Sony's latest FX cinema camera is a different kind of hybrid
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Sony Sony has announced the FX2, a cinema camera built around a full-frame 33MP BSI sensor. Despite its presence in Sony's Cinema line, it's also surprisingly capable as a stills camera – the company says its goal was to have the same photo features as the a7 IV – which could be a sign of even more interesting things to come in Sony's video-focused lineup. Key Specifications: 33MP BSI CMOS sensor 4K
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| Image: Sony |
Sony has announced the FX2, a cinema camera built around a full-frame 33MP BSI sensor. Despite its presence in Sony's Cinema line, it's also surprisingly capable as a stills camera – the company says its goal was to have the same photo features as the a7 IV – which could be a sign of even more interesting things to come in Sony's video-focused lineup.
Key Specifications:
- 33MP BSI CMOS sensor
- 4K <30p derived from full-width 7K capture
- 4K <60p with APS-C crop
- AI-based autofocus tracking and video cropping modes
- Mechanical shutter and stills mode switch
- 3.68M dot tilting EVF
- 1x CFexpress Type A/SD slot, 1x SD slot
The camera's design borrows a lot from previous cinema cameras; it has several standard 1/4 20" mounting points and lacks a viewfinder hump, which is nice when attaching it to a gimbal.
It does, however, add a variable angle EVF with 0.70x magnification and a 33mm eyepoint, which Sony says will let you monitor your video without having to put your eye completely up to it. A loupe-style eyecup, which can be swapped for use with your right or left eye, enhances that experience. It also has a much deeper grip than the FX3 and FX30, and even more custom function buttons, with a new one on the EVF.
Sony has greatly expanded the camera's stills capabilities
Sony has also greatly expanded the camera's stills capabilities. On the FX3, getting into photo mode required pressing four buttons. Now, there's a switch right on the camera to go between stills and video, and each mode has its own menus suited to the task at hand. It also features a mechanical shutter, 10fps burst, and a flash sync speed of 1/160. Sony has also added the ability to shoot full-resolution stills with a Log response curve, saved as either 8-bit JPEGs or 10-bit HEIFs.
Despite the expanded stills mode, it's still very much a cinema camera, with a lot of DNA from models like the FX3 and FX30. It has All-I and HEVC codecs, the ability to adjust gain in terms of exposure index rather than ISO and professional workflow features such as timecode sync, support for Sony's Catalyst software, and more.
The use of a 33MP sensor, with Sony hinting that rolling shutter numbers could be similar, suggest the use of a very similar sensor to the a7IV. Like that camera, the new one has to crop to an APS-C region to deliver 4K/60. Sony's post processing Catalyst software can attempt to correct some rolling shutter distortion from full-frame mode.
The color modes, especially, speak to its cinema-first design; it comes with the S-Cinetone mode, an expanded suite of "Creative Look" presets, and the ability to load user-created Luts to the camera, which can previewed, applied to your footage, or linked to standard S-Log footage with a metadata tag.
Like the a7IV but unlike any previous FX cameras, the camera features Sony's improved AI autofocus system, which can track insects, animals, birds and vehicles while recording video, and should be better at tracking humans than the previous-generation system.
Some more updates this camera has over the FX3:
- Slow and quick mode is replaced with a variable FPS mode
- Has two tripod mounting points on the bottom
- "Big6" menu option, inspired by the Sony Venice cinema camera
- Dynamic active stabilization mode for improved smoothness when shooting handheld
- UVC/UAC support for driver-free streaming to a computer over USB
- Updated fan and heatsink for up to 13-hour record times in 4K60p
It'll be interesting to see where Sony goes from here. It's hard to imagine it did all this design work for one camera that's on the low end of the FX line. But if the rumored second-generation FX3 has the same body and stills features, it's hard to imagine there being any reason for the company to continue making the a7S cameras that are so popular with video shooters.
The FX2 will cost $2699 body-only and $3099 for a bundle with the company's XLR-H1 audio adapter/handle. It's available for pre-order starting today, and the company says it expects to start shipping it in August.
