In a move that echoes BMW’s ill-fated attempt to sell seat warmers as a subscription service, ARRI has introduced the Alexa 35 Base Model, a stripped-down version of its flagship camera that requires users to pay extra for key features via a licensing system. This decision is a troubling signal of where the high-end camera market may be heading.

A Costly Paywall on a $50K Camera

At a base price of ~$54,000, the new Alexa 35 Base Model has the same hardware as the original Alexa 35, but key functions—such as ARRIRAW recording, high frame rates (beyond 60fps), Open Gate, and even in-camera LUTs—are locked behind separate paywalls. Or all of them at a discount with the Premium License.

At this price point, such a model is frankly absurd. The majority of Alexa 35 users—rental houses, commercial productions, and high-end indie filmmakers—expect a premium product that works at its full potential upon purchase. Having to pay extra for fundamental tools feels more like a software subscription model gone rogue rather than an industry-standard professional camera purchase.

The Relative Failure of the Alexa 35

The Alexa 35 was introduced in mid-2022, and while its image quality has been widely praised, its commercial impact has been more muted than previous ARRI releases. Part of the problem is timing: the industry-wide slowdown following the dual strikes in Hollywood and shrinking production budgets have made high-end rentals less common. Another issue is ARRI’s pricing strategy. At around $90,000 for a fully equipped Alexa 35 Premium Model, the camera was already a hard sell compared to competitors like Sony’s Venice 2 or RED’s V-Raptor.

ARRI seems to have recognized this challenge and responded with the Base Model, an attempt to lower the entry cost. But in doing so, they’ve introduced an entirely new problem: forcing customers to decide which essential functions they can afford rather than focusing on creating the best images possible.

The Hidden Cost of Licensing

You can get temporary licenses for 7 days, 30 days, or one year. You can also purchase permanent licenses a la carte, or get all 5 licenses with the “Premium” package. 7-day licenses cost between $115-$185, 30-day licenses range from $230-$370, and one year for $1,150-$1,850. Permanent Licenses go for between $2,900-$4,650, and the Premium License (for all 5) will run you $19,200.

This ensures that buying the Base Model and upgrading it fully won’t exceed the cost of the original Alexa 35 Premium Model, avoiding pricing themselves out of the market. However, this means that upgrading to the full Alexa 35 experience still requires a major financial commitment—potentially adding tens of thousands of dollars beyond the base cost of the camera.

The five individual licenses include:

• 120 fps Mode (for high-frame-rate recording beyond 60fps)
• ARRIRAW Recording (for uncompressed image capture)
• Open Gate / Anamorphic Mode (for utilizing the full 4.6K sensor area)
• Pre-Record Feature (for buffering up to 20 seconds before the record button is pressed)
• Look License (for in-camera ARRI Textures, Look Library, and Custom Color Management)

The new Codex Compact Drive Express 1TB, introduced alongside the Base Model, also presents a mixed bag: while it costs 40% less than the original Compact Drive, it only records ProRes and lacks support for ARRIRAW recording, likely due to an artificial firmware restriction.

Why This Hurts the Industry

ARRI’s pay-to-play model is not the answer to its pricing problem—it’s a slippery slope. The high-end cinema market is already expensive enough without segmenting core functions into microtransactions. This move sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging camera manufacturers to further fragment their products, ultimately punishing smaller productions and owner-operators who already struggle to justify ARRI’s premium pricing.

If this model proves successful, what’s next? Will the next ARRI camera charge separately for LUT support, wireless control, or even internal NDs? Will firmware updates become subscription-based? The mere introduction of such a pricing scheme puts these concerns into play.

The Right Way Forward for ARRI

Rather than creating artificial price segmentation, ARRI should focus on a truly competitive mid-range camera—something to bridge the gap between high-end Alexa models and more accessible options like the Sony FX9 or Canon C500 Mark II. Many indie filmmakers would embrace an ARRI camera in the $25K–$35K range which doesn’t feel like a rental-only option.

Additionally, instead of locking software-based features behind licenses, ARRI could consider one-time firmware unlocks at a reasonable price—something akin to what Blackmagic does with its DaVinci Resolve Studio software. That way, users can own their camera outright rather than feeling like they’re renting features indefinitely.

Conclusion

The Alexa 35 Base Model is a reactionary product in a shifting industry landscape, but ARRI’s attempt to lower the upfront cost while locking essential features behind paywalls is not the way forward. Just like BMW’s seat heater debacle, this approach risks alienating even ARRI’s most loyal customers. Instead of asking filmmakers to “unlock” capabilities that should already be there, ARRI should rethink its pricing structure and provide a full-featured experience out of the box—no paywalls required.