CineD: Fujifilm GFX ETERNA 55 VS ARRI ALEXA 35
FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
FUJIFILM GF 32-90mm T3.5 PZ OIS WR:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
ARRI ALEXA 35:
B&H Photo
CineD recently posted a video about how the Fujifilm GFX ETERNA 55 and ARRI ALEXA 35 compare. You can watch the full video above or check out the bullet points below.
- The Intent of the Comparison: Michael Cioni emphasized that the video was not a competitive test designed to declare a winner, but rather a practical comparison. The ARRI ALEXA 35 was utilized simply because it is the industry’s control standard—a known benchmark that all cinematographers understand [02:28].
- The Underdog Disruption: Fujifilm’s aggressive entry into the cinema space is being compared to RED’s market disruption two decades ago. While ARRI represents the established elite, Fujifilm is bringing an objectively massive 55mm sensor to the masses, democratizing large-format acquisition that has traditionally been gated behind $100,000+ camera bodies [01:18].
- Sensor Size vs. Dynamic Range: The Super 35 sensor in the ALEXA 35 undeniably boasts more total dynamic range on paper [03:12]. However, Cioni argues the industry over-indexes on sheer dynamic range metrics. For context, standard 35mm film has less dynamic range than an ALEXA 35, yet traditional film continues to capture top cinematography awards [03:26].
- Applied Dynamic Range on Set: Instead of shooting legalistic dynamic range charts (like a Xyla chart), the comparison focused on “applied science”—exposing and color-correcting faces under controlled lighting. The colorist achieved perfectly matching results across both cameras effortlessly. This demonstrates that the ALEXA’s extra stops of dynamic range are often invisible or remain unused when a scene is properly lit and exposed [19:12].
- The RAW vs. ProRes Debate: While the ALEXA is famous for its ARRI RAW workflow, the ETERNA 55’s internal debayer to ProRes HQ is incredibly robust. Taking a 16-bit source and debayering it into a 10-bit ProRes container in-camera acts virtually identically to debayering a RAW file on a Mac Pro in post-production, saving massive amounts of time, money, and storage [15:02]. Furthermore, recording in an RGB debayer like ProRes HQ does not inherently compromise the sensor’s dynamic range compared to RAW [18:07].
- Price and Accessibility Backlash: The ALEXA 35 sits at roughly $100,000, making the GFX ETERNA 55 approximately six times more affordable [04:25]. Cioni notes that much of the vocal backlash against the ETERNA comparison stems from a sense of industry elitism regarding who should have access to top-tier, large-format filmmaking tools [04:50].
- Ecosystem and True Cost of Ownership: An ALEXA 35 requires a heavy ecosystem of expensive accessories just to become functional on set. The ETERNA 55 is designed to be a complete, ready-to-shoot package straight out of the box with very few mandatory add-ons, making its true functional cost far lower for owner-operators [23:54].
- Lens Coverage & Anamorphic Squeeze: Because the 55mm sensor is so uniquely massive, lens choices are currently specialized—mirroring the early days of the RED Monstro. The shoot utilized Panavision Ultra Panatar anamorphic lenses with a 1.3x squeeze. When paired with the ETERNA’s 1.33 sensor ratio, this combination perfectly yielded a 1.78 (16:9) image that utilized the entire 55mm sensor area with virtually no cropping [25:08].
- Focal Length Versatility: The sheer optical size of the ETERNA’s 55mm sensor fundamentally alters focal length utility. A standard 50mm lens covering this sensor acts like a 28mm for wide shots, but can seamlessly push in for a distortion-free closeup. Because of this large-format geometry, an entire production could theoretically be shot using nothing but a 50mm and a 100mm lens [26:34].
Follow Fujiaddict on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Plus, our owners’ groups
Fujifilm GFX Owners Group
Fujifilm X-H Owners Group
Fujifilm X-T Owners Group
Fujifilm X-S Owners Group
Fujifilm X-Pro Owners Group
Fujifilm X-E Owners Group
Fujifilm X-A Owners Group
Fujifilm X100 Owners Group