Sony announced new firmware updates across the Venice 2, FX6, FX3, FX30, and Burano cameras.
Sony is committing to a series of updates that will take place by 2026 with the goal of strengthening its Cinema Line, making each model more adaptable, intuitive, and ready for the demands of modern filmmaking. As a warning, it will be quite some time before all these updates roll out.
The Venice 2 will get updated by August 2025 with the introduction of the EL Zone System, a revolutionary exposure tool crafted by cinematographer Ed Lachman. It swaps traditional IRE-based metrics for a stop-based scale, making exposure adjustments more intuitive and precise.
Instead of complex numerical readings, colors signify exposure levels so that cinematographers can immediately gauge overexposed or underexposed areas in their shots. This system empowers quick, informed decisions to maintain consistent lighting from scene to scene, elevating creative control on set. The Venice 2 also now supports frame lines in customizable colors, streamlining workflows when framing for various formats—a vital feature in today’s cross-platform production landscape.
Sony plans to enhance its FX3 and FX30 cameras, two models that are popular among content creators and smaller production crews, with a firmware update arriving in September 2025.
This update standardizes the Cinema Line’s menu system, allowing operators to switch between models with ease and making the FX3 and FX30 valuable B and C cameras for larger productions. With the new “BIG 6” menu—modeled after the Burano and Venice 2, users gain instant access to essential settings like ISO, frame rate, LUT, and ND filters. These cameras also receive a 1.5x anamorphic de-squeeze option, broadening their appeal to filmmakers seeking cinematic visuals. The addition of HDMI RAW output brings even greater flexibility, enabling Blackmagic RAW capture with Blackmagic Video Assist recorders.
Sony’s FX6, known for its versatility in documentary and fast-paced shooting, receives a similar firmware upgrade with Version 6.0 expected in February 2026. This update includes the “BIG 6” menu, aligning the FX6 with the FX3 and FX30 for a cohesive operating experience across the Cinema Line. It also adds SDI RAW output for Blackmagic RAW, further enhancing its adaptability in high-stakes filming environments.
This update is going to take a while to arrive, however, as Sony doesn’t plan to release it until February 2026.
The Burano firmware update, arriving in March 2025, will bring new recording capabilities, starting with 3.8K full-frame crop mode at up to 120 frames per second (FPS). It also includes new frame rates, like 24 FPS in X-OCN 16:9 mode. X-OCN 16:9 is a high-quality, efficient format developed by Sony to capture great detail without ballooning file sizes that offers practical yet rich color data for post-production. With an option for 1.8x anamorphic de-squeeze, filmmakers can now preview the final aspect ratio in real time, enhancing both efficiency and accuracy on set.
The Burano’s firmware also transforms monitoring options by introducing SDI output across X-OCN and XAVC formats. The addition of View Finder Gamma Display Assist makes it easier to monitor S-Log3 exposure, a boon for complex shooting conditions. Borrowing exposure tools from the VENICE 2, the BURANO now offers high and low-key tools, ensuring dynamic lighting is under control. These tools help filmmakers manage both bright and dark scenes, avoiding pitfalls like overexposure and shadow loss. High-key tools highlight bright regions for a cheerful or soft tone, while low-key tools enhance shadow areas, perfect for dramatic scenes with depth and contrast. It also gains expanded white balance presets—from three to eight—providing further control for fast and flexible adjustments on set.
It’s unusual for any camera company to announce a firmware update schedule and even more so to have the updates take place over such a large amount of time (with an announcement so far in advance). That said, it shows Sony’s commitment to these camera models for at least the next two years, which should make filmmakers feel better about a purchase in the near term.
Image credits: Sony Cinema