WHY I GOT OLD BUT FAITHFUL ARRI ALEXA. IS IT STILL WORHT BUYING IN 2020?

[@HonJazzz]

Hi Hugo, I just purchased an Alexa Classic and I'm so excited to own such a special machine. Your comparison between the 8k footage really helped put things into perspective for me. The Alexa image is beautiful, and beauty has very little to do with resolution. My cinematography mentor would always say "Forget the K's, give me my art back". Happy filming!

[@HugoWill]

glad the video was helpful!

[@danielkeane1225]

@@HugoWill Are you guys using V-mount battery's with the classic or Gold mounts?

[@aregal]

“It’s like an AK47; an extremely reliable tool.” I couldn’t have put it any better.

[@litfilms771]

This comparison is perfect lol sold me on an Alexa Classic

[@GlueFactoryBJJ]

Nice, but I wish you had included more footage. I never seem to get tired of looking at Alexa footage!

[@HugoWill]

More to come!

[@jacobcreach]

just watch blade runner lol

[@NickBB]

"and if you're about to shoot a Netflix original I doubt you would be watching this video" 😌🤣

[@pixelkat1819]

So fun to see people comment on the Alexas weight. Ever haul around a fully loaded Arri 35 BL4 with 25-250 zoom and full 1000’ mags…along with heavy duty sticks and gear head?

[@ariscinematics]

The adage "you get what you pay for" is very true with ARRI cameras, my RED Epic Dragon has dead pixels on the sensor (not "stuck" ones, black calibration removes those, but actual dead ones!) after a mere 540 hours of operation, which is shocking and infuriating at that price point. I can definitely see myself potentially picking up a used Alexa Classic, almost 10 years on and its sensor has yet to be topped by even the latest offerings from RED, which after my experience with them I'll never buy a product of theirs again, I'm much more comfortable paying a hefty premium for an ARRI down the road because evidently enough, their cameras never break down. Great and insightful video, I think you made the right choice grabbing one! Used SxS cards might be expensive but it could be worse, like having to pay $1,450 for an off-the-shelf consumer mSATA SSD that RED marks up 20 times and calls a "Mini-Mag"!

[@HugoWill]

Thanks. I personally used many Red cameras with over 2-3k hours on sensors and no dead pixels at all. I honestly think that RED cameras are pretty reliable too, and my old Red Epic had been thru water and fire and still serves well to a new owner. It had 2500 hours on it when I sold it. But yes, Arri is definitely like a tank or AK47.

[@minutesback]

KZbin needs to give this channel more love 👍. Great info/video!

[@panoramavideoproduktionrob3325]

Congratulations to your buy! I had an Arri Alexa Studio XR for two years and I loved this camera. The pictures were just amazing. But it did not fit into my style of work. The Studio version is heavier than the regular Alexa. It has a mechanical Shutter and this piece made it bigger and heavier. And it hat one internal ND-Filter as well. I sold it last year and bought an used Sony PMW-F55 with a RAW recorder instead. It is an very good camera which produces incredible pictures as well. But it is not an Alexa. The F55 fits much, much more in my style of work. But there will be another Alexa in the future!

[@clairstylerstudios]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video, this content is rally hitting the spot for me :) Good luck! :)

[@HugoWill]

Glad to hear it!

[@VariTimo]

Yes everyone watch Steve Yedlin’s ResDemo!! It will change your life.

[@HugoWill]

agree

[@imnoteliteglobal618]

my mind opened because of you 👍👍👍

[@hagaivdh]

Dream camera!!! I want to get the Sony a7SIII, as you can do so much more with it... but once you see the footage out of the ALEV3 you don't want anything else... hearth breaking...

[@jdsmedia]

Man this video is incredibly good.

[@HugoWill]

Thank you! I'm glad it is helpful

[@simongentry]

i bought the arri alexa studio - and LOVE it!

