supply external devices with a combined load of up to 2.2 A
(shared with the EXT connector power out), depending on the camera power supply.
When the camera is powered from a source with a voltage below 24 V, they output
24 V. If the camera's power source supplies more than 24 V, this voltage level is also
present on the RS outputs. Besides powering accessories, the RS outputs also carry a
shutter pulse signal and can be used to send a remote start/stop signal to the camera.

The connectors are located at the front and the back of the camera on the camera­right side.

Connectors 33

11.9 12 V

The 12 V output with a 2-pin LEMO connector is located on the right side of the
camera. It is limited to 12 V and can supply a device with a current of up to 2.2 A,
depending on the camera power supply.

The connector is located at front of the camera on the camera-right side.

11.10 TC

The TC connector is a 5pin LEMO socket. It accepts and distributes a Longitudinal
Time Code (LTC) signal.

It can be used to

jam-sync the ALEXA's time code to a Clockit, TC Slate or another camera
transmit the ALEXA's time code to a Clockit, TC Slate or another camera
tune the frequency of the ALEXA’s crystal oscillator with an Ambient ACC Clockit

Controller

The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera-right side.

Note that during playback, the timecode that is output via the TC connector does not
match the timecode of the played clip.

11.11 AUDIO OUT

The AUDIO OUT is a 3.5mm TRS connector (headphone jack), which outputs audio
fed to the 5-pin XLR AUDIO IN connector with a maximum power of 2.5 dBm.

The connector is located at the front of the camera on the camera-right side.

Connecting headphones to the camera while recording can cause a short audio
signal interruption due to static electricity.

11.12 SD Card

The ALEXA saves data such as user setups, frame grabs and system logs to an SD
card. Firmware, additional frame lines and ARRI Look File 2 files are loaded onto the
camera from the SD card. The SD card slot is located on the bottom of the camera on
the camera-right side. To access the SD card slot, slide the door towards the front of
the camera.

NOTICE

SD Card Requirements

SD or SDHC card (most brands are compatible)
maximum capacity of 4GB
FAT or FAT32 format

NOTICE

Keep the SD card slot door closed to prevent dirt and moisture from entering
the camera.

After booting the camera or inserting an SD card, it might take some seconds
until the SD card is recognized and usable.

34 Connectors

The SD card can be formatted on the ALEXA or the following folder structure can be
created manually on a computer. The SD card must be properly formatted prior to its
first use.

SD card folder structure:

– ARRI

– ALEXA

– Firmware
– Framelines
– Grabs
– LDA
– Licenses
– LookFiles
– ScreenCaptures
– Sensor
– Setups

To format an SD card on the ALEXA:

1. Press the MENU button.

2. Using the jogwheel, select System.

3. Select SD Card.

4. Select Format + prepare SD card.

5. Press both FORMAT buttons simultaneously. The ALEXA will create the required
folder structure on the SD card after formatting.

NOTICE

Formatting the SD card will irreversibly remove all data on the SD card.

To create the required folder structure on the SD card in the ALEXA
without formatting:

1. Press the MENU button.

2. Using the jogwheel, select System.

3. Select SD Card.

4. Select Prepare SD card. The ALEXA will create the required folder structure on
the SD card without formatting or deleting any data.

NOTICE

Firmware update files are recognized by the camera anywhere within the structure,
but it is recommended to copy them into the Firmware folder.

11.13 LBUS Support

LBUS Support

By connecting an LCS to LBUS cable (Cable LCS (5p) - LBUS (0.8m/2.6ft) ­K2.0007318) to one of the two LCS connectors on the ALEXA LF, it is possible to use
the majority of ARRI LBUS accessories with the ALEXA LF. LBUS devices can daisy
chain, but it is also possible to connect one cable each to the two ALEXA LF LCS
connectors to support even more LBUS devices.

Connectors 35

LBUS accessories compatible with ALEXA LF:

cforce mini lens motors
cforce plus lens motors
cforce mini RF lens motors

Needs cforce mini RF SUP 1.1 (planned for Q4 2018)
The cforce mini RF motor must be set to "client mode". Then it works like a

cforce mini motor without the RF functionality, which the ALEXA LF has built-in
anyway.

Master Grips

Needs at least Master Grip/OCU-1 SUP 1.1.2
For override function it needs Master Grip/OCU-1 SUP 2.0 (planned for Q4

2018)

Operator Control Unit OCU-1

Needs Master Grip/OCU-1 SUP 2.0 (which is what the first OCU-1 units will be
shipped with, planned for Q4 2018)

LCUBE CUB-1

With the CUB-1 it is possible to connect an ARRI Ultrasonic Distance Measure
(UDM) to an LBUS connector. While a different cable can also connect the
UDM directly to the ALEXA LF EXT connector, the CUB-1 option might come
in handy if the EXT connector is in use otherwise (e.g. for sensor sync, for
instance).

LCUBE CUB-2

The CUB-2 allows an ARRI LBUS device (for instance the Master Grips or
Operator Control Unit OCU-1) to control the internal motors in ENG lenses.

cmotion pan-bar zoom
cmotion steady zoom
cmotion cfinder III

NOTICE

For OCU-1 override function, the WCU-4 needs WCU-4 SUP 3.2 (planned for
Q4 2018).

CAUTION!

When using cforce motors, separate power must be provided to the cforce lens
motors from the other side of the daisy chain, for instance from an LBUS to D­tap cable (LBUS - D-Tap - K2.0006758) connected to an on-board battery. This
is because the power output from the ALEXA LF LCS connectors cannot provide
sufficient power to the cforce motors. If cforce motors are powered from the LCS
connectors, calibration may malfunction, fast motor movements may result in
stuttering motor movements and a whining noise could be generated during slow
motor speeds.

36 Recording Module

12 Recording Module

The ALEXA records clips using the recording module on the camera-left side. For
every recording medium type, the respective adapter needs to be inserted before a
medium can be inserted. The media slot can take SXR Capture Drives with the SXR
Capture Drive Adapter and SxS PRO+ cards with the SxS Adapter 2.

When the ALEXA is in ProRes mode, it can record onto SXR Capture Drives or SxS
PRO+ cards. They do not need to be loaded or unloaded, but can be used directly
after insertion and can be safely removed whenever they are in standby.

When the ALEXA is in ARRIRAW mode, it can only record onto SXR Capture Drives,
which need to be loaded after insertion and unloaded prior to removal. Refer to the
respective sections below for more information.

The ALEXA supports recording to the following media:

SxS PRO+ cards 256 GB (SBP-256D, SBP-256E)
SXR Capture Drives in 1 TB or 2 TB

To access the media slot, slide the OPEN slider towards camera back so that the
spring-loaded door jumps open.

Putting the lock slider in the (lower) lock position prevents accidental opening of the
door. Ensure that the lock slider is in the (upper) unlocked position before attempting
to open the door.

Recording Module 37

NOTICE

Keep the door closed to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the camera.
Only Sony SxS PRO+ cards can be used with ALEXA. Sony SxS-1 and SxS

PRO cards are not supported.
SXR Capture Drives are specified for a temperature range from 0° Celsius to

70° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit to 158° Fahrenheit). When working in environments
with ambient temperatures below 0° Celsius, ensure that SXR Capture Drives
have a temperature of at least 0° Celsius when starting a recording to ensure
proper operation.

While we do everything we can to assure reliable functioning of different
recording medias such as SXR Capture Drives, and while the mean time
before failure (mtbf) for drives is excellent, a failure that results in loss of data
may occur at any time. Therefore, you are obliged to implement and maintain
at any time adequate and necessary data security measures and back up
drive content as soon as possible. ARRI assumes or accepts no liability or
responsibility for data loss or data corruption, or any other damages, loss or
harm due to malfunction of recording drives.

Inserting media:

To insert an adapter:

1. Insert the adapter into the media slot with the contacts facing the front of the
camera and the metal housing facing out (away from the camera body).

2. Push the adapter towards camera front until the two securing plastic lids lock the
adapter.

To load an SXR Capture Drive:

1. Insert the SXR Capture Drive into the media slot with the contacts facing the front
of the camera and the ribbed side facing out (away from the camera body).

2. Push the SXR Capture Drive towards camera front until the lock engages.

3. Close the door.

When the camera is in ARRIRAW mode, it automatically loads the SXR Capture Drive
when the door has been closed, see "Explanation of LED States" below. If closing the
door is not possible, e. g. because it has been damaged, loading an SXR Capture
Drive can also be triggered by pressing and holding the eject button for about five
seconds.

Loading an SXR Capture Drive in ARRIRAW mode normally only takes a few
seconds. In certain situations, however, it may take up to 30 seconds, especially when
an SXR Capture Drive has been removed previously without unloading it properly.

NOTICE

Do not put any labels or adhesive tape on the back of an SXR Capture Drive (the
side facing the camera body). The SXR Capture Drive must have full contact to the
camera body to ensure proper heat conduction.

To load an SxS PRO+ card:

1. Insert the card into the adapter with the contacts facing the front of the camera and
the label facing out (away from the camera body).

2. Push the card in against the spring until the lock engages.

3. Close the door.

38 Recording Module

NOTICE

Do not force any media into the slot or into the adapter in wrong orientation—
the contacts could be damaged.

Do not force the door closed if the media is not fully inserted.

Removing media:

When the camera is in ProRes recording mode, SxS PRO+ cards and SXR Capture
Drives do not have to be mounted or unmounted—they can be inserted or removed
whenever the camera is in STBY mode. If media is removed during recording, only the
last second of the current clip will be lost. All clips on the media will remain accessible.

When the camera is in ARRIRAW recording mode, SXR Capture Drives need to be
unloaded before they can be safely removed. Unloading is triggered automatically
when the door is opened and the SXR Capture Drive is in standby. When the door is
already open, but the SXR Capture Drive is still loaded, press the eject button on the
SXR Capture Drive to trigger unloading. See "Explanation of LED States" below for
information about how the camera signals loading state. If media is removed during
recording, only the last five seconds of the current clip will be lost. All clips on the
media will remain accessible.

NOTICE

If the recording process is interrupted by power loss or media removal, transfer
all the data from the media and format it before using it again.

If the door is opened while an ARRIRAW recording is running, the camera
continues running.

Before removing any media, open the door by sliding the OPEN slider towards camera
back. Ensure the lock slider is in the (upper) unlocked position, otherwise the OPEN
slider will be blocked.

To remove an SXR Capture Drive:

► Carefully pull the SXR Capture Drive towards camera back, taking care not to drop

it accidentally.

To remove an SxS PRO+ card:

► Push the card inwards (towards camera front) until the lock disengages, then pull

the card out backwards, taking care to prevent the card from dropping out of the
adapter.

To remove an adapter:

► Carefully lift the two securing plastic tabs that secure the adapter and pull the

adapter towards camera back, taking care not to drop it accidentally.

CAUTION!

It is possible that SXR Capture Drives will get hot to the touch during extended
operation and can cause pain or even burns if held for too long. It is advisable
to handle the drive for no more than three seconds, and to remove the drive
quickly and carefully. Allow it to cool before further handling and consider wearing
protective gloves.

Recording Module 39

Explanation of LED States

SXR Capture Drives and SxS Adapter 2 have an LED that signals the media's state to
the user.

LED state Media state

Off

Solid green Media is in standby and ready

Solid red Media is being accessed (read/write)

Red flashing Media error, see camera for details

Blue flashing

(SXR Capture Drive only)

Solid blue

(SXR Capture Drive only)

No media present
Media is unreadable (e.g. wrong file system)
Media is inactive

DO NOT REMOVE MEDIA!

