Alexa Mini LF

[William Knowles]

Hello Roger and James,

I am so grateful for your podcast and your work in cinema. I’m about to graduate from USC SCA’s MFA program and I’m considering buying a camera. I recently worked with the mini LF and found myself loving many of the same characteristics in the image that you’ve spoken highly of – fall off, intimacy on longer lens, field of view etc. With the release of the 35, do you still think the mini LF will be viable in the years to come?

 

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[dcoll33]

Nope, the mini Lf is a bad camera now that the 35 is out. Outdated and unusable….of course I’m joking. Some smaller productions are still shooting with the Alexa Classic and that’s tremendously older in retrospect. It’s a great camera that gets a different image that might be better suited for a project. Sure it has less dynamic range and its a new sensor, but he mini LF still has a bigger sensor if that’s what you’re going for

[Roger Deakins]

Don’t see any reason for the LF to be thrown out. I have a Leica M8 stills camera, which has a smaller sensor and less resolution than the M9, for instance, but it continues to produce good images – if I point it in the right direction.

[Gregg]

The Leica M8 is wonderful for b&w!  I had one and there was an issue with the sensor. Leica offered an upgrade to the M9, but that too suffers from a sensor that oxidates.  Unfortunately I discovered this after they stopped replacing the sensor so my m9 is pretty useless. Their offer for a discount to upgrade is really really disappointing!! I hope your Leica’s last longer than mine.

[Roger Deakins]

My M8 with its original sensor seems totally fine but the sensor on my monochrome M9 de laminated. But the upgrade sensor is very nice and the M9 is my favorite camera.

[Author]

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