New Recording Formats and Big6: Sony to Soon Release New Firmware for Burano, FX6, and Others
[10:36 Sat,31.January 2026 by blip]
Sony has announced Firmware Update V3.0 for its 8K full-frame cinema camera, the Burano – it is expected to be released in May 2026 and will bring, among other things, extensions to the imager scan mode. In addition to the scan modes for film and OTT productions, the following formats will then be supported for documentaries, sports, and live events:
- FF 5.8K 6:5 for full-frame anamorphic lenses - S35c 3.8K 16:9 up to 120p
Sony Burano
In principle, HLG Mild will also be supported for optimizing color and light reproduction in custom recording mode. Furthermore, the update is intended to improve the visibility of the color peaking display, and S700P command compatibility for FPS, Shutter (Angle/Auto Shutter are not supported), and color saturation will be added.
More updates coming soon: Venice 2.... The Venice 2 is also set to be updated again, perhaps as early as February – for v4.1, the EL Zone System screen has apparently been redesigned, and the maximum moiré warning level will also be recorded in the metadata, as well as saving the horizontal setting value in the VENICE Extension System Mini.
(As previously announced, the larger firmware update V5.0 for the VENICE 2 is also planned for 2026.)
... and Sony FX6 The next update for the FX6 was also announced long ago for February 2026 – Sony is now naming March as the expected release date.
The main new feature in V6.0 will be the BIG6 interface, which comes from Sony's CineAlta cameras like the VENICE. It displays six important parameters – FPS, ISO, Shutter, Aperture or ND Filter, Look, and White Balance – in one view, making them faster to access. Other new features include:
- Updated recording screen layout – black borders - Support for Blackmagic RAW recording – video output via HDMI - Support for HLG Mild to optimize color and light reproduction (custom recording mode) - Paint and Look in a scene file for easy sharing
Sony FR7 The Sony FR7 PTZ camera will receive support for OpenTrackIO with update v4.0 in February, the new standard for camera tracking in virtual production. The open and new format was developed by SMPTE and enables real-time synchronization (timecode) and output of tracker, lens information, camera recording data, and position data (6DoF information from the CG origin to the camera). It is a protocol (camera tracking data) that connects to the Unreal Engine via a single Ethernet cable, without requiring the installation or configuration of third-party plug-ins.
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