Sony Venice

Here is the list of our lenses for rental that are Full Frame 6K Sony Venice hire compatible :

!NEW! Sigma Cine Primes FF Set PL, Zeiss CP2’s (Except the 18mm)*, Samyang Primes*, Canon L-Series*, Nikon Vintage Set*, Vintage Pentax Lenses*, Laowa 12mm*, Sony Lenses (except 10-18mm, 24mm, 18-105mm)

* – Require EF-E Full Frame Metabones Adaptor

V4 firmware – Camera is running on the latest firmware and is compatible with Sony R7 RAW recorder running on V4 firmware only – please make sure your gear is up to date to avoid any compatibility issues.

Try the Sony Venice Simulator

Sony Venice Hire London

Having looked at the pictures produced by the Sony Venice hire camera, I can honestly say I think they’re the nicest electronic images I’ve seen from any camera in our hire stock. The resolution in 6K and 4K is excellent and there is no discernible resolution enhancement, which gives some high-resolution pictures an unpleasant edgy feel. The noise level at 500 ASA is so low it’s hard to find – even at 2500 ASA it’s acceptable and what noise there is, is fine and organic in nature. The colour rendition is fantastic and it really has got 15 stops latitude. The most important thing however is that it produces beautiful pictures.

Now, we all know Sony Venice hire is capable of producing technically fantastic cameras like the F65. The problem is that until now the menu structure was incredibly difficult to understand and a bit of a nightmare to use. Coming from a time where my camera only had a run stop button and speed selection, I’ve really struggled with these menus but it seems Sony has finally got it right, producing a camera with a menu structure which is intuitive and easy to understand – much like the Arri’s. They’ve also put the viewfinder information around the edge of the picture rather than all over it like they used to. This is a camera that you could turn on and use without having a tutorial first.

On the practical front it’s a reasonably sized camera that can fit on a gimbal. The camera body weighs in at 3.9kg, nearly half the weight of the Alexa LF at 7.8kg. It has proper sound inputs that include mic level with 48V powering, making it very easy to add a camera mic or even record the mixer output. There are some interesting tricks on offer too: hidden under the PL mount is a locking Sony E mount offering the opportunity to convert to EF, making it incredibly flexible in terms of what lenses you can use. Another clever trick is the ability to remove the sensor block and lens mount, connecting them to the body of the camera via cable. This trick is being used by James Cameron on the new Avatar film to lighten the 3-D rigs by having the main body of the camera remote from the sensor.

Our Sony Venice comes with latest firmware and includes Full Frame and HFR licenses. HFR gives you frame speed up to 120fps in 4K and up to 60fps in 6K Full Frame settings.

VENICE

Sony proudly introduces its next generation motion picture camera system with forward thinking full frame sensor, phenomenal colour science and user-friendly operation.

VENICE is a cinema camera created by and for the cinematographer. It’s equipped with a newly developed full-frame image sensor meeting the needs of the film industry in pushing the boundaries of large format image capture with exceptional picture quality.

Beautiful image

Satisfied with the current condition? With the wide latitude and gamut recorded by the VENICE, freedom of expression is significantly expanded in grading and based on established workflow.

Simple and intuitive

Usability and reliability of the camera is one of the major concerns for operators especially in tough or time critical filming conditions. With a user-friendly design, clear and simple menu navigation, and a highly durable, reliable construction, using VENICE you can simply concentrate on filming, and not the camera.

Full-Frame sensor for cinema

VENICE features an all-new Full-Frame sensor with the classic 36 x 24mm dimensions that have been a staple of photography for over 100 years. Designed exclusively for high-end cinematography, this sensor can capture images up to a maximum resolution of 6048 x 4032.

Switchable imager modes mean VENICE can support an unprecedented number of cinematic aspect ratios for complete creative freedom:

Full width 36 mm 6K

In full-frame, you can use the full 6048 pixel width of the sensor for 6K imager modes such as 3:2, 2.39:1*, 1.85:1, 17:9 and 16.9*. Equivalent to 4-perforation motion picture film, these 6K modes allow for extra shallow depth of field, super-wide shooting and other creative effects.

Super35 anamorphic 4K

For super wide screen productions, VENICE offers two full height 2x squeeze anamorphic imager modes that include 6:5 and 4:3 recording modes for 12:5 (known as 2.39:1) and 8:3 (2.66:1) scenes respectively.

