The new Sony RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block made for existing VENICE 2 camera bodies, transforms the system into a 65mm format digital cinema platform.
The new Sony RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block, is made for use with existing VENICE 2 camera bodies, and transforms the system into a 65mm format digital cinema platform. Meanwhile, compatibility with the current VENICE 2 system of production gear is preserved.
The new sensor block can be mounted to the VENICE 2 camera body directly, or kept separate from the body and working through a cable, similar to the VENICE Extension System. This modular approach to formats gives cinematographers more mobility and versatility, quickly adapting to varied production environments without affecting image quality.
The sensor’s 65mm format capability is due to its light-receiving area – equal to about 2.2 times the size of a full-frame image sensor, resulting in an extremely shallow depth of field and a dramatic sense of scale. In the production of works intended for large screens, cinematographers have higher expectations for visual expression that draws audiences into the story. It enables cinematographers to capture both intimate character detail and expansive spatial depth, and enhance their visual storytelling with a more immersive quality.
The new sensor will also be one of the industry’s largest with a diagonal size of approximately 64.60 mm (width 53.75 mm, height 35.83 mm) and a 3:2 aspect ratio. But there is some flexibility for different shooting styles. As well as 9.6K 3:2 open gate recording, the new sensor supports recording in multiple readout modes – that is, methods of obtaining data from the sensor by recording the emitted photons – to ensure compatibility with various 65mm format lenses, including some with narrower image circles. This avoids either allowing unwanted light into the camera body, or cropping the image.
The RIALTO 65 is still under development and scheduled for release in the first half of 2027. [The two images here show a prototype.] It has so far been exhibited at Cine Gear Expo, held in Los Angeles on 5 to 6 June 2026. pro.sony/cinemaline
