Sony has announced the RIALTO 65, a 65mm format-capable image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, with release targeted for the first half of 2027. When paired with a VENICE 2 camera body, the RIALTO 65 converts the system into a 65mm format digital cinema platform while maintaining compatibility with the existing VENICE 2 ecosystem. The sensor block can be mounted directly to the body or operated separately via a cable similar to the VENICE Extension System, enabling greater mobility and versatile shooting configurations.
The announcement was made ahead of Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles, where Sony showed a pre-production unit mounted on a VENICE 2 body. Sony said the RIALTO 65 attracted cinematographers at the show who would not ordinarily spend time at its booth.
What the sensor delivers
The sensor measures approximately 64.60mm diagonally, with a width of 53.75mm and a height of 35.83mm, uses a 3:2 aspect ratio, and supports 9.6K 3:2 open gate recording. Sony says it offers approximately 2.2 times the light-receiving area of a full-frame image sensor. At this scale, the practical effect on image-making is substantial: shallower depth of field at equivalent focal lengths, wider fields of view from tighter glass, and the kind of spatial dimensionality that has historically required either the ARRI ALEXA 65 or actual 65mm film.
The sensor also supports multiple readout modes for compatibility with 65mm lenses that have narrower image circles, a necessary consideration given how limited the available glass is in this format class. Sony also showed the wafer behind the new sensor at Cine Gear, a demonstration of its semiconductor manufacturing capability. Building the sensor in-house is a real structural advantage: cinema camera manufacturers can design bodies, workflows, and mounts, but the sensor is where the image actually originates.
Sony has not yet specified which lens mounts or optical families the RIALTO 65 will accept, and has not detailed resolution options, frame rates, or codecs. Those gaps matter for anyone trying to evaluate the system against a specific production context. The development announcement sets a direction and a rough release window; the full specification is a 2027 conversation.
Where this sits in the market
Large-format digital cinema has been opening up for the past two years. Blackmagic disrupted the accessible end of the market when it announced the URSA Cine 17K 65 at IBC 2024. Featuring a 65mm RGBW sensor, that camera retails starting at $29,995, a substantial investment, but one that brought 65mm-class capture to a meaningfully wider audience than the ARRI ALEXA 65 ever reached. At Cannes 2026, the Blackmagic URSA Cine 65mm 17K appeared in competition through The Match, confirming the camera is finding serious production traction beyond early adopters.
Cannes 2026 reflected three distinct production instincts: the security of a proven digital negative, the texture and discipline of film, and a growing appetite for large-format digital acquisition from systems still building prestige credibility. Sony’s approach to that third category differs from Blackmagic’s. Blackmagic built a new body at a disruptive price point. Sony is extending the VENICE 2 platform so that productions already invested in it can access 65mm capabilities without starting over.
The logic is practical for rental houses and owner-operators who’ve committed to VENICE 2 infrastructure: workflows, colour pipelines, and accessories carry forward. The sensor block adds a capability tier rather than replacing what’s already in place.
The South African context
Sony Middle East and Africa covers the local market through the same regional structure serving more than 40 countries, and no South African pricing or availability timeline has been confirmed for the RIALTO 65. Regional availability for announcements at this level typically follows global launch by six to twelve months.
South Africa’s position as an international production destination has grown steadily, and the commercial and high-end content sector here has increasingly standardised around VENICE 2 systems in recent years. For local rental houses serving international co-productions, a credible 65mm upgrade path on existing kit is a practical business proposition, provided the final specification and pricing land in a workable range.
The RIALTO 65 is targeted for release in the first half of 2027. Sony has confirmed the sensor scale and the modular concept. Whether the full product, covering codecs, glass compatibility, and pricing, justifies the positioning is a question the first half of next year will answer.
For more on Sony’s expanding professional cinema presence, see Sony unveils OCELLUS camera tracking for AR and virtual production.