The VENICE: Sony’s New Full-Frame 6K CineAlta Camera

Sony VENICE 6K Digital Cinema Camera Stock Photo

The Sony VENICE 6K Digital Cinema Camera is the newest top-of-the-line addition to the CineAlta line.  Sony has developed a brand new full-frame 36x24mm sensor as the centerpiece for the camera system, larger than the Super35mm sensor from the F65.

Interchangeable Lens Mount and Lever Lock

The highlight of this camera for many will be the ability to accept your existing PL lenses on an E-Mount camera. Sony designed VENICE to easily attach a PL Mount on top of the native E-Mount with connection points via 6 screws. VENICE comes with the specialized adapter PL mount.

The E-Mount features a lever lock so you can change lenses by rotating the locking collar, rather than the lens itself. That means that your lens support won’t need to be removed so you can save valuable time on set.

Overhauled Color Science and VENICE’S Look

Sony revamped its color science when creating VENICE. The camera features S-Log3 gamma curve and offers both Auto White Balance (AWB) and White Balance 2000~15,000 Kelvin with Green/Magenta adjust possible. It also exceeds BT.2020 color space. Sony states that this means the color range is wider than DCI-P3 to produce true color and reflect accurately what you see.

VENICE performs well in bright sun ranging down to incredibly low light. VENICE produces soft imagery without the sometimes harsh quality many digital cameras realize. The image processing in the VENICE CineAlta produces deep darks yet retains highlights and colors.

Sony VENICE Cinema Camera Stray Angel Films Photo

Creative Freedom

Sony states that in Full Frame, you can use the full 6048-pixel width of the sensor for widescreen spherical 2.39: 1 or Large Format Scope. Full-Frame can be used creatively in a number of ways, such as allowing for extra shallow depth of field or super-wide shots.

VENICE also supports Anamorphic shooting and production with Super35 full height 2x squeeze Anamorphic.

Built-In Filters

VENICE streamlines your workflow by providing the first film industry 8-step servo-controlled Mechanical ND filter system. The 8-stage glass internal filters include a dual turret format (each circular turret holds 3 high-quality optical filters). The full list includes: ND0.3, ND.6, ND.9, ND1.2, ND1.5, ND1.8, ND2.1, ND2.4 in 1-stop increments (1/2 – 1/256). You can either dial in the filter selection directly on the camera or via remote control, with appropriate accessories.

This new workflow with filters on-board will help those using VENICE CineAlta on a gimbal, aerial device, or underwater housing when you can’t swap filters quickly.

Sony VENICE Features/Specs:

  • New Full-Frame 36 x 24mm CMOS Sensor
  • 15+ stops Dynamic Range
  • 6K Full-Frame 3:2 mode (6048 x 4032)
  • 4K Anamorphic 4:3 and 6:5 (4096 x 3432)
  • 4K Super 35 mode (window)
  • Support for FF & S35 spherical lenses
  • Support for FF & S35 Anamorphic lenses
  • 8-step Mechanical Built-in ND filter (8 Stops ND)
  • PL mount (Cooke i technology supported)

Recording Codecs/Formats:

  • X-OCN Compressed Raw onto AXS-R7 Raw Recorder
  • 4K XAVC – Class480/300
  • ProRes HQ/422/LT
  • MPEG HD

For more information on how to rent the Sony VENICE Cinema Camera, email [email protected], give us a call or stop in for a demo. We’d love to see you!

Shot with the VENICE: La Serenissima: