- Sony introduces the FX5series. The camera is equipped with a newly developed fully stacked CMOS image sensor and further enhances sensitivity performance and operability designed to meet the needs of production environments in a compact, highly portable body. This release will also include two new optional accessories: a detachable OLED viewfinder and an XLR Handle that enables recording in-camera at up to 96 kHz, 32-bit float. The camera system incorporates expertise that Sony has cultivated through the development of Cinema Line cameras, which have earned high praise from cinematographers and video creators around the world.
Claudio Miranda, ASC, cinematographer of films including “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F1® The Movie,” conducted a test shoot with FX5: “I felt that FX5 is a camera that combines high quality image expression and mobility in a compact body, enabling people to use it across a wide range of shooting environments.
Director Gareth Edwards (The Creator, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jurassic World: Rebirth) also had an opportunity to shoot with the new camera for a project that spanned across Cambodia, Thailand, and Nepal. “Guerrilla filmmaking just went to the next level, the FX5 is the run-and-gun cinema camera to beat.”
The project is available on YouTube
FX5 Key Features
A newly developed full-frame fully stacked CMOS image sensor and the latest high-speed image processing engine
The camera is equipped with a full-frame fully stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS image sensor and the latest high-speed BIONZ XR2™ image processing engine, which includes a dedicated AI processing unit.
When shooting in S-Log3, the camera achieves 15+ stops of dynamic range. The broad latitude and low-noise performance enable seamless roll-off from highlights to shadows and natural texture reproduction, even in high-contrast scenes.
Three Base ISOs of ISO 800, ISO 4000, and ISO 12800 enable low-noise image expression under a wide range of conditions. The Dual Gain Shooting function2, supported for the first time in the FX series, maximizes the performance of the image sensor to enable smooth gradation reproduction with even wider latitude, while effectively reducing noise without compromising shadow detail.
For the first time in the FX series, the camera supports 3:2 full-pixel readout across the entire image sensor area, or Open Gate shooting, as well as a wide variety of image scan modes including 17:9, 16:9, and Super 35mm. This allows flexible angle-of-view selection according to creative intent and delivery format. In addition, support for in-camera recording in X-OCN, Sony’s proprietary 16-bit scene-linear RAW format, enables high-quality recording without the need for an external recorder. In addition to X-OCN LT, the camera supports newly added X-OCN C1 and X-OCN C2 codecs. By reducing data size, these codecs enable high-speed transfer of high-quality images and reduce data volume, helping streamline post-production workflows.
High-precision AF powered by AI and detailed settings that support intentional shooting
Subject recognition using AI-based human pose estimation technology allows the camera to accurately detect not only the position of a person’s eyes, but also the position of the body and head, delivering high AF performance even in dark scenes. The camera also supports Real-time Tracking, which automatically tracks subjects and enables stable focus work.
When shooting with Auto Tracing White Balance (ATW), the camera uses information from visible light and IR (infrared) sensors, as well as deep learning-based light source estimation, to identify scenes with high accuracy. It achieves more stable and natural white balance in shaded areas, indoor scenes, and other situations.
The camera supports noise Suppression settings (ON/OFF), enabling flexible image creation according to shooting intent and post-production workflows.
The camera also features a de-squeeze function that supports anamorphic lenses, enabling shooting with 1.3x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x, and 2.0x anamorphic lenses.
