The Alexa 65

Arri just made a big announcement; they're releasing a different version of the Alexa, titled the "Alexa 65" and some of its features are very impressive (6K and a 65mm sensor just to name a few).

The camera gets its name from the 65mm sensor that comes with the camera, which is about 3x bigger than a standard super35. They call the sensor the A3X and claim it is "the largest high-performance motion picture sensor available on the market today. The sensor has a 54.12 ,, x 25.59 mm active imaging area, which is even larger than the film gate of ARRI's 765 65 mm film camera." The sensor has a dynamic range of more than 14 stops and the sensor is designed with the same color imaging/interpretation so that the image produced will match well with any member of the Alexa family. 

Just to give some insight as to how impressive the dynamic range of this camera is here's some comparison: 

The Canon 5D Mark ii - 10 stops

RED Epic X - 13.5 stops

Sony FS-100 - 11.5 stops

Sony PMW F3 - 12+ stops

Blackmagic URSA - 12 stops

The Alexa 65 features a similar design and ergonomics as the 35mm Alexa, except a little wider to fit the larger sensor. Arri isn't making the Alexa 65 available for purchase, its going for rentals only. Arri will be sending the camera out with an entire system, including rehoused Hasselblad prime lenses as well as a Codex Vault workflow solution. 

Here are the specific features (provided by "no-film school):

• 65mm Digital Cinema Camera
• ARRI A3X CMOS sensor
• 5-perf 65mm (full camera aperture)
• 6560 x 3102 resolution (maximum recordable)
• 54.12 x 25.58 mm Sensor size (active image area)
• Weight: 10.5 kg / 23.2 lb
• ARRI XPL Mount (64mm diameter)
• 200 - 3200 ISO. Base is 800 ISO
• Dynamic Range: >14 stops
• Uncompressed ARRIRAW
• LDS metadata
• Electronic Shutter 5° - 358°, adjustable in 1/10° increments
• 0.75 to 27 fps (upgrade to 60 fps planned for early 2015)

Here are some links to find out more:

http://www.fdtimes.com/issues/cinec-munich-issue/

http://arrirentalgroup.com/alexa65/

http://nofilmschool.com/2014/09/arri-reveals-6k-65mm-cinema-camera-alexa-65

While it is so great that cameras are advancing so much with the ability to shoot in high resolutions like 4K, 6K ect, what does it say that the exhibition and distribution of 4K+ projects isn't keeping up with the advances of cameras and that some laptops still feature sub-HD monitors.