Firmware 3.00: A Cinema Camera Upgrade Focused on Real-World Jobs
Firmware 3.00 is the most significant Sony BURANO firmware update since version 2.01, and it reads like a direct response to working cinematographers. Rather than minor tweaks, Sony is expanding the camera’s core imaging modes and fine‑tuning its on‑set usability. New full-frame anamorphic and Super 35 high‑speed options address two of the biggest asks from narrative, documentary, and live event shooters, while refinements to peaking and remote control make the camera easier to operate in demanding environments. Importantly, the underlying 8.6K sensor and image pipeline remain unchanged; what evolves is how much of that hardware you can practically deploy on different kinds of productions. BURANO now overlaps more convincingly with the VENICE 2 in anamorphic workflows, while also encroaching on FX‑series territory for sports and field work—without requiring any new hardware investment.
5.8K 6:5 Full-Frame Anamorphic: True Ultra-Wide Without Compromise
The headline feature of Firmware 3.00 is 5.8K 6:5 full-frame 2x anamorphic recording. Previously, BURANO users who wanted anamorphic were limited to a Super 35 4.3K 4:3 mode, fine for S35 glass but mismatched to the larger image circles of modern full-frame anamorphics. The new 6:5 imager scan fixes that by matching the native imaging area those lenses are designed to cover, so you no longer have to crop in from a wider sensor region before de-squeezing. After a 2x horizontal de‑squeeze, you get a classic 2.39:1 widescreen frame that uses the sensor’s full vertical resolution, maximizing detail and minimizing wasted pixels. In practice, this brings BURANO’s anamorphic workflow much closer to what VENICE 2 shooters enjoy, but in a lighter, more affordable body that can move faster on set while delivering a similar cinematic scope.
120fps Super 35 at 3.8K: A New High-Speed Sweet Spot
On the high‑speed front, Sony has introduced a new Super 35 3.8K 16:9 mode that records up to 120fps, significantly expanding BURANO’s slow‑motion potential. This sits neatly above the existing Super 35 1.9K 16:9 240fps mode, giving shooters a more practical resolution for elevated frame rates while keeping an even higher speed option in reserve. For documentary, sports, and live events, 3.8K at 120fps is a strong balance between detail and data footprint, especially when paired with BURANO’s autofocus, in‑body stabilization, and variable ND. The Super 35 crop also tightens the field of view, so a 50mm behaves more like a 75mm equivalent—useful when you need extra reach without changing lenses. Together, these modes form a flexible frame‑rate ladder that lets cinematographers choose resolution versus slowdown based on each shot’s creative and delivery requirements.
Redesigned Peaking and Smarter AF Control for Manual-Focus Work
Firmware 3.00 doesn’t just add recording modes; it also rethinks how operators judge focus. The color peaking system has been rebuilt, now offering selectable edge types—Rising Edge, Falling Edge, or Both—along with the option to highlight the edge itself. This gives focus pullers more nuanced visual feedback, especially in low‑contrast scenes, busy backgrounds, or when working near wide‑open apertures where depth of field is razor thin. In higher-resolution modes such as 5.8K anamorphic, that precision is crucial. Real‑time tracking autofocus also gets more usable: you can now move the tracking point with a multi‑selector joystick instead of being restricted to the touchscreen. That’s a major gain for PL‑mount setups, gimbals, cranes, and remote heads where the camera body isn’t always easily reachable, bringing a more modern, assistant‑friendly focus experience to BURANO shoots.
Remote Control, Metadata, and Where BURANO Now Fits in Production
Beyond imaging and focus, Sony has expanded the BURANO’s role in multi‑camera and live workflows. S700P remote protocol support now covers frame rate, shutter, and saturation adjustments, letting vision engineers and remote operators fine‑tune key exposure and look parameters from control rooms or OB setups, though angle and auto shutter remain unsupported over S700P. The camera’s SDI output in Monitor FHD mode also gains SMPTE RDD18 metadata, carrying setup and exposure information downstream for live grading and color management. Strategically, Firmware 3.00 reinforces BURANO as a long‑lived cinema platform that grows through software. With robust 5.8K anamorphic recording, a practical 120fps Super 35 option, smarter peaking tools, and stronger remote hooks, the camera now covers a broader spectrum of cinema, commercial, documentary, sports, and live event work without compromising on image quality or ergonomics.