When the Sony BURANO was first unveiled last fall, the big question on everyone's mind was how it would compare to Sony's other popular camera lineups. After months of extensive testing, the consensus among filmmakers was that the BURANO is something of a Swiss Army knife, an innovative cine camera that combines the best features from Sony's CineAlta, Cinema Line, and Alpha series into a portable powerhouse that's perfect for documentary, commercial, and virtually any other high-end shooting scenario. In this piece, we're going to focus on the five features that make the BURANO such a groundbreaking cinema camera.
In-Body Image Stabilization
One of the most exciting things about the BURANO is its in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Sure, IBIS technology isn't new—mirrorless cameras have used it for years—but this is the first time we've seen it in a cine camera with a PL mount.
If you've ever shot with the Sony FX3 or an Alpha camera, you'll know what to expect here. The BURANO's IBIS adds a subtle smoothness that doesn't draw attention to itself (at least, not until you turn it off and the dreaded micro-jitters return). It's not a replacement for a gimbal, but it is a huge boon when using the camera handheld or mounted on your shoulder.
For longer shoots, we'd still recommend pairing the BURANO with a stabilizer system like the Easyrig Vario 5 or the SHAPE Broadcast Shoulder Cage Set to reduce body strain. Also, if you need more dramatic movements (that are still buttery smooth), we'd recommend adding a gimbal like the DJI Ronin 2 or RS4 Pro to the mix.
One final thing to keep in mind is that the BURANO's IBIS does need time to warm up and calibrate, so make sure to turn the camera on a bit early and let it sit for five to ten minutes while you set up the rest of your rig.
Hybrid Autofocus
The BURANO marks the first appearance of Sony's Fast Hybrid Autofocus (AF) in a CineAlta camera. This feature first appeared in the Alpha lineup and later became an essential part of the FX series; it combines phase-detection AF and contrast-detection AF for a best-in-class system that has revolutionized documentary and sports shooting, allowing videographers to stay locked onto subjects even in challenging and fast-moving conditions.
The BURANO's autofocus system should feel familiar to Sony users, although some might find the build style of the monitor a bit tricky to navigate at first. You can use it as a traditional flip-out viewfinder and have full “tap to focus” control, or you use it with the viewfinder attachment clipped on and must rely on hard buttons and preset bounding boxes to pick focus areas. We found the viewfinder attachment to be incredibly useful in bright environments, so it almost always lived on the BURANO while we were shooting—though it took time to adjust to the lack of tap focus. If you plan to use the viewfinder and autofocus, make sure to practice at home first and map some focus controls to the customizable buttons on the GP-VR100 Remote Control Grip.
Neutral Density Filters
The BURANO isn't the first CineAlta camera to use ND filters—both the Venice and Venice 2 feature integrated 8-step mechanical ND filters. However, the BURANO is the first CineAlta camera to feature electronically variable ND filters—the same 7-stop system we saw on the FX6 and FX9. You do lose a stop, but the variable controls give you much more granularity and allow the camera to automate the use of NDs to achieve auto-exposure in brighter conditions.
If you're an Alpha or FX3 user, you know how challenging and time-consuming it can be to use screw-on and matte box-based NDs. Mount adapters with drop-in variable NDs are an attempt to remedy those challenges but frequently produce Infrared (IR) Pollution and can interfere with lenses that have large back elements. The BURANO addresses both the difficulty and tedium of using screw-on and matte box-based NDs with a dedicated dial and programmable buttons that allow you to seamlessly change strengths.
Dual Base ISO
The BURANO utilizes the same 800/3200 dual base ISO as the Venice 2 (8K). If you're an FX3 or FX6 user, you might see the BURANO's dual base ISO as a step backward, as both of those cameras feature a high base sensitivity of 12,800 ISO. But there is a clear difference here. In the FX cameras, 12,800 ISO is not a true high base ISO—both cameras digitally enhance the signal to produce a usable, denoised image at that level. The BURANO's 3200 ISO, on the other hand, is a true hardware-driven base ISO that is incredibly clean and maintains the same dynamic range as the camera's low base ISO.
When you're shooting X-OCN at 8.6K, digitally enhanced ISOs simply won't cut it. You need the clarity and sharpness of a true base ISO, especially when making HDR content. 3200 ISO provides enough of a jump to aid nighttime and low-light shooting, but not so much that you'll have to adjust your aperture to compensate.
Impressive dynamic range, wide exposure latitude, and dual base ISO allow the BURANO's 8.6K sensor to hold its own against the other top-tier cinema cameras on the market. Sony promises a massive 16 stops of dynamic range, though user testing typically puts the number closer to 12 or 13, with the crop modes squeezing out a bit more. This is still more than enough for almost all shooting situations, as we were able to capture bright daylight backdrops and rich inky shadows within a single shot.
Interchangeable PL and E Mounts
Just like the Sony Venice and the FX9, the BURANO features an interchangeable lens mount, which opens up some truly amazing possibilities. Not only can you choose from thousands of great full-frame options, you can shoot with Super35 lenses using the crisp, clear crop mode, you can pull virtual production metadata from many PL lenses using Cooke/I tech and ZEISS eXtended Data, you can autofocus with most E-mount lenses, and you can turn IBIS on with PL- and E-mount glass.
The PL mount's captive screws mean you can swap mounts by yourself in just a couple of minutes. It wouldn't be surprising if cinematographers end up mixing PL- and E-mount lenses in both full-frame and S35 formats within a single production day, unlocking new looks, focal lengths, and styles. Suddenly your vintage Soviet lenses have no micro-jitters; your beloved Sony G-Masters can capture beautiful 16-bit color; and your Angenieux S35 superzooms are shooting on the side of a mountain when paired with the BURANO's lightweight, portable build.
While these five features barely scratch the surface of the BURANO's vast range of capabilities, they should give you a good idea why this camera is so unique. No, it's not going to replace the Venice 2 on massive Hollywood productions that require the larger flavors of X-OCN or best the A9 III for videographers who want a global shutter and palm-sized form factor. But for filmmakers who need to be able to strip their camera down or build it up, who need to throw it in a backpack one day and onto a crane or drone the next, all while capturing rich 16-bit footage, the BURANO will be an invaluable tool in their creative arsenal.
For more information about the Sony BURANO, be sure to check out the camera's detailed product page. Or drop us a line below, and we'll do our best to reply to all of your comments and questions.
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