Award-winning filmmakers, Ben Affleck and Salvatore Totino, put the Sony Burano through its paces by driving around Beverly Hills
(Image credit: Sony)
It's not very often you can be a fly on the wall while two Academy Award-winning filmmakers talk shop. But Sony recently loaned Ben Affleck and Salvatore Totino the 8K Burano to take for a spin – and it's a fascinating watch.
The Sony Burano is a high-end cinema camera released earlier this year, providing a lighter and more versatile option to accompany the Sony Venice 2. The Burano has been widely admired in the filmmaking community, making it a contender for the best cinema camera title.
The video (below) was posted to Sony Cine's YouTube channel and follows Affleck and Totino as they liberate the Burano from the Sony office and take it on the road.
Reading a list of specs online is one thing, but watching two filmmakers discuss why things like dynamic range and ND filters are important is fascinating – and provides a greater insight into the capabilities of the new camera.
Ben Affleck & Salvatore Totino ASC, AIC take the Sony BURANO for a spin around LA - YouTube
The initial response from both was regarding the lightweight and compact form factor, which could enable them to be more quick and nimble, providing more flexibility on the fly. Totino also mentioned how easy the menu was to navigate, another vital ease-of-use feature.
To get the most out of the Burano's potential, the pair decided to take a drive around the block and shoot some interior car shots. Having filmed multiple car scenes previously, Affleck stated that although there is lots of new tech on the market, translating the feeling of being in a real car, in a real space, is still one of the most challenging things to accomplish.
The Burano was able to tackle the active handheld shooting style while moving in the car due to its in-body image stabilization, but perhaps the most impressive presentation was the camera's dynamic range ability.
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Shooting in Beverley Hills in the summer, the sun was strong and its light bright and direct – yet the Burano expertly exposed the outside and inside simultaneously without additional lighting.
At one point half of Affleck's face was in shadow and the other in direct sun, the camera captured great detail in both including in the shadowed eyes – much to the movie star's delight.
The Burano is surprisingly small for an 8K cine camera, but can be used for tight interior shots (Image credit: Sony)
All of which is to say that the two filmmakers loved the camera, and stated that it is a welcome addition to the Sony family – and an excellent option for a C camera to accompany the Sony Venice 2.
Sony is developing its range of cine cameras and lenses with the help of the people who use it, and it shows. From the ease-of-use functions, quick start-up time, and the inbuilt ND options, the Burano has been developed with the user in mind and that's refreshing to see!
I also recommend looking at other vidoes on the Sony Cine YouTube channel, which is a great resource for inspiration and information.
Kalum Carter is a photographer, photo editor and writer based in the UK, and for almost a decade he has worked with brands and publications to create, edit, and sequence imagery. Having recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Photography from the University of the West of England (UWE), Kalum joined Digital Camera World as a Staff Writer, covering news, reviews, and his biggest passion – photography books!
Kalum's photography has been published and exhibited around the world, and he continues to photograph on a project-by-project basis. He is currently working on a personal project capturing the people and landscape of Gower, South Wales. Currently untitled, this body of work will be exhibited for the National Trust later this year.