VENICE Imager Modes

* Firmware update required

REQUIRED SOFTWARE LICENCE IMAGER MODE RESOLUTION W X H (MM) SUPPORTED PROJECT FPS SELECT FPS

– 3.8K 16:9 3840 x 2160 22.8 x 12.8 23, 24, 25, 29, 50, 59 1-60

– 4K 17:9 4096 x 2160 24.3 x 12.8 23, 24, 25, 29, 50, 59 1-60

Anamorphic lense 4K 4:3 4096 x 3024 24.3 x 18.0 23, 24, 25, 29 1-48

Anamorphic lense 4K 6:5 4096 x 3432 24.3 x 20.4 23, 24, 25, 29 1-30

Full frame license 5.7K 16:9* 5670 x 3190 33.7 x 18.9 23, 24, 25, 29 1-30*

Full frame license 6K 17:9 6054 x 3192 36.0 x 19.0 23, 24, 25, 29 1-30

Full frame license 6K 1.85:1 6054 x 3272 36.0 x 19.4 23, 24, 25, 29 1-30

Full frame license 6K 2.39:1* 6048 x 2534 35.9 x 15.0 23, 24, 25, 29 1-30*

Full frame license 6K 3:2 6048 x 4032 35.9 x 24.0 23, 24, 25 1-25

Fast shutter

VENICE’s high speed readout sensor minimises the jello effect typical in CMOS sensors.

Phenomenal latitude

VENICE has an exceptional 15+ stops of latitude, with low noise for extraordinary performance in delivering phenomenal images in conditions from searing sunlight to almost no light. VENICE’s real-world performance also excels at High Dynamic Range imaging and allows unprecedented creative freedom in grading.

More colours for more expression

VENICE can exceed Rec. 2020 colour space. This means the colour range is wider than DCI-P3 and can beautifully reproduce the true colour of the scene in front of your lens. This also provides the broad palette in the grading suite using the established workflow of Sony’s third-generation LOG gamma encoding (S-Log3), and ultra-wide colour space.

Dual Base ISO

VENICE has a base ISO of 500 to provide the optimal dynamic range for typical cinematography applications with on-set lighting. A secondary High Base ISO of 2500 excels in low-light High Dynamic Range capture, with an exposure latitude from 6 stops over to 9 stops under 18% Middle Gray, for a total of 15 stops. High Base ISO 2500 is ideal whenever you’re using slow lenses or shooting dimly lit environments. Combining ISO2500 with VENICE’s internal eight-step Optical ND filter system offers the ability to emulate different ISO’s while maintaining maximum latitude of +6 and -9 stops, enabling you to use VENICE as an ISO1250 camera.

ISO 500

ISO 2500

PL lens mount

VENICE comes with the industry-standard PL lens mount. It is compatible with all Super35 and full-frame PL lenses, spherical and anamorphic. The lens mount includes contacts that support Cooke/i Technology. Lens information is recorded as metadata frame by frame.

Lever lock type E-mount*

Choose from the growing eco-system of E-mount lenses and, via third party adaptors, the world of SLR and rangefinder lenses. Lever lock operation provides added security with large lenses and in most cases lens support rigs don’t need to be removed when changing lens. Switching from PL Mount to E-mount is can be done by simply removing six hex screws while E-mount lens iris operation is controllable via assignable button.

Anamorphic look

VENICE’s support for 2x squeeze anamorphic lenses, combined with its ability to shoot 4:3 and 6:5 aspect ratios at a horizontal resolution of 4K, allows the capture of breathtakingly beautiful images with stunning lens flare, bokeh and emotional impact for both 2.4:1 and 2.66:1 widescreen cinema releases.

6K high resolution*

The stunning full 6K resolution of the camera can be recorded directly in X-OCN (16 bit eXtended tonal range Original Camera Negative) file format. Also, XAVC 4K can be captured onto SxS cards while still sampling from the full 6K resolution of the sensor.

*Firmware update required.

Select FPS

The Select FPS function lets you choose frame rates from 1 frame per second to as high as 60 fps, depending on imager mode. Firmware Version 2.0 supports Select FPS for all the available imager modes, while Version 3.0 enables Select FPS for the two additional imager modes noted in the firmware timeline.

Engineered to survive

VENICE’s chassis is engineered to be amazingly robust and has been rigorously tested in the harshest conditions. Its ventilation system is completely isolated from all electronic components to prevent ingress of dust, sand and splash. The silent-running fan can be cleaned or even swapped out on set quickly and easily.

