ARRI ALEXA Mini LF User manual
ALEXA Mini LF
Software Update Package 7.3
U S E R M A N U A L
October 9, 2023
Disclaimer 2
1 Disclaimer
Before using the products, be sure to read and understood all respective instructions.
The products are available for commercial customers only.
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.
ARRI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The information is
subject to change without notice.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Imprint 3
Imprint
© 2023 Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG. All rights reserved.
The system contains proprietary information of Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs
KG; it is provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and
protected by copyright law. Reverse engineering of the software is prohibited.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written
permission of Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG.
Due to continued product development the information in this document 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 flawless.
ARRI, ALEXA Mini LF and ARRIRAW are trademarks or registered trademarks of Arnold & Richter Cine
Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG. All other brands or products mentioned are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.
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.
Original version.
For Further Assistance
Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG
Herbert-Beyer-Strasse 10
D-80807 Munich
Germany
E-mail: [email protected]
www.arri.com/en/technical-service
Contents 4
2 Contents
1 Disclaimer.......................................................................................................................... 2
2 Contents.............................................................................................................................4
3 About this Document....................................................................................................... 7
4 About this Product........................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Intended Use.................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Product Identification........................................................................................................ 8
4.3 Technical Data.................................................................................................................. 9
4.4 Scope of Delivery and Warranty.................................................................................... 11
4.5 Declarations of Conformity............................................................................................. 11
5 Safety Instructions..........................................................................................................16
5.1 Safety Conventions and Product Labels........................................................................16
5.2 General Safety Instructions............................................................................................ 17
6 Camera Body Overview................................................................................................. 21
6.1 Camera Rear Connectors...............................................................................................23
6.2 Camera Left and Front Connectors............................................................................... 25
6.3 Media Bay....................................................................................................................... 26
7 Multi Viewfinder MVF-2 Overview................................................................................. 27
8 Camera Control Monitor CCM-1 Overview...................................................................31
9 Camera Support.............................................................................................................. 33
10 Power Supply.................................................................................................................. 36
11 Lens Mounts....................................................................................................................38
11.1 Changing the Lens Mount.............................................................................................. 40
12 Menu Operation...............................................................................................................42
12.1 HOME Screen.................................................................................................................42
12.2 Working with Settings/Lists and Importing Files.............................................................45
12.3 On-screen Keyboard.......................................................................................................47
12.4 Function Button FN.........................................................................................................47
12.5 Overlay Menu................................................................................................................. 48
12.6 User Storage...................................................................................................................49
12.7 Info Screens....................................................................................................................50
13 Status Information and Overlays.................................................................................. 52
14 Main Parameters............................................................................................................. 56
14.1 Project Settings...............................................................................................................56
14.2 Sensor Frame Rate........................................................................................................ 58
Contents 5
14.3 Shutter.............................................................................................................................58
14.4 Exposure Index...............................................................................................................59
14.5 ND Filter..........................................................................................................................60
14.6 White Balance.................................................................................................................60
14.7 Timecode.........................................................................................................................60
15 Look Settings.................................................................................................................. 64
15.1 Processing and Color Spaces........................................................................................66
15.2 Noise Reduction............................................................................................................. 67
16 Recording.........................................................................................................................69
16.1 Recording Medium..........................................................................................................69
16.2 Recording Codec............................................................................................................ 72
16.3 Recording Resolution..................................................................................................... 73
16.4 Starting Recording.......................................................................................................... 77
16.5 File Naming Scheme...................................................................................................... 77
16.6 Audio Recording............................................................................................................. 78
16.7 Rec Beeper and Tally..................................................................................................... 80
17 Playback...........................................................................................................................81
18 Monitoring........................................................................................................................83
18.1 Surround View................................................................................................................ 83
18.2 Magnification................................................................................................................... 84
18.3 Frame Lines.................................................................................................................... 85
18.4 Exposure Tools............................................................................................................... 87
