Sony Set to Bring the 65mm Format to the VENICE 2 With New RIALTO 65

It’s really been a big week (pun intended) for large-format filmmaking. On top of the news of some new Panavision Primo 65 Motion Picture Lenses, we also have a pretty major announcement from Sony regarding its Sony Cinema Line.

The company has announced the development of the RIALTO 65, a new 65mm-format image sensor block designed to work with the VENICE 2. This new sensor block will undoubtedly expand the capabilities of the VENICE 2 and equip the company’s flagship cinema camera with the industry’s largest image sensor among commercially available cinema cameras.

Let’s take a look at the upcoming RIALTO 65 and what it could mean for the ever-expanding future of large-format filmmaking.

Sony RIALTO 65 Announcement

Credit: Sony

While not set to be released until sometime in the “first half” of 2027, this is big news from Sony nonetheless, as it will effectively transform the company’s flagship VENICE 2 cinema camera into a 65mm format digital cinema platform.

It will do this while still preserving compatibility with all of the current VENICE 2 ecosystem devices. Once fully developed, the RAILTO 2 will feature a 3:2 aspect-ratio sensor measuring 53.75 mm wide and 35.83 mm tall, with a diagonal size of approximately 64.60 mm and approximately 2.2 times the light-receiving area of a full-frame image sensor.

For VENICE 2 owners or users, the upcoming RIALTO 65 sensor block can be mounted directly to the cinema camera or separately from the body via a cable, similar to how we’ve seen the VENICE Extension System work, allowing filmmakers and DPs to fit into tighter spaces. (Like F1 cars in F1.)

More Info on the RIALTO 65

Credit: Sony

Along with the announcement, Sony has shared a blog post that highlights the importance of the 65mm format,, citing notable large-format films like Lawrence of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as modern classics like Oppenheimer and Nope.

If you’re someone currently enthralled by the large format and the possibilities it could offer for your future film projects, then you can check out an under-development version of the RIALTO 65 at the upcoming Cine Gear Expo this weekend in Los Angeles.

For more info, head over to Sony’s website here.