[@cinemenico]

Preach brother! If I thought 4K was overkill, 8K definitely is! GoPro embraced 2.7K. Blackmagic had 2.5K at one time. With those kind of resolutions, you can cram more data, more quality, in every pixel. You can do higher framerates than at higher resolution. I get you want a little wiggle room, safety, for slight reframing, post stabilization & crop, subtle simulated zooms/pans/tilts... sure. But high resolution is just a pain in terms of acquisition, storage and editing. Quality not quantity... but try to tell businesses or ordinary folks that 'more isn't neccesarily better'... yet, they'll be the ones thinking 4K, 8K is a train that one need to hop on!

[@iAmirx]

Nice review and good points about the resolution! I'm considering getting a used Amira for one-man band shooting! Bit of a shame of the overexposed shots tho.. Looking forward for the test footage!

[@HugoWill]

exposure was set on skin tonnes, and background was overexposed on purpose, to see how the cameras handle highlights. In controlled light exposure we can do any camera good.

[@CinemaElectronika]

Love your review! Your point of view and opinion are invaluable for many. Thank you.

[@HugoWill]

Glad it was helpful!

[@christiannawrathsmith9483]

Many thanks for this video, i am colorist and i work with all cameras and color science and you are alright with you what you said. I work with my Red MX and i love the R3D MX🔥

[@HugoWill]

Thanks

[@hectortortor]

Fantastic video Hugo! really helpful in getting to me decide on my purchase

[@HugoWill]

Thank you. I'm glad it helpful

[@lrave17]

THAT´S HOW THE GERMANS BUILD THOSE CAMERAS!! Great review man!

[@HugoWill]

Thanks! 👍

[@thekeyframecorner1212]

There is nothing wrong buying an older Alexa. Best picture in the galaxy. Especially the skin tones.

[@leeparsons-qu6yv]

i agree

[@sheldonnorton9035]

Totally respect your decision and believe it will serve you extremely well however you helped me decide not to buy one of these because of price of lenses and media but more importantly I would never be able to mount it on any of my many tripod slider gimbal or jib options. I can use my old RED in all of these. So more than 80% of my compositional choreography would be gone. Thanks for posting! Very informative.

[@HugoWill]

Thanks. I'm glad it helped to make a decision.

[@nicholasboule5134]

Great Video, im just waiting for a low hours one to buy as well. Always been a dream to own one and I dont care what the "Standard Resolution" at the time i purchase the image is just so good.

[@HugoWill]

Where are you based? My friend has one in LA, low hours.

[@foxadeus]

Hugo -- I was curious if you had any recommendation for a top handle to get for this camera? Appreciate any insights

[@HugoWill]

I like the standard Arri, i think it works best

[@shadmanalrashid9067]

thanks for the very informative video...subscribed and waiting to see some beautiful footage from it brother.

[@Directedbyvinci]

This was amazing!

[@thecameranerd6193]

I can only agree with every word. Last year I also bought an Alexa Plus with 6500 hours on the clock. Runs without the slightest problem and the pictures look gorgeous. I have never regretted the purchase. I shoot Arriraw in 2.8k external (not a big difference to the internal 2k ProRes 4444) and the images are as sharp as in 4k. I´ve never heard a complain about lack of sharpness. The only problem is the weight of the camera as a single shooter for fast shoots. For this purpose I still have a good old Red Scarlet MX, which also still makes great images, and a BMPCC 6k for rund & gun. But the newer BMPCC`s cannot keep up with the old cinema cameras in terms of real cinematic images!

[@HugoWill]

Agree. I love my camera too. And still impresses clients like it's a 100k camera :-)

[@lrave17]

TheCameraNerd, are you still using your Alexa Plus? How well has it been serving you? Cheers man, I´m trying to get one as well and deciding between the classic or the plus.

[@thecameranerd6193]

@@lrave17 Hi Luis Enrique, yes of course, I still use and love my Alexa Plus. If you see one for a good price, go for it, you won't regret it. As I said, the biggest problem is weight. So maybe plan a little extra money for a solid tripod. A used Sachtler Video 18 or 20 should be enough. Cheers!

[@lrave17]

TheCameraNerd thanks man. I came across a good deal to get the Alexa Classic and as 2K is all I need for now for indie films, I think I might get that! Also as you said 2.8K raw doesn’t make a big difference to 2K ProRes so I might go for this classic!