Easily configurable

VENICE has a fully modular design and even the sensor block is interchangeable. So, as sensor technology advances in far future, you have the opportunity to upgrade without investing in a new camera. In order to maintain ergonomic balance for operators, the top handle and viewfinder are easily adjustable. As the height of the camera from the bottom to the optical center of the lens mount is the same as the F55, base plates and other accessories used for the F55 can be used with VENICE. The AXS-R7 recorder can be attached to VENICE with just four screws.

World’s first 8-step mechanical ND Filters*

VENICE is the world’s first camera of its class with a servo-controlled 8-step mechanical ND filter mechanism built into the camera chassis. It offers a massive ND of 0.3 (1/2 = 1 stop) to ND2.4 (1/256 = 8 stops) range that reduces time lost on set changing external filters. The ND filters also greatly increase VENICE’s flexibility when being controlled remotely on drones and cranes, or in an underwater housing.

*Based on Sony market research.

Intuitive and familiar on-set operation

VENICE has a surprisingly compact design which allows easier shooting in confined spaces or on drones. Control buttons are carefully positioned for intuitive operation and even illuminate for easy use on dark sets. There are control displays on both sides of the camera, with the main display positioned on the camera outside for fast access to settings by the camera assistant while shooting. The camera operator’s OLED mini display allows intuitive control of commonly accessed features, on-set monitoring operation benefits from an extra HD output alongside the standard 12G-SDI (capable of 4K content on a single BNC cable).

The control interface is an all-new design based on extensive researches with camera operators.

Assistant display

Operator display

Sony’s VENICE* Camera Simulator is an interactive training tool that represents the CineAlta camera’s menu-driven user interface.

Precision Monitoring Performance

High Resolution Magnification

High resolution content requires highly precise focus. VENICE offers up to 4.0x Dot-by-Dot magnification of the viewfinder image for superb focus accuracy.

Surround View (Look Around)

Camera operators always appreciate a warning when mic booms or other distractions

threaten to enter the frame. Using Surround View mode, the viewfinder and on-set monitors can display a 5% margin around area being recorded.

NOTE: Surround View is available on 3.8K 16:9, 4K 17:9 and 4K 4:3 imager modes on VF, SDI 3/4 and HD Monitor outputs. Maximum supported frame rates are up to 29.97fps (project) and 48fps (variable).

High/Low Key

This powerful tool makes it easy to attain perfect exposure settings. Simply press the assigned button to cycle from Normal Exposure to 64 EI (Base ISO 500) to 320 EI (Base ISO 2500) and back to Normal on your VF and Monitor.

User 3D LUTs

Customise VENICE to deliver the precise look you desire. Install up to 16 user-generated LUTs (Look Up Tables) or 33 cube files.

Next generation viewfinder

The DVF-EL200 was created as the perfect partner for VENICE. A 1920 x 1080 OLED panel enables precise, high resolution focusing and framing, including False Colour Display at the touch of a button. A rotary encoder provides instant access to brightness, peaking and contrast. An all-new ergonomic design allows for tool-free attachment/detachment and reconfiguring within seconds. The industry-standard LEMO connector offers exceptional durability.

Now with V4 Firmware:

Contents of update

1. Support of High Frame Rates

The following expansion of the imager mode frame rates (FPS) are supported by installing the optional High Frame Rate License (CBKZ-3610H/HM/HW).

6K 3:2: 26 to 60 fps

4K 4:3: 49 to 60, 66, 72, 75 fps

4K 17:9: 66, 72, 75, 88, 90, 96, 100, 110 fps

4K 2.39:1: 120 fps

2. Support of RM-B170, RCP-1501 or other remote control units for Live Production applications

3. Support of Rec.2020/HLG_Rec.2100 combination for HDR productions when RM/RCP Paint Control is set to “On”

4. Support of Pure-P output via the Monitor output

5. Support of extended Metadata

The following metadata has been added to RAW, X-OCN, and XAVC recording.

Lens distortion and shading metadata are recorded, compatible with Cooke’s /i third generation metadata technology (/i3) and ZEISS eXtended Data Technology.

6. Support of additional functions for Assign Buttons A/B/C on the DVF-EL200 viewfinder

7. Support of selection for either the Top or Side 4pin Lens interface