All the filmmakers I’ve met in recent years have been amazed by the Arri Alexa. Even with all the competition in the digital cinema camera market, there’s no denying that the Arri Alexa is still the camera to beat, hands down. In many ways, the Alexa look has even replaced movies, embodying the basic aesthetic that most filmmakers strive for today. I outlined this perspective in more detail in a previous blog post.
What makes it so great? For a long time people limited it to the dynamic range. When Alexa first launched, few cameras offered anything close to the DR capabilities of Alexa. But these days, there are many cameras with dynamic range capabilities, at least within Alexa’s reach, but they still don’t look that good.
The reason is simple: color science. In my opinion, color is more important than anything else when it comes to the visual perception of film images. Resolution, dynamic range, grain, rhythm of motion and many other factors also play a role… but color science is at the top of that list. A camera with less dynamic range but better color science will look more “cinematic” than a camera with higher dynamic range but poorer color science. I believe this is clearly demonstrated with many of Sony’s recent product launches.
Unfortunately, for the vast majority of independent filmmakers, Alexa is too expensive a tool to own. Even Arri’s lowest-cost products, such as the Alexa Mini and Amira, will have a base price of between $35,000 and $45,000, with prices rising significantly once accessories are added. This has inevitably led to many low-budget filmmakers desperately searching for affordable Alexa alternatives that offer similar image quality at a lower cost.
It’s worth mentioning that the only way to get the exact “Alexa look” you want is to actually shoot with an Arri Alexa (or Arri Amira). That said, a few select cameras in recent years have come pretty close to emulating Alexa’s legendary image quality and should be considered viable alternatives for filmmakers who don’t want to spend too much.
Here is a short list of three cameras that I think render colors and images most similar to the Arri Alexa. Please keep in mind that the listings below do not necessarily reflect usability, features/specifications, ergonomics, reliability and many other considerations. Instead, these cameras were selected based on characteristics of their image quality (particularly color quality) and their strength compared to Alexa.
here we go. In order from most expensive to cheapest:
Panasonic VARICAM LT – $16,500
At over $16,000 for the body and over $27,000 for the complete set of accessories, the Varicam LT is clearly an expensive investment. Even so, it’s at least 2 – 3 times cheaper than the branded Arri Alexa, depending on how each camera is configured. Not to mention, as a rental product, the LT will cost far less than the Alexa, and is generally better suited for filmmakers with lower budgets.
Let’s take a look at some specs:
- Single super 35mm MOS sensor
- Interchangeable stainless steel EF mount
- Dual native ISO 800/5000
- 14 stops of dynamic range with V-Log
- 4K up to 60 fps, 2K/HD up to 240 fps
- Simultaneous dual codec recording
- Optional gamma curve
- Removable IR cut filter
- AVC-Intra, ProRes
- 3.5-inch LCD control panel
Apparently, this camera has some incredibly powerful features, namely its dual native ISO feature, which allows users to choose between ISO 800 or ISO 5000 as a base. But most importantly, the LT’s subjective image quality is absolutely incredible, arguably one of the best available today.
Panasonic Varicam LT – B & H $16,500
The Varicam LT shares the same sensor as its bigger brother (the Varicam 35), which has been used to capture some seriously gorgeous content – including the Netflix original series “Master of None.” Not only do both cameras have excellent dynamic range capabilities to create detailed, rich images, but they also deliver extremely natural colors. This ultimately helped them achieve Alexa’s appearance above all else. While Varicam LT’s footage may not exactly match Alexa footage straight from the card, these archives are very flexible in post-production and can easily hold their own once graded.
Canon C300 MK II – $11,999
I have had a love-hate relationship with Canon for a long time and do not currently own any of their cinema cameras. With that in mind, I can’t deny that the Canon C300 MK II does a great job with color, which is no surprise. Canon has been thrown by the wayside over the years as other manufacturers have run circles around them with higher frame rates, higher resolutions, and better overall specs, but Canon has always delivered some of the best color around , which is largely why they remain relevant.
