- The new Sony FX5 is the successor to the FX3 compact cinema camera
- A series of upgrades include a new sensor, processor, battery and open door recording
- Pricing starts at £4,700 and availability is from August
The industry’s most popular compact cinema camera, the 2021 Sony FX3, just got a huge upgrade. And after shooting several productions with this camera, I can now tell you that its successor, the new FX5, will be a great success.
Last year I called on a professional filmmaker I’ve worked with on many shoots to share the 5 improvements he most wanted to see in an FX3 mark II, a camera we now know is actually called the FX5, and almost every one of his wishes was granted – and there are other improvements too.
Sony has finally included open-door video recording for the first time, meaning users can take advantage of the full height and width of the all-new 16.6MP stacked full-frame sensor in 3:2 aspect ratio, rather than being limited to 16:9 or narrower like before.
This new sensor brings a welcome increase in resolution from the FX3’s 12 MP, and the open door bumps the video resolution from 4K to 5K. Frame rates have been increased to 120fps in 5K and up to 240fps in 4K as well, so slow-motion recording is well supported.
There is now internal 16-bit RAW recording, meaning no external monitor is needed for this high-quality format, as well as triple base ISO and A7R VI-grade in-body image stabilization.
In fact, every major feature has been upgraded since the FX3. We also get the same dual Bionz XR2 processor and AI chip as the new Sony A7R VI, which offers improved subject tracking autofocus and what Sony says is better low-light performance.
The FX5’s form factor is largely similar to the FX3, and at 750g it’s only 35g heavier. There are still multiple mounting points on the body and custom buttons, but there’s now a bulkier grip that houses Sony’s latest higher-capacity NP-SA100 battery, which was introduced in the A7R VI and increases battery life by around 30% for around 170 minutes of 5K recording.
The FX5 also inherits the same video-only user interface as Sony’s high-end cinema cameras, the Venice, Burano and FX6, and benefits from several design changes, including a multi-function dial like on the Venice, as well as a multi-selector (joystick) and counting light.
False color, waveform, vector and focus map video monitoring tools have all been added – which is a first for a Sony camera at this level – in addition to the existing histogram, zebra and peaking tools.
This sounds incredible, so what’s the problem?
It’s not all good news, mind you. The FX5’s two card slots are still designed to accept Sony’s proprietary SD and CFexpress Type A cards, rather than Type B. A word of warning here: if you don’t already own Type A cards, they cost a bomb.
And as for cost, prices for the video-only FX5 start at £4,700. This is the price of the body only, while the set with the new top handle costs £5,200 (available separately for £780). I’ll update this page with US and Australian pricing once I have it.
I expect that most people willing to spend money on the FX5 will opt for the grip pack, with which they’ll get 32-bit floating audio recording.
There’s also a new 7.07 million-dot tilting OLED viewfinder, which looks particularly neat, although it costs £650 and can’t be used in conjunction with the top grip, although it does have its own port next to the hotshoe.
The camera and accessories will be available starting in August, with the option to (irreversibly) disable the in-body image stabilization before purchase.
Not all of the aforementioned FX5 features will be out of the box either. Sony says the following will only be available after a V2 firmware update: 4K240p, 5K120p, vertical UI, screenshot function and Open Gate in the XAVC codec. The timing of this firmware update is to be confirmed.
Nonetheless, I expect the Sony FX5 to become a mainstay for low-budget productions. It offers all the upgrades FX3 users want and more, and I can’t wait to test it out on set.
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