B-RAW is coming to the Sony FX6 and FX9

Blackmagic Design made a big splash at the IBC 2024 trade show by showcasing a Sony cinema camera at its booth. The display hinted at the company’s current collaboration with Sony to bring B-RAW to its Cinema Line cameras.

Nino Leitner from CineD got to interview Blackmagic Design’s Craig Heffernan at the trade show to learn more about the project. According to Heffernan, the company will introduce Blackmagic Raw (B-Raw) to Sony cameras later this year. B-Raw will be coming to the Sony FX6 and FX9 via the Blackmagic Video Assist recorder.

B-Raw is coming to the Sony FX6 and FX9 later this year.

The Blackmagic external recorder converts the 4K RAW output from the Sony cameras to B-Raw. For the Sony FX6, users can send output directly to the recorder. In the FX9, users need the Sony XDCA extension unit between the camera and the Blackmagic Video Assist to convert the output to B-Raw.

According to Heffernan, the Blackmagic RAW codec is sensor profiled which means it considers the camera’s sensor specs when converting the video footage into the final B-RAW output. By using B-Raw, users can choose options like constant bitrate, quality, and recording ratio. This helps users to streamline editing workflow especially when using DaVinci Resolve.

When asked about the possibility of having cameras from the most popular brands record B-Raw internally, Heffernan said that Blackmagic is open to working with manufacturers to bring the technology to future models. He also revealed that Blackmagic is extending the compatibility of its external recorders to include Sony.

Here is the current list of cameras that can record B-Raw via the Blackmagic Video Assist recorder:

• Canon: Canon EOS C300 Mark II
• FUJIFILM: FUJIFILM GFX100, FUJIFILM GFX100 II, FUJIFILM GFX100S, FUJIFILM GFX100S II, FUJIFILM X-H2s, FUJIFILM X-H2, FUJIFILM X-T5, FUJIFILM X-T50, FUJIFILM X-S20
• Leica: Leica SL2-S
• Nikon: Nikon Z 6, Nikon Z 7, Nikon Z 6II, Nikon Z 7II
• Panasonic: Panasonic AU-EVA1, Panasonic LUMIX BGH1, Panasonic LUMIX BS1H, Panasonic LUMIX GH5S, Panasonic LUMIX GH6, Panasonic LUMIX GH7, Panasonic LUMIX G9II, Panasonic LUMIX S1, Panasonic LUMIX S1H, Panasonic LUMIX S5, Panasonic LUMIX S5II, Panasonic LUMIX S5IIX
• SIGMA: SIGMA fp, SIGMA fp L
• Sony: Sony FX6, Sony FX9
• Z CAM: Z CAM E2, Z CAM E2-M4, Z CAM E2-F6, Z CAM E2-S6