B&H has a limited number of brand new ARRI ALEXA SXT Plus cameras on sale for $29,995 USD off the usual retail price. You can pick one up for $44,495 USD. The usual list price is $74,490 USD.
With the ARRI ALEXA 35 now shipping, demand for cameras such as the ALEXA SXT Plus has fallen. ARRI also no longer makes the ALEXA Mini. This price is about the same as what a lot of second-hand ALEXA Mini’s are selling for. The biggest downside of the ALEXA SXT Plus is the weight and lack of internal ND filters.
Even in 2022, this is still a very, very good camera that is capable of producing fantastic imagery.
The ARRI ALEXA SXT series was announced back in 2015. The cameras use the acclaimed 3.4K ALEV III sensor of previous ALEXAs and add the state-of-the-art electronics of ARRI’s groundbreaking ALEXA 65 camera. These high-performance electronics combine the latest generation of FPGA processors with a lightning-fast internal backplane and form the basis of a completely overhauled image processing chain, advanced pixel correction and optional noise reduction. This results in a further improvement in overall image quality. Like their XT predecessors, ALEXA SXT cameras retain the unique and popular Open Gate, 4:3 and 16:9 sensor modes, which can be recorded in ARRIRAW or ProRes.
Key features
- 35mm ARRI ALEV III CMOS Sensor
- 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 (Up-Sampled 3.2K)
- Multiple 4/2.8/2.6/2K Anamorphic Modes
- Built-In Remote Camera & Lens Control
- 4 x Monitor Outs, 3 x RS/Accessory Ports
- Integrated Tilt & Roll Sensors
- Wide Color Gamut, Rec 2020 Compatibility
- Array of ARRIRAW & ProRes Capture Modes
- 5-358° Electronic Rolling Shutter
- Internal ND Filter Holder
The ARRI ALEXA SXT Plus Camera Body (LDS PL) features built-in wireless camera and lens control, tilt and roll sensors, a fourth monitor-out port, and a third RS/accessory connector. The SXT Plus saves time on set by enabling you to plug lens motors directly into the camera, no motor control box is needed.
The SXT Plus is compatible with ARRI controllers like the WCU-4 and Hi-5, as well as with the cmotion hand units. The integrated wireless control also eliminates the weight of a motor controller from your camera rig. The built-in tilt and roll sensors are viewed as an electronic horizon in the EVF by the operator, and the information is stored in your recording metadata for VFX and shot-matching uses.
You can record in UHD 4K, Cine 4K, 2K, or HD with 16-bit processing. The ALEXA SXT Plus provides an array of recording format choices in ARRIRAW and ProRes including 6:5 and 8:9 anamorphic modes. The camera has a base sensitivity of EI 800, and a dynamic range of 14-plus stops. The ALEXA SXT Plus’ Wide Color Gamut exceeds current display standards, and is compatible with the Rec 2020 color space. Full-image frame rates up to 120 fps enable capture for higher-clarity HFR (High Frame Rate) projects.
The ALEXA SXT Plus’ improved image-processing system includes the ability to “bake-in” 3D LUTs at capture, a mild noise reduction feature (ANR), and a pixel correction function. ARRIRAW recording is optimized for VFX and archival capture, with uncompressed data available for sculpting with today and tomorrow’s latest post-production processing. The look management architecture has been updated with the new ARRI Color Tool (ACT) and ARRI Look File (ALF-2), offering the ability to maintain your look from prep to post with on-set grading. Look files are stored in your recordings’ metadata, enabling the automatic application of your on-set look to dailies, proxies, and editing files using popular NLE systems.
User-friendly features include the ability to apply customized settings to each of the ALEXA SXT Plus’ outputs (EVF and four monitor outs), enabling the director, DP, DIT, or AC to see just the on-screen information they need, in SDR or HDR, in the color space of their choice. Standard and high-speed recording rates are now accessible in the same mode, eliminating the need to switch to a high-speed mode.
The modular ALEXA SXT family includes the flexibility of recording to the current or future media of your choice for each of your projects. Capture options include XR and SXR Capture Drives with write speeds up to 20 Gb/s, SxS PRO and SxS PRO+ cards, and CFast 2.0 cards. Faster in-camera processing speeds, and capture to SXR drives boost the ALEXA SXT Plus’ maximum frame rates. RAID 1 (mirroring) capture provides additional data security for ALEXA SXT ProRes files.
The ARRI LDS (lens data system), the IFM-1 filter holder, shoulder mount, and 15mm LWS rod support are built into the ALEXA SXT Plus. A 5-pin XLR connector supports 2-channel, 24-bit, 48 kHz audio. Choose from separately available Gold or V-mount battery plates, or an AC power supply to power the camera.