18.4.1 False Color................................................................................................................... 87
18.4.2 Zebra.............................................................................................................................89
18.5 Peaking........................................................................................................................... 90
18.6 Zoom............................................................................................................................... 91
18.7 SDI Settings.................................................................................................................... 92
18.8 Preventing Damage to SDI Outputs...............................................................................93
18.9 EVF and Flip-out Monitor Settings................................................................................. 95
18.10 SDI Color Bars................................................................................................................96
19 User Buttons................................................................................................................... 97
20 Synchronization............................................................................................................ 101
20.1 EXT Sync...................................................................................................................... 102
21 Sensor Settings.............................................................................................................106
21.1 Mirroring the Sensor Image..........................................................................................106
21.2 User Pixel Masking.......................................................................................................106
22 System Settings............................................................................................................ 108
22.1 Language Setting..........................................................................................................108
Contents 6
22.2 System Time and Date.................................................................................................108
22.3 Button and Display Settings......................................................................................... 108
22.4 Fan Settings..................................................................................................................108
22.5 Battery Warning............................................................................................................ 109
22.6 Reset of Electronic Horizon..........................................................................................109
22.7 Update...........................................................................................................................110
22.7.1 Update of Camera Software.......................................................................................110
22.7.2 Update of Camera Components................................................................................ 110
22.7.3 Update of LBUS Devices........................................................................................... 111
23 User Setups................................................................................................................... 112
23.1 User Setup Parameter Blocks......................................................................................113
24 Network.......................................................................................................................... 114
24.1 WiFi Settings.................................................................................................................114
24.2 Ethernet Settings.......................................................................................................... 116
25 Metadata.........................................................................................................................117
26 Lens & Electronic Control System (ECS).................................................................. 119
26.1 Changing a Lens.......................................................................................................... 119
26.2 Lens Data..................................................................................................................... 120
26.3 Lens Data Archive........................................................................................................ 121
26.4 White Radio Configuration............................................................................................122
26.5 Lens Motors.................................................................................................................. 125
26.6 EF Lens Iris Adjustment............................................................................................... 126
26.7 Enable Lens Mount.......................................................................................................126
27 Remote Control............................................................................................................. 127
27.1 Web Remote................................................................................................................. 127
27.2 Camera Access Protocol (CAP)................................................................................... 128
27.3 Camera Companion App.............................................................................................. 129
27.4 Hand Units Hi-5 and WCU-4........................................................................................129
28 Transvideo Starlite HD5-ARRI Monitor.......................................................................130
29 Appendix........................................................................................................................ 132
29.1 Sensor Related Information / 有关影像传感器的信息...................................................132
29.2 Companion Tools.......................................................................................................... 134
29.3 Connector Pin-Outs...................................................................................................... 136
29.4 Cleaning Instructions.................................................................................................... 138
29.5 Repair............................................................................................................................139
29.6 Disposal.........................................................................................................................139
29.7 ARRI Service Contacts.................................................................................................139
About this Document 7
3 About this Document
This user manual is aimed at everyone involved in using the system and provides directions on how to
operate it safely and as intended.
To ensure safe and correct use, all users need to read the ALEXA Mini LF User Manual before using
the system for the first time. It contains detailed information on how to use the system safely.
This user manual is an essential part of the product and should be easily accessible and in proximity to
the equipment so that users can use it as a reference anytime.
Keep the user manual and all other instructions belonging to the system in a safe place for future
reference and possible subsequent owners.
Document Revision History
Document ID: D45 10004716
Version
6.0
6.0.15
6.0.22
7.0
7.1
7.2
7.3
Release
K10155
K10213
K10436
K10627
K10738
K11156
K11332
Date
July 15, 2019
September 10, 2019
September 17, 2020
April 20, 2021
August 4, 2021
February 15, 2023
October 9, 2023
How To Use This Manual
All directions are given from a camera operator's point of view. For example, camera right 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 “AUDIO connector”.
Buttons are written in italic typeface capital letters, for example “PLAY button”.
Menu paths are written in italic typeface, with menu and home in capital letters, for example “MENU >
Recording > Sensor Mode”.
“EVF” refers to the OLED eyepiece of the MVF-2 viewfinder.
“Monitor” refers to the flip-out monitor of the MVF-2 viewfinder.
“VF” refers to the viewfinder connector VF. When settings refer to VF, they affect the EVF and the flip-
out monitor.
“Monitoring outputs” refers to EVF, flip-out monitor, SDI 1 and SDI 2.
“Status Info” refers collectively to the Status Info of EVF, SDI 1 and SDI 2.
Strengthen Your Knowledge and Get Trained
The ARRI Academy courses provide unrivaled insights into the full possibilities of working with ARRI
camera systems, lenses, lights and accessories.
To learn more, please visit http://arri.com/academy.
