ARRI AMIRA. The Camera We All Wanted.
AMIRA Showreel from ARRI Channel on Vimeo.
I heard about the ARRI AMIRA this morning and found it interesting. Then I saw this video and it blew me away! The size and ergonomics looked perfect for what it’s meant to do, and thats documentary and event shooting. This is a cinema ENG camera. Oh man could I use a camera like the Amira! My world is still very much HD and the Amira is a 2K camera. I’m sure it will look great uprezed. I don’t know how much it’s going to cost yet but it wont be affordable for me or probably a lot of people. I see it as I do the Alexa but not as expensive but still a camera that you would rent as opposed to buying. The AMIRA will find a lot of work in the broadcast and doc space for some time. 4K is still very expensive to deal with in post and for a lot of projects not worth it. The option to capture high quality 444 onto a Compact Flash card is stunning to say the least.
The body size and how the camera is designed is so great. I really like the viewfinder and LCD position. ARRI should have put this camera out two years ago. Heck this camera design alone should have been available years ago in a cinema camera! The mount is also very cool. PL, PL Broadcast, B4, and Canon EF. Yes Canon EF! This is also good for Canon’s CN-E primes and zooms. The more cameras that accept the EF mount the more valuable those lenses are in your kit.
Arri design the AMIRA for one operator use meaning all the functions of the camera are easy to get to for the person using the camera. Alexa is designed for a crew to use with functions accessible on the right side of the camera. Who is Arri marketing this camera against? I think Sony F5 and Canon C300 potential customers. The price is the mystery right now. Arri only stated it will be lower than the Alexa If it gets in the low $20K range I think this camera will sell rather than be considered a rental only. We shall see.
Stand out features.
- Ergonomics. Designed for handheld
- Shoots to Compact Flash Cards. CFast 2.0 Cards
- Two CF Card slots
- Alexa Sensor
- 4-channel of audio recording with AES
- 2k or 1080p
- 14+ stops of DR
- PL, B4 and EF mount
- ProRes LT, 422, 422HQ and 444 (no ARRI RAW)
- Built in ND filters
- OLED viewfinder and LCD
- Integrated 3D LUT for in-camera grading
- Weather sealed body built like a tank
- Peaking, Zebra, False Colors
- Up to 200 Frames Per Second in full resolution
SanDisk CFast 120GB HR
The ARRI AMIRA records on a new format. CFast 2.0 Compact Flash. SanDisk is the first to offer it.
Read the related material below for all the specs. It really is impressive.
IBC 2013: Arri Amira documentary camera from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
Press Release From ARRI
ARRI proudly introduces AMIRA, a versatile documentary-style camera that combines exceptional image quality and affordable CFast 2.0 workflows with an ergonomic design optimized for single-operator use and extended shoulder-mounted operation. Ready to pick up and shoot straight out of the camera bag, AMIRA is hardy enough to take anywhere and features in-camera grading with preloaded looks based on 3D LUTs, as well as 200 fps slow motion.
Continuing the ARRI tradition
Throughout its long history ARRI has offered film and program makers a range of diverse cameras suited to different production tasks; common to them all, however, has been the promise of creative liberation through functional, user-friendly design. AMIRA represents a seamless continuation of this tradition. It will sit alongside other camera offerings from ARRI, perfectly answering the needs of certain types of camera professional and certain types of production.
ALEXA image quality up to 200 fps
AMIRA features the same sensor and exceptional image quality as the ARRI ALEXA, recording superior HD 1080 or 2K pictures that are suitable for any distribution format. With a dynamic range of more than 14 stops, low noise levels, subtle highlight handling, natural color rendering, breathtaking skin tones and speeds of up to 200 fps, AMIRA will deliver beautiful, life-like images in any situation.
AMIRA records Rec 709 or Log C images using ProRes LT, 422, 422HQ or 444 codecs. By recording to in-camera CFast 2.0 flash memory cards with super-quick data rates, the route into postproduction is made as simple as possible. CFast 2.0 is an open format, easily accessible to anyone and delivering a fantastic price-performance ratio through incredible transfer speeds, long recording times and compatibility with standard IT tools. Costs per GB are brought right down and higher-than-broadcast-quality image pipelines are made available even to low budget productions.
Single-user ergonomics — perfect shoulder balance
AMIRA boots up quickly and can be used straight out of the bag by a single user, with no setting up, no rigging and no delays. In the time it takes to lift the camera to an operator’s shoulder, it will be ready to record, making AMIRA perfect for ‘run-and-gun’ shoots where the action is unpredictable and the camerawork responsive. Integrated, motorized ND filters as well as zebra and false color tools aid exposure control, while an advanced peaking function makes accurate focusing easy and swift.
Cost-efficient in-camera grading
In today’s environment of cut budgets and shortened schedules, many television productions do not have the luxury of spending time finessing a look in postproduction. AMIRA is unique in that it comes with a number of preloaded 3D LUT-based looks that can be applied on set during the shoot. Alternatively, productions can custom-build their own 3D LUTs in external grading systems, load them into the camera during prep, and even modify them in-camera while filming. With 3D LUTs, literally any look that can be imagined can be created, giving cinematographers and directors a greater degree of creative control on fast-moving productions, while keeping postproduction costs down for producers.
ARRI product quality — rugged and reliable
Like all ARRI products, AMIRA is designed to be a safe, long–term investment and built to withstand the rigors of life on a professional set. With a solid internal skeleton that guarantees camera and lens stability, AMIRA is a highly durable product constructed of the strongest possible materials. Sealed electronics provide top-level protection against humidity and dust, while an integrated thermal core results in highly efficient cooling. Productions can take AMIRA anywhere, from jungles and deserts to snow-capped mountain tops, sure in the knowledge that it will not let them down.
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What a fabulous camera! It ticks every box on my perfect main camera wish list; shame I can’t even afford the Fujinon lens they have on it (costs more than my first house!), never mind the camera!
So true! I want to rent one for sure in a EF mount.
oh man, droolworthy and looks nicely suited for news/doc/corporate– but, and a big but— unjustifiable cost-wise as a bread-and-butter industrial camera. i’m still waiting for that illusive ENG-style form factor with a C-100/300/500 s35 sensor that you can either pop on a a nice servo fujinon/canon or a parfocal EF. or am i missing something?
I sure hope the other guys take notice of the AMIRA and react. I’m sure it’s more expensive to make since it’s bigger but we need a camera with this form factor that we can actually buy.