Sony RIALTO 65 is now real enough to see. After the development announcement earlier this week, Sony Cine has now shown the new 65mm sensor block at Cine Gear, giving filmmakers their first public look at the hardware before its planned market arrival in 2027. Sony stated: “This is your first chance to see it before it hits the market in 2027. Find us at the CineGear booth S1714 today and tomorrow”. For those who are not at Cine Gear right now, the pictures attached here offer the first real visual impression of RIALTO 65 in the flesh, and the mighty Leitz THALIA 65!

The VENICE 2 grows into 65mm

RIALTO 65 is Sony’s new 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2. The idea is simple and very powerful. Instead of replacing the VENICE 2 body, Sony is expanding it. The sensor block connects to the existing VENICE 2 ecosystem and transforms the camera into a 65mm digital cinema platform. Sony has already stated that the new sensor measures approximately 64.60 mm diagonally, with a 53.75 mm width and 35.83 mm height. It supports 9.6K 3:2 open gate recording and has about 2.2 times the light receiving area of a full-frame sensor. In other words, this is a massive imaging surface designed for large screen cinema, shallow depth of field, spatial depth, and the kind of scale cinematographers associate with 65mm capture.

Leitz Cine built the mount system

The new pictures also reveal an important partnership. Leitz Cine stated that it was proud to partner with Sony on creating the first professional mount system for the new Sony RIALTO 65 camera. According to Leitz Cine, the mount uses a base LPL mount and includes the Leitz LPL to PL adapter. That means the system is being designed to accept a wide range of cinema lenses, which is critical for a format this large. Lens coverage becomes a central question when dealing with 65mm sensors, and this mount strategy gives the RIALTO 65 a more practical path into professional production.

THALIA 65 on the sensor block

One of the most exciting details in the images is the mighty Leitz THALIA 65 lens mounted on the RIALTO 65 sensor block. That pairing makes a lot of sense. THALIA 65 lenses were designed for extra-large format cinematography, and seeing them attached to Sony’s new 65mm sensor block sends a clear message. This camera is aimed at serious large-format work. The images show the RIALTO 65 sensor block in a compact, modular configuration, connected to the VENICE 2 body and mounted with high-end cinema glass. It looks engineered for solid sets, rigs, and large-format productions. Go see it now at the Cine Gear booth S1714!