Sony BURANO 8K CineAlta Camera – Now Shipping

Camera News

by Omri Keren LapidotMarch 7^th, 2024

Sony BURANO, the company’s compact 8K CineAlta camera, is now shipping across Europe. The BURANO features some impressive features and abilities. It may be best described as a Venice-FX9 hybrid, featuring the former’s excellent sensor and image pipeline with some FX9 perks, including the first in-body image stabilizer in a PL-Mount camera. And now it’s shipping across Europe for a price which also represents some middle ground between those two cameras.

The Sony BURANO is a special camera. This stems not only from its extraordinary specs and features but also from its rather fresh design philosophy. Most high-end cine cameras tend to walk a traditional path. Innovations manifest in sensor technology, higher dynamic range, or better colors, but rarely do these beasts incorporate new operational tools affecting the actual workflow.

Having been announced in Sept 2023, the camera is now shipping. With a price tag of $25,000, it probably won’t find its way to each and every content creator, but will appeal to some owner-operators, studios, and rental houses. The Sony BURANO fills a unique niche. The camera incorporates a class-leading spec list with a single-operator-aimed design. You can read all about the camera here but here’s a quick feature summary:

• 8.6K full-frame sensor with dual native ISO (800 / 3200 ISO)
• Same color science of VENICE 2
• World’s first PL-Mount camera with In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
• World’s first camera to combine IBIS and built-in electronic ND (2-7 stops)
• X-OCN LT (Lite) 16-bit RAW
• New XAVC H codec extending H.265 beyond 4K and up to 8K
• First Cinema Line camera to record on CFexpress Type B cards (by the way, check out our recent interview with Angelbird on the future of this media standard here)
• Same advanced AF system as FX6 and FX9
• Smaller and lighter than VENICE 2

Sony BURANO, the best of both worlds

While the Sony BURANO is by no means a hybrid camera, it takes some significant notes from its mass-market stablemates without compromising any of its cine prowess. The combination of PL-Mount, E-Mount, built-in ND, and IBIS is a remarkable engineering feat. This broadens the camera’s operational envelope to new creative fields.

Price and availability

As for availability, the Sony BURANO is now shipping across Europe and will set you back €25,000 (or £21,490.77). The camera will cost $25,000 in the U.S. Actual stock may vary depending on specific dealers, but cameras are shipping.

Have you already pre-ordered your Sony BURANO? Will you opt for a rental or go full-on as an owner-operator with this one? Let us know in the comments.