SXR Capture Drive is being loaded or unloaded

SXR Capture Drive is unloaded and can be
ejected safely

40 Lens Mounting

13 Lens Mounting

The ALEXA is equipped with an interchangeable lens mount.

NOTICE

Lenses must cover a diameter of at least 36.35 mm for LF 16:9 sensor mode, 39.76
mm for LF 2.39:1 sensor mode and 44.71 mm for LF Open Gate sensor mode to
prevent vignetting.

13.1 LPL mount

The ALEXA LPL lens mount supports the ARRI Lens Data System LDS-2. An LDS
lens must be mounted with the LDS contacts in the 12 o'clock position to enable the
LDS functions. Take care not to damage the LDS contacts on the lens and the camera
when mounting or unmounting a lens or lens port cover.

The LPL mount also offers basic Cooke /i support for direct lens metadata capture
through the LDS contacts. The cameras can store a subset of /i lens data (focus
distance and lens iris settings) as dynamic camera metadata. Running the camera
outside the standard speeds of 23.976 to 30 fps may produce an offset of several
frames. Certain lens settings will produce an offset lens data readout (e. g. iris open).
This can be corrected manually, after the metadata had been extracted (ARRI Meta
Extract).

The basic /i compatibility has been tested and approved by Cooke Optics Limited. For
support and questions about /i Technology, please contact Cooke Optics directly.

To mount an LPL-mount lens:

1. Turn the bayonet ring anti-clockwise until it stops.

2. Remove the lens port cap.

3. Carefully insert the lens into the lens port. Align the notch in the lens flange with
the index pin on the mount, keeping the lens rotated into a position where the lens
markings are visible from either side of the camera.

4. Press the lens flange flat onto the lens mount.

5. Turn the bayonet ring clockwise until the lens is locked securely.

6. Ensure that the lens is properly mounted.

NOTICE

When no lens is attached to the camera, use the lens port cap to prevent dust
from entering the lens cavity.

Do not short-circuit the LDS-2 contacts.
The sophisticated design principle of the camera’s optical module delivers

outstanding images with a cinematic look and feel, but also makes the imager
sensitive to contamination. Dust particles that have settled on the sensor cover
glass during a lens change may become visible as dark spots in the output
image, similar to lint leaving marks on exposed film. The degree of this effect
depends on the aperture of the lens.

Lens Mounting 41

13.2 PL-to-LPL Adapter

The PL-to-LPL adapter allows to attach PL lenses to the ALEXA LF without using any
tools. The PL-to-LPL Adapter can be mounted with the LDS contacts in the 12:00 or
3:00 position. In both positions, it supports LDS-1 and /i.

The three most common uses of Super 35 PL lenses on the ALEXA LF are:

1 Using an image expander.
2 Cropping the Super 35 area in post.
3 Using the large illumination circle of Ultra Primes, Master Primes or Ultra Wide

Zoom (UWZ).

For more information, please refer to the ARRI large format webpage (https://
www.arri.com/largeformat).

Some anamorphic lenses have their lens data connectors in the 3:00 position. In this
case, use a 1.5 mm hex key to reposition the orientation pin of the adapter so that the
lens can be mounted correctly.

Only use PL lenses that do not exceed the dimensions defined in Chapter "Maximum
lens mounting depth for PL lenses", page 44.

13.3 Lens Support

Heavy lenses may require additional lens support. Using a lens support guarantees
that the weight of the lens will not influence the flange focal depth and reduces stress
on the lens mount.

To support a lens use 15mm studio or 19mm studio rods and an appropriate lens
bridge. 15mm studio rods require a bridge-plate with 15mm studio rod support, such
as a BP-3/BP-9 + BPA-1, while 19mm studio rods require a bridge-plate with 19mm
studio rod support, such as a BP-12 or BP-5/BP-8 + BPA-1.

Mount the lens bridge LS-10 for 15 mm studio rods by pushing it onto the rods from
the front. Mount the lens bridge LS-9 for 19 mm studio rods by clipping it on the rods
from the top.

42 Lens Mounting

Slide the bridge into position on the rods directly under the lens support ring on the
lens, and fix it in place by tightening the lever on its side. Align and tighten the center
screw in the lens support ring, adjusting the height of the center screw with the lever
on the back of the lens bridge.

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 43

14 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

The In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM is standard to the ALEXA LF, which allows the
use of ARRI Large Format Full Spectrum Neutral Density (LF FSND) filters (available
separately).

By using internal filters you can rate the camera at the base sensitivity of EI 800
without the need for external filters, even in bright light conditions. In-camera filters
for LF IFM can be used with a large variety of lens sizes and are much lighter than
external ND filters.

CAUTION!

DO NOT POINT THE CAMERA INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT, VERY BRIGHT LIGHT
SOURCES, OR HIGH-ENERGY LIGHT SOURCES (e.g. laser beams)! This may
cause permanent damage to the internal filter or the camera.

NOTICE

Internal filtration requires additional shimming. For PL mount lenses, the LF IFM
filters work only with a lens mounting depth of 31.50 mm maximum.

The ALEXA LF with LPL mount must use the "ALEXA LPL LF FSND" filters.
ALEXA Classic/XT/SXT or SXT W cameras with an LPL mount must use the

"ALEXA LPL S35 FSND" filters.
ALEXA Classic/XT/SXT or SXT W cameras with a PL mount must use the

"ALEXA PL S35 FSND" filters.

Benefits of in-camera filtration

Filtering behind the lens rather than in front reduces weight, reflections and
operational complexity. The filters’ in-camera position significantly reduces the
camera’s total and front weight (because internal filters are smaller and lighter than
external ones).

Also, internal filters are far less exposed to damage than external ones and, since
lenses are changed more frequently than ND filters, the LF FSND filters provide extra
protection for the sensor.

The Large Format Full Spectrum Neutral Density (LF FSND) filters for LF IFM are
based on new technologies that assure highest image quality. An absorptive full
spectrum ND coating attenuates the light while maintaining a perfectly neutral color
balance at all densities.

A base of water-white optical glass, precision-polished to create perfectly parallel
surfaces, guarantees a clear and sharp image.

Additional broadband anti-reflective multi-coating reduces internal reflections and
ensures a high image contrast. LF FSND filters for LF IFM are available in eight
densities from ND 0.3 to ND 2.4 and can be purchased separately or in sets.

All benefits at a glance:

Internal filtration reduces reflections, weight, hassle – and filter damage
New high-tech filters based on white-water optical glass
Internal filtration protects sensor
Available in 8 densities from ND 0.3 to ND 2.4
Neutral color balance at all densities through absorptive full spectrum ND coating
High image sharpness through precision polishing
High contrast through anti-reflective multi-coating

44 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

LF IFM filter holder is standard to the ALEXA LF.

14.1 Safety instructions for in-camera filtration

Proper shimming is crucial for the safe use of in-camera filters. Only correct shimming
ensures the proper flange focal depth.

14.1.1 Maximum lens mounting depth for PL lenses

Only cameras with the original LF IFM Shim allow for 31.50 mm maximum lens
mounting depth of PL mount lenses, when using in-camera filters.

To avoid damage or injury when using PL mount lenses with the PL-to-LPL adapter,
use only lenses that do not exceed the following dimensions:

Fig. 8: Allowed lens dimensions with in-camera filters

NOTICE

The original ARRI IFM/Extenders Depth Gauge (K2.72144.0) will help you stay
within allowed lens dimensions. Please ask your local ARRI Service Partner.

For a safe and correct use of internal filters, always shim your camera properly.

Observe all precautions and use only proper tools, lenses and materials
For PL mount lenses, use only lenses with 31.50 mm maximum mounting depth

CAUTION!

Risk of damage and injury from improper lenses!

PL mount lenses with more than 31.50 mm mounting depth might damage internal
filters and the camera. Shards from broken filter glass might cause injury.

Always check the lens mounting depth before mounting or changing a lens.

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 45

CAUTION!

Risk of damage and injury from insufficient shimming!

All internal filters require a properly shimmed lens mount. Otherwise, even PL
mount lenses with a nominal mounting depth of less than 31.50 mm might damage
internal filters and the camera. Shards from broken filter glass might cause injury.

To ensure maximum allowable lens mounting depth, and to avoid damage or injury,
always shim your camera correctly (see page 46).

The proper LF IFM Shim comes with the LF FSND Filter Set (Full) and is also
available individually. Use only this original shim when filtering with LF IFM.

CAUTION!

Risk of damage from improper tools, materials or negligence!

In-camera filters are very delicate. Always handle them very carefully and with
proper tools (e.g. the original Ground Glass/Frameglow tool). Never touch the filter
glass with bare fingers (sweat and physical contact might damage the sensitive
coating).

Check and clean each filter before and after use. Store it properly. Use only original
ARRI cleansing utensils and materials (others might damage the filter).

14.1.2 Basic precautions

When using LF IFM and internal filters:

1. Ensure a clean, dust-and-moisture-free environment.

2. Wear fresh rubber gloves to avoid fingerprints and smear.

3. Place the camera on a flat, level and safe surface.

4. Never touch the sensor.

5. Work very carefully due to the delicate nature of tools/components.

6. Safely store all tools/components afterwards.

7. Shim you camera exactly to required flange focal depth.

8. Check each lens mounting depth and flange shape.

9. Use only lenses within allowed dimensions.

14.1.3 Required shimming and maximum lens mounting depth

Only proper shimming will ensure the maximum allowable lens mounting depth (see
page 44):

For safe use of in-camera filters, always prepare your camera with the original LF
IFM Shim.

See "Shimming the lens mount", page 46.

14.2 LF FSND Filter Set (Full)

The LF FSND Filter Set (Full) is a set with all FSND filters and required tools. It
consists of:

Storage Case
LF IFM Optical Clear (1) ND 0.0
Filter Insertion Tool (2)
16 0.1 mm washers (3) (also available separately as K4.0000762)

46 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

IFM/Extenders Depth Gauge DG-1 (4)
LF IFM Shim (5)
Microfiber Cloth (6)
Cleaning Instructions (6)
Eight Internal Filters LF FSND 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4 (7)

Fig. 9: The FSND Filter Set (Full) for ALEXA LF

The LF IFM Empty Filter Frame is also available separately to create custom filters.
When mounting filters into the filter frame, use the provided shims to ensure the filter
is sitting neither too loose nor too tight. Take special care when mounting glass filters,
as the glass might break otherwise. Tighten the filter frame screws with a torque of 4
Ncm.

To insert or change a filter:

See "Mounting in-camera filters", page 52. Each filter is also available separately.

14.3 Shimming the lens mount

In-camera filtration will change your flange focal depth. Therefore, all internal filters
require a properly shimmed lens mount (see page 44).

NOTICE

Use only the original LF IFM Shim when filtering with LF IFM.

To compensate for the change in flange focal depth due to the shim, always insert
the LF IFM Optical Clear filter when no filtering is needed.

When the camera is no longer shimmed for LF IFM, the glassless LF IFM Empty
Filter Frame must be placed back into the filter position.

General shimming precautions:

Fix the LF IFM Shim properly between lens lock and lens mount.
The shim's inscription must face camera-outwards.

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 47

Mount all proper shims correctly without omitting, adding or losing any. Otherwise,
the flange focal depth will not be correct.

Mark your cameras shimmed for LF IFM to avoid confusion.

Once the camera is shimmed for LF IFM: Immediately replace the LF IFM Empty Filter
Frame with an FSND filter or the LF IFM Optical Clear filter.

