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The ARRI ALEXA can record ProRes, DNxHD, or raw image data. When shooting raw, image data is recorded straight from the Bayer sensor, and must be debayered by DaVinci Resolve.
Master Settings
ARRI ALEXA media is extremely simple to debayer. There are only three Master settings.
— Decode Quality: Lets you debayer ARRI ALEXA raw files at Full, Half, or Quarter resolution to improve performance on slower systems. Lower resolution media is lower quality, but faster to work with and process. If necessary, you can choose a lower resolution setting that provides better real time playback on systems with limited performance while you work, and then switch to a higher quality when rendering the final output. A “Force debayer res to highest quality” checkbox in the Render Settings list of the Deliver page makes it easy to follow this workflow.
— Decode Using: The option you select determines whether all ARRI ALEXA media throughout the project is decoded using the original Camera Metadata settings (the default selection), using Project settings in which you choose custom settings to be applied to all clips, or using the
ARRI default settings.
— Import Media at Open Gate Resolution: Enables DaVinci Resolve to access the “open gate” area of clips from ALEXA cameras capable of shooting in this mode, which produces a 3.4K image with extra area for stabilization and repositioning.
Project Settings
The following decoder settings let you adjust the color and exposure of ALEXA clips.
— Lift: Adjusts the black point of the media, raising it or lowering it while scaling all midtone values between it and the white point. Regardless of how you adjust this control, all image data is preserved and can be retrieved in subsequent adjustments. The range is –100 to +100.
— Gain: Adjusts the white point of the media, raising or lowering it while scaling all midtone values between it and the black point. Regardless of how you adjust this control, all image data is preserved and can be retrieved in subsequent adjustments. 0 is unity. The range is –100 to +100.
— Contrast: Raising contrast reduces shadows and raises highlights, while leaving midtones at 50 percent unaffected. Regardless of how you adjust this control, all image data is preserved and can be retrieved in subsequent adjustments. 0 is unity. The range is –100 to +100.
— Tint: Adjusts color balance to push the image between magenta and green; useful for balancing images with a green or magenta color cast, such as fluorescent or sodium vapor bulbs. 0 is unity. The range is –150 to +150.
— Sharpness: A debayer-specific sharpness filter applied to provide the appearance of enhanced image detail. 0 is unity, and 10 is the default. The range is 0 to 100.
— Highlights: Makes it easy to selectively retrieve blown-out highlight detail in high-dynamic-range media by lowering this parameter, and achieves a smooth blend between the retrieved highlights and the unadjusted midtones for a naturalistic result. 0 is unity. The range is –100 (minimum) through +100 (maximum).