Sony RIALTO 65 in Development – 65mm Sensor Block for the VENICE 2, Remote Operation, Multiple Recording Modes

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by Johnnie BehiriJune 3^rd, 2026

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Sony has revealed the development of RIALTO 65, a new 65mm format-capable image sensor block that turns existing VENICE 2 camera bodies into a large-format digital cinema platform. Planned for the first half of 2027, it carries one of the largest image sensors ever built into a commercially available cinema camera system, supports both direct mounting and remote operation, and stays compatible with the wider VENICE ecosystem.

Note: All images in this article are from the original Sony VENICE 2 Extension System Mini and RIALTO camera extension system for VENICE and VENICE 2. No new images of the RIALTO 65 were supplied.

This is a development announcement rather than a finished-product launch, which is worth keeping in mind: Sony is signaling intent and a rough timeline, not handing over a spec sheet you can pre-order against. What it does tell us is significant, though. Sony is taking the modular sensor-block architecture that defined the original Rialto and the more recent VENICE 2 Extension System Mini, and stretching it into 65mm territory, a format space that until now has been dominated almost entirely by ARRI.

A 65mm sensor block built around the VENICE 2

The core idea is elegant for anyone already invested in the VENICE 2 system. Rather than buying a separate large-format camera, RIALTO 65 lets existing VENICE 2 bodies operate as a 65mm format digital cinema platform. The sensor block attaches to the camera you already own, and Sony states it will maintain compatibility with the broader VENICE ecosystem, which is the part that matters most to rental houses and owner-operators who have built workflows, accessories, and color pipelines around the VENICE 2.

Sony positions RIALTO 65 as carrying one of the largest image sensors ever incorporated into a commercially available cinema camera system. The company frames the creative payoff in familiar large-format terms: the immersive scale, the shallow depth of field, and the visual impact associated with 65mm cinematography. For productions chasing that look, the appeal is the ability to access it without abandoning a camera platform they already trust.

Direct mounting or remote operation

The “RIALTO” name is doing deliberate work here. Sony’s existing Rialto systems, from the original module through the VENICE Extension System 2 and the more recent VENICE Extension System Mini, are all about separating the sensor block from the camera body for placement in tight or awkward spaces. RIALTO 65 inherits that philosophy: Sony says it is designed to offer creative flexibility through both direct camera mounting and remote operation configurations, supporting a wide range of production environments.

That dual approach is notable because large-format cinema cameras have historically been heavy, bulky beasts that resist gimbal, handheld, and confined-space work. The ARRI ALEXA 65 weighs around 10.5kg (23.1 lbs), and even the dramatically slimmed-down ARRI ALEXA 265 was designed specifically to address that bulk. If Sony can deliver a genuine 65mm capture path that also detaches for remote operation, it would bring a degree of mobility to the format that has been difficult to achieve. We covered the VENICE Extension System Mini hands-on when it was introduced, and the same separation logic appears to be scaling up here.

Recording modes and 65mm lens support

Sony states that RIALTO 65 will support multiple recording modes and a variety of 65mm-format lenses. The lens point is the practical hinge for any large-format system. A 65mm sensor is only as useful as the glass that can cover it, and the ecosystem has matured considerably over the past year. We have recently reported on the ZEISS Panoptes 65, a set of ten large-format primes with a 59.9mm image circle, alongside a growing field of dedicated 65mm and large-format cinema lenses now reaching the market. Sony has not yet specified which lens mounts or which optical families RIALTO 65 will accept, so this remains an open question until closer to release.

On the recording side, Sony has not detailed resolution, frame rates, codecs, or whether RIALTO 65 will record internally to the VENICE 2 body or require an external path. Given how central internal X-OCN recording has been to the VENICE 2 proposition, this is one of the most important details still outstanding, and we expect it to be a key talking point as the system moves toward release.

Where this sits in the large-format landscape

Sony’s history with larger-than-Super-35 capture runs deep. The HDW-F900, announced back in 2000, was the company’s first CineAlta camera, and the VENICE line that followed established Sony as a serious full-frame contender. RIALTO 65 represents a notable step beyond full-frame for Sony, into a format tier where ARRI’s ALEXA 65 and ALEXA 265 have effectively had the high end to themselves, while Blackmagic’s URSA Cine 17K 65 and the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55 have started widening access from below.

The strategic logic for Sony is clear. The VENICE 2 already has a large installed base, an extensive accessory ecosystem, and a long firmware roadmap that Sony has confirmed extends into 2027. Layering a 65mm sensor block on top of that existing platform is a fundamentally different bet than launching a standalone large-format body, and it could make 65mm acquisition meaningfully more affordable for productions and rental houses already standardized on VENICE 2. Whether the image quality, recording flexibility, and lens compatibility live up to the framing is exactly what we will be watching as more concrete specifications emerge.

As this is a development announcement, Sony has not released pricing. The company has indicated a planned release in the first half of 2027.

We will be following RIALTO 65 closely as Sony fills in the specifications between now and release. Does a 65mm sensor block for the VENICE 2 change how you would approach large-format work? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!