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Nauticam releases housing for Arri Alexa Mini

by adamhanlon

Nauticam, in conjunction with Hydroflex, has produced a housing for the Arri Alexa Mini camera. It offers support for many cinema and SLR lenses and is supplied with a 250mm (10”) dome. The housing supports surface control and provides space to mount an Anton Bauer “Gold Mount” battery plate in the back door. This also allows access to the camera’s CFast card.

The housing is available now, priced at $19,000

Nauticam Alexa Mini

Underwater Housing

Arri Alexa is the undisputed king of the feature film and commercial production video worlds, and the latest form factor iteration brings the amazing Alexa image quality into a super-lightweight carbon fiber body that is less than half the length of an Alexa XT, and weighs 2.3 kg / 5 lbs. Alexa Mini is ideal for use on drones, gimbals, and integrates perfectly into the Nauticam Cinema System. The 4:3 Alexa sensor, complete with anamorphic de-squeeze, ArriRAW, and ProRes recording in camera to CFast 2.0 cards in an underwater system. Footage that cuts seamlessly with other Alexa cameras on set, with the same workflow.

This housing has been produced in collaboration with HydroFlex, the world’s leading underwater cinema equipment rental house, owned by Pete Romano, ASC. Pete has over 30 years experience designing underwater housings for motion picture cameras, and numerous credits as Underwater Director of Photography from some of Hollywood’s most memorable feature films. Pete’s expertise, combined with the unmatched Nauticam design and manufacturing form the perfect underwater housing system for Alexa Mini - available for rent at HydroFlex Partners worldwide.

Easy Camera Setup

Designed with both owner/operator and rental markets in mind, the Nauticam system is very easy to build. Armed with only a coin and #3 allen wrench, the entire support and lens control system is constructed on the camera base plate outside of the housing. This means the the camera, lens, lens control system, and even motors can be built on a table, in good light, with plenty of working space. Once the camera is assembled on its tray, the entire system slides into the housing, and locks securely in place.

Lens changes are just as easy, with accessed through the large 200mm port opening, or even more easily by pulling the camera and lens out of the housing back door for unencumbered access.

Universal Lens Controls

Lens swaps are easily accomplished with the camera out of the housing, or from the port opening when the camera is installed.

The lens gearing system is universal, sliding forward or back to match lens control ring placement, and swinging down to positively engage. No tools are required, with thumb screws securely locking all adjustments in place.

A “C” Shaped support ring is used with very long zoom lenses, providing the structural support that allows precise control without slipping.

A tremendous range of lenses is supported, from very small Zeiss Standard Speeds, to very large cinema styled zooms. Our port system has been tested with Arri UWZ 9.5-18, the most sophisticated wide angle lens ever produced, with excellent results.

SLR lenses are also supported, using off the shelf “zip” gears to cinevize their lens barrels.

Less Time Prepping, More Time Shooting

Especially with the rental market in mind, the system comes out of a travel case, and is ready to shoot in a matter of minutes.

The three housing handles slide into dovetail grooves, and are securely locked in place with cam levers. These handles can be adjusted in water to fine tune ergonomics and control access.

Cinema Styled Focus, Iris, and Zoom Knobs

Large diameter rubberized lens control knobs with marking disks provide the operator precise lens control, and are placed at the handles for ergonomic operation.

Optically Coated Glass Dome Port

Our exclusive 250mm optically coated glass dome port is supplied with every system, and we believe it is the best optic available for cinema lenses.

The 250mm dome port diameter - 10 inches - is a key for good wide angle imaging performance with many cinema lenses underwater. Smaller domes can work well with close focusing SLR lenses, but many cinema lenses have a longer minimum focus distance in the .35-.40m (14-16”) range.

Using Arri Master Prime T1.4/14mm, with its .4m MFD as an example, the 250mm dome provides clearly superior results over smaller domes. Images have higher overall sharpness, and much higher corner sharpness with the 250mm dome. This is the very same port used in the optical system designed in conjunction with HydroFlex for Alexa65, and used in feature film work.

The glass dome is rugged, and extremely resistant to scratching. Broadband Anti-Reflective Coatings eliminate flare, reflections, and ghosting from the port optic. A robust machined aluminum shade protects the dome, and provides additional flare resistance.

Patented Port Locking System

This Nauticam hallmark has made its way to professional video systems! Port changes have never been easier, with no twisting of awkward bayonet systems required. Simply push in the port, and lock in place.

On set this means fast, easy lens swaps. The port and extensions are locked securely in place, proving reliable in scenes with advanced camera movement, or splashing in and out of the water on a remote head like Hydroflex’s HydroHead.

Accessories for Remote Camera Control

Unencumbered surface control is a key need of many top underwater professionals, and those needs have been integrated in as many forms as possible throughout the design process.

The base “diver controlled” system completely satisfies the needs of a single operator, but our lineup of accessories geared toward production sets makes the Nauticam housing as at home on a feature film set as it is on an Indo-Pacific coral reef.

The housing contains enough internal space for internally mounting the Arri “cforce mini” Motors. These motors drive the housing lens controls, not the lens itself, meaning any lens supported the housing can be set up for surface control of Focus, Iris, and Zoom. Alexa Mini features a built in motor controller, allowing the system to be set up without any motor controller box!

These motors are mounted on purpose built brackets affixed to the camera tray, and do not need to be removed when changing lenses, or when pulling the camera from the housing.

The housing also ships with two 3/4” Hydroflex Bulkheads allowing the power, remote control, and remote monitor umbilicals from other Hydroflex rental systems to be used on Alexa Mini.

Accessory Mounting

Numerous 1/4-20, 3/8-16, and 10mm threaded accessory mounting location are provided. These accessory positions allow monitors, lights, tripod/jib plates, and other accessories to be placed conveniently on the housing.

Battery Configurations

The housing ships with an Anton Bauer “Gold Mount” battery plate and LEMO connector for the Alexa Mini camera. Ample space is available for a range of battery pack sizes to be used in the housing, providing long operation times. Surface suppled power is also an option for for tethered all day shooting.

The battery is mounted in the housing back door, providing easy access to the CFast card for media swaps.

Weight & Trim Bracket

A sliding weight bracket allows front-back trim to be adjusted dynamically in water, providing a natural port up or port down position as needed. The bracket accepts readily available dive weights, easily sourced on location.

Additional trim weights can be attached to the housing skids, or to trim weight mounting locations strategically placed on the inside of the housing, to dial in neutral buoyancy and left-right balance.

On Camera Monitoring

A number of on camera monitoring solutions are available from Nauticam. Options include the smartphone sized SmallHD 502, widely used TVLogic VFM-058, and 7” Atomos Shogun.

TVLogic VFM-058, in Nauticam NA-058 Housing, is shown here. The 5.5” 1920x1080 screen with professional monitoring tools for judging focus ad exposure is an excellent choice for Alexa Mini systems.

Vacuum Check & Leak Detection

The advanced vacuum check and leak detection system allows the water tight integrity of the system to be tested before going in the water, and an advanced vacuum monitoring system with built in temperature compensation constantly provides operator feedback about system safety.

A “dual activation” vacuum valve enables vacuum testing with commonly available BCD inflator hose, or a hand pump for situations where compressed air isn’t available.

Item Includes

Specifications

Model Number : 16133
MSRP : $19,000
Housing Depth Rating : 80m

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