ARRI ALEXA 265

The ALEXA 265 is ARRI's 65mm digital camera, following the ALEXA 65. The real breakthrough lies not in the image, but in the form factor: the same format ambition in a housing built upon the ALEXA 35.

What Changes Compared to the ALEXA 65

The weight drops from 10.5 to 3.3 kilograms — just under a third. The housing is only 4mm longer and 11mm wider compared to the ALEXA 35, despite the sensor being about three times larger. Dynamic range increases from 14 to 15 stops, and sensitivity from EI 3200 to 6400. Color-wise, the camera natively runs on REVEAL Color Science and LogC4, the same standard as the ALEXA 35 — old ALEXA 65 LUTs are no longer usable, but ALEXA 35 LUTs are.

Sensor and Formats

65mm format CMOS (ALEV3X Rev. B) with 6560 x 3100 photosites on 54.12 x 25.58 mm, image circle 59.86 mm, photosite pitch 8.25 micrometers. Three recording modes: 6.5K Open Gate in 2.12:1, 5.1K in 1.65:1, and 4.5K LF in 3:2. Recording is exclusively ARRIRAW onto Codex Compact Drives. Frame rates from 0.75 to 60 fps.

Mounts and Filters

LPL with LBUS is the standard, plus PL, EF, and a Leica M-Mount. New and unusual is the filter cassette system: filter carriers slide through a flap in a protective cassette directly in front of the sensor. A chip registers the inserted cassette with the camera, so the filter information is included in the metadata. The system is delivered with FSND filters from clear to ND 2.7 in full stop increments; diffusion and detuning optics are planned.

Why the Form Factor Matters in Content

For decades, 65mm was a format for tripods, cranes, and studios — not because the image demanded it, but because the cameras were too heavy for anything else. At 3.3 kilograms, the 265 is suitable for gimbals, remote heads with small payloads, and handheld use. Practically, this means that large-format vintage glass — restored 65mm primes, for example — can now be used in situations for which it was never intended.