Store the LF IFM Empty Filter Frame in a safe place: When the camera is no longer
shimmed for LF IFM in the future, the LF IFM Empty Filter Frame must be placed back
into the filter position.

If you de-shim the camera: Immediately replace the LF IFM Optical Clear filter or any
other FSND filter with the LF IFM Empty Filter Frame.

To compensate for the change in flange focal depth due to the shim:

► Always use the LF IFM Optical Clear filter when no filtering is needed.

Tools needed:

TX6 torx screwdriver

To shim the mount:

1. Remove lens or lid (1) from the LPL lens mount and turn the lens lock into position
CLOSED (2).

48 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

2. Unscrew (only with a TX6 torx screwdriver!) the four accessible torx screws (1)
that hold the lens lock (the other four torx screws are still hidden by lock position
CLOSED).

3. Turn the lens lock into position OPEN (2) to unhide and unscrew the other four torx
screws (1).

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 49

4. Remove the lens lock (1) from the LPL mount. Keep all installed shims (if any)
carefully in place (2):

5. Remove the LDS pin support and MCA print (2) by unscrewing the two TX6 torx
screws (1).

50 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

6. Add three 0.1 mm washers (1) on each of the four positioning pins (see detailed
section).

7. Reattach the LDS pin support and MCA print (2) by fastening the two TX6 torx
screws (1) hand-tight.

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 51

8. Accurately place the LF IFM Shim, with its inscription always facing camera­outwards (2), onto the LPL mount. The shim's screw holes must line up exactly
with the mount's thread holes and the index pin (3):

9. Fasten the lens lock, still in position OPEN (2), back to the LPL mount; use four of
the eight torx screws (1) hand-tight:

52 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

10. Turn the lens lock into Position CLOSED (2) and fasten the other four torx screws
hand-tight (1). Check if all screws and the shim fit correctly:

11. Before mounting a lens, always check its mounting depth (see "Safety instructions
for in-camera filtration", page 44 and "Maximum lens mounting depth for PL
lenses", page 44)

NOTICE

Make sure the LDS connection between lens and camera’s LPL mount works
properly. If not, add more washers (see step 6).

14.4 Mounting in-camera filters

Internal filters are very delicate. Before you mount or change a filter, check the lens
mounting depth (see "Safety instructions for in-camera filtration", page 44 and
"Maximum lens mounting depth for PL lenses", page 44).

NOTICE

By default, the filter position in the lens mount of the ALEXA LF is occupied by the
LF IFM Empty Filter Frame. This glassless filter ring must be replaced by a real
filter or LF IFM Optical Clear filter, once the camera is shimmed for LF IFM use (see
page 46)

Tools needed:

Filter insertion tool

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 53

To insert or change an in-camera filter:

1. Remove the lens or lid (1) from the LPL lens mount (2).

2. Carefully screw the filter insertion tool (1) into the filter ring’s (2) thread hole in the
12 o'clock position (1).

54 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

3. Pull the filter (2) from the bottom ring in the camera's LPL mount. If the filter
position is held by an LF IFM Empty Filter Frame, remove it likewise.

4. Clean the removed filter and stow it properly in its individual box and the storage
case. If the filter position was held by an LF IFM Empty Filter Frame, store it
likewise (in case the camera is no longer shimmed for LF IFM in the future).

5. Place the removed filter into its padded filter box in the storage case. Remove the
filter insertion tool to pick up the next filter.

6. Make sure the next filter (2) is clean and the filter insertion tool is in the 12 o’clock
position (1).

In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM 55

7. Place the next filter onto the bottom ring in the camera’s LPL mount. The filter
insertion tool has to be in the 12 o’clock position (1).

8. Align the filter ring’s main notch with the bottom ring’s red nut in the 6 o’clock
position. To ensure an accurate fit, align the filter ring’s other notches with the two
red noses in the bottom ring’s 10:30 and 1:30 positions.

9. Put your finger on the lower edge of the filter ring and push the filter ring slightly
inwards, using the filter insertion tool on top and your finger on the bottom.

10. After the filter ring has audibly snapped into position, carefully unscrew the filter
insertion tool. The filter has to sit precisely on the bottom ring.

11. Mount a lens (observe maximum lens dimensions!), or cover the LPL lens mount
properly with its lid.

All internal filters require a properly shimmed lens mount (see page 46).
To compensate for the change in flange focal depth due to the shim, always
insert the LF IFM Optical Clear filter when no filtering is needed.
When the camera is no longer shimmed for LF IFM, the glassless LF IFM
Empty Filter Frame must be placed back into the filter position.

For PL mount lenses, LF IFM works only with a lens mounting depth of 31.50
mm maximum.

14.5 Filter cleaning

NOTICE

Tools needed:

Cleaning Instructions
Fresh rubber gloves
Micro bellows
Cotton swab
Purified alcohol
Microfiber Cloth from FSND Filter Set

56 In-Camera Filter Module LF IFM

To clean the filters:

NOTICE

To avoid in-camera damage, always clean all filters outside of camera.

1. Ensure a clean, dust-and-moisture-free environment

2. Wear fresh rubber gloves to avoid fingerprints and smear

3. Never touch the sensor

4. Check the coating for dirt, smear and scratches

5. Remove sand, dust or solid particles with micro bellows

6. Clean off oil, grease or smear with a cotton swab (or the microfiber cloth) slightly
wetted in purified alcohol only

Camera Controls 57

15 Camera Controls

The ALEXA can be controlled through three user interfaces:

Main controls Location: camera-right side

Interface: 3-inch LCD-screen with floating-function buttons, a
jogwheel to navigate through menus and adjust parameters,
and a range of fixed-function buttons.

Operator controls Location: camera-left side

Interface: three assignable function buttons plus three fixed­function buttons for easy operator access.

EVF controls Location: Electronic Viewfinder EVF

Interface: fixed function buttons and a jogwheel for adjust­ment of viewfinder parameters and primary shooting para­meters.

15.1 Main Controls

The main controls can be used to set all camera parameters.

Fig. 10: Main controls

15.1.1 Display

The 3-inch LCD has a resolution of 400x240 pixels. The back-lit, transflective display
has exceptional contrast even in bright sunlight.

To adjust the LCD brightness:

► Go to MENU>System>Display + Beeper and adjust Display brightness OR

► On the HOME screen, press and hold the BACK button, then turn the jogwheel.

A plastic shield protects the display from scratches. It can be removed by pulling it off
the four pins.

58 Camera Controls

15.1.2 Screen Buttons

Six screen buttons are located above and below the LCD display. Their function varies
depending on the screen content and is shown directly above or below each button.
If no function is shown above or below a button on the LCD, it has no function for that
screen.

As a failsafe, operations that cannot be reversed and can result in the loss of data
require pressing two buttons simultaneously to confirm the operation.

15.1.3 HOME screen

The HOME screen is the ALEXA’s default screen. It shows the most important camera
parameters and gives quick access to changing them through the screen buttons. To
return to the HOME screen from any menu in the camera, press the HOME button.

NOTICE

To adjust the LCD brightness from the HOME screen, rotate the jogwheel while
pressing the BACK button.

Screen buttons

Button Function

FPS Sets the frame rate of the sensor.

AUDIO Shows the current audio level. If AUDIO is set to Off, the audio

input is switched off: no audio is embedded in the HD-SDI out­puts, and no audio tracks are recorded onto internal media. The
same applies if AUDIO is disabled, which is the case if the sen­sor frame rate is different from the project fps setting (for exam­ple, while over- or undercranking).

SHUTTER Sets the shutter angle of the sensor. Shutter angle and sensor

fps determine exposure time of the sensor in seconds by the fol­lowing equation: angle / (360 * fps).

EI Sets the exposure index rated in ASA. The ALEXA has a base

sensitivity of 800 ASA.

Note: ASA rating is identical to ISO rating.

Note: Exposure Index is not applied to ARRIRAW signals.

COLOR Opens the color screen, where gamma and look settings for in-

ternal recording, MON OUT 1/2/3 and EVF can be changed.

Camera Controls 59

Button Function

WB Sets the camera’s white balance. This is the color temperature

of the light source that the ALEXA is currently adjusted for. In ad­dition to the red/blue correction of the white balance, the ALEXA
can also compensate for a green/magenta tint. This value, called
CC (color compensation), is shown as an exponent of the WB
value. Positive values are marked with a "+" and negative values
with a "-".

The user can execute an automatic white balance by pressing
the AUTO WB button in the WB screen.

Camera Status Section

TC Displays the current time code including the source (INT: inter-

nal, EXT: external source). Frames are not displayed. The time­base of the time code is shown after the @ sign.

BAT 1 The voltage level of the power source present at the BAT con-

nector, or the remaining capacity of an attached battery in per­centage if it transmits this information.

BAT 2 The voltage level of a battery attached to the onboard battery

adapter, or the remaining capacity of an attached battery in per­centage if it transmits this information.

REEL Identifies the current reel with the camera index letter, such as A

or B and the reel number.

CLIP Identifies the current clip with the clip index and clip number.

DUR Displays the duration (i.e. screen time in relation to project rate)

of the current clip while recording or of the last recorded clip
while in standby, in the format h:mm:ss.

The camera is in standby and ready to record.

The camera is recording.

An error occurred and recording is not possible. Press the INFO
button for more information.

If nothing is shown, the camera has detected no errors, but no
media is present for recording.

Type of inserted media (SXR Capture Drive, SxS PRO)

60 Camera Controls

During standby, shows remaining capacity of the inserted media
in hours, minutes, and seconds. It is calculated for the current
framerate and codec.

*

During recording, shows remaining length for current clip in
hours, minutes, and seconds, prefixed with 'C'.

Shows media status when media is not ready for recording.

*

When recording is set to ProRes, the value shown is the minimum available recording time for the
current sensor frame rate and codec combination. Apple ProResTM is a variable bit rate codec, so the
actual remaining recording time depends on the image content. The remaining time is updated during
recording. After stopping recording, the remaining time may skip a few seconds because some media
space is needed for file management.

NOTICE

Media that has been formatted with a newer or older SUP version may not be
recognized correctly and be shown as invalid, or may trigger the warning "files
not consistent". In this case, backup any data from the media and format it in­camera.

The maximum size of a single clip is limited to about 229 GB. Therefore, the
camera shows a little 'C' (for clip) next to the clock icon as soon as recording
starts, and it counts down the remaining time for the current recording. When
the remaining time reaches zero, the camera will stop recording similar to a
full medium. During standby, the camera shows the remaining capacity for the
whole medium.

COLOR Section

Name of the selected ARRI Look File 2 file

Selected gamma for recording path

Icons

Name Icon Description

General Warning Important information is waiting on the INFO

screen.

General Error An error has occurred. Check the INFO screen

for more information.

Temperature
Warning

Temperature Er­ror

There is a minor sensor-temperature offset.
Image quality may be slightly affected.

There is a substantial sensor-temperature off­set. Image quality may be seriously affected.

Lock The Main Controls are locked.

Camera Controls 61

Name Icon Description

SD Card An SD card is present. The icon turns orange

when the card is accessed.

Grab The GRAB icon flashes while a still frame is be-

ing taken and written to the SD card.

Radio The ARRI Wireless Remote System (WRS) ra-

dio is active.

The wireless network/WiFi radio is active.

The ARRI Wireless Remote System (WRS) ra­dio and the wireless network/WiFi radio are ac­tive.

A sensor temperature warning or error after boot-up is normal, as it takes a few
seconds for the sensor to reach its preset temperature.

