Sony’s camera division is on a roll. They just recently introduced the α(alpha)6700, α7CII and α7CR models for the budding hybrid content creators who are looking for premium and reliable hardware that is also accessible and offers flexibility and shooting capabilities like no other. The α6700, while being an APS-C mirrorless camera, is still a rather capable camera that offers 4K 60p video recording capabilities alongside the S-Log encoding Sony is known for. If you have a little more money to spare and wants the best shooting experience at a more compact body, the α7CII and α7CR are perfect mirrorless full-frame cameras that can get the job done as well as their full-sized counterparts.
These are Alpha cameras though. They are made for the pro-sumers and enthusiasts more than anything else. What if you are serious about your contents? What if you are a professional videographer that often takes out time for documentary type shoots? You need to go for the Sony FX30 or FX3, no wait; maybe the FX6 will do, what about the Venice 2? Too much? Maybe something in the middle, something like the brand-new BURANO.
Welcome to the Sony CineAlta line-up, specifically to the VENICE 2, Sony’s flagship video camera that is made to shoot at 8.6K resolution, higher than what Netflix requires for their 4K certified movies. Well, to be fair Sony launched their VENICE 2 camera a while ago, and this is not the camera you are here to see. It is important to know the VENICE 2 camera though, because Sony’s latest film camera is sporting Sony’s best and most powerful full-frame film sensor ever made.
8.6K Sensor with VENICE Colour Science
The BURANO sports an 8.6 full-frame sensor that is likened to the VENICE 2, except for a few missing features. You cannot record videos at the full 8.6K resolution, for example, but that is minor when you consider that the BURANO still records videos at 8K resolution at 30p. You can shoot at 60p, but you must dial it down to 6K. At 4K, the BURANO can record at a maximum of 120p for those impressive slow-mos. They are still more than what Netflix requires for their exclusive movies.
Perfect for Running About
So why would you opt for a dieled down edition of the brilliant VENICE 2 film camera then? For one, it comes down to the weight and size of the BURANO. The Sony BURANO is 32mm shorter and 1.4kg lighter than the VENICE 2, meaning that it is more portable, comfortable, and easier to work around when you are constantly moving or when you need to shoulder mount your camera. Its lightweight magnesium body construction also means that you can shoulder and operate the camera for longer periods of time.
The cuts in effective resolution, weight, and size does not make the BURANO a slouch. It still packs some of the best Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) mechanisms you can find on a film camera, which makes it all the more suitable for a run-and-gun type of shoot. With an included PL mount bracket for the Sony BURANO, you have the world’s first PL-mount digital cinema camera. Of course, it is still an E-mount camera so you can pair it to Sony’s wide lens selection or third-party lenses of your choice.
Does Everything The VENICE 2 Does
You still get variable ND filters built right into the camera body just so that you can trim your set-up down to a reasonable size and weight. With built-in ND filters too, you are able to quickly set-up for your shot to save on time.
Since this is a cinema camera with 8K recording capabilities, recording media is rather crucial here. The Sony BURANO supports up to two CF Express Type-B cards and VPG400 mediums for high bitrate writes especially with8K videos. You can even shoot at compressed RAW if you want even more control over colours and look. If course, you still can shoot at Sony’s S-Log3 or even S-Log.cine for the best-in-class log encoding and easy colour grading in post-editing processes. Since it offers the same colour science as the VENICE 2 camera, you can even use this BURANO as a secondary camera or back-up camera for your main driver, the VENICE 2 (if you are lucky enough to own a VENICE 2 anyway). But that is not all your camera can record in. To quicken your editing process and skip through the entire colour grading process, you can stick to the Warm, Cool, Vintage, Teal and Orange cinematic colour presets.
Price and Availability
Sony did not announce the Sony BURANO’s official pricing. It is a cinema camera though, so it is not technically a product that is sold publicly. They also have not mentioned any availability dates for the camera. If you are interested in procuring one, you might want to contact Sony. They are offering attendants to IBC 2023, Amsterdam a first look and feel of the BURANO though from the 15th to 18th of September 2023. If you wish to find out more about Sony’s latest BURANO cinema camera, you can head out to Sony’s website.