Sony has introduced the Burano camera, a new model from its CineAlta lineup of digital cinema cameras. Designed for single-camera operators and small crews and featuring a sensor that matches the Venice 2, the new Burano combines high image quality with high mobility.
Burano is a digital cinema camera with a PL-Mount that features in-body image stabilization. Additionally, when the PL lens mount is removed, the camera can be used with E-mount lenses to support Fast Hybrid Auto Focus (AF) and Subject Recognition AF, ideal for capturing fast moving subjects.
The Burano, CFexpress Type B memory cards, CEB-G1920T (1920 GB)/ CEB-G960T (960 GB) and new GP-VR100 Grip remote control (sold separately) will be available in spring 2024.
8.6K Full-Frame Sensor
The Burano has a compact and lightweight body for high mobility, measuring over an inch shorter and more than three pounds lighter than the Venice 2. The camera is housed in a magnesium chassis, making it suitable for filming in challenging environments. Additionally, the packaging that the Burano camera and accessories are delivered in is made primarily of plant-based cellulose (excluding materials used in coatings and adhesives) instead of plastic as part of Sony’s efforts to be environmentally conscious. Moreover, a molded pulp cushion is used on the camera body when shipping as the cushioning and protective material, thus not using expanded polystyrene.
The Burano is equipped with a full-frame sensor that shares many of the specifications of the Venice 2 and can work alongside the Venice 2 on both scripted and unscripted productions. The camera has an 8.6K full-frame sensor with dual base ISO of 800 and 3200 and 16 stops of dynamic range to produce images even in challenging lighting conditions. The Burano also features the color science inherited from the Venice series, which has been trusted on more than 500 productions from feature films to commercials.
Academy award-winning Director of Photography Dion Beebe, ACS, ASC, joined up with director Unjoo Moon to test the combination of Venice 2 and Burano for a Sony Burano launch film. In Original, a K-pop style dance “battle” with original score by Tushar Apte. Moon and Deebe opted to create a short dance film to highlight the camera’s mobility and cinematic look.
“We were in a very stretched dynamic range purposefully, and for me, that was very much part of what I wanted to see both in the Venice 2 and in the Burano. Moving through the edit, you really were not aware that you were moving from the Venice 2 sensor to the Burano sensor back to the Venice 2,” Deebe says. “That compatibility, across the dynamic range, color interpretation and all of those things are important when I’m putting a package together and trying to complement a bigger sensor camera, like the Venice 2. These two sensors, these two looks, really fall in line with one another.”
The Burano sensor and camera body were also designed to include Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF and Subject Recognition AF feature from the Cinema Line. The Burano’s autofocus offers support for filmmakers shooting fast-moving animals or objects and multi-camera setups using E-mount lenses.
Built-In Optical Image Stabilization
The Burano features an interchangeable E-mount and PL-mount lens to support built-in image stabilization. Unwanted camera shake, such as movement from shooting handheld or walking, can be corrected when shooting with an E-mount or PL-mount lens. This is made possible with a newly developed image stabilization mechanism and control algorithm that leverages the advanced image stabilization technology cultivated in the α series of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras.
Variable ND Filter
The Burano comes with an electronic variable ND filter from 0.6 to 2.1, enabling easy adjustments in various lighting conditions. In addition, the electronic variable ND filter allows users to control the depth of field with the iris and adjust the exposure with the ND filter to get the optimum exposure without changing the depth of field. This filter is also far thinner than prior ND filters in Sony’s lineup of cinema cameras and is adjacent to the optical image stabilization mechanism, which helps to keep the camera both compact and lightweight.
E-mount Lenses for Flexibility
Sony offers a range of more than 70 E-mount lenses that can be used with the Burano when filmmakers need a smaller, lighter, or wider lens set up. Additionally, pairing the Burano with Sony’s E-mount lenses also unlocks other features such as Fast Hybrid AF, Subject Recognition AF and 5-axis image stabilization.
Cache Recording and Flexible Capture Modes
The Burano also features adjustable pre-roll or cache recording. Pre-roll or cache recording allows filmmakers to capture a modifiable amount of footage before pressing the record button. This is useful for action sports, wildlife, and documentary filmmakers working in unpredictable, unscripted scenarios.
