ARRI ALEXA MINI LF SUP 7.3 SOFTWARE

ARRI ALEXA MINI LF SUP 7.3

• Camera control monitor CCM-1 compatibility
• MVF-2 Multi Viewfinder Touch
• Extended media erase menu warnings
• Enhanced audio gain GUI
• CAP additions and bug fixes
• WPA-3 support
• LAN gateway configuration
• ECS Enhancements

MVF2-MENU > User Buttons > Monitor User Buttons 

• To ensure stable operation of the CCM-1 with the new SUP 7.3 version for the Alexa Mini LF, we must ensure that the CCM-1 is also updated to the latest software version: SUP 5.5.1.

• Other new features in SUP 7.3 include the activation of touchscreen functionality on the MVF-2 pop-up monitor. While the hardware has always had this capability, it is only now that the user interface has reached a level where touchscreen functionality can streamline workflows both on set and on set-up.

• The setting is enabled by default and can be modified in the MENU > System > Buttons + Display section. Along with this modification, Arri has implemented more settings in the menu. You can switch between the real-time display and the menu screen by swiping either screen sideways with your finger. In addition, the MVF-2's lock switch now not only locks the buttons, but also disables the touch function.

• This software also offers other benefits, such as support for WPA-3 client mode, an extended media deletion warning, support for static LAN gateway configurations and various stability improvements.

• The media deletion warnings in the MVF-2 pop-up monitor have also been changed to provide more detailed information. Namely, the background colour of the title of the warning messages now indicates without any doubt whether there are camera clips on the card that are about to be deleted (red title background) or not (orange title background). Additionally, a clear second step to initiate the deletion process has been implemented to prevent accidental operations.

• The new audio gain adjustment screen provides a quick overview of the current gain settings, channel assignments and monitoring configuration. Gain levels can be changed using the MVF-2's click wheel or by sliding your finger over the scroll bar. This can be accessed from MVF-2 MENU > Recording > Audio Recording > Gain Levels.

• In some configurations, such as virtual productions, it is necessary to set a static network gateway. The default static gateway is a router that routes network packets when there is no route that matches the destination of a packet. In a local network, the default gateway is usually the closest device to the Internet. The IPv4 address of the gateway is usually the first address of a subnet. You can access this setting from MENU > System > Network/WiFi > LAN Static Gateway.

• The camera finally supports the CAM (7p) - LBUS (4p) connection to the Arri Electronic Control System (ECS). As introduced with the Alexa 35, the CAM port of an ECS motor controller (such as the RIA-1 or ZMU-4) can now be connected to the LPL mount LBUS port. This interface is superior to the CAM (7p) - EXT (6p) connection because it allows the transfer of camera control commands and lens metadata data. Although connection via EXT (6p) is still possible, it is not recommended.

• The cforce mini RF in radio host mode will support CAM (7p) - LBUS (4p) connection with the next firmware update. However, when using SUP 2.0.3 or earlier firmware, we will have to connect via CAM (7p) - EXT (6p).

• A full calibration command, activated from an ECS handheld unit, now calibrates all focus, iris and zoom (F/I/Z) motors connected to the Alexa Mini LF. This includes motors that are assigned to another control unit, are completely unassigned or in encoder mode. It is important to note that an AUX motor must always be calibrated manually. This change was previously implemented on the Radio Interface Adapter (RIA-1) and the Alexa 35, and will be applied to all Arri motor controllers and cameras in the future.

Updating Alexa Mini LF SUP 7.3

• Alexa Mini LF SUP 7.3 is compatible with all Alexa Mini LF Film cameras, not just the latest ones, and Arri recommends upgrading from Alexa Mini LF SUP 7.2 to SUP 7.3. However, it is not recommended to upgrade while in use while shooting.

• It is important to note that during the upgrade, no device should be connected to LPL support, as this could cause the upgrade to fail and this would force the process to be repeated again.

• It is possible to roll back from Alexa Mini LF SUP 7.3 to a previous version of SUP. However, it is important to note that MVF-2 scopes with serial numbers above 6849 and 2TB Compact Drives with serial numbers starting with 273xxxxx are not compatible with older versions of Alexa Mini LF SUP. Therefore, if you plan to revert to an earlier version, you should make sure that your equipment, in particular the above mentioned viewers and storage units, is compatible with that specific version of SUP.

Alexa Mini LF SUP 7.3 software problems

• It is important to note that the ALURA 1.4x and 2.0x extenders are not recognised by the camera, which means that the optics information displayed in the menu, the SDI overlays and the WCU-4 driver will not reflect the use of these extenders. The optics information will be displayed regardless of the presence of the extenders, so adjustments and configurations must be made with this limitation in mind.

• An issue has been identified related to artefact monitoring when changing the exposure tool and using the REC 2020 colour space on the SDI output. When an SDI output is set to the REC 2020 colour space and the exposure tool is used in the MVF-2, artefacts may be observed in the SDI output. This is especially important if the SDI output is to be transmitted or recorded.