About this Product 8
4 About this Product
4.1 Intended Use
ATTENTION
All versions of the product are intended exclusively for professional use and may only be used
by skilled personnel. Every user should read and understand the operating instructions and the
user manual. Use the product only for the purpose described in this document. Always follow the
instructions and system requirements for all equipment involved.
The ALEXA Mini LF is a large format digital camera solely and exclusively for recording images at
various resolutions suitable for a variety of distribution formats:
Open Gate 4.6K, 16:9 4.6K, 4K, UHD, 2K and HD recording resolutions
ARRIRAW and Apple ProRes codecs
LogC4 or ARRIRAW encoding
Codex Compact Drive recording
Up to 120 fps
Only use the ALEXA Mini LF as described in the operation manual and user manual. Any other use
is considered improper and can result in personal injury and/or property damage. ARRI assumes no
liability for damages or changes that are caused by improper use.
The entire product may not be changed or converted.
4.2 Product Identification
1
2
The camera serial number (1) and the FCC/CE confor-
mity label (2) are located on the bottom of the camera.
The serial number consists of the last 5 digits of the
product number K1.0024074-XXXXX.
About this Product 9
4.3 Technical Data
Sensor Type Large Format ARRI ALEV III (A2X) CMOS sensor with Bayer pattern color filter array
Sensor Photosites and Size 4448 x 3096
36.70 x 25.54 mm / 1.444 x 1.005“
Ø 44.71 mm / 1.760“
Sensor Frame Rates 0.75 - 100 fps
Project Frame Rates 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 47.952, 48, 50, 59.94, 60 fps
Weight ~ 2.7 kg / ~ 5.7 lbs (camera body with LPL lens mount)
Photosite Pitch 8.25 μm
Recording Resolutions Active Image Area
(Dimensions)
Active Image Area
(Photosites)
Recording Resolution
(Pixel)
Max. fps
4.5K (4448 x 3096) 40 fps (ARRIRAW)
4.5K LF 3:2 Open Gate 36.70 x 25.54 mm
1.445 x 1.006“ 4448 x 3096
4.5K (4480 x 3096) 40 fps (ProRes)
4.5K (4448 x 1856) 60 fps (ARRIRAW)
4.5K LF 2.39:1 36.70 x 15.31 mm
1.445 x 0.603“ 4448 x 1856
4.5K (4480 x 1856) 60 fps (ProRes)
UHD (3840 x 2160) 40 fps (ProRes)
4.3K LF 16:9 35.64 x 20.05 mm
1.403 x 0.789“ 4320 x 2430
HD (1920 x 1080) 75 fps (ProRes)
UHD (3840 x 2160) 60 fps (ARRIRAW)
60 fps (ProRes)
2K (2048 x 1152) 90 fps (ProRes)
3.8K LF 16:9 31.68 x 17.82 mm
1.247 x 0.702“ 3840 x 2160
HD (1920 x 1080) 90 fps (ProRes)
2.8K (2880 x 2880) 60 fps (ARRIRAW)
2.8K LF 1:1 23.76 x 23.76 mm
0.935 x 0.935“ 2880 x 2880
2.8K (3072 x 3024) 60 fps (ProRes)
3.4K S35 3:2 28.25 x 18.16 mm
1.112 x 0.714“ 3424 x 2202 3.4K (3424 x 2202) 60 fps (ARRIRAW)
3.2K S35 16:9 26.40 x 14.85 mm
1.039 x 0.585“ 3200 x 1800 3.2K (3200 x 1800) 75 fps (ProRes)
2.8K S35 4:3 23.76 x 17.81 mm
0.935 x 0.701“ 2880 x 2160 2.8K (2880 x 2160) 75 fps (ProRes)
2.8K S35 16:9 23.76 x 13.36 mm
0.935 x 0.526“ 2880 x 1620 HD (1920 x 1080) 100 fps (ProRes)
Exposure Index Adjustable from EI 160-3200 in 1/3 stops, EI 800 base sensitivity
Dynamic Range 14+ stops over the entire sensitivity range from EI 160 to EI 3200 as measured with the ARRI Dynamic
Range Test Chart (DRTC-1)
Shutter Electronic shutter, 5.0°- 356° or 1s - 1/8000s
Recording Codecs MXF/ARRIRAW
MXF/Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
MXF/Apple ProRes 4444
MXF/Apple ProRes 422 HQ
Recording Media Codex Compact Drive 1TB (CA08-1024), Codex Compact Drive 2TB (CB16-2048)
Recording Modes Standard real-time recording
Viewfinder Type Multi Viewfinder MVF-2 with OLED viewfinder display (1920 x 1080) and
4“ LCD flip-out touchscreen monitor (800 x 480)
Viewfinder Diopter Adjustable from -5 to +5 diopters
Color Output Rec 709, Rec 2020, LogC3
About this Product 10
Look Control Custom color look (through ARRI Look File ALF4 or ARRI Look Library)
White Balance Manual and auto white balance, adjustable from 2000K to 11000K
Color correction adjustable from -16 to +16 CC
(1 CC corresponds to 035 Kodak CC values or 1/8 Rosco values)
Filters Four position built-in motorized ND filter: Clear, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8
Fixed optical low pass, UV, IR filter
Lens Squeeze Factors 1.00, 1.25, 1.30, 1.50, 1.65, 1.80, 2.00
Exposure and Focus Tools False Color, Zebra, Zoom, Aperture and Color Peaking
Audio Recording 4 channel linear PCM (24 bit, 48 kHz)
Image Outputs 1x VF custom CoaXPress connectors for MVF-2 viewfinder / Camera Control Monitor CCM-1
2x SDI outputs on BNC connectors, both outputs carry uncompressed video with embedded audio and
metadata.
