Sony has unveiled the next two firmware updates for its BURANO cinema camera, featuring additional recording formats, new de-squeeze options, monitoring updates, and other features and requests from the cinematic community.
Planned for release in late June 2024, BURANO Version 1.1 includes new features for live event production and a 1.5x de-squeeze display for anamorphic lenses. Version 1.1 will add S700 Protocol over Ethernet, which enables remote control of a BURANO using an RCP (remote control panel). Controllable settings include exposure, white balance, paint, and others (depending on the RCP model). Version 1.1 also enables support for Multi Matrix Area Indication. This feature allows users to adjust targeted colours during Multi Matrix operation.
BURANO Version 1.1 supports Sony’s Monitor & Control app version 2.0, enabling in-demand features such as THE Multi-Camera Monitoring function for iPadOS. This allows feeds for up to four cameras and precise exposure monitoring including waveform, histogram, false colour, and zebra.
Other features include intuitive focus control and frequently used functions’ control – a similar operation to Sony’s CineAlta cameras that offers control of frame rate, ND filter, sensitivity, look, shutter speed and white balance from a mobile device. Sony’s Monitor & Control app is free and available for iOS and Android devices.
Version 1.1 will be followed by Version 2.0 in March 2025 or later, with the second update coming with new recording formats, including a new 3.8K Full Frame crop that leverages nearly the entire sensor and can shoot up to 120 fps. This new recording mode allows the filmmaker to prioritise faster sensor performance depending on the needs of their application. Other new recording formats include the addition of 24.00 fps to X-OCN 16:9 imager modes and the following:
BURANO Version 2.0 adds a 1.8x de-squeeze setting and additional high frame rate (S & Q) modes including 66, 72, 75, 88, 90, 96, 110 fps.
There are also monitoring improvements, including standardised SDI video output for monitoring across X-OCN and XAVC and an improved on-screen display that places camera status information outside of the image. Version 2.0 will also include View Finder Gamma Display Assist while using S-Log3 for monitoring.
The update has additional exposure tools (High/Low Key) derived from the flagship VENICE camera system while expanding the white balance memory presets from 3 to 8 and supporting Active/High Image Stabilisation in Full-Frame 6K and Super 35 1.9K 16:9 imager modes. There is also added breathing compensation and image stabilisation metadata in X-OCN.