Sony RIALTO Mini

Right to left: RIALTO Mini shown with native E-mount and drop-in filter; with PL Mount; original and much larger RIALTO.

Sony shrunk RIALTO by 70%.

The new Sony VENICE Extension System Mini (aka RIALTO Mini) is a wonderful new tethered sensor/lens mount block that is shorter than an iPhone.

The VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS) is Sony’s latest addition to the CineAlta line. It attaches directly to the VENICE 2 cinema camera.

RIALTO Mini has a VENICE 2 8K sensor. It is about 70% smaller than the original RIALTO, is significantly lighter and fits in the palm of your hand. It has a Sony E-mount with a PL Mount Attachment.

Photo by Keita Yasui

Picture these setups: mounted in places you wouldn’t have dreamed of—now made much easier: handheld, stunts, skiing, sailing, rigged.

To paraphrase Peter O’Toole in The Stunt Man, “If you could have done the tricks this camera can do, you’d be a happy person.”

Rental houses will rejoice. No need to buy a new camera. RIALTO Mini “plugs into” their existing VENICE 2 cameras very quickly.

Because it’s so small, there wasn’t room for internal ND filter wheels. Instead, RIALTO Mini has a clever, custom drop-in ND cartridge system with a clear and 8 glass ND filters (ND0.3 – ND2.4). DPs and suppliers are already dreaming up effect filters: diffusion, fog, mist, glimmer, etc.

The design has been improved over the original. Rigging is easier. More mounting points have been added to attach accessories. The copper and fiber connecting cable between the RIALTO Mini and the VENICE 2 camera body is thinner and more flexible.

RIALTO Mini Details

Official Name: VENICE Extension System Mini CBK-3621XS

Same 8.6K Full Frame CMOS sensor as VENICE 2 8K.
Same Sony E-mount with PL Mount Attachment.
LPL, PV and other mounts will be available from third parties.
Compatible with both VENICE 2 6K and 8K models.
Drop-in filter slot on top of RIALTO Mini.
Includes 1 clear and 8 ND drop-in filters. ND0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4 (1 to 8 stops). Filter density is recognized automatically by the VENICE 2 camera.
Compact, Lightweight Camera Head Block with approximately 70% less volume than existing models.
When two RIALTO Minis are placed side by side, the distance between the two optical centers (sensors) is approximately 64mm. This matches the average human interpupillary distance and is excellent for 3D rigs.
Head dimensions: 63.9×103.2×60.2 mm (W×H×D). 2.5×4.1×2.4 inches.
Weight (approx): 0.54 kg / 1.2 lb with E-mount. 1.05 kg / 2.3 lb with PL Mount.
New 4.5 m / 14.8 ft Flexible Detachable Cable has a 7.6 mm diameter (3.3 mm thinner than the original model’s 10.9 mm cable).
Optional 12 m / 39.4 ft cable (CBK-12C3621).
The cables are detachable, enabling easier installation of the camera head in confined spaces.
Accepts lens metadata from E-mount and PL mount lenses.
PL Mount has a 4-pin LEMO Metadata port.
15 mounting points around the camera head.
Two assignable buttons for customizable functions such as record start/stop and EL Zone display toggle.
3-pin Fischer connector for start/stop, MDR and accessory connections.
Final specifications may change.

Optional Accessories:

If you lose or drop the ND filters, additional sets are available. They only come as a full set of 8 drop-in ND filters and a clear filter, identical to the set included with the system. Order using the official name: Camera Extension System ND Filter Kit (CBK-ND1K).
Camera Extension System Cable 12m (CBK-12C3621).

See the Sony RIALTO Mini system in Sony’s North Hall booth at NAB Show 2025. It will be available in Summer 2025.

Sony City Minato Mirai in Yokohama

Sony City Minato Mirai is the new (since 2020) headquarters for Sony’s Imaging Division, Medical and R&D departments. It is a pleasant 8-minute walk from the Yokohama waterfront.

Sony team, below, left to right: Takuro Ema (Head of Product Planning). Kosuke Imagawa (Product Planner for VENICE Extension System Mini). Koji Morioka (Lead Mechanical Design). Yuya Morimoto (Mechanical Design). Risa Kagami (Product Planner for Product Planner for VENICE Extension System Mini).

On the table, left to right: Original VENICE RIALTO, RIALTO Mini with PL Mount, RIALTO Mini with native E-mount.

Rialto Bridge in Venice

Just as the Rialto Bridge spans the Grand Canal to connect two neighborhoods of Venice, the Sony VENICE Extension System Mini, aka RIALTO, connects two essential parts of the camera.