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Are You Ready for a More Affordable ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Model?

ARRI's new base model ALEXA aims to get the enviable cinema camera into the hands of more creators.

Jourdan Aldredge • Feb 12, 2025

If you’ve ever had dreams of using one of the most popular—and arguably best—cinema cameras for your shorts, features, or cinematically-inclined commercial projects but have been too under-budgeted to rent or buy an ARRI ALEXA, then we have good news to share with you.

ARRI has just announced that it is releasing a new ALEXA 35 Base Model. In terms of hardware, it will be identical to the original ALEXA 35 (which will now be referred to as the ALEXA 35 Premium Model) but will lack some features.

Let’s examine the new ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Model and explore whether it might be the right rental—or even purchase—option for you with this more affordable option.

The ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Model

According to ARRI, the goal of this new base model setup is to allow filmmakers and cinematographers to access the top-quality ARRI look, wide dynamic range, and color science in a more affordable form with the ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Model.

This entry-level camera version offers core ALEXA 35 features, such as spherical ProRes recording up to 60 fps, the default K445 ARRI texture, and the ability to upgrade your feature set via a la carte licenses—which we'll get into shortly—on your own schedule.

The key feature of the ALEXA 35 will still be its amazing image quality, thanks to its 6K Super 35 CMOS sensor. This sensor offers 17 stops of dynamic range, which is 2.5 stops greater than prior ARRI cameras. Those 2.5 stops are split between 1.5 stops at the top end, resulting in film-like highlight roll-off, and one stop at the lower end, allowing the camera to see even deeper into shadows without overexposing other areas.

The ALEXA 35 Base Model will still be ideal for HDR projects and any backlit setups. Its wide dynamic range can also be a boon when tweaking images in post.

Flexible Licenses

The other big news here is that, along with the announcement of the ALEXA 35 Base Model, ARRI has also revealed that the company will be offering a new feature licensing program to help “future-proof” the camera by allowing for users to unlock special and high-end features as they’re released.

It’s important to note that these features are not included in the ALEXA 35 Base Model, but users will be able to license them individually on a weekly, monthly, yearly, or permanent basis. These licenses are set to include:

  • ‘120 fps’ for higher frame rates

  • ‘ARRIRAW’ for uncompressed image quality

  • ‘Open Gate/Anamorphic’ for the full 4.6K sensor area and anamorphic modes

  • ‘Pre-record’ for up to 20 seconds of buffered pre-recording before the record button is pressed

  • ‘Look’ for in-camera ARRI Textures, the ARRI Look Library, and Custom Color Management

If a user has all five licenses installed, they have basically converted their ALEXA 35 Base Model camera back to the original Premium Model.

Price and Availability

The ARRI ALEXA 35 Base Model is available now. Several different set options, such as this “Base Entry Set,” can be found on sites like B&H. We’ll outline them below.

  • ALEXA 35 Camera with Base License

  • ProRes Recording, K445 Texture, 3D LUTs

  • Upgradeable with Separate Licenses

  • LPL Mount and PL-to-LPL Adapter

  • CCM-1 7" Camera Control Monitor

  • BUD-1 Plate and B-Mount Battery Adapter

  • BPA-6 Bridge Plate Adapter

  • CCH-4 Top Handle, UAP-3 Top Plate

Price: $54,590.00

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