15.1.3.1 Lists and User Lists

On the HOME screen, press the FPS, SHUTTER, WB (white balance) and EI
(exposure index) buttons to open lists of preconfigured values for each setting.

User-defined values can be added to the FPS, SHUTTER and WB lists. The EI list is
fixed and user-defined values cannot be added. It contains values from 160-3200 ASA
in steps of 1/3 stops.

Setting a list value

NOTICE

Fig. 11: SENSOR FPS screen

Any value in a list may be set. Invalid values will appear grayed out.

To set a list value:

1. Rotate the jogwheel to select the desired list value.

2. Press the jogwheel to set the list value.

62 Camera Controls

Adding a list value

If the desired list value does not appear in the list, a user-defined value can be added.

To add a list value:

1. Press the ADD button.

2. On the ADD screen, use the jogwheel and + or – buttons to enter a new list value.

3. When you are finished entering the new list value, press the jogwheel to add it to
the list.

NOTICE

Each list supports a maximum of 16 entries. To add new user-defined list values to
a full list, you must delete previously added user-defined list values.

Deleting a list value

User-defined list values that are no longer required can be deleted.

To delete a list value:

1. Press the DELETE button.

2. On the DELETE screen, use the jogwheel to select the user-defined value you
wish to delete.

3. Press both DELETE buttons simultaneously.

NOTICE

Preconfigured values cannot be deleted and will appear grayed out on the DELETE
screen.

Figure 23: DELETE SENSOR FPS screen

NOTICE

The EI list is static and cannot be changed by the user. It contains ASA values from
160-3200 ASA in steps of 1/3 stop.

15.1.3.2 FPS

Press the FPS (frames per second) button on the HOME screen to open the SENSOR
FPS list screen, which lists the default frame rates as well as user-defined frame rates.

Camera Controls 63

NOTICE

Access to this screen is disabled during record.

The maximum frame rate that can be set is dependent on the type of media and the
codec.

If the desired frame rate cannot be set because it is grayed out, change the codec to
one with a lower data rate.

There are shortcut buttons on the FPS screen for CODEC, INFO and SDI FPS. In the
SDI FPS screen, MON OUT 1/2/3 frame rates can be adjusted within the limits of their
current format.

The MON OUT should match the sensor frame rate. If the sensor frame rate exceeds
the available MON OUT frame rates, set the MON OUT to half the sensor frame rate if
possible to maximize the smoothness of the image when panning and tilting.

To correctly set frame rates for the MON OUT:

1. Press the MENU button.

2. Using the jogwheel, select the Monitoring menu.

3. Select MON OUT.

4. Set Frame rate to the same frame rate as the sensor frame rate. If the sensor
frame rate exceeds the range of the available MON OUT frame rates, set the MON
OUT frame rate to half the value of the sensor frame rate.

5. Press the HOME button to exit.

15.1.3.3 AUDIO

Press the AUDIO button on the HOME screen to open the AUDIO screen. This screen
shows the ALEXA’s two audio channel levels. The audio levels are displayed from -45
dBFS to 0 dBFS.

No audio meters are displayed on the HOME screen or AUDIO screen when audio
is set to Off or audio is disabled. Audio is disabled when the sensor frame rate does
not match the project frame rate. In this case, no audio is transmitted via HD-SDI.

Light blue markers show reference levels of -20, -18 and -9 dB FS.

Red markers at levels -1 and 0 dBFS warn of clipping. With proper audio signal levels,
the red markers should almost never be visible.

NOTICE

64 Camera Controls

Fig. 12: Audio screen

Gain can be applied to the audio channels by turning the jogwheel to set both
channels, or by pressing the CH 1+, CH 1-, CH 2+ and CH 2- buttons. The amount of
gain applied by the camera is indicated next to the levels as light gray numbers.

NOTICE

When adjusting audio input levels, a "clicking" noise can be heard on audio outputs.
Adjustment of audio levels therefore is disabled during recording.

Press the OPTIONS button to open the AUDIO IN>OPTIONS screen and set audio
parameters.

Fig. 13: AUDIO IN>OPTIONS screen

Option Description

Record Turns audio recording On or Off.

If audio recording is switched off, no audio is recorded
internally, HD-SDI contains no audio and Audio out is
muted.

Channel 1 level Manual allows the user to manually apply gain to the in-

put signal on channel 1 to reach a correct level.

Unity matches a 4 dBu input signal to -20 dBFS. This
setting leaves enough headroom for recording and
avoids audio clipping. When Unity is selected, audio lev­els cannot be adjusted by the user.

Camera Controls 65

Option Description

Channel 2 level Manual allows the user to manually apply gain to the in-

put signal on channel 2 to reach a correct level.

Unity matches a 4 dBu input signal to -20 dBFS. This
setting leaves enough headroom for recording and
avoids audio clipping. When Unity is selected, audio lev­els cannot be adjusted by the user.

Channel 1 source Select the left or right input signal as the source for

Channel 1.

Channel 2 source Select the left or right input signal as the source for

Channel 2.

Soundroll (=Tape) Enter a name for the sound roll (also known as Tape

in the menus of some recorders) of an external audio
recorder, for easier sound syncing in post-production.
The name will be written to the FCP XML file and the
Avid Log Exchange (ALE) file on the recording media.

Fig. 14: Audio out screen

Press the AUDIO OUT button to open the AUDIO OUT>OPTIONS screen where the
global volume for both Audio out channels can be adjusted. The OPTIONS button
opens a list of AUDIO OUT options.

Fig. 15: AUDIO OUT>OPTIONS

Left out Sets which channel is routed to the left output.

Right out Sets which channel is routed to the right output.

66 Camera Controls

Audio out
level

These settings do not influence the audio signal embedded in the HD-SDI
connectors or recorded in QuickTime clips. They only affect the AUDIO OUT
connector.

ALEXA automatically determines the internal signal run time and matches audio
and images so they are always in sync. When changing sensor fps or project
fps, it may take up to 2 seconds for the camera to resync image and audio
signals.

15.1.3.4 SHUTTER

Press the SHUTTER button in the HOME screen to open the SHUTTER ANGLE
screen.

Access to this screen is disabled during record.

The list of default shutter angles includes 11.2°, 22.5°, 45.0°, 90.0°, 172.8°, 180.0°,

270.0° and 358.0°. User-defined shutter angles can be set by pressing the ADD

button. The exposure time for the current frame rate and shutter angle is indicated in
seconds at the bottom of the SHUTTER ANGLE screen.

The shutter angle range is 5.0° to 358.0° up to 60 fps and 5.0° to 356.0° above 60 fps.

Below the list, the actual exposure time at the currently set frame rate is shown.

Set the level of the audio out channels manually, or set it to fix
the maximum output.

NOTICE

NOTICE

Fig. 16: Shutter list

15.1.3.5 EI

The Exposure Index (EI) is the applied sensitivity of the camera.

The ALEXA has a base sensitivity of 800 ASA. This means that the dynamic range is
almost evenly distributed above and below neutral gray with low noise in the shadows
and clean, smooth clipping behavior in the highlights.

Due to its high dynamic range, the ALEXA’s sensitivity can be set from 160 to 3200
ASA in steps of 1/3 stops while maintaining high image quality.

NOTICE

Be aware that the combination of long exposure times (a low sensor frame rate and
large shutter angle) and high exposure indexes can lead to image artifacts! Try to
avoid exposure times longer than 1/50th of a second for maximum image quality.

Camera Controls 67

Fig. 17: Exposure Index screen

NOTICE

The Exposure Index list has fixed content, meaning that it cannot be changed
by the user.

When changing the EI setting during recording, one or more frames on the
recorded material may show artifacts resulting from the change.

An area that is overexposed more than eight stops above clipping can appear
darker than its surroundings.

Applying the exposure indexes at the extremes of the range will nonetheless have
an influence on the images. At low exposure indexes, such as 160 ASA, the dynamic
range below neutral gray increases, reducing noise even further. At the same time,
the dynamic range above neutral gray is slightly reduced. Highlight clipping itself is
not influenced by this, but the shoulder of the gamma curve will get slightly steeper,
reducing the smoothness of the change from almost overexposed to overexposed.

At high exposure indexes, such as 1600 ASA, the images behave in the opposite way.
Noise is increased, which makes it important to judge shadow detail, while there will
be even more headroom in the highlights.

68 Camera Controls

15.1.3.6 COLOR

The ALEXA LF comes with very powerful color processing capabilities that can
be configured on the COLOR screen, similar to the ALEXA SXT. As the possible
combinations of color processing parameters may become quite complex, ARRI
provides a white paper titled "ARRI Look Management in ALEXA SXT", available for
download on the ARRI ALEXA webpage.

Press the COLOR button to open the COLOR screen. The COLOR screen displays
an overview of the color management settings applied to the camera’s output paths,
including:

the current processing setting of internal recording
a link to the processing settings of EVF and MON OUT 1/2/3
the currently set ARRI Look File 2
a link to the MON OUT color space configuration

If the ARRI Look File 2 file has been modified via an external Camera Access Protocol
(CAP) enabled software, but is not yet saved, the look file name is appended by an
asterisk.

Camera Controls 69

Processing defines the type of processing that is applied to the image path. The
following list describes which image processing settings are available. Note that in
case of ARRIRAW recording, REC processing is always set to ARRIRAW and cannot
be changed.

Log C Log C is a logarithmic gamma based on the Cineon format for

output to film print or digital intermediate. Color-grading is a re­quired post-production step in the Log C workflow. Standard
broadcast monitors cannot properly display Log C images so a
conversion look up table (LUT) is necessary for display, dailies
and editing proxies. Log C images will appear flat and desaturat­ed when displayed on standard broadcast monitors. ALEXA pre­view LUTs can easily be generated using the ARRI LUT Genera­tor, a web application available on www.arri.com.

Look file The ARRI Look File 2 file that has been selected is applied on

the respective image path.

ALEXA Clas­sic 709

The ALEXA performs an image processing that is similar to the
behavior of an ALEXA XT or ALEXA Classic with SUP 11.

This setting is mainly useful if a standard REC 709 conform im­age should be output on the respective image path, but a more
creative ARRI Look File 2 file has been loaded, e.g. for record­ing.

This setting is not available for internal recording.

Note: For technical reasons, the resulting image has very subtle
differences to selecting the Look file "ALEXA Classic 709" and
setting processing to "Look file".

MON OUT color spaces

The MON OUT color spaces screen allows to configure the color space for MON
OUT 1/2/3. This setting must match the color rendering capabilities of the connected
monitors, otherwise color clipping may occur.

ARRI Look File 2 files

ARRI Look File 2 files are a way for the user to alter the parameters the ALEXA uses
when converting the sensor image data to a video color space. This can be described
as applying a custom "look" to the different image output paths. The ARRI Look File 2
file can be applied directly to the recorded image (destructive workflow), or just to the
monitoring paths and included in the clip as metadata only (non-destructive workflow).

The ALEXA comes with several pre-installed ARRI Look File 2 files, including LCC
709, where LCC stands for Low Contrast Curve and 709 denotes the target color
space. This ARRI Look File 2 file contains a custom tone map curve that creates a

70 Camera Controls

video image with lower contrast compared to the standard REC 709 output. As a
result, the image holds as much dynamic range information as possible, without using
Log C encoding. Highlight and shadow detail that would be lost in the typical REC 709
tone mapping can still be accessed.

ARRI Look Creator, a free application from ARRI, and some third-party applications
can be used to create ARRI Look File 2 files, which can be based on frame grabs
taken with the ALEXA.