The Burano allows cache recording to be adjusted depending on the codec, resolution, and frame rate. For example, the Burano can enable cache recording of up to 11 seconds while filming 8.6K at the highest codec or set up to 73 seconds while filming 4K for maximum flexibility.
Like all cameras in Sony’s full-frame Cinema Line, the Burano will have the ability to shoot at full-frame, Super 35 and also feature a desqueeze function for anamorphic lenses. It can film at frame rates including up to 8K at 30 fps, 6K at 60 fps or 4K at 120 fps.
Updated Body Design
The Burano also includes design improvements thanks to feedback from the filmmaking community. For example, all menu buttons are positioned on the camera operator’s side. Additionally, tally lamps are placed in three locations to make it easier for the surrounding crew to check the shooting status. The 3.5-inch multi-function LCD monitor can be used as a viewfinder, for touch focus, or menu control. The Burano also comes equipped with an optional robust T-handle, viewfinder arm, two 3-pin XLR audio inputs and a headphone terminal (stereo minijack), convenient for solo operation.
Variety of Recording Formats
The Burano can record digital files from HD to 8K depending on the resolution, aspect ratio and codec. Burano supports multiple internal recording formats, such as the new XAVC H for 8K, which utilizes the MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 high-compression efficiency codec. Other recording formats include XAVC and X-OCN LT. X-OCN is Sony’s original compressed RAW format that can capture information shot with 16-bit linear data, which gives filmmakers more freedom in post for color grading. X-OCN LT is the lightweight version of the X-OCN codecs and can reduce file transfer time and storage size load, making post production workflows more efficient than standard versions of RAW data.
The Burano is also equipped with two new CFexpress Type B memory card slots and supports VPG400, which can sustain high bitrate writing of video data, including X-OCN LT 8K. Sony will also be releasing new compatible CFexpress Type B memory cards, CEB-G1920T (1920 GB)/ CEB-G960T (960 GB).
Production Ecosystem
Like the Venice series, the Burano supports log recording as well as different color spaces including S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3.Cine, which cover a wide color gamut that exceeds BT.2020 and DCI-P3. The Burano can reproduce the same color as all cameras in Sony’s Cinema Line, including the Venice 2. This allows filmmakers to match cameras within the line.
Burano comes with four new cinematic looks: Warm, Cool, Vintage, Teal and Orange (commonly referred to as a Blockbuster LUT), in addition to supporting industry standard s709 and 709 (800%) Look Up Tables (LUTs).
Also, like the Venice series, the Burano features gen-lock and can be used for virtual production using large screen LED displays such as Sony’s new Crystal LED, called VERONA.
Improvements to the Cinema Line
In addition, the FX30 and FX3 cameras are now compatible with Sony’s new mobile app “Monitor & Control (www.sony.net/ccmc),” the latest addition to the Creators Cloud. The app enables wireless video monitoring, support for high-precision exposure determination using false color and waveform monitors and intuitive focus operation of compatible cameras, on the screen of a smartphone or tablet. In future updates, the Burano will also be compatible with the Monitor and Control app, which will see its compatibility expand to cover models outside Cinema Line, with different functions available for each model.
The app will also support Version 1.1 of Camera Remote SDK (https://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/app/sdk/en/index.html), the software development kit, which now features monitoring. Version 1.11 will be available in November 2023.
The Burano will also support S700 protocol over Ethernet and a 1.5x de-squeeze display function when using anamorphic lenses, by approximately next summer (https://pro.sony/products/professional-cameras/cinematography-burano-firmware-roadmap). Additional software updates to improve user experience and convenience will also be added to the Burano in future updates.
Sony will also be releasing separately a new remote grip control, GP-VR100, that allows filmmakers to efficiently control the Burano via a hand grip. The remote grip control works with the Burano in shoulder-mounted scenarios and enables convenient access to the zoom lever and recording start/stop button located on the hand grip. The remote grip control is useful for single camera operators and unscripted productions such as sports, reality, wildlife and documentary filmmaking.
