Introduction
If you’ve ever tried to shoot dynamic, kinetic movement with a 65mm digital cinema camera, you know the physical toll it takes. Hauling a 10.5-kilogram brain around requires specialized remote heads, heavy-duty stabilization, and an operator with iron shoulders. The sheer physics of large-format glass and massive sensor blocks historically meant sacrificing agility for image quality. Directors had to choose: do we want the immersive, medium-format aesthetic, or do we want to move fast in tight locations?
The ARRI ALEXA 265 eliminates that compromise entirely. By stripping the 65mm form factor down to a staggering 3.3 kilograms and injecting the absolute cutting-edge of REVEAL Color Science, ARRI hasn’t just updated a camera—they have fundamentally altered how and where we can shoot large format. Let's break down why this is a seismic shift for visual creators.
The Physics of Shrinking 65mm
The most immediate shock when looking at the ALEXA 265 is the footprint. It is only 4mm longer and 11mm wider than the Super 35 ALEXA 35. Shrinking a medium-format camera by two-thirds of its original weight is an engineering masterclass in thermal dynamics and power management.
By utilizing a refined cooling architecture, the camera dissipates the immense heat generated by processing 6.5K ARRIRAW data without expanding the chassis. For operators, this means the 265 can seamlessly integrate into the ALEXA 35 accessory ecosystem. You can transition from a studio build to a stripped-down drone or gimbal configuration in minutes. The 65mm format is now officially unshackled, ready for Steadicam work, car rigs, and handheld documentary-style operating.
The A3X Rev.B Sensor and the Filter Cartridge Revolution
At the heart of the image is the ARRI A3X Rev.B CMOS sensor. Measuring 54.12 x 25.58 mm, it produces that distinct, three-dimensional 65mm look where subjects seemingly pop off the screen with smooth, gradual focus fall-off. But ARRI didn't just recycle the old sensor; they pushed the dynamic range to a robust 15 stops and raised the sensitivity ceiling to 6400 EI. You can now shoot available-light night exteriors on 65mm with an incredibly low noise floor.
Because the sensor physically takes up so much real estate, integrating traditional motorized internal ND filters was impossible without bulking up the body. ARRI's solution? A proprietary filter cartridge system. Instead of relying heavily on matte boxes, operators can slide specially encased FSND filters directly in front of the sensor. Each filter contains an encoded chip that passes metadata directly into the camera, ensuring the colorist knows exactly what glass was in front of the focal plane.
REVEAL Color Science and LogC4
Capturing the data is only half the battle; translating it into a cinematic image requires elite color math. The ALEXA 265 inherits the LogC4 tonal curve and REVEAL Color Science directly from the ALEXA 35.
LogC4 distributes code values more evenly across the exposure curve, preserving crucial data in the extreme highlights and deep shadows. When grading, this allows colorists to pull back cloud detail that would otherwise clip, while rendering skin tones with the organic, flattering precision ARRI is famous for. Because the color pipeline is identical to the 35, multi-cam shoots can easily mix Super 35 and 65mm formats without causing a headache for the post-production house.
Conclusion
The ALEXA 265 proves that the boundaries between format size and physical agility are disappearing. By giving cinematographers the depth and majesty of 65mm in a package that can go anywhere, ARRI is inviting us to rethink our visual language. We no longer have to ground the camera to get the best image possible.
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