To apply an ARRI Look File 2 file:

1. On the HOME screen, press the COLOR button.

2. Select Look file from the menu.

3. Using the jogwheel, select an ARRI Look File 2 file from the list on the LOOK
FILES screen. The default preloaded ARRI Look File 2 is ARRI 709.

4. Press the jogwheel to set the ARRI Look File 2.

5. On the COLOR screen, set the processing to Look file.

NOTICE

If REC gamma is set to Look file, the recorded image on the internal media will be
permanently altered by that ARRI Look File 2 file.

Additional ARRI Look File 2 files can be added to the ALEXA from the SD card. The
ARRI Look File 2 files must be copied into the lookfiles folder on the SD card. The
required folder structure on the SD card can be created via MENU>System>SD
card>Prepare SD card.

To add an ARRI Look File 2 file to the camera:

1. On the HOME screen, press the COLOR button.

2. Select Look file from the menu.

3. Press the ADD button.

4. Using the jogwheel, select an ARRI Look File 2 file from the list on the LOOK
FILES (SD CARD) screen.

5. Press the jogwheel to add the ARRI Look File 2 file. The ARRI Look File 2 file will
be added to the list on the LOOK FILES screen.

To delete an ARRI Look File 2 file from the camera:

1. On the LOOK FILES screen, select an ARRI Look File 2 from the list.

2. Press the DELETE button.

3. Press both new DELETE buttons simultaneously. The ARRI Look File 2 file will be
deleted from the camera but will remain on the SD card.

Playback and ARRI Look File 2 files

During playback, the camera makes a distinction between clips recorded in
ARRIRAW, Log C, or Look processing.

When a clip recorded in ARRIRAW or Log C is played back and an output is
configured for Look processing, the look will be applied to this output. Please note
that this is the currently enabled ARRI Look File 2, as the camera does not take into
account which ARRI Look File 2 was active when the clip was recorded. It is the
responsibility of the user to make sure the correct ARRI Look File 2 is applied during
playback.

Camera Controls 71

When a clip recorded with Look processing is played back, no ARRI Look File 2 will be
applied by the camera during playback. For the duration of that clip, ARRI Look File 2
files will be disabled.

15.1.3.7 WB

White Balance (WB) is the color balance of the camera that should be set to the value
appropriate for the light in use. There are three methods for setting the white balance:

white balance presets
user-defined white balance
automatic white balance

On the HOME screen, press the WB button to open the WHITE BALANCE screen.
The ALEXA has the following white balance presets:

Tungsten 3200K 0CC

Fluorescent 4300K 0CC

Daylight 5600K 0CC

Daylight Cool 7000K 0CC

White balance is a red-blue adjustment of the image. To adjust the green-magenta
balance, use the color compensating (CC) adjustment.

For example, a fluorescent source will have peaks in its spectrum that cannot be
corrected with the traditional white balance. The CC shift can correct these peaks up
to a full green or full magenta gel. One step of CC SHIFT is equal to 035 Kodak CC
values or 1/8 Rosco values.

NOTICE

When changing the WB setting during recording, one or more frames on the
recorded material may show artifacts resulting from the change.

Fig. 18: WHITE BALANCE screen

ARRI recommends adjusting white balance and color compensation using appropriate
measuring equipment such as a vectorscope with calibrated grey card or a color
meter.

If the desired white balance setting does not appear in the WHITE BALANCE list, a
user-defined white balance can be added.

72 Camera Controls

To add a white balance:

1. On the HOME screen, press the WB button.

2. Press the ADD button.

3. Rotate the jogwheel to adjust the white balance value in steps of 100K or press
the + 1000K and – 1000K buttons.

4. Press the jogwheel or <> button to select the CC adjustment.

5. Rotate the jogwheel to adjust the CC value.

6. Press the jogwheel to add the new white balance to the WHITE BALANCE list.

To perform an automatic white balance:

1. On the HOME screen, press the WB button.

2. Press the AUTO WB button.

3. Place a well-lit grey card in the center of the image and press the AUTO WB
button. The ALEXA will calculate the white balance and color compensation values
and set these values for the "Auto WB" entry in the list.

Note: The automatic white balance will be overwritten each time a new one is
calculated.

Note: If the grey card is significantly over- or underexposed, the ALEXA may not be
able to calculate a white balance value and will display an error message.

To rename a white balance:

1. On the HOME screen, press the WB button.

2. Using the jogwheel, select the name of the white balance you wish to rename.

3. Press the RENAME button.

4. Use the jogwheel to enter a new name.

5. Press the DONE button to save the new name.

Fig. 19: WB SET NAME screen

Camera Controls 73

NOTICE

Default white balance values cannot be renamed.

15.1.4 Function Buttons

The main controls feature the following function buttons:

ON/OFF Press once to switch the camera on. Press and hold for 5 sec-

onds to switch off the camera. A countdown will be displayed on
the HOME screen. If the button is released before the countdown
has elapsed, the camera does not switch off.

REC Press to start and stop internal recording.

LOCK Press and hold for 3 seconds to lock or unlock the main cam-

era controls and function buttons. The recessed function buttons
USER, REC and ON/OFF cannot be locked and remain avail­able. A lock symbol on the HOME screen indicates that the lock
is engaged.

GRAB Press to take a still frame and write it to the SD card. The write

process is indicated by a flashing camera icon, followed by a
flashing SD card icon on the HOME screen. When writing is fin­ished, a new still frame can be taken.

TC Press to open the TIMECODE screen.

WRS Press to open the Wireless Remote System screen.

PLAY Press to open the playback screen and activate playback on

MON OUT and EVF. When the playback screen is opened, the
last clip on the media will be loaded automatically.

INFO Press to open the LIVE INFO screen. The LIVE INFO screen dis-

plays the camera’s current system state and any current error
messages. On the LIVE INFO screen, there are buttons to ac­cess the following additional information screens:

VERSION
MEDIA
SYSTEM
SAVE TO SD (press to save a log file)
FPS INFO

USER Press to open the USER BUTTONS screen. There are six user

buttons that can be assigned by the user. Buttons 1, 2 and 3 are
shared with User Buttons 1, 2, and 3 in the operator controls.
Press the jogwheel to see a complete list of user button options.

MENU Press to open the MENU screen, where most camera settings

can be adjusted.

BACK Press to go back to the previous menu or screen when navigat-

ing. Press to cancel settings adjustments and revert to the previ­ous setting.

74 Camera Controls

HOME Press to return to the HOME screen from any menu or screen.

15.1.4.1 TC

Press the TC button to open the TIMECODE screen. The TIMECODE screen displays
the current timecode and timecode format settings.

Fig. 20: Timecode screen

NOTICE

Individual frame values are not shown but are still counted.

Press the SET TC button to set the TC counter (only when the timecode source is set
to Int TC). On the SET TIMECODE screen, press the SET 2 TIME button to match
the counter to the camera’s system clock. Press the RESET button to reset counter to
zero.

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.

TIMECODE OPTIONS

Press the OPTIONS button to open the TIME CODE OPTIONS screen.

Select Source to choose the timecode source. Available sources are:

Int TC Internal TC counter

Ext LTC TC is read from the LTC input. Only possible with Mode set to

Free Run, and the project frame rate must match the sensor
frame rate.

Select Mode to define how the timecode is counted. Available modes are:

Rec Run TC will only run while recording. The TC value increases with

every frame generated by the sensor while recording in the
project time base.

Free Run TC runs free. If the source is set to Int TC, and the sensor frame

rate does not match the time base of the TC, the value counts up
with every new frame generated by the sensor in the project time
base.

Select Generator to set the camera’s timecode generator. Available generators are:

Camera Controls 75

Regen Rec Run TC is regenerated from the last valid TC value. When

set to Ext LTC, the camera continuously reads the TC signal
at the LTC connector as long as it is present. Upon disconnec­tion or loss of signal, the camera continues counting on its own.
When the external signal is reconnected, the camera uses the
values of the external signal again.

When set to Int TC, the value increases with each new frame
generated by the sensor.

Jam sync Only Ext LTC can be jam sync'd. To perform a jam sync, connect

the external TC source to the camera. The camera then reads
the external TC count and continues counting on its own; the ex­ternal TC source can be removed again. The precise crystal os­cillator in the ALEXA will count accurately for up to eight hours.
After eight hours, perform another jam sync to prevent timecode
offset.

The camera can be sync'd to TC signals whose time base dif­fers from the camera's project time base, as long as both are in­teger (24, 25 and 30 fps) or non-integer (23.976 and 29.97 fps)
signals. It is not possible to mix integer and non-integer signals.

15.1.4.2 INFO

STATUS Info

The STATUS INFO screen displays information about the current state of the camera
system. System state: Good means that all components in the ALEXA are functioning
normally. Other messages can contain error messages prefixed with E:, or warnings
prefixed with W:. For more information about error messages and warnings, see
"Warning and Error Messages" in the Appendix.

Press the SAVE TO SD button to save a system log to the SD card. This may take up
to one minute.

NOTICE

It is recommended to jam-sync after every shooting break to avoid the risk of
losing timecode sync during a shot.

The camera will keep its TC and TC tuning values 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.

NOTICE

The camera will force timecode to Int TC and Regen if the sensor frame rate
does not match the project frame rate.

Non-integer TC time base settings 23.976 and 29.97 are always counted as
non-dropframe time code.

NOTICE

It is only necessary to save a system log if the camera experiences multiple error
messages or other abnormal behavior. The system log is not a human-readable file
and should be sent to an ARRI Camera Service center for analysis.

76 Camera Controls

Fig. 21: LIVE info screen

VERSION Info

Cam serial

The serial number of the camera.

no.

Cam ID Translation of the camera serial number to Base36, with an addi-

tional prefix for 3D applications. This encoding of the serial num­ber has been chosen so it can be part of each filename while us­ing the fewest number of characters.

Firmware Version number of the currently installed camera Software Up-

date Packet (SUP).

EVF serial
no.

EVF

The serial number of the Electronic Viewfinder EVF attached to
the camera.

Version number of the Electronic Viewfinder EVF firmware.

firmware

Fig. 22: VERSION info screen

MEDIA Info

Int. Rec. Mode Current mode for internal recording.

Adapter type Type of the inserted storage adapter

Status Current status of internal media.

Free capacity Free storage space displayed as a percentage.

Camera Controls 77

Max. fps current Maximum frame rate with current codec.

Size Total available storage space on media

Firmware version Firmware version of the media

Fig. 23: MEDIA info screen

SYSTEM Info

Time/Date Current date and time. To set the date and time, press the MENU

button, select SYSTEM and select DATE/TIME.

Fan speed Speed of the camera’s cooling fan in rotations per minute.

Sensor
mode

Sensor tem­perature

IP address IP address of the camera's Ethernet port.

WiFi IP ad­dress

Operating
time

Shows the active sensor mode.

Current temperature of image sensor.

IP address of the camera's WiFi connection.

Shows the total operating time of the camera in hours

Fig. 24: SYSTEM info screen

78 Camera Controls

FPS Info

The FPS Info screen displays an overview of the current frame rates set in the camera
and the maximum frame rate possible on the media loaded in the camera at the
current settings.

Sensor fps Frames per second generated by the sensor

Project fps Time base the camera will use for counting timecode and the

frame rate used for on-camera playback of internally recorded
clips

MON OUT 1
frame rate

MON OUT 2
frame rate

Media max.
fps current

15.1.4.3 USER

Press the USER button to open the USER BUTTONS screen. There are six
assignable user buttons. Buttons 1, 2 and 3 are shared with User Buttons 1, 2, and
3 in the operator controls. Press the jogwheel to see a complete list of user button
options.

