Sony has launched the newest member of its compact cinema camera series in the form of the FX5. In another timeline, the FX5 may have just been an update to the Sony FX3 that launched in 2021, but in the current market it will be launching at a higher price, while the FX3 continues to be on sale.
The FX5 launches with enough new toys to make the current and potential FX3 buyers jump ship. It has a new 16.6MP full-frame fully-stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor along with a BIONZ XR2 processor with built-in AI processing. You can record up to 5K 60fps and 4K 120fps video right now, and 5K 120fps and 4K 240fps later with a firmware upgrade.
The headlining feature of the FX5 is open gate recording, which allows you to use the entire width and height of the sensor for a 3:2 video. This lets you use all available pixel real-estate of the sensor, and is especially handy for vertical crops as you can use all available vertical pixels.
The FX5 then goes a step ahead and also throws in 16-bit linear RAW recording, which can be done internally on the camera without an external recorder. This means you can get the full 3:2 output of the sensor in 5K 60fps right now (120fps later) in RAW straight out of the camera. The FX5 uses Sony’s professional X-OCN format with LT, C1, and C2 codec variants in different compression ratios for more efficient recording.
The FX5 is the first Sony FX camera to get the company’s Dual Gain Shooting function, which combines output from low and high gain values for improved dynamic range and low noise. The camera also has three base ISOs of ISO 800, ISO 4000, and ISO 12800 for improved low light performance. The camera also reportedly has 15+ stops of dynamic range.
Other features include AI-based human pose estimation for autofocusing, Auto Tracing White Balance based on visible and IR sensor data, ability to disable in-camera noise reduction, de-squeeze function for anamorphic lenses (disables autofocus), a bigger 3.5-inch 2.76 million dot touchscreen with full articulation (compared to the FX3), built-in cooling fan, larger NP-SA100 battery, dual-USB ports for power and data along with wired LAN port, and a new menu system borrowed from CineAlta cameras.
The FX5 does not include a built-in viewfinder, but Sony has announced a new DVF-EL1 detachable viewfinder for it. There is also a XLR-H2 handle.
The Sony FX5 is priced at $4900 body-only, and $5500 with the XLR-H2 handle. It will go on sale mid-August.
