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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Best camera to use to match Arri Alexa?

J

Joe Riggs

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Original project was shot on the Alexa in Anamorphic (log c), in ends up being about 2K resolution.
Need to film some additional shots and find an alternative camera.


What camera would best match an Alexa? One of the REDs? C300? Other?

Thank you
 
I match EPIC-MX and Dragon to Alexa all the time. I use a Schneider low con 1 filter or a 1/2 if combining with other filtration. Grading from RedLogFilm space from there works great. No need to sharpen in post, actually some achromatic gaussian 'texture' or roughness can help before downsampling to match the texture of the Alexa output. This is assuming you need to grade to match as you're talking about Log-C. If you need to match the out of the camera "ARRI boxed look" that so many people love, it's do-able, but you'll save yourself all the headache by just renting an Alexa or Amira.

If you need to match sensor dimensions / aperture for anamorphic shooting to match up, then once again best to rent the same camera or go with one of the 4K capable FF DSLRs. The A7s Adrian mentions is popular these days, but it's a pain in the but to shoot with and while great in low light, it's an overall shitty camera. Sorry to those who like them... IMO, it doesn't match Alexa well at all.
 
If you're on a tight budget, use Panasonic AGAF100. You have to use pretty fast glass to get the most out of it, I think.
 
What's stopping you from just using another Alexa?
Click to expand...

Budget. To compound matters we originally shot with Anamorphic glass which is out of the question this go around,
so it will look different but within those constraints, I'd like to match as best as possible.


We are leaning to an Epic/Dragon because I can get a decent deal on it but hmm a full frame DSLR? AF100?
I don't have too much experience with those but would they match better than a RED?
 
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... The question is not really specific enough... What lenses? ... Is it possible to post frame grabs from the stuff you need to march too.. If not a detailed explanation of the formal approach used? AND then exactly what the pickups are... ?

On major anamorphic films spherical footage is matched in all the time but it tends to be action stuff... Same is true of camera format changes
 
I know many productions use the bmcc as b camera with Alexa as A cam. That's your best bet if you are on a budget. Already shoots prores 422 10 bit and has bmcc film which is much like log c. The dynamic range also matches closer than anything else out there on a budget at 13 stops. If you want also you can shoot raw 2.5k to get some more resolution and a little more DR in some cases. Throw that in Resolve make your adjustments and spit out 2.5k or 1080p prores files to match the Alexa. You may need a diffusion filter on your lenses though to match better.
 
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I have an Amira I could try and cut you a deal on? But I think shooting spherical vs anamorphic is a bigger concern.. Also am I right assuming you originally shot on a 4/3 sensor? It wasn't Alexa classic, right? It was a 4/3 plus or studio or XT?
 
I bought an A7s. Low light trickery was somewhat impressive until we dig deep into the image to see what's going on. Combination of in-camera NR, interpolation and analog gain. Bleh... And the resolution is too low for serious stills work these days. But I was still intrigued by the camera system and liking it better than my m4/3 GH2 and GH4 systems (which if freakin' hate). So I swapped the A7s for an A7r. Once again, I wasn't much happier. Ultimately returned the A7 kit. The A7r gives equal or better low light performance when compared to the A7s. Aggressive interpolative NR in post can do the same for most any camera and the added resolution on stills of the A7r gives us a lot more data to work with for the process and that makes up for the lack of additional in-camera sensor gain. But doesn't help us with video acquisition. IMO, the low-light stuff is way overrated anyway. Low-light is currently the imaginary holy grail of budding filmmakers, just as shallow DOF was back in the days of small-sensor camcorders and 35mm lens adapters. And when most think of low light these days, they're really trying to just shoot in the dark and that isn't exactly the same thing. In a properly controlled shooting situation the A7s can really shine. But that goes for most any camera. There's a lot of high quality stuff that gets shot on smart phones and tablets...


If the anamorphic glass can't be used, then that could be the biggest challenge here. Matching image texture and color isn't that difficult for someone who is familiar with the Alexa and competent in Resolve or other coloring / compositing application. Matching the anamorphic shot characteristics will be a good bit more challenging, but perhaps it won't be an issue, depending on what you need to shoot.

It's also difficult to know what your budget constraints and other factors are for this. Even if budget is a problem, I would probably do my best to get the Alexa paired with the same lenses and then you will be matched the whole way through without the need for additional post work. Because if you go with a different camera and lens combination to get the shots, it could still cost more in the end, after they are treated in post to better fit with everything else.
 
To answer some questions:

Kowa lenses

Alexa 4:3 plus

Can't post grabs but the additional needed shots are mostly inserts
 
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