Frame rate output over the MON OUT 1 HD-SDI

Frame rate output over the MON OUT 2 HD-SDI

Maximum frame rate the loaded media can record at the current
codec.

Fig. 25: USER BUTTONS screen

Assign functions to the buttons by using the jogwheel.

Fig. 26: Edit User Button assignment

The following table lists all available functions and if they can be assigned to user
buttons 1-3 (identical for on-screen and buttons on camera-left side), 4-6, or both:

Camera Controls 79

Name Description 1-3 4-6

None button has no function X X

MON OUT 1 sur­round

MON OUT 1 process­ing

toggles surround view of the MON
OUT 1 on or off

toggles processing of MON OUT 1 be­tween Log C, Look, and ALEXA Clas-

X X

X X

sic 709

MON OUT 1 frame
lines

MON OUT 1 status
info

MON OUT 1 smart
zoom

toggles frame lines on the MON OUT 1
on or off

toggles status info on the MON OUT 1
on or off

When MON OUT 1 zoom is off, switch­es zoom on.

X X

X X

X X

When MON OUT 1 zoom is on, short
press toggles zoom positions, long
press switches zoom off.

MON OUT 1 zoom toggles zoom on MON OUT 1 on or off X X

MON OUT 1 zoom

toggles zoom position on MON OUT 1 X X

pos

MON OUT 1 false
color

toggles false color display on MON
OUT 1 on or off

MON OUT 1 peaking toggles peaking on MON OUT 1 on or

off

MON 1 desqueeze toggles anamorphic desqueeze on

MON OUT 1 on or off

MON OUT 2 sur­round

MON OUT 2 process­ing

toggles surround view of the MON
OUT 2 on or off

toggles processing of MON OUT 2 be­tween Log C, Look, and ALEXA Clas­sic 709

MON OUT 2 frame
lines

MON OUT 2 status
info

MON OUT 2 smart
zoom

toggles frame lines on the MON OUT 2
on or off

toggles status info on the MON OUT 2
on or off

When MON OUT 2 zoom is off, switch­es zoom on.

When MON OUT 2 zoom is on, short
press toggles zoom positions, long
press switches zoom off.

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

80 Camera Controls

Name Description 1-3 4-6

MON OUT 2 zoom toggles zoom on MON OUT 2 on or off X X

MON OUT 2 zoom

toggles zoom position on MON OUT 2 X X

pos

MON OUT 2 false
color

toggles false color display on MON
OUT 2 on or off

MON OUT 2 peaking toggles peaking on MON OUT 2 on or

off

MON 2 desqueeze toggles anamorphic desqueeze on

MON OUT 2 on or off

MON OUT 3 sur­round

MON OUT 3 process­ing

toggles surround view of the MON
OUT 3 on or off

toggles processing of MON OUT 3 be­tween Log C, Look, and ALEXA Clas­sic 709

MON OUT 3 frame
lines

MON OUT 3 status
info

toggles frame lines on the MON OUT 3
on or off

toggles status info on the MON OUT 3
on or off

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

MON OUT 3 smart
zoom

When MON OUT 3 zoom is off, switch­es zoom on.

X X

When MON OUT 3 zoom is on, short
press toggles zoom positions, long
press switches zoom off.

MON OUT 3 zoom toggles zoom on MON OUT 3 on or off X X

MON OUT 3 zoom

toggles zoom position on MON OUT 3 X X

pos

MON OUT 3 false
color

MON OUT 3 peaking toggles peaking on MON OUT 3 on or

toggles false color display on MON
OUT 3 on or off

X X

X X

off

MON 3 desqueeze toggles anamorphic desqueeze on

X X

MON OUT 3 on or off

EVF surround

1

toggles surround view on the EVF im-

X

age on or off

EVF processing

1

toggles processing of the EVF be-

X
tween Log C, Look, and ALEXA Clas­sic 709

Camera Controls 81

Name Description 1-3 4-6

EVF frame lines

EVF status info

EVF smart zoom

EVF zoom

EVF zoom pos

1

1

EVF false color

EVF peaking

1

EVF desqueeze

1

toggles frame lines on the EVF image

X
on or off

1

toggles status info on the EVF image

X
on or off

1

When EVF zoom is off, switches zoom

X
on.

When EVF zoom is on, short press
toggles zoom positions, long press
switches zoom off.

toggles the zoom function on the EVF X

toggles zoom position on EVF X

1

toggles false color display on the EVF

X
on or off

toggles peaking on the EVF on or off X

1

toggles anamorphic desqueeze on

X
EVF on or off

Frame lines color toggles the color of frame lines be-

tween White, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow
and Black

Return in active toggles the RET IN signal on or off on

the EVF and MON OUT as set

Scaling of RET IN signal may differ
slightly depending on sensor mode
and sensor frame rate

Phase sensor temporarily shifts the sensor frame rate

for 0.2 fps as long as the user button
is pressed in order to adjust the phase
of the ALEXA frame rate to an exter­nal device, i.e. a CRT monitor or a rear
screen projector.

Only available in standby and with
timecode in rec run

Color bars activates color bars on MON OUT

1/2/3

Grab still frame takes a still frame and saves it to the

SD card

X X

X X

X X

X X

X

Check last clip start plays the first 5 seconds of the last

clip, then returns to a live image

Check last clip end plays the last 5 seconds of the last clip,

then returns to a live image

X

X

82 Camera Controls

Name Description 1-3 4-6

Circle clip marks the clip as a good take

Auto WB Press once to open the AUTO WB

Grab GUI takes a still image of the current main

Format media quick link to the Format media screen X

False color index displays the FALSE COLOR INDEX

1

only available with EVF attached

15.1.4.4 PLAY

X

Only available during recording

X
sceen. Press again to perform an auto­matic white balance.

X
camera control screen on the LCD and
saves it to the SD card as a .png file in
the ScreenCaptures folder

X

screen

Fig. 27: PLAY screen

Clips that have been recorded internally can be played back by the camera on the
EVF and all MON OUTs.

To play clips that have been recorded internally:

1. Press the PLAY button.

2. On the PLAY screen, the last recorded clip loads. Press the jogwheel to play the
clip.

3. Press the jogwheel to pause the clip.

4. Rotate the jogwheel to advance the clip frame by frame, or in one second steps.
Press the STEPSIZE button to toggle between seconds and frames.

5. Press the +10% and –10% buttons to advance or rewind the clip by ten percent of
its duration.

6. Press the HOME button or BACK button to exit and output a live image over the
output paths.

Camera Controls 83

NOTICE

Do not eject media during playback.
Recorded clips do not contain the surround view portion of the EVF or MON

OUT 1/2/3 image. When playing back clips, the surround view portion will not
be visible.

Playback of ARRIRAW footage may show a thin black border around the image
that is not part of the recorded material.

PLAY screen buttons

STEPSIZE Toggle the scrub step size between one frame and one second.

+10% Advance the current clip by ten percent of the clip duration.

Does not work when close to the end of a clip.

-10% Rewind the current clip by ten percent of the clip duration.

Does not work when close to the beginning of a clip.

The jogwheel can be used to scrub through the paused clip. The scrub stepsize is
shown in the lower middle section of the screen.

Additional PLAY screen information:

clip name
playback progress bar with current playback position in time and total clip duration
playback timecode
information whether the clip was marked as circle clip during recording

OPTIONS

The OPTIONS screen button opens a list of general playback options.

Clip end action Determines what happens when the end of a clip is

reached. Options are Pause and Loop.

Show frame lines Sets frame lines to On or Off during playback. Center

mark is always switched off during playback.

Status info on MON
OUT 1/2/3

Peaking on MON
OUT 1/2/3

Sets status info overlays on MON OUT during playback
to On or Off.

Determines whether peaking is applied to played back
clips on MON OUT. Unless needed to check focus, we
recommend to leave this option off as it can confuse
others into thinking the peaking indication is a recorded
image artifact.

Peaking on EVF Determines whether peaking is applied to played back

clips on EVF. Unless needed to check focus, we recom­mend to leave this option off as it can confuse others in­to thinking the peaking indication is a recorded image
artifact.

84 Camera Controls

CLIPLIST

Press the CLIPLIST button to open the CLIPLIST screen and access all the clips
recorded internally.

To play a clip from the cliplist:

1. Press the CLIPLIST button.

2. Use the jogwheel to select a clip.

3. Press the jogwheel to load the selected clip.

4. Press the jogwheel to play the selected clip.

Additional CLIPLIST screen information:

number of selected and total number of clips on the media
codec of selected clip
duration of selected clip
circled or not

Fig. 28: CLIPLIST screen

NOTICE

Not all clip formats can be played back in all camera modes. If a clip cannot be
played back in the current camera mode, it appears grayed out. Switch the camera
to the mode that was used for shooting to play back those clips.

When a clip with audio tracks is selected for playback, the audio tracks will be played
back as well. In-camera playback may render a short audio distortion at the beginning
or end of the clip, which is not part of the recorded audio tracks.

Playback and ARRI Look File 2 files

During playback, the camera makes a distinction between clips recorded in
ARRIRAW, Log C, or Look processing.

When a clip recorded in ARRIRAW or Log C is played back and an output is
configured for Look processing, the look will be applied to this output. Please note
that this is the currently enabled ARRI Look File 2, as the camera does not take into
account which ARRI Look File 2 was active when the clip was recorded. It is the
responsibility of the user to make sure the correct ARRI Look File 2 is applied during
playback.

When a clip recorded with Look processing is played back, no ARRI Look File 2 will be
applied by the camera during playback. For the duration of that clip, ARRI Look File 2
files will be disabled.

Camera Controls 85

15.1.4.5 Wireless Remote System

Radio System

The ALEXA LF contains a radio unit that enables wireless lens control, lens data
communication and remote control of basic camera functions. The radio system is
called white radio and it can be identified by a white ring at the base of the antenna
mount point. It offers 8 channels to choose from:

Channel Frequency

0 2.410 GHz

1 2.415 GHz

2 2.430 GHz

3 2.435 GHz

4 2.450 GHz

5 2.455 GHz

6 2.470 GHz

7 2.475 GHz

8 2.420 GHz

9 2.425 GHz

10 2.440 GHz

11 2.445 GHz

12 2.460 GHz

13 2.465 GHz

White radio and legacy yellow radio cannot be mixed in the same radio network of
camera and hand units. It is possible to use both systems in parallel within different
radio networks.

Up to three hand units can be connected to one camera in parallel to form a radio
network.

Setting the region of the wireless function

CAUTION!

Wireless region settings specify where the wireless function can be used in
compliance with local regulations. It may be illegal to use the wireless function
in a region other than specified in the setting. Please ensure that the region is
configured correctly, e. g. when traveling.

► Press the WRS button. Choose RADIO > WRS REGION and select the region.

You have the following options:

Australia

86 Camera Controls

Canada
China
Egypt
Europe
Hong Kong
India
Israel
Japan
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
USA
World

In case of doubt please contact ARRI Service to ensure that the region is configured
correctly. Note that all settings fulfill FCC requirements.

Plus Camera Controls

The WRS button gives access to the WRS screen, from where all camera settings
related to the Wireless Remote System can be handled.

The WRS screen gives an overview of radio status, camera level, LDS status, and
CLM status. The screen buttons lead to screens containing more detailed info on
these topics and where settings can be changed.

