Wooden Camera Introduces Elite Accessory System for Sony VENICE 2 and Rialto 2

Accessory News

by Graham SheldonMarch 30^th, 2023

Camera accessory manufacturer Wooden Camera introduced their Elite Accessory System, which is a whole suite of accessories for the Sony Venice 2 as well as the Rialto 2 camera platform. This marks one of the first collections from CS Senior Director of Accessories, Dominick Aiello, formerly of Panavision. Let’s take a look at the new accessory collection below!

Wooden Camera says their focus with this design was to enhance the camera’s modularity for “effortless, tool-free transitions.” One of the most interesting design features out of the gate appears to be with the Quick-Release Top Plate for the Venice 2, which uses a dovetail on top of the camera that integrates with the built-in dovetail on the Venice 2. You can also lock down the quick release with 4x 1/4-20” screws for added safety when not in use.

The ARCA Baseplate promises to keep the center of gravity low for shouldered operation or adding additional accessories. You can also dial in your counterbalance where needed, and a “double-locking system” on the rod clamps helps lessen the common problem of rotation from powerful lens motors. This, of course, would cause the motor to slip off the lens threads suddenly — a common on-set problem.

Another potential standout is the Faceplate Cage System for the Rialto 2 extension mode. Of course, the Rialto 2 is notable because it separates the sensor block away from the main body of the Venice, which makes for flexible mounting and operating, but at the expense of mounting points on the sensor block itself. The Aluminum Faceplate Cage system with an optional centered rod clamp also lets you keep things more compact if you want to leave the baseplate off the Rialto 2. Notably the Face Plate attaches to the camera body itself too and will move with the sensor when changing over to extension mode.

Personally, I’m most excited about the Faceplate Cage System because it gives you additional mounting points without turning the Rialto 2 into a gigantic camera rig — which obviously flies in the face of the entire design concept for the Rialto system.

Beyond the new baseplate, top plate and faceplate, there is also a lengthy Ultra Handle with tons of mounting points and places to hold or secure the camera. There are also spots to affix optional color rings to help identify the camera from a distance. Different colors of paper tape would obviously work too, but they wouldn’t look this good!

Rounding things out is a new D-Box aimed at the Sony Rialto 2 with a multitude of power options like 2x two-pin LEMOs at 12V, two three-pin Fischers at 24V with R/S, and one D-Tap at 12V. Wooden Camera also has a new ARRI LPL Mount v2 that routes either translated external lens data using a DCS Translator or internal lens data. Once you select external data mode, you could record all the Preston MDR metadata directly on the lens map on your handset.

Pricing and availability

The Elite Accessory System for Sony VENICE 2, including handle, top plate, base plate, and front cage is priced at $2,508, and Wooden Camera promises it will be available between 4-6 weeks as of publishing. The Elite Accessory System for the Sony Rialto 2 is available now for $925.

For more information on the full Elite Accessory System you can visit HERE.

Have you ever shot on the Sony VENICE 2 with the Rialto 2 tethered system? What do you think of the new Elite Accessory System for the Sony VENICE 2 and Rialto 2? Let us know in the comments below!