Lewis Potts picked up the cheapest camera he could find on Amazon and tried shooting alongside an Arri Alexa Mini LF.
Potts is a stellar cinematographer. Working within constraints is the name of the game, and in this video, he’s attempting to work with the biggest setback possible. The camera itself is awful. I think it’s a great example to aspiring photographers and cinematographers. Dynamic range wouldn’t be an issue if the lighting is done correctly, and bells and whistles won’t make up for a lack of experience.
Arri’s Alexa Mini LF has been a crown jewel since it was released in 2019. It had the large format (LF) capabilities of its big brother, in a much smaller package. It’s also the last Arri camera to come with the sensor that they created back in 2010, now that the Alexa 35 has their new ALEV 4 sensor inside.
So, it’s pretty funny to see this camera, of all cameras, being pitted against a $100 piece of plastic. Potts is attempting to raise the bar of what a $100 camera can do.
I’m particularly impressed by the shots at the end. Making any indoor shot work with an automated, cheap camera is difficult. Bringing in light and taking light away, Potts is able to clear away the parts that a plastic camera will have trouble with.
Why rec709? Are you trying to match the alexa to the cheap camera or the other way around? Most would not use rec709 and you're not getting what the camera has to offer. But, still a fun bit.