Fig. 29: WRS screen

RADIO

Shows the currently set radio channel, the number of connected hand units and the
staus of the radio system. Pressing the RADIO button opens a screen where radio
can be set on or off, the channel number can be set, and the WRS region can be set.
When radio is switched on, a small icon appears in the camera HOME screen.

Camera Controls 87

Fig. 30: WRS radio screen

CAUTION!

WRS region settings specify where the wireless function can be used in compliance
with local regulations. It may be illegal to use the wireless function in a region other
than specified in the setting. Please ensure that the region is configured correctly
(e. g. when traveling).

CAM LEVEL

Shows the tilt and roll of the camera in degrees as measured by the camera's position
sensor. This sensor can be reset if it appears to have an offset. Press the CAM LEVEL
screen button to access the reset screen. By pressing the two lower outer screen
buttons simultaneously, the sensor is reset.

NOTICE

The sensor can only be reset while both axis are within a threshold of +/-10
degrees around 0.

For legal reasons, roll and tilt values in recorded metadata are set to a fixed, invalid
value.

Fig. 31: Motion sensor reset screen

88 Camera Controls

LENS DATA

Fig. 32: LDS info screen

Shows the type of LDS lens connected and the LDS status. The LENS DATA screen
button leads to the LDS screen, where lens type, current focal length, iris, focus
distance and close and far point of depth of field are shown.

The OPTIONS screen button opens the LDS options screen, where the following
parameters can be set:

Lens distance unit

Circle of confusion

LDS mount

Lens squeeze factor Link to the Project menu

Metric
Imperial
Default unit (as provided by the lens)

0.013 mm

0.025 mm

0.035 mm

0.050 mm

On
Off

NOTICE

When setting LDS mount to Off, it is possible to use a lens table from the Lens
Data Archive (see below) with an LDS lens, and ignore data coming from the
lens itself. To re-enable the LDS mount, set the parameter to On, detach the
lens and re-attach it.

After connecting a new LDS lens, turn all lens rings slowly until all lens axes
have transmitted their current positions.

Cooke /i lenses need to have a firmware version of 0.39 or higher to work
properly with the camera.

LDA

When a non-LDS lens is connected, the user can achieve LDS functionality by using
the Lens Data Archive. In the LDS screen, a button labeled LDA appears when a non­LDS lens is connected.

Camera Controls 89

The LDA screen consists of a user list and a main archive list. The user list should
only contain the lenses currently used to achieve quick access to the desired lens
tables. The main archive contains a set of lens tables for ARRI/Zeiss High Speeds
(also known as Super Speeds), Master Primes and Ultra Primes and can be extended
with additional lens tables for any PL-Mount lens.

NOTICE

Custom lens tables may have to be created manually beforehand.

Pressing the LDA button opens the User LDA screen. Select a lens table and press
the wheel. After calibrating the lens motors, the LDS functionality can be used.

Fig. 33: USER LDA screen

To add a lens table from the main archive, access the User LDA screen and press the
ADD button. This opens the MAIN LDA screen. From the main archive, first select a
lens type, then a lens model and then a lens class. The lens class can be found on the
lens barrell below the infinity symbol of the focus scale. Select to add the lens table to
the user list (Press ADD), use it without adding (USE), or both (ADD+USE).

Fig. 34: Main LDA screen

To delete a lens table from the user archive, access the user list and press the
DELETE button. Select the lens table to delete and press the two buttons labelled
DELETE simultaneously.

Custom lens tables can be added to the main archive via the SD card. Place the lens
table on the SD card in a folder named "LDA". Insert the SD card into the camera. Go
to the main archive list and press ADD. Select the desired lens table and press the
wheel. The lens table will be located in the main archive as lens type "Custom".

It is possible to inverse the iris, zoom and focus scales for lens tables if necessary.
Press OPTIONS on the USER LDA screen to access the LDA OPTIONS screen,
where these adjustments can be made.

90 Camera Controls

Lenses can also be equipped with the lens data mount LDM. The mount contains a
chip with the lens table stored inside, so the lens transmits its data to the camera as
soon as it is connected. For information on current ring positions, these lenses must
be used in combination with controlled lens motors.

CLM screens

The screens for IRIS, FOCUS and ZOOM controlled lens motors all have the same
layout. They show the motor type, motor direction, motor torque, and motor teeth
count mode.

NOTICE

For CLM-2 motors the torque value is greyed out as torque is only active for CLM-3,
CLM-4, CLM-4 Plus, or CLM-5 motors. It can nonetheless be changed in case a
CLM-3, CLM-4, CLM-4 Plus, or CLM-5 motor might be used but is currently not at
hand.

In addition, a lens motor calibration can be triggered, either for all lens motors, or only
for the one featured in the particular screen.

NOTICE

When starting a motor calibration, make sure each motor's gear wheel is connected
properly to the lens. Pay extra attention that no one is close to the motors or
holding them. Catching a finger, cloth or anything else on the motor's gear wheel
can cause severe body harm as well as damage to the system (and not to mention
hurt like hell).

The image below shows the FOCUS CLM screen:

► Press CALIBRATE to start calibration of the selected motor.

► Press CAL. ALL to start calibration of all motors simultaneously.

► Press DIRECTION to toggle motor direction between Left and Right.

► Press TEETH to toggle motor teeth count between:

Auto (detected teeth count in brackets)
40t
50t
60t

► Press +1 or -1 to adjust motor torque.

Lens Motors

The ALEXA LF supports ARRI CLM-2, CLM-3, CLM-4, and CLM-5 motors and the
LDE-1. CLM-1 motors are not supported. CLM-2, CLM-3, CLM-4, and CLM-5 motors
can be used in a mixed setup.

Camera Controls 91

NOTICE

Use only one lens motor per lens axis.

Lens motors should be connected, according to their position on the lens, to the IRIS,
FOCUS and ZOOM sockets on the camera-right side.

It is also possible to connect LBUS motors like the cforce mini with an LCS-to-LBUS
cable via the LCS connectors at the camera back.

Motor calibration

After connecting a lens motor to the camera and the lens, it must be calibrated. The
lens motor must be recalibrated under the following conditions:

when the lens motor is detached from the lens
after a camera reboot
after changing lenses
after a change in motor position while powered down

NOTICE

Omitting motor calibration might lead to damage of the lens due to the high level of
motor torque.

To calibrate a motor:

1. Press the WRS button.

2. Select a motor by pressing the IRIS CLM, ZOOM CLM or FOCUS CLM button.

3. Press CALIBRATE to start calibration of this motor only, or CAL. ALL to start
calibration of all motors.

Motor direction

The direction of the motors can be set in the ALEXA's menus.

To set the direction of a motor:

1. Press the WRS button.

2. Select the motor by pressing the IRIS CLM, ZOOM CLM or FOCUS CLM button.

3. Press the LEFT or RIGHT button to set the direction of the lens motor.

Motor torque

For all supported motors except for CLM-2 motors, the motor torque can be set in the
ALEXA's menus.

To set the torque on a lens motor:

1. Press the WRS button.

2. Select the lens by pressing the IRIS CLM, ZOOM CLM or FOCUS CLM button.

3. Press the +1 or -1 buttons to increase or decrease the motor's torque. Available
torque settings are 1 to 4, with 1 being the lowest torque level.

NOTICE

Ensure that the motor torque level matches the lens to avoid lens damage.

92 Camera Controls

3D lens sync

When two ALEXA LF cameras are set to Sensor sync EXT master and EXT slave,
the slave camera will switch off its radio module and receive motor control commands
from the master camera over the EXT connection.

NOTICE

Matching of the master and slave cameras' lenses in terms of focus, iris and
zoom ring positions depends on the mechanical accuracy of the lenses. Make
sure the lenses in use are matched as closely as possible. Use only lenses
of the same focus classification to minimize positional errors. Deviating focus
positions of non-matching lenses cannot be compensated.

At higher focus distances, even a very small position error of the lens ring
results in a great difference of indicated focus values. Therefore, even a pair of
matching lenses in a 3D lens sync setup may show different focus values.

Lens Data Encoder LDE-1

The LDE-1 generates lens data in situations when an ALEXA LF is being used without
an LDS lens or an ARRI lens motor. Thus the LDE-1 extends the abilities of the ARRI
Lens Data System to all lenses and cameras setups. The LDE-1 contains an encoder
that delivers lens data to the camera and can be used in parallel with a manual follow
focus unit or a third-party wireless lens control system.

Hand Units

For detailed information of the hand units, please refer to the device's own manuals.

Wireless Compact Unit WCU-4

The WCU-4 is an all-inclusive and yet affordable hand unit offering up to 3-axis lens
control. It includes a newly designed, super-smooth focus knob with adjustable friction
and backlit, optionally pre-marked focus rings that are well readable in the dark
without distracting performers. The whole unit is completely splash proof for ARRI­typical reliability. The slider has its scale on the 3” display, providing clearly readable
T-stop numbers and optional on-screen markings. If preferred, the slider can be also
set to show zoom scales. With the additional ALEXA Remote license, the WCU-4
shows extended camera status information and allows to change camera parameters
from the remote unit.

Single Axis Unit SXU-1

The Single Axis Unit SXU-1 is a simple single channel hand unit that can be set
up to control focus, iris or zoom. It can be used along the WCU-4 for separate iris
control, perhaps operated by the cinematographer in situations where subtle exposure
adjustments are required during travelling shots.

Master Grips

Master Grips combine effective camera stabilization with flexible and responsive
fingertip control of lens and camera while shooting handheld. They can be connected
to the camera via cable to an LCS port.

Operator Control Unit OCU-1

The compact and lightweight OCU-1 provides flexible control of lens motors and
camera user buttons on ALEXA LF. It can be connected to the camera via cable to an
LCS port.

Camera Controls 93

cmotion pan-bar and steady zoom

cmotions pan-bar and steady zooms are small clamp-on zoom controllers. They can
be connected to the camera via cable to an LCS port.

Zoom Main Unit ZMU-3

The ZMU-3 controls the zoom axis. It can be connected to the camera via cable to
an LCS port, or via cable through an LCS port of an WCU-3, or wirelessly by using a
WZE-3.

Wireless Zoom Extension WZE-3

The WZE-3 is a radio system that enables direct wireless connection of a ZMU-3 and
a camera.

Hand Unit Priorization

Different priority levels are assigned to the hand unit devices to ensure only one
device has control over a motor at a time.

When steering items of the same type are assigned to the same axis, the one
connected via ECS has highest priority, second highest priority has a device cable on
the upper LCS port, the lower LCS port has the lowest priority. Of two radio devices
with the same steering items assigned to the same axis, the one that connects to the
camera first gains control.

Cabled devices can gain control of an axis at the time of connection. Wireless devices
must be rebooted if an axis has become idle before they can gain control.

An exception to the rule are devices on the zoom axis. Here the cabled devices have
the highest priority, with LCS port 1 having priority over LCS port 2.

15.1.5 Menu

The menu contains parameters for basic camera setup. It has a tree structure and the
current path in the menu is displayed across the top of every screen.

Press the MENU button to open the MENU screen. There are six submenus in the
main menu for setting up the ALEXA:

Recording
Monitoring
Project
System
Frame grabs
User setups

Links to submenus can be identified by an arrow bracket character on the right side.
To access a submenu, select the submenu link and press the jogwheel to open the
submenu. Press the BACK button to step back one menu.

Menus also contain parameters with a user choice of values. The parameter name is
displayed on the left side of the menu, and the current value is displayed on the right
side of the menu. To choose a different parameter value, select it with the jogwheel
and press the jogwheel to choose a different value. Press the BACK button to cancel
a choice. When a parameter is displayed in gray, it cannot be chosen with current
camera settings.

