Sony announces the latest addition to the CineAlta line up, the VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS) – a new accessory dedicated to the award-winning VENICE 2 digital cinema camera.
The new VENICE Extension System Mini comes equipped with the VENICE 2 8K sensor at a substantially reduced size than the existing VENICE Extension System 2. With a footprint the size of an average smartphone and approximately 70% smaller than the current system, the VENICE Extension System Mini is designed to provide additional creative freedom for filmmakers. The ultra-compact yet durable design has made the VENICE Extension System Mini perfect for handheld shots and extreme action.
“I love the size of the VENICE Extension System Mini,” says Director of Photography Claudio Miranda ASC who was one of the first people in the world to use the system.
He continues, “I love that you can put it anywhere, like a Formula One race car when you’re racing. You have the full resolution of a real cinema camera. It’s nice to have that flexibility without compromising image quality.”
DP Kate Reid BSC enjoyed using the new camera system. “The day that I saw the camera at One Stop where we were prepping, I felt really comfortable,” she attests. “This camera, you can operate it like a medium format stills camera, and so shoot from the waist.”
Building on the success of the current Extension System, the new VENICE Extension System Mini allows greater flexibility with no compromise on image quality. The Extension System Mini features a custom drop-in ND cartridge system with nine (9) glass Neutral Density (ND) filters, including a clear ND specially developed to perfectly match the Sony VENICE 2 systems while maintaining a compact size.
The VENICE Extension System Mini also offers design improvements for easy mounting and rigging. For example, the connection cable between the VENICE Extension System Mini and the VENICE 2 camera body features a thinner, flexible cable that can be detached when rigging. It also features mounting points to attach accessories easily.
For example, multiple units of the new VENICE Extension System Mini can be used side by side for Stereoscopic imaging that recreates the way the human eye sees with a 64mm inter-axial distance which matches the distance between eyes (average human interpupillary distance). The VENICE Extension System Mini can also be used to create VR content and VFX plates in arrays.
Since its release, VENICE, Sony’s flagship digital cinema camera series, has been widely adopted by filmmakers around the world, including blockbusters Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and more recently, Nickel Boys, The Fire Inside, and A Complete Unknown.
“Through Cinema Line, Sony is committed to continue to expand a line of powerful creative tools designed to capture emotion in every frame and unleash the true power of visual storytelling from every corner of content creation,” says Sebastian Leske, Head of Business Development, Cinema Line.