[@billzidis2656]

''Thank you for your time,bye'' - Image closes ... haha , no BS in this video,only good content

[@HugoWill]

I appreciate that!

[@rupertshean]

I totally get why you bought it. Have you shot with it on any paid projects yet? Would be cool to see you put it to test in a real world project.

[@HugoWill]

Yes, sure. vimeo.com/461694271

[@MattNormanFilms]

Great video. Keep them coming

[@HugoWill]

Thanks

[@whousefilms]

Great video. Thank you!

[@HugoWill]

Glad you liked it!

[@JacanaProductions]

Any one who’s been messing around with video for the past 15 years knows resolution is low on the list of what makes a great camera. Remember the hacked GH2 where they upped the bitrate and the old 5Ds that almost shot raw. A lot of these 4K cameras today don’t have a high enough bitrate vs 1080p cameras and of course they don’t shoot raw or 12bit and of course with Arri there is the amazing color science / secret sauce!

[@jaredking232]

Great video man very informative thanks!

[@HugoWill]

Thanks

[@davidmichaelvara]

Nice video Hugo. I have been wanting an Arri for some time as well. Would you recommend ebay or something certified thru arri? I was looking at the XT Plus, but that adds a whopping $6000 on avg to the price tag. I am a pure novice when it comes to these beautiful machines so I a curious if the open gate feature on the XT makes a huge advantage. Thanks for any input from anyone on this thread.

[@HugoWill]

you should look everywhere. never know where you can find best deal. if you didn't get one yet, my friend sells exact same like mine

[@davidmichaelvara]

@@HugoWill Thanks Hugo. I will definitely keep that in mind. If I cannot find a good deal I will reach out my friend. =-)

[@matheusbastosdp]

Great video, nice to see other Brazilians out there doing good work :) Gave you a follow on Instagram, irmao! Just a small correction, Arri only films 12-bit in Prores and ARRIRAW, not 16-bit. RED, Sony Venice, etc in RAW formats are 16-bit.

[@HugoWill]

well, if to be technically accurate, ARRI uses 16 bit linear to capture and process images inside the camera, but then packages them in 12 bit, either as Log C in ProRes files or as a similar log curve in ARRIRAW files... Therefor its 12bit a lot better than regular 12bit. If I'm not mistaking, Red does the same.

[@matheusbastosdp]

Hugo Will Red Epic/Scarlet did the same 12-bit packaging, and the DSMC2 does it too when shooting in Prores or DNxHD. REDRAW in its most uncompressed is 16-bit, I believe. Not that it’s a big deal either way, just wanted to clarify it and make the information as clear as possible. :) boa sorte!

[@HugoWill]

@@matheusbastosdp Thanks

[@Jsfilmz]

You still feel the same way or did you sell the alexa. Thanks man

[@HugoWill]

oh yeah! I love it! Definitely is worth of any spent dollar on it

[@Jsfilmz]

@@HugoWill awesome man i ended up buyin one too i will have to switch it to ef mount though

[@lrave17]

@@Jsfilmz Hey man, what made you go for the Alexa Plus? I´m trying to get one as well and deciding between the classic and the plus.

[@udayannarayansingh1665]

Make more videos on the Arri Alexa comparing it to other cameras of this price

[@HugoWill]

I have some more videos on my channel

[@mrkumaran]

@3:30 that Alexa shot looks better than the RED, even sharper

[@thecyclingcatmusictravel6297]

Great review! looks like gold! would you mind uploading some stills of that comparison in LogC and REDlog3g10 ))

[@HugoWill]

There is a video on Vimeo where you can see it in better quality and even download it. But I don’t have raw footage

[@Aaron_Smith_OM]

You know what's funny? ARRI's from any era kick all the asses of new cameras. Check out a channel called Epic Light Media. They got in the Ursa 12K and showed a side by side of their Alexa Classic... I'm not finishing that sentence because ARRI does it for me. Anyhoo, higher resolution does not mean higher quality. I wanted to save to get something new, but I might go old on my next camera. I've been wanting to get into the ARRI ecosystem for a while now.

[@HugoWill]

I’ll take a look. thanks

[@yurenaasensio5703]

Hey, I’m in preproduction for my short film and totally sold me the idea of buying one, aside from the camera body n lenses, what else should I be needing to be ready to shoot? As in accessories I’m new at this, having come from photography analog and get lost while looking at what various camera include in accessories? Also is 6000 hours ok ? I read sensor last 50 k

[@apmanti12]

6k is ok, they will go over 15k no probelm

[@adampowell6148]

I'm getting myself a Arri Alexa Plus, not the classic. I was debating on getting it or an XT plus. Nevertheless, I'm going to enjoy it, regardless not being 4K sensor.

[@HugoWill]

Congrats. You'll be happy with the camera

[@lrave17]

Hey man, did you get it? I´m trying to decide as well, what made you go for the Alexa Plus?

[@adampowell6148]

Luis Enrique Tirado because allows you to get that film cinematic look without going expansive. I’m getting an Arri Alexa Plus as well as bunch of accessories for $6k USD. Yes it’s a 10 yr old camera but it’s worth it.

[@lrave17]

Adam Powell true, man! You know what tripod you’ll be using with it?

[@adampowell6148]

Luis Enrique Tirado Probably a Sachtler or O’Connor.

[@AaronCabreroJr]

Great video, there’s Arri Alexa XT going for $10,000 online and that has the ability to record 3.4K arri raw , have you considered that camera ? How expensive is the arri raw to use and file sizes ?

[@HugoWill]

Arri raw files are massive. I’d use them only if I really need to recover a lot. Otherwise I’d just stick to prores. XT for 10k is a good deal. And it’ll work better than plus since clients just feel happier when they know it’s 4kish resolution

[@AaronCabreroJr]

@@HugoWill another part of the equation is lenses what are your favorite lenses for an old Alexa under $10,000?

[@HugoWill]

@@AaronCabreroJr DZO hands down.

[@arts-verse]

Great video

[@HugoWill]

Thanks!

[@WilliamLozanoMorales]

Awesome!

[@Andrei-sb6lp]

Реально ли апскейлить с 2к до 4к и грузить например на стоки? Достаточно ли будет детализации?

[@HugoWill]

Абсолютно реально

[@Andrei-sb6lp]

@@HugoWill спасибо за ответ и за обзор, буду искать варианты к покупке)

[@HugoWill]

I'da recommend a standard/original one

[@talkintome181]

I own a arri alexaz classic. Is it wurthed to buy an oddyseay 7q for raw recording? Is there big difference in sharpness and color?

[@apmanti12]

im thinking about that myself, if i will see at a good price i will buy it, it is a good monitor even if you don't record raw

[@joelarvidsson]

Great that you love your Alexa. Its sure a great camera still. I still love my old red epic mx for alot of situations. But its not great at mixed color tempetures and some artifical lights. Alexa really nailed the colors while I think red only got it really good once they released ipp2. But I disagre the lack of importance of resolution. If you doing keying of fine details with thin lines its really great with 8k. Also if youre scene has much high frequence details. Its not that the picture will look much sharper but more natural. Thats why even 8k televisions is great. But yeah, its less noticeable for each resolution bump. Alot of scenes have fast panning cameras and objects wich creates much motionblur that kills the detail resolution. But higher resolutions brings more good things, plus more options in post aswell. But for next camera I fine with 8k for a while. I rather have higher a great autofocus more fps at 8k, and a little extra dynamic range in a smaller body. Cheers!

[@HugoWill]

yes, IPP2 brought Red back to the real game. I have a separate video about importance of resolution (8k explained). In this video I just wanted to show how good this 2k is, and if you don't plan on zooming in, cropping or advanced keying. for fast panning movements, you need higher shutter-speed, not resolution. Check out Steve Yedlin's video. The link in the description. He has the best camera test and explains everything in details. definitely is worth to watch

[@joelarvidsson]

I have seen Steve’s videos (I think I seen two videos from him) and they contribute to a good discussion. And lets not forget that the normal digital theatres does only projekt at 2k. Most people think that looks good, but I dont. Its way to soft details at that size. Sitting at the backrow helps. But viewing blurays at 65” television looks good at 5 meters away in most scenes. But I like to sit closer to se more details on a 4k oled. I like your channel!