Press the HOME button from any menu or submenu to return to the HOME screen.

94 Camera Controls

15.1.5.1 Recording

Select the RECORDING submenu to adjust parameters for internal recording.

Format Select for recording options:

ProRes

TM

ARRIRAW

Switching between recording modes takes approximate­ly 20 seconds.

Setting Select to set the codec:

ProRes 422, ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 4444, ProRes
4444 XQ

Resolution Select to set the resolution.

See the tables below for available resolutions.

Quick format Capture
Drive/SxS CARD

For Capture Drives
only available in AR-

Select to format a SXR Capture Drive or SxS PRO+
card. To complete the action, press both FORMAT but­tons on the confirmation prompt. A quick format erases
only the file allocation table.

RIRAW recording

Erase Capture Dri­ve/SxS CARD

For Capture Dri­ves only available in
ProRes recording

Select to erase a SXR Capture Drive or SxS PRO+
card. To complete the action, press both ERASE buttons
on the confirmation prompt. This action takes longer
than the quick format, but ensures that all data on the
card is erased. Erasing an SxS PRO+ card can increase
its write speed.

Camera Controls 95

NOTICE

Power loss during formatting of media may lead to irreversible damage to the
media! Please ensure steady power supply before starting formatting.

Before formatting or erasing an SxS PRO+ card, make sure the write-protect
tab on the back edge of the SxS PRO+ card is disengaged. Do not engage or
disengage the write-protect tab while the card is loaded in the SxS slot.

Formatting or erasing media removes all data irreversibly. Follow data
management best practices to prevent loss of data.

If media without a valid file system is loaded in the camera, you will be prompted to
format the media. ARRI recommends immediate formatting of media that trigger this
warning.

Apple ProResTM codecs and resolutions

Apple ProResTM codecs supported by the ALEXA:

ProRes 422
ProRes 422 HQ
ProRes 4444
ProRes 4444 XQ

1 Without alpha channel (444 only)

1

1

ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 HQ have a bit depth of 10, ProRes 4444 and ProRes
4444 XQ have a bit depth of 12.

The following recording resolutions are supported with Apple ProResTM recording:

Sensor Mode Resolution

LF 16:9

HD (1920 x 1080)

2K (2048 x 1152)

4K UHD (3840 x 2160)

LF 2.39:1 4.5K (4448 x 1856)

LF Open Gate 4.5K (4448 x 3096)

ARRIRAW

ARRIRAW recording is possible with SXR Capture Drives. Note that Codex Transfer
Drives cannot be used for recording.

The following recording resolutions are supported with ARRIRAW recording:

Sensor Mode Resolution

LF 16:9 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)

LF 2.39:1 4.5K (4448 x 1856)

LF Open Gate 4.5K (4448 x 3096)

96 Camera Controls

15.1.5.2 Monitoring

Select the Monitoring submenu to adjust parameters for monitoring on the EVF
and the MON OUT 1/2/3 output. These outputs are meant for monitoring and not
recording.

Frame lines set in the Frame lines submenu apply to both MON OUT 1/2/3 and EVF.
Select the Electronic viewfinder and MON OUT 1/2/3 submenus to switch the set
frame lines on or off individually.

Electronic
viewfinder

MON OUT 1/2/3 Select to adjust MON OUT 1/2/3 settings.

Master magnifi­cation

False color mode Select to set the false color mode to monitoring-based or

Select to adjust EVF settings.

Select to set the magnification of EVF and MON OUT 1, 2
and/or 3 simultaneously. Magnification, in contrast to the
temporary ZOOM feature, is a persistent increase in the im­age size on EVF and MON OUT 1, 2 and/or 3. When individ­ual outputs have been set to different magnification values,
master magnification shows "-". Changing master magnifica­tion will force the magnification of all outputs to the new val­ue.

Note: The camera stores separate magnification values for
each sensor mode, so values that were set once will be re­stored when returning to a different sensor mode.

Log C-based.

Monitoring-based: When false color is activated, it is ap­plied to the video signal as it is configured for the respec­tive monitoring output.

Log C-based: When false color is activated, the respective
monitoring output is switched to Log C and false color is
applied to the Log C signal.

Frame lines Select to set up frame lines.

RET IN path Select to set which of the monitoring output paths carries the

signal at the RET IN connector as return in active is toggled
via a USER button.

Electronic hori­zon sensitivity

Select to adjust the sensitivity of the electronic horizon.

Camera Controls 97

False color index Select to open the FALSE COLOR INDEX screen which has

a reference chart explaining the false color coding.

NOTICE

When activating RET IN with status info on, status info will stay active and
partially overlay the RET IN image. Left, right, top and bottom edges of the RET
IN image are cropped on MON OUT 1/2/3. On EVF, only left and right edges
are cropped. Set status info off to view the full RET IN image.

Because of magnify, zoom or the presence of the LDS info overlay, it is possible
that less of the image is visible in the EVF or on MON OUT than is being
recorded. In that case an orange border will be shown at the frame boundaries
where the recorded image exceeds what is visible.

Electronic Viewfinder

Brightness Select to adjust the brightness of the EVF. With an EVF-2

connected, the brightness is expressed in nits (cd/m2).

Gamma Select to set the gamma characteristic (technically the Elec-

tro-Optical Transfer Function or EOTF) of the EVF-2.

Gamma 2: Gamma characteristic optimized for EVF-2
EVF-1: Gamma characteristic similar to EVF-1

Note: Only available with EVF-2 connected.

Note: The gamma characteristic of Return In and Image
Compare is always Gamma 2.

Power Select to set the power mode of EVF-2.

Auto: Automatically switches the EVF-2 on and off based
on the eye sensor in the eye piece

On: Forces the EVF-2 power to always stay on.
Note: This will reduce the lifetime of the EVF-2!

Off: Permanently disable EVF-2 power, e. g. when the eye
sensor is covered

Note: Only available with EVF-2 connected.

Rotate image When mounting the EVF to the right side of the camera, the

image can be rotated by 180° to orient the image correctly in
the viewfinder. Affects only the EVF image, MON OUT 1/2/3
and recording images are not rotated.

98 Camera Controls

Smooth mode Select to set smooth mode On or Off. With smooth mode

on, the EVF image shutters less when panning. The effect is
only noticeable with sensor frame rates of 15 fps or above.
Slightly reduces the image brightness in the EVF.

Note: Smooth mode is only possible with frame rates up to
30 fps and shutter angles of 180.0 or less. If smooth mode is
switched on but not available, the camera issues a warning.

Surround view Select to set surround view on the EVF On or Off. When set

to on, the additional pixels outside the recorded image area
on the ALEXA’s A2X sensor are displayed, allowing the op­erator to see outside the recorded image and keep unwant­ed objects, such as microphone booms, out of the shot. To
view only the recorded image, set surround view to off.

Note: Only available in sensor mode LF 16:9

Frame lines +
status info

Select to set frame lines, surround mask, center mark and
status info overlays to On or Off in the EVF.

Peaking Select to set peaking in the EVF to On or Off, and the

strength of peaking to low, medium or high.

Zoom position Select to set the zoom position. Press the ZOOM button on

the EVF to zoom in and press again to zoom out. .

Magnification Select to set the magnification of the EVF image. Magnifica-

tion, in contrast to the temporary ZOOM feature, is a persis­tent increase in the image size displayed in the EVF.

Note: The camera stores separate magnification values for
each sensor mode, so values that were set once will be re­stored when returning to a different sensor mode.

Anamorphic
desqueeze

Select to set anamorphic desqueeze to On or Off. The
desqueeze factor can be configured via Menu > Project >
Lens squeeze factor.

Frame lines + status info screen

Frame lines Select to set frame lines to On or Off. Frame lines are a ref-

erence 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.

Surround mask Select to adjust the surround mask settings. If surround view

is set to On, it must be separated from the recorded image
area to allow proper framing. Users can choose:

Black line
Color line
Mask 25%
Mask 50%
Mask 100%

Center mark Select to set the center mark to Off, Small Dot, Medium Dot

or Cross to aid in image framing.

Camera Controls 99

Status info
brightness

Status info Select to set status info to On or Off. When set to On, cam-

Electronic hori­zon

LDS info Select to set the LDS lens information overlay to On or Off.

Select to adjust the brightness of the status info overlays.

era shooting parameters are displayed across the top of
the EVF-1’s image, outside the active image area and cam­era status information is displayed across the bottom of the
EVF’s image, outside the active image area.

Select to set the electronic horizon level to On or Off.

Note: Brightness is controlled via frame line intensity.

MON OUT 1/2/3

MON OUT 1, 2 and 3 are single link HD-SDI outputs. The output range is fixed at legal
range. As MON OUT 1, 2 and 3 offer the same set of parameters, only MON OUT 1 is
described in detail.

Frame rate Select to set the MON OUT frame rate to 23.976, 24, 25,

29.97 or 30 fps. The frame rate should, if possible, match
the sensor frame rate to avoid dropped frames or duplicate
frames on the output, which would result in jittery images
during camera movement or when image subjects are mov­ing.

Format Select to set the SDI format of MON OUT. Available formats:

HD 422 1.5G Single Link
UHD 422 6G Single Link (only MON OUT 1 and 2)

Scan format Select to set the type of scan. Which type you use depends

on the downstream equipment the MON OUT is connected
to. Some monitors, video transmitters or switchers are hap­pier with the p, others with the psf setting.

p: Progessive. Images are transmitted line by line from left
to right, starting at the top-left pixel.

psf: Progressive segmented frame. Images are first split in­to fields, which are then transmitted line by line from left to
right.

100 Camera Controls

Surround view Select to set surround view on the MON OUT On or Off.

When set to on, the additional pixels outside the recorded
image area on the ALEXA’s A2X sensor are displayed, al­lowing the operator to see outside the recorded image and
keep unwanted objects, such as microphone booms, out of
the shot. To view only the recorded image, set surround view
to off.

Note: Only available in sensor mode LF 16:9

Frame lines +
status info

Peaking Select to set peaking on the MON OUT to On or Off, and the

False color Select to activate the false color display on the MON OUT.

Zoom position Select to set the zoom position. Assign a user button to

Magnification Select to set the magnification of the MON OUT 1/2/3 image.

Select to set frame lines, surround mask, center mark and
status info overlays to On or Off on the MON OUT.

strength of peaking to low, medium or high.

The false color display is an exposure tool that overlays the
image with color coding to highlight areas with significant lu­minance values.

MON OUT 1/2/3 zoom to toggle zoom on or off.

Magnification, in contrast to the temporary ZOOM feature,
is a persistent increase in the image size on MON OUT 1, 2
and/or 3.

Note: The camera stores separate magnification values for
each sensor mode, so values that were set once will be re­stored when returning to a different sensor mode.

Note: When the MON OUT output format is set to 422 6G SL
(UHD), magnification is fixed to 100%.

Anamorphic
desqueeze

Select to set anamorphic desqueeze to On or Off. The
desqueeze factor can be configured via Menu > Project >
Lens squeeze factor.

NOTICE

Only use double shielded HD-SDI cables for monitoring to ensure error free data
transmission!

The following sensor/SDI frame rate combinations will lead to a non-continuous
motion portrayal on the MON OUT outputs, even though the sensor frame rate is a
multiple of the SDI frame rate (sensor FPS/SDI FPS):

119.880 / 29.97

120.000 / 30

150.000 / 30

Recorded images are not affected.

Frame lines + status info screen