Sony announces new VENICE Extension System Mini

Sony’s latest addition to the CineAlta line up, the VENICE Extension System Mini is a new accessory dedicated to the award-winning VENICE 2 digital cinema camera.

The new VENICE Extension System Mini has a footprint the size of an average smartphone enabling boosted creative freedom for filmmakers, and also opens an intriguing new door to the creation of spatial content, though it will also cost you about 25x that of the same smartphone.

It is built around the VENICE 2 8.6K Full-Frame CMOS sensor but is approximately 70% smaller than the existing VENICE Extension System 2. It also features a custom optional drop-in ND cartridge system with nine ND filters, including a clear ND specially developed to perfectly match the Sony VENICE 2 systems while maintaining that compact size.

And it is small. The head unit dimensions are 63.9 mm × 103.2 mm × 60.2 mm (W × H × D), or 2.52 in x 4.06 in x 2.37 in, and it weighs just 0.54 kg (1.19 lb) with E-mount adapter, bumped up to 1.05 kg (2.31 lb) with PL mount adapter. Interestingly enough, when two units are placed side by side, the distance between the two sensors is approximately 64 mm, matching average human interpupillary distance and making them a decent proposition for recording spatial content without having to resort to specialist units (though of course you’re going to need two VENICE 2 cameras so it’s hardly a budget option).

Sony says multiple VENICE Extension System Minis can also be used to create VR content and VFX plates in arrays.

It implements some interesting new 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, more flexible cable than before that can be detached when rigging. It also features 15 strategically placed mounting points to attach accessories easily, and comes with a 3pin Fischer Output for easy connection to accessories. 

Cinematographers can shoot with more flexibility, operating multiple camera functions through the camera head block itself, thanks to two assignable buttons. When functions like REC or False Color Display toggle are activated, the button lights up orange. A built-in gyro sensor in the camera head block, meanwhile, lets users check in a level display in real time based on the sensor's orientation. Sensor data is captured in the metadata too, for efficient editing and faster post-production.

Pricing and availability 

The VENICE Extension System Mini will be available in July for $25,000. It comes with a 4.5 metre (14.76 ft) cable, though Sony is also producing an optional 12 metre (39.37 ft) connection cable to further enhance numerous creative possibilities. 

"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 and just happens to be the cinematographer on Apple's forthcoming F1 film. “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.”

It wasn't available for most of the film's shoot and still in development for many of the in-car shots,  but it feels like a good excuse to show the trailer anyway...

tl;dr

• Sony’s VENICE Extension System Mini, designed for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, is compact, with the size of an average smartphone, enhancing creative freedom for filmmakers and enabling spatial content creation.
• Built around the VENICE 2's 8.6K Full-Frame CMOS sensor, the Mini is 70% smaller than the existing VENICE Extension System 2 and features a custom drop-in ND cartridge system with nine filters.
• Weighing just 0.54 kg with the E-mount adapter, and featuring multiple mounting points, the system allows easy rigging and operation, including the ability to manage camera functions directly from the head unit.
• Priced at $25,000, the VENICE Extension System Mini is set to be available in July and comes with a 4.5-meter cable, with an optional longer cable for additional creative possibilities.