Sony has officially unveiled a groundbreaking new accessory for its flagship Venice cinema camera – the Venice Extension System Mini. With the announcement, Sony's modular cinema system becomes even smaller while retaining the 8.6K shooting capabilities of larger options.
Designed to enhance the versatility and portability of the renowned Sony Venice system, its high-end cinema camera, this new module enables cinematographers to attach a separate camera sensor block and operate it away from the main body, significantly reducing the size and weight of the setup while retaining full cinematic quality.
Sony’s Venice camera system has already been embraced by leading Hollywood cinematographers for its full-frame capabilities, incredible image quality, dual-native ISO, and 16-bit RAW output, and this new addition pushes its modularity even further.
The Venice Extension System Mini builds and improves upon the existing Venice Extension system 2 and is engineered for productions requiring compact form factors without sacrificing the outstanding image quality the Venice system is renowned for.
The Mini extension unit is around 70% smaller and lighter than its predecessor at 63.9 mm x 103.2 mm x 60.2 mm, making it more manageable for use with gimbals, handheld shots, and filming in tight spaces. Yet, despite its compact size, the Mini retains the 8.6K full-frame high-resolution optical quality of the Venice 2, ensuring filmmakers don’t have to sacrifice image quality for portability.
Additionally, the Mini introduces a more flexible cable system compared to previous models that relied on bulkier cables, making it an excellent choice for virtual production and XR filmmaking. The cable length comes in two options: 4.5M or 12M for further versatility.
Other notable features include dual drop-in ND filter slots, 15 mounting holes, a cooling fan, metadata communication with Meta In, and E-Mount and PL mount options.
The introduction of the Venice Extension System Mini underscores Sony’s commitment to evolving the Venice system in response to industry demands. With increasing interest in high-end virtual production, immersive cinematography, and dynamic camera movement, this innovation arrives as a welcome tool for filmmakers looking to push the limits of their craft.
Head of Business Development of Sony's Cinema Line, Sebastian Leske states, "Through Cinema Line, Sony is committed to continuing 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."
Sony has not yet announced when the Venice Extension System Mini will be available, but it will be first showcased at NAB 2025, starting April 6, and will retail for $25,000.
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