Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a new 65mm format image sensor block designed to expand the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera system into a much larger imaging platform. The product is planned for release in the first half of 2027, and Sony says it will be exhibited at Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles starting June 5, 2026. This is cool! Instead of launching an entirely new 65mm cinema camera, Sony is developing a modular sensor block that allows existing VENICE 2 camera bodies to operate as a 65mm format digital cinema system. In other words, the VENICE 2 ecosystem is about to get much bigger. Literally. And it’s a 9.6K 3:2 open gate! 

A 65mm sensor block for VENICE 2

According to Sony, RIALTO 65 is built around a new image sensor capable of 65mm format capture. The sensor has a diagonal size of approximately 64.60 mm, with a width of 53.75 mm and a height of 35.83 mm. It uses a 3:2 aspect ratio and supports 9.6K 3:2 open gate recording. Sony says the new sensor offers approximately 2.2 times the light-receiving area of a full-frame image sensor. That means a wider canvas for cinematographers, stronger spatial separation, shallower depth of field, and a more immersive large format look intended for premium cinema production and large screen exhibition. Sony also states that the RIALTO 65 sensor will be one of the industry’s largest image sensors equipped in commercially available cinema cameras, as of the June 2026 announcement.

Direct mount or remote operation

The modular concept is the core of this announcement. RIALTO 65 can be mounted directly to the VENICE 2 camera body, or used separately from the body via a cable, similar to Sony’s VENICE Extension System. That gives cinematographers 2 very different operating modes. One is a traditional camera configuration. The other allows the sensor block and lens to be separated from the main camera body for tighter spaces, rigs, cranes, gimbals, vehicle work, and more demanding setups. This is where Sony’s VENICE DNA becomes important. RIALTO has already become a familiar tool on high-end productions because it gives crews the ability to separate the imaging block from the camera body while preserving image quality and control. RIALTO 65 appears to take that concept into a much larger format class.

Multiple readout modes and lens flexibility

Sony says RIALTO 65 will support multiple recording modes and multiple sensor readout modes. That is important because 65mm format lenses do not all cover the same image circle. Some lenses will cover the full open gate sensor area, while others may require narrower readout options. This suggests that Sony is trying to make RIALTO 65 practical for real productions rather than limiting it to a single large sensor mode. Cinematographers will be able to work with various 65mm format lenses, including some lenses with narrower image circles.

Sony enters the new 65mm digital race

The timing is interesting. Large-format cinema is becoming one of the most aggressive frontiers in high-end digital cinematography. Productions intended for IMAX, premium large format theaters, and event cinema are demanding bigger sensors, higher resolution, and more immersive image characteristics. RIALTO 65 positions Sony directly inside that conversation. The move also protects the VENICE 2 platform by extending its life cycle instead of replacing it. For rental houses and cinematographers already invested in VENICE 2, this could be a major advantage. Sony is not just announcing another accessory. It is preparing a 65mm expansion path for one of the most widely adopted digital cinema systems in Hollywood.

Initial thoughts

RIALTO 65 feels like a very strategic product. It gives Sony a path into 65mm digital cinema while preserving the VENICE 2 body, workflow, and ecosystem. That could make adoption easier for productions already familiar with VENICE color science, VENICE menus, VENICE accessories, and RIALTO style operation. The big question will be price, lens support, recording formats, dynamic range, frame rates, and how the system performs in practical production environments. For now, Sony has sent a clear message before Cine Gear 2026. VENICE 2 is not done evolving. Its next chapter may be 65mm 🙂