The new system with a footprint the size of an average smartphone enables greater creative freedom for filmmakers and also opens the door to the creation of Spatial content
SOUTH AFRICA, 27 March 2025 – Sony announces the latest addition to the CineAlta line up, the VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS) – a new accessory dedicated to the award-winning VENICE 2 digital cinema camera.
The new VENICE Extension System Mini comes equipped with the VENICE 2 8K sensor at a substantially reduced size than the existing VENICE Extension System 2. With a footprint the size of an average smartphone and approximately 70% smaller than the current system[i], the VENICE Extension System Mini is designed to provide additional creative freedom for filmmakers. The ultra-compact yet durable design has made the VENICE Extension System Mini perfect for handheld shots and extreme action.
“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.
He continues, “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.”
Building on the success of the current Extension System[ii], the new VENICE Extension System Mini allows greater flexibility with no compromise on image quality. The Extension System Mini features a custom drop-in ND cartridge system with nine (9) glass Neutral Density (ND) filters, including a clear ND specially developed to perfectly match the Sony VENICE 2 systems while maintaining a compact size.
The VENICE Extension System Mini also offers 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, flexible cable that can be detached when rigging. It also features mounting points to attach accessories easily.
For example, multiple units of the new VENICE Extension System Mini can be used side by side for Stereoscopic imaging that recreates the way the human eye sees with a 64mm inter-axial distance which matches the distance between eyes (average human interpupillary distance). The VENICE Extension System Mini can also be used to create VR content and VFX plates in arrays.
Since its release, the VENICE, Sony’s flagship digital cinema camera series, has been widely adopted by filmmakers around the world, including blockbusters Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and more recently, Nickel Boys, The Fire Inside, and A Complete Unknown.
Availability
The VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS) will be showcased at NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show 2025 in Las Vegas, opening April 6, 2025.
The VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS), 12m Cable for VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-12C3621) and ND Filter Kit (CBK-ND1K) will be available in South Africa from Q3 2025 (calendar year).
For more information, visit https://pro.sony/en_ZA/ or follow us on Instagram @sonycine.
[i] VENICE Extension System Mini is approximately 64mm x 60mm x 103mm
[ii] VENICE Extension System 2 “CBK-3620XS”
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