ARRI's surprise announcement last week of their new ALEXA Mini LF camera system has created a lot of buzz. We've had a lot of interest in the new camera, and we are currently taking preorders with a $5,000 deposit. To help folks get the information they need, we've gathered the most popular questions we've received and answered them here. Be sure to check back often, as we will update this list with new information and additional questions.

The ARRI ALEXA Mini LF is the hottest ticket in town, so I was very fortunate to not only sit down with ARRI's Marc Shipman-Mueller, Product Manager of the ALEXA LF and ALEXA Mini LF, but also to get my hands on the camera.

Today ARRI announced a brand new camera in their popular ALEXA lineup. The ALEXA Mini LF is the companion camera to the full-bodied ALEXA LF. This LF (large format) ALEXA Mini has the same 36 x 25mm 4.4K sensor as the ALEXA LF, but now in a much smaller form factor. The new camera has the same basic footprint as the ALEXA Mini, but with some significant differences.

DP Colin Quinn of RiTE Media recently completed filming Grobb, a sci-fi adventure shot on location in the Great Plains of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. To capture the action and sweeping landscapes, the production chose the ARRI ALEXA LF and Leica Thalia Primes. In this conversation, he discusses the project, how he arrived at this camera and lens package, and his impressions of how it performed in the field.

Anamorphic seems to be enjoying a renaissance lately, and we’ve received some questions about how to acquire and deliver this format when shooting with ARRI’s ALEXA Mini.

Recently, I had the opportunity try out the ARRI Master Anamorphic Flare Set. Paired with the ARRI ALEXA Mini, I shot tests with the 40mm ARRI Master Anamorphic in each configuration of the flare set to compare the effects.

The ARRI wireless lens control ecosystem continues to grow and get stronger with new capabilities and technology. The ARRI cforce mini RF motor, Master Grips, WCU-4 and various other accessories are all designed to work in concert, giving you a wide range of options for wireless camera control.

ARRI's cforce mini RF Motor made big news when it was introduced at NAB this year, since it can be wirelessly controlled by the ARRI WCU-4 and SXU without requiring a separate motor controller. But when we got the motor in and I had a chance to play with it, I realized it could do so much more.

ARRI's recent release of Software Update Package 5.3 for AMIRA enables some significant new functionality for the camera. The most exciting of these new features is support for ARRIRAW, the RAW format used in the ALEXA and ALEXA Mini cameras. This is significant since the company line for many years was that AMIRA would never shoot RAW (not that we're complaining, mind you).