• In addition, the MVF-2 may show a subtle flicker at the top of the image through the eyepiece, not in the monitor pop-up. This flicker may occur when the EVF zoom is on or the EVF surround view is off, and may manifest itself as a flickering of the brightness at the top of the OLED screen. 

• Depending on the selected recording format, the "Magnification" feature may sometimes reach maximum magnification before reaching the maximum value of 200%. In these situations, higher value numbers may appear in the menu, but the actual magnification of the image will not increase beyond the point where it has already reached its maximum magnification. This means that even if higher value numbers are displayed, the image will not be magnified beyond its maximum capacity in that specific recording format.

• Occasionally, after changing recording modes, the picture on the SDI output may show a magenta tint for up to 5 seconds before returning to the normal picture. This phenomenon may occur temporarily and is a behaviour that is due to the camera adapting to the new recording settings.

• When playing back a clip with audio, it is important to note that the headphone output on the MVF-2 may be approximately 3 dB lower compared to live playback or during recording. This lower audio level setting is a characteristic of playback and should not cause concern. It may be useful to be aware of this difference in order to adjust audio monitoring levels as needed when playing back clips on camera.

• It is important to note that the "Mirrored Image" function does not work with MXF/Apple ProRes files in DaVinci Resolve. However, this feature is effective when working with ARRIRAW files. Therefore, if you need to mirror the image, you should consider the file format you are working with and make sure you are using ARRIRAW if you want to apply the "Mirror Image" feature in DaVinci Resolve.

• If you are using Web Remote and are experiencing difficulties finding the camera due to certain operating system and browser combinations, you can use the camera's LAN IP address as an alternative. You can find the camera's current IP address by following these steps: MENU > INFO > NETWORK INFO LAN IP. Once you obtain the camera's IP address, you can use it to access the camera via Web Remote, allowing you to control the camera and manage its functions remotely.

• On rare occasions, after rebooting the camera in client mode, it may not be possible to establish a successful connection to the previous access point. This may occur because the WiFi driver may get stuck after rebooting or changing the resolution when the camera is in client mode. In this situation, the camera will not reconnect to the previous access point, and the list of available networks will be empty. If you encounter this problem, the recommended solution is to reboot the camera.

• If you synchronise two cameras, but only one of them is synchronised with the timecode, the recorded images will be synchronised on both cameras, but the SDI outputs may be slightly out of sync. To avoid this problem and to achieve accurate synchronisation, it is recommended to provide timecode to both cameras.

• When a camera is in configuration client mode, it inherits all settings from the main camera. However, it is important to note that not all items will display a warning that these settings can only be changed on the main camera; instead, they simply cannot be changed on the client camera.

• If we disable the EXT Sync option, error #4 will appear and prompt us to reboot. Once you have restarted, it will work without any problems.

• When exiting playback by pressing the REC button, it is possible that the timecode is shifted by one frame. To avoid this alteration of the timecode, it is recommended to exit playback by pressing the physical playback button in the viewfinder or by using the "close" option in the camera menu.

• In an EXT Sync configuration, it is important to note that if you change the recording codec in the Host, any secondary camera may enter a restart cycle. To avoid this problem, it is recommended that you adjust the codec as necessary before setting up external sync.

• In some situations, it may not be possible to overwrite an existing user pixel mask in the camera. To save a new user pixel mask on a USB memory stick, the following considerations must be taken into account: It is not possible to save a user pixel mask on a USB memory stick if the sensor folder on the USB memory stick already contains a user pixel mask. In this case, make sure that the folder is empty or rename existing user pixel masks.

• Sometimes, even if the above steps are followed, it may happen that a new user pixel mask cannot be saved and the monitor is left with the message "Exporting user pixel mask, please wait...". In these cases, restarting the camera may be the solution to solve the problem.

• There are times when the MVF-2 (viewfinder) may remain on a black screen even after the camera has fully booted up. If this happens, the recommended solution is to reconnect the viewfinder. 

• If during the update of the Alexa Mini SUP camera, the update fails and the message "The last SUP installation was incomplete. Reinstall SUP (#135)", the recommended solution is to reinstall SUP.

Mechanical problems Alexa Mini LF

• Some early units of the RAB-1 Clamp 2 (K2.0023406) may experience clamping performance issues due to assembly problems. If you find that a RAB-1 Clamp 2 slips on the RAB-1 Rear Accessory Bracket (K2.0013937) or does not release properly, it is recommended that you contact Arri service to repair or replace the part. 

• To release the compact bridge plate CBP-1 or CBP-2 from a balance plate, the safety latch on the main locking lever of the CBP must be released to allow the main locking lever to move from the "balance" position to the "release" position. Some early CBP-1 and CBP-2 units could move the main lock lever directly from the "lock" position to the "release" position. In this case, contact Arri Service for repair or replacement of the part.