Sony has announced the latest addition to their CineAlta lineup, the VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS). This new accessory, designed specifically for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, offers significant size reductions while maintaining the imaging capabilities of its larger counterpart.
VENICE 2 Extension System Mini
all prices excluding sales tax/VAT
The new Sony VENICE Extension System Mini features the VENICE 2 8K sensor in a substantially smaller form factor. The unit measures 63.9×103.2×60.2mm / 2.5×4.06×2.37in (W×H×D), which Sony states is approximately 70% smaller than the existing VENICE Extension System 2 (CBK-3620XS). The head unit weighs approximately 0.54kg / 1.2 lbs with the E-mount and 1.05kg / 2.3 lbs with the PL mount adapter.
The system includes a custom drop-in ND cartridge system with nine glass Neutral Density filters, including a clear ND option. This filter system has been designed to match the VENICE 2 camera’s specifications.
A notable improvement is the connection cable between the Extension System Mini and the VENICE 2 camera body. The new 4.5m / 14.8 ft cable measures 7.6mm in diameter—3.3mm thinner than the existing model’s 10.9mm / 0.43in cable—and can be detached for easier rigging in confined spaces. An optional 12m / 39.4 ft cable (CBK-12C3621) will be available for situations requiring greater distance between the camera body and head unit.
VENICE 2 compatibility and mounting options
The system is compatible with both the VENICE 2 6K and 8K models. Importantly, VENICE 2 6K users will be able to capture in 8K resolution with this system, though this will require a system software update.
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The Extension System Mini includes 15 mounting points for accessories and two assignable buttons for customizable functions such as recording start and False Color display toggle. It also features a 3-pin Fischer Output for connecting to accessories.
For lenses, the system is compatible with E-mount lenses and PL mount lenses via an included adapter. The adapter also includes a Lens Metadata Input port.
“I love that you can put it anywhere, like a Formula One race car when you’re racing. You have the full resolution of a real cinema camera. It’s nice to have that flexibility without compromising image quality.”
Claudio Miranda, ASC
Stereoscopic and VR applications
One of the technical advantages of the compact size is that when two units are placed side by side in E-mount configuration, the distance between the two sensors is approximately 64mm / 2.5 in, which matches the average human interpupillary distance. This makes the system potentially valuable for stereoscopic imaging and VR content creation.
Simplified workflow to create Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro?
At the time of posting this article, I am attending Sony’s launch event for the VENICE Extension Unit Mini at Pinewood Studios in London and will ask whether Sony will also offer a replicable workflow to create Immersive Video for the Apple Vision Pro using two of the new Extension Units Mini, or if this currently just involves the hardware. As a side note to that: we know that Blackmagic Design is working closely with Apple over their upcoming URSA Cine Immersive 17K to make the currently cumbersome process of creative real immersive video more straightforward – and I am expecting to learn more about that process during the upcoming NAB 2025 which we will of course be reporting extensively from. To learn more about the currently difficult process of creating Immersive Video experiences for Vision Pro, check out our Focus Check podcast episode with Christoph Tilley, who specializes in producing content for Vision Pro with his company MXR Productions.
Availability and pricing of VENICE Extension System Mini
The VENICE Extension System Mini will be showcased at the NAB 2025 in Las Vegas, beginning April 6, 2025. Sony states that the system and its accessories will be available starting July 2025.
Optional accessories include the Camera Extension System ND Filter Kit (CBK-ND1K), which provides a set of nine drop-in ND filters identical to those included with the system, and the Camera Extension System Cable 12m (CBK-12C3621).
The VENICE Extention System Mini is available for pre-ordering at B&H for $25,000.
Sony VENICE – undoubtedly an established cinema camera alongside ARRI and RED
Next to the ARRI ALEXA and RED ecosystems, Sony has undoubtedly been successful in establishing the VENICE and VENICE 2 cameras (check all our coverage of that camera here) at the high end of the cinema market. Other manufacturers have not succeeded in penetrating the coveted high-end market (take, for example, the discontinued Panasonic Varicam series or the Canon EOS C700 series). The VENICE camera series has been used on numerous high-profile productions, including “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and more recently, “Nickel Boys,” “The Fire Inside,” and “A Complete Unknown.”
Cinematographers who have tested the VENICE Extension System Mini include Claudio Miranda ASC and Kate Reid BSC, with Miranda noting the system’s mobility and Reid comparing its operation to a medium format stills camera. Miranda famously used the original VENICE Extension System on “Top Gun: Maverick” to produce high-end images in the tight confines of fighter jets.
While the VENICE Extension System Mini represents a significant size reduction for cinema cameras with full-frame sensors, it remains to be seen how it will compare to other compact cinema camera options in the market when it becomes available in July 2025.
What do you make of Sony’s latest announcement about the VENICE Extension System Mini? Is this the Sony announcement you were hoping for? Let us know in the comments below.
