5 Things to Love About the ARRI ALEXA Classic

Lately it seems like the ARRI ALEXA Classic is making a comeback with independent filmmakers. We have covered using it, purchasing it, and even comparing it to modern cinema cameras.

The verdict has always been that it is still great. That is impressive considering it is ancient in tech terms. But, being old has put it in the affordable realm for more everyday shooters looking to invest in a serious system.

If you haven’t seen all the things that are good about the ALEXA Classic here is a new video from FoxTailWhipz that shows off five things that he loves about it.

1. Image Quality is Superb

On paper the age of the camera is showing. It doesn’t have anything mind-blowing compared to modern releases. The ALEXA Classic can only record up to 2K for example. Lots of mirrorless cameras can beat those basic specs.

However, the ARRI look and feel is still considered one of the best out there. Dynamic range, handling of highlights, and the color all come together to create a very pleasing image.

2. Build Quality

As evidenced by the fact that there are plenty of cameras out on the used market that are over a decade old, the ALEXA Classic is built like a tank. These are designed to take a hit or two without stopping.

There are plenty of cameras with 10s of thousands of hours which are still working perfectly.

3. ProRes Recording

Internally the ALEXA Classic offers ProRes 422, ProRes 422 HQ, and even ProRes 4444. This gives you footage right out of the box that works with everything super smoothly.

Having the 4444 option is looking really good and will hold onto a lot of the original image quality. Beyond that the extremely wide compatibility is very helpful. No transcoding required.

4. Removable Lens Mount

The camera comes with a standard ARRI PL mount which will work with many cinema lenses. However, if you don’t have a library of PL-mount glass ready to go you can easily change out the mount on your own.

He opted for a Canon EF mount, but you can just as easily find Nikon F and other options easily.

5. It’s ARRI

There is just the straight appeal of it being an ARRI camera that has historically been used on extremely well-known Hollywood productions and TV shows. It’s a great camera and it feels good to be using something that is normally out of reach for everyday users.

Another aspect of having an ARRI camera is that if you are planning on working up in your career the experience of using an ARRI camera can help you later on.

Would you consider picking up an ARRI ALEXA Classic today?

[source: FoxTailWhipz]