10-29-2026 - News
RIALTO 65 First Look: Exploring the Creative Capabilities of the 65mm Format
By: SonyCine Team
From IMAX to 65mm film, Large Format cinematography has brought incredible movie epics to the silver screen. David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and William Wyler’s Ben-Hur used the format to entice audiences back to the movie theater when television was just beginning. Even in the digital world, the format continues to give cinematographers epic creative opportunities.
Now, Sony Electronics brings this format further into the digital frontier with the launch of the RIALTO 65 Camera Extension System for the VENICE 2 camera.
Both a sensor replacement and an extension system like the RIALTO and RIALTO Mini, the RIALTO 65 further expands the VENICE 2, giving filmmakers the power to craft epic spectacles.
The RIALTO 65 in Extension mode
The RIALTO 65 Camera Field Test
To showcase the RIALTO 65's incredible imagery, the camera system was brought to the Mojave desert to explore how light, framing, and depth of field are captured with this new toolkit.
The RIALTO 65 features a 65mm sensor with a 1.5:1 aspect ratio, making it one of the largest image sensors used in commercially available cinema cameras. The sensor measures 53.75 mm wide by 35.83 mm high, with a diagonal of approximately 64.60 mm, making it about 2.2 times larger than traditional 35mm full-frame sensors.
This sensor size richly renders the presence of people, the sense of distance between subject and background, and spatial depth, making it possible to naturally emphasize the main subject and draw audiences into the image.
RIALTO 65 in Studio Mode
Unlike the other versions of the RIALTO system, which only function as an extension system, the RIALTO 65 Camera Extension System supports two different modes:
- Extension Mode acts as a standalone system, with the camera head separated from the VENICE 2 body via a 14.76 ft umbilical cable that can be replaced with a 39.37 ft cable.
- In Studio Mode, the RIALTO 65 attaches to the VENICE 2 body, acting as a sensor replacement and transforming the VENICE 2 into a single 65mm cinema camera package.
RIALTO 65 with extended cable
Because the RIALTO 65 is such a compact and lightweight camera head measuring approximately 115 mm x 154 mm x 63 mm (W x H x D) and weighing approximately 3.3 lbs, it can be placed close to a subject or installed in confined spaces or at elevated positions, especially when using Extension Mode.
Key Features of the RIALTO 65
The VENICE 2 system and RIALTO 65 work in unison to provide a familiar toolset for filmmakers, including the color science developed for CineAlta, which offers natural color reproduction, smooth skin-tone gradation, tonal expression with S-Log3, and the wide color gamut of S-Gamut3. With this, cinematographers can add the RIALTO 65 into their already developed workflows, and with the support of X-OCN, high-resolution shooting will continue to balance image quality and efficient data management.
The RIALTO Mini, RIALTO, and RIALTO 65
However, the addition of the RIALTO 65 expands the VENICE 2 with a 9.6K 1.5:1 Open Gate readout, enabling flexible framing that takes advantage of the sensor’s wide imaging area. A 9.6K 2.20:1 readout mode with a diagonal of approximately 59.04 mm is also available, increasing the range of lenses available to cinematographers.
In future updates to the VENICE 2 body, additional readout modes will be introduced through software updates.
The RIALTO 65 also includes a Base ISO of ISO 2500 or ISO 10000, and at Base ISO 2500, the RIALTO 65 delivers 15+ stops of latitude, offering a wide range of exposure options. For additional exposure control, the RIALTO 65 includes 11 types of drop-in ND filters that are equipped with electronic contacts, allowing for the VENICE 2 to automatically recognize the density information of an ND filter inserted into RIALTO 65.
RIALTO 65 ND Filter Set
Furthermore, the RIALTO 65 does not include a lens mount. It is designed to accept third-party lens-mount adapters based on the needs of the production and the lenses being used. Cinematographers are able to select from a variety of lenses, including lenses for the 65mm format. But when using a lens and lens-mount adapter that supports communication with the camera, lens information such as focal length, focus position, and aperture value can be recorded as metadata. This information can be vital for production processes such as editing, VFX, and virtual production.
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The RIALTO 65 Camera Extension System will be available tentatively in the first half of 2027 at a price point of $80,000.00 USD MSRP. To learn more about this new toolkit, visit our website or social media for updates.