Before we continue, here are some specs of the C300 MK II:
- Super 35mm CMOS sensor
- 4K, 1920×1080 60/50i, 23.98/25p true 24p
- Canon XF AVC H.264 Codec
- EF lens mount
- Dual pixel CMOS autofocus technology
- Rotating 4-inch LCD monitor
- 2x 3G-SDI output, 2x XLR input
- 2x CFast card slot
- Timecode I/O, genlock phase input and sync output
- Canon Log 2 Gamma
Canon’s C-series cameras have a long history of underpromising and overdelivering. Their cameras never look great on paper, but they always seem to deliver very powerful images, well beyond what you’d expect from them based solely on their spec sheets. Canon has also been accused of overpricing its cameras (I’m sure I’ve chided them myself), but with a recent $4000 price cut, the C300 Mark II is now more accessible than ever. While colors may not always look like Alexa’s right out of the box, Canon has a new trick –
The C300 MK II now comes with a “production” camera profile designed to mimic the color science of the Arri Alexa. When used in conjunction with Arri’s Rec. 709 After converting the LUT, the resulting images between the two cameras are almost too close to distinguish the differences. Therefore, the C300 MK II is often used as a B camera for the Arri Alexa, or simply as a cost-effective replacement for the A camera.
Canon C300 Mark II – B & H $11,999
For those who think you can’t achieve great storytelling on a C300 MK II, let me remind you that the 2013 Cannes Palme d’Or winner (Blue is the Warmest Color) was shot on the original Canon C300.
BLACKMAGIC Cinema Camera 2.5K – $1995
By far the best deal on this list, the original Blackmagic cinema camera was hailed as the “Alexa Mini” when it was first released, and for good reason. Although the ergonomics, structure, and overall design of the BMCC are completely different from the Alexa, the overall image quality is one of the best matches to date for the Alexa. The subtle colors, high dynamic range, and natural textures of BMCC images are just some of the reasons why this camera disrupted the motion picture camera industry in such dramatic ways.
Here are the specs:
- 2.5K image sensor
- 12-bit RAW, ProRes and DNxHD formats
- 13 stops of dynamic range
- 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30p frame rate
- Canon EF lens mount
- LCD touch screen with metadata input
- SDI video output and Thunderbolt port
- Microphone/line audio input
- Log to removable SSD drive
- Includes DaVinci Resolve and UltraScope
In fact, the original BMCC even shoots in 2.5K (very close to the 2.7K ARRIRAW capabilities of older Alexa models), making it even more compatible with Alexa as a B or C camera. But as I said above, the most important consideration here is color science, and the 2.5K BMCC has the most powerful color science I’ve seen on any camera to date. I’m a big fan of Blackmagic and currently shoot with their URSA Mini 4.6K (also a great camera), but it has a completely different look than the BMCC 2.5K.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 2.5K – B & H $1995
With the URSA Mini 4.6K, Blackmagic is starting to really define a “look” for itself, much like RED’s range of cameras. Needless to say, 4.6K produces beautiful images across the board, but they have a personality of their own, whereas the original 2.5K BMCC is a much closer Alexa match – at least in my opinion.
final thoughts
Arri strikes gold in the color department with the Alexa, and as mentioned at the top of this article, the only way to get the perfect Alexa look is to actually shoot with an Arri Alexa or Arri Amira. That said, when done right on set and in post-production, the cameras on this list allow you to get really close. Once you understand the quirks and limitations of these cameras (or any camera for that matter), you’ll be able to get the most out of them from a technical perspective.
The workload of post-production and color processing is also very large. Shooting with a color chart on set and balancing your shots effectively in post are two of the most critical steps to ensuring the best results. But ultimately, your skills on set and in your color suite will be the biggest factor in your overall ability to achieve the look of your film, and this is something that should never be overlooked.
For those looking to improve their results in the color department, be sure to check out my recently released Cinema LUT pack by clicking here.
