Offering a visually superior and more creatively committed approach than capturing in color and desaturating in post, the ALEXA Monochrome cameras record black-and-white ARRIRAW with increased resolution, crisper blacks, and higher native ASA than regular ALEXAs. The rich, high-contrast monochrome images are similar in look to analog panchromatic film.
Each of the three cameras can only record in ARRIRAW, using their native recording media: 2 TB SXR Capture Drives for the ALEXA 65 Monochrome, Compact Drives for the ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome, and XR Drives for the ALEXA XT Monochrome.
The ARRIRAW can then be processed using a Mac-based platform with software such as the ARRI Reference Tool or ARRIRAW Converter, both available for download free of charge. A Mac workflow is cost-effective, especially in combination with Codex HDE (High Density Encoding), though for some productions a Codex Vault might still be the best option.
Developed in partnership with CODEX, HDE (High Density Encoding) reduces ARRIRAW file sizes by up to 40%, with an equivalent reduction in data-related costs. It is lossless encoding, so the full image quality is retained. Over the course of a long-form production, HDE can bring significant savings, as shown in the example below for the ALEXA 65 Monochrome.