[@HugoWill]

@@joelarvidsson I'm like most of people would like to sit from the middle towards back seats, and I don't watch TV so close so my head actually has to move around, good exercise for neck maybe though:-). However, I think projecting technologies is what everyone should be focused on, this has to be improved, and then chase a resolution on cameras.

[@lrave17]

Hey man, can you actually shoot anamorphic with this Arri Alexa Plus? Is it the Plus 16:9 or 4:3?

please make more tests with it!!!

[@SoundSpeeding]

Did you try both the SD to SxS and also the XQD to SxS adapter cards?

[@HugoWill]

I tried SD to SxS and I used very fast SD card. it didn't work.

[@SoundSpeeding]

@@HugoWill just curious as to the details of what you tried, as I own a Sony PMW-F3 myself which also uses SxS cards and I use SD cards in an SxS adapters. Sometimes I need to format the SD/SxS card inside the F3 to get it to work initially, and I can't use anything bigger than 32gigs. Have been thinking about an upgrade to a PMW-F5, and I know those users instead use XQD cards inside a SxS adapter. So just wondering what troubleshooting you've done and how far you're investigated cheaper SxS alternatives for the ALEXA?

[@HugoWill]

@@SoundSpeeding I didn't dig too far. I just tried a fast 128gb card and it didn't even let me format it. and if I can't use SD card greater than 32gb, then it doesn't make any sense using the adapters..

[@AnimeMusicStationEntertainment]

can you put the link where i can buy old arri alexa? pls

[@HugoWill]

You just need to look for one everywhere you can (facebook, craiglist, offerup, ebay and etc.). It's not gonna be easy to find a fresh one but possible.

[@sarazinosarazino557]

Hi i just wanted to know is there a big difference between the image of alexa classic or xt? Thx guys

[@HugoWill]

Pretty same… a bit more resolution on XT

[@deenfilms]

Is this still a great investment in 2022?

[@HugoWill]

I think it is. They are even cheaper now

[@JonPais]

" it's like an ak-47, an extremely reliable tool. That's how the Germans built those cameras". 😂 Thanks for sharing your impressions.

[@HugoWill]

Thanks for watching!

[@JonPais]

@@HugoWill I really rnjoy your channel.

[@graphstyle]

If you are shooting Originals - I doubt youll be watching this video at all. LOL - so true

[@unknownapplication10]

How much cost of arri raw licence?

[@HugoWill]

It records raw but externally. You’ll need an external recorder such as odyssey to capture 2.8k raw from this camera

[@charlesteton]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@leomaverick]

Please give us images..

[@sirp7696]

Wow

[@GoranStepic]

That's how a Germans build these cameras! Down to the point :-)

[@apmanti12]

yeah, it is still good, with ai tools like topaz it is even better than ever before

[@pedromedina7349]

If alexa just were use EF mounts

[@HugoWill]

you can mount a EF mount on it

[@GearZenChannel]

8k+ is just silly. Unless you have an enormous screen that you want to plant your nose on, there is no point.

[@mitchellbrinkerdp]

8k and high resolution is primarily for vfx and reframing potential. I dont shoot with reframing in mind, but some people do.

[@superinfinityfilms]

ak 47 camera

[@adhemar84]

Hummmm........

[@craigstynardt4990]

Most cameras that make sense to purchase: Hey boi, I’m a tool to make money with. Switch me on, I’ve got a quarter million assistance systems & a menu straight from a 90s desktop. Also, I’m sharp as f. The Alexa: See the reflection of that golden hour sunset on the water past the dunes? How about we immerse our audience in that moment. Let them feel what its like. Money is nice but you know what’s even nicer? Earning it trough joy and passion. We sometimes forget that we started filmmaking because we love it.