SDI 1: HD only, Processed or Clean, with or without a look file ap- plied 1.5G 422 HD (SMPTE ST292-1, up
to 30 fps, p or psf) 3G 422 HD (SMPTE ST425-1, up to 60 fps, p) 3G 444 HD (SMPTE ST425-3, up to 30
fps, p)
SDI 2: HD or UHD, Clean only, with or without a look file applied, or SDI 1 clone 1.5G 422 HD (SMPTE
ST292-1, up to 30 fps, p or psf) 3G 422 HD (SMPTE ST425-1, up to 60 fps, p) 3G 444 HD (SMPTE
ST425-3, up to 30 fps, p) 6G 422 UHD (SMPTE ST2081-10, up to 30 fps, p)
“Clean” is an image without surround view or overlays (status, false col- or, zebra, framelines, etc.),
“Processed” is an image supporting surround view and overlays.
Interfaces 1x TC (LEMO 5-pin) for timecode In/Out
1x ETH (LEMO 10-pin) for remote control and service
1x SYNC IN (BNC) for Genlock synchronization
1x EXT (LEMO 7-pin), multi purpose accessory interface w. RS pin and 24V power output
1x LBUS (LEMO 4-pin) for lens motors, daisy chainable (on lens mount)
1x USB 2.0 for user setups, look files etc
Audio Inputs 1x AUDIO (LEMO 6-pin) for balanced stereo line in
(line input max. level +24 dBu correlating to 0 dBFS)
Two built-in microphones for scratch audio
Audio Outputs 1x 3.5 mm stereo headphone connector (on MVF-2)
2x SDI (embedded audio)
Power Inputs 1x BAT (LEMO 8-pin)
11.0 - 34.0 V DC
Power Outputs 1x RS (Fischer 3-pin) for 24 V accessory power out, start/stop and shutter pulse
1x 12 V (LEMO 2-pin) for 12 V accessory power out
1x LBUS (LEMO 4-pin) for lens motors & 24 V power out (on lens mount)
1x AUDIO (LEMO 6-pin) for balanced stereo line in and 12 V accessory power out
1x ETH (LEMO 10-pin) for remote control, service and 24 V accessory power out
Remote Control Options Camera Companion App
ARRI Electronic Control System (ECS)
Web-based remote control from phones, tablets and laptops via WiFi & Ethernet
Camera Access Protocol (CAP) via WiFi & Ethernet
GPIO interface for integration with custom control interfaces
Wireless Interfaces Built-in WiFi module (IEEE 802.11b/g)
Built-in White Radio for ARRI ECS lens and camera remote control
Lens Mounts & Adapters ARRI LPL Mount (LBUS)
ARRI PL-to-LPL Adapter
ARRI EF Mount (LBUS)
Leitz M Mount for ARRI
Flange Focal Depth LPL Mount: 44 mm
PL-to-LPL Adapter: 52 mm
Power Consumption ~ 69 W when recording ARRIRAW LF 16:9 UHD at 24 fps with MVF-2 attached
Measurements (HxWxL) 140 x 143 x 188 mm / 5.5 x 5.6 x 7.4“ (camera body with LPL lens mount)
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