Law of the instrument - the DJI RONIN 4D

April 13, 2026 Joe Cook

It goes without saying that at The Camera Department, we encounter a lot of cameras. Our long standing perspective has been that cameras are tools, and we aim to equip our clients with the best tools for their jobs. Not too long ago the divide of quality was between film and digital. Now in the digital age we have found just about every camera will give you an incredible image. There is no shortage of high quality cameras, so much so, that the choices we make as cinematographers can sometimes seem arbitrary when it comes to picking a camera body. Obviously it’s still a big consideration, but comparing the latest from Arri, Sony, and Red can seem like a less critical choice than it once did. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything tends to look like a nail. The Law of the Instrument.

Cinematography Masterclass - 2026

February 5, 2026 Joe Cook

Cinematography Masterclass

We were very fortunate to host our first cinematography masterclass this past weekend at our Cincinnati location. This was something we had long wanted to do, and frankly, we’re still reeling from how great of an event it was.

First and foremost we want to extend our thanks to the attendees for coming to the class. We hope you had as great a time as we did.

We were lucky enough to have cinematographer Juanmi Azpiroz, AEC and gaffer extraordinaire Russ Faust share their knowledge with us. Over three days, they broke down their workflows, lighting philosophy, and on-set decision-making, offering a rare look into a cinematography process few get to witness.

A special thanks to our sponsors, Midwest Grip & Lighting, Sony, and Film Cincinnati who helped make the event possible.

We’re already talking about the next one, but for now, we’ll leave it there and share a few photos from the weekend.

Arri Alexa 35 Xtreme

August 29, 2025 Joe Cook

Arri Alexa 35 xtreme

Arri has announced an exciting upgrade to their flagship Alexa 35 cinema camera. It’s been suitably dubbed the Alexa 35 ‘Xtreme’ keeping with their naming scheme from film cameras with high speed modifications.

We’re lucky enough to be one of the first rental houses in the country to get our hands on one, so let’s take a look at what has been upgraded.

WHAT HASN’T CHANGED

Body & Accessories

Same housing, I/O ports, connectors, and layout as the standard ALEXA 35, just a new “Xtreme” decal. Everything fits right in, no need to swap rigs.

Resolution & Baseline Frame Rates

The existing popular recording formats, resolutions, and frame rates remain available.

Menu Interface

The UI, navigation structure, and on-screen controls are unchanged, just some new options for the additional frame rates and ARRICORE.

**WHAT HAS CHANGED**

ARRICORE Codec

A new, leaner RGB codec that slots between ARRIRAW and ProRes in file size. It’s optimized for high frame rates and cuts data rates by 50% compared to ARRIRAW without compromising image quality.
Offers post flexibility: EI sensitivity, white balance, and tint remain adjustable in post.
It’s a lower data burden, with the same workflow DITs have been using. Same wrappers, textures, and metadata handling you already know.

High Frame Rates & Sensor Overdrive Mode

Higher speed ceiling: Max frame rates are up across the board up to 330 fps while maintaining full 17-stop dynamic range.
Sensor Overdrive: doubles the ceiling to 660 fps, at the expense of dynamic range (~11 stops) and raising base ISO to EI 1600.
Example increases in real modes:
- 4.6K Open Gate: from 75 fps → 120 fps standard, 165 fps in Overdrive
- 3.8K 16:9: from 120 fps → 150 fps standard, 240 fps Overdrive
- 3.8K 2.39:1: newly available; captures up to 240 fps at full DR
- 2K 16:9 S16: up to 330 fps standard, 660 fps Overdrive
All high-speed recording require the 2TB Codex Compact Drive media instead of the 1TB.

Other Upgrades

10% reduced power consumption. Longer battery life, less heat output.
Pre-record buffer is 5× longer: up to 30 seconds in 4.6K Open Gate (ProRes 4444), or 5 minutes in HD (ProRes 422 HQ) at 24 fps.
Improved Wi-Fi: now supports the 5GHz band, mesh roaming, and auto-reconnect for tools like Camera Companion. To take advantage of this longer upgraded antenna are included.

QUICK SPEC CHANGE OVERVIEW

  
      Feature
      ALEXA 35 (Standard)
      ALEXA 35 Xtreme (Standard Mode)
      Sensor Overdrive Mode
    
      Max FPS (4.6K Open Gate)
      75 fps
      120 fps
      165 fps
    
      Max FPS (3.8K 16:9)
      120 fps
      150 fps
      240 fps
    
      Max FPS (3.8K 2.39:1)
      Not available
      240 fps
      240 fps
    
      Max FPS (2K S16)
      120 fps
      330 fps
      660 fps
    
      Dynamic Range
      17 stops
      17 stops
      11 stops
    
      Codec Options
      ARRIRAW, ProRes
      ARRIRAW, ProRes, + ARRICORE
      ARRICORE
    
      Pre-record (4.6K OG @ 24 fps PR 422HQ)
      8.5 sec
      48 sec
      48 sec
    
      Pre-record (2k S16 @ 24 fps PR 422HQ)
      20 sec
      5 min
      5 min