[@pepitopepito4709]

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[@EpicGamerWinXD69]

Arri is the most overrated camera brand ever, they got popular in the film industry basically only they were the standard since the days of film and they were fine when they first released their digital versions, but since then, they have outright refused to innovate, unless you count putting 2 or 3 sensors together as innovation. People worship arri just like the brand itself is their religion, I've actually had really conversations with people about why I don't like what arri does as a company, and multiple times people have interrupted me by saying "Blasphemy!!!", before then walking away and ending the conversation, even apple doesn't come close in that regard. Arri is a company that does not make anything truly new and yet somehow builds an actual cult with its followers, I AM DEAD SERIOUS!!!!!

[@UKHeritageRailways]

Have you ever owned or used Arri cameras? Judging by the appalling quality of the videos on your YT channel, I would say no.

[@EpicGamerWinXD69]

@@UKHeritageRailways I use my youtube channel for comments more than anything, and I haven't actually posted anything in a while, I forgot those were still public, so I'll just private those then, anyway I don't have to own something to know I wouldn't like it

[@konstantinosstag6436]

@@EpicGamerWinXD69 I am going to take the time to answer. Not in order to defend Arri, which i do not care for, but because i generally find it upsetting when people form opinions based on thought processes that i deem unsatisfactory. First i will try to sum up what i think your points are: A) Arri gained momentum because of its long history in the industry B) Arri is not particularly good and does not innovate whereas other companies do C) People are being emotional (because of point A) and hence not analytical enough to realise point B. I think that point C is correct. Often times people are being emotional when they should not and put certain things, people or brands on a pedestal when they should not. In my opinion that is what put you off mostly and primed you unfavorably against the brand. The fact that Arri offers less resolution than the competition and does not bring anything new nearly as fast or as often as other companies further solidified your initial impression of Arri as a brand that is overrated. I would argue that you are also being emotional about this. Because you seem to ignore in your decision making process quite a few things that would counter your position. 1) Arri does have a a long history but so does Panavision (and many other companies). When we started switching to digital Panavision did not manage to maintain the same status as Arri did. Arri became the new industry standard whereas Panavision essentially shrunk. Of course there are a multitude of reasons for that but the bottom line is that Arri did embrace the digital age and produced a camera that set a standard. They did not base their product offer on marketing hype. Their proposition was based on ergonomics, reliability and image alone. They excelled in all three. Ergonomics: the cameras are well thought out and are essentially a continuation of film cameras. Their use is intuitive and simple. This helped crews embrace it easily and made the switch more seamless. It's a good move both for its obvious benefit but also on a communicational level. It says: we know what you need and we understand what makes a good camera. Reliability: No beta models released, no bugs to be sorted. Before the Alexa there were the D-20 and D-21 that were not available for purchase and that helped iron out any problem before the release of the Alexa. That is a good process and one that creates trust. This camera does work no matter what and it can take abuse and still work. It is also buit in a way that made it possible to continue to work for so many years. Image: These cameras have been tested so extensively. And time and again the images speak for themselves. When Red was pushing for 4k and beyond Arri had the whole package: great dynamic range, great highlight roll off, amazing colorscience, a tonal gradation that is pleasing, good low light, an image that can be pushed around (underexposure, overexposure) and still hold. Such a great image overall. For over a decade this became the benchmark that other companies would be compared to. There is a reason for that. To get all these things right it takes time. You can't put out a new sensor every year in a new body and have this all figured out. And nobody did. It took all this time (a decade essentially) for Red and Sony to finally catch up and offer cameras of similar overall quality. And yes it did take a decade for Arri to come up with a new sensor that would be better than the previous in every way. I think this is how companies should behave. With care and thought behind their finalised product. I do not wish to own anything that is essentially in beta unbeknonst to me. I do not wish to own anything that is not well thought out or reliable enough because the company was in a hurry to release it. Red was promising that 4k is a way for your camera to not become obsolete. But it is Arri that delivered on this by creating a camera that people to this day want because of all the reasons mentioned and because at the end of the day it produces really nice images. So saying that Arri is so overrated: come on man. Get a grip. The greatest cinematographers of our time are not stupid. (I have worked with pretty much any camera there is. If i do buy a camera it would probably be a red komodo since it makes more sense to me than say an Alexa)