Could the innovative new Sony FX5 have a little bit more in common with the high-res A7R VI than first appears? Sensor-tive information
arlier this year, Pro Moviemaker said that where Sony cameras once crushed the competition in video spec, the tech giant
multi-angle touchscreen, but a new 5K sensor that shoots open gate, 4K⁄120p, full 4K cropped to Super 35 and anamorphic. Perhaps the biggest news is that it is Sony’s first camera like this to jump on the Raw bandwagon, with three distinct Raw files that it can store internally to the fast CFexpress Type A cards. Instead of double base ISO settings, it has three. And a dual gain option where it reads the sensor twice, at low and high gain settings, and combines both into one low-noise video. Where the FX3 had no EVF, there is an optional one for the FX5. And bolting on the new XLR handle brings 32-bit float internal capture. There is false colour, waveforms and the full menu system of the Cine Alta range, which adds some key capabilities. All for £4699⁄$4898 right now, and a firmware upgrade will unlock 240fps in 4K and more open gate options. But what’s of interest for future Sony cameras is that internet camera testers are proclaiming that the FX5 and A7R VI actually use versions of the same sensor. While Sony has not responded to this, the sensor of the Sony FX5 has half of the stated pixels in its length and width relative to that of the Sony A7R VI mirrorless. This has led to the assumption that it is using four photosites for each pixel of resolution, a configuration similar to how many of Sony’s cameras and even smartphones work. If true, this is a sensor sensation, with cutting-edge tech that allows it to be the ultimate high-res and high-speed hybrid camera or a Raw-shooting video powerhouse. Even if not, the A7R VI and FX5 show Sony is back to innovating and driving the agenda again. To see if it lives up to the hype, check out our first test of the new Sony FX5 in this issue. sony.com
appeared to be content with not being the innovator or keeping up with rivals. With none of its sub-25-grand cameras offering internal Raw, open gate, 32-bit float audio or fast frame rates in high quality, Sony was resting on its laurels. Apart from the A9 III with its global-shutter sensor to banish the ‘jello effect’ of skewed verticals and smash through the flash sync barrier. But this camera doesn’t appear to have fired up the imagination of filmmakers and creators. Things have definitely changed, and fast. This summer came the Sony A7R VI, finally merging the worlds of ultra detailed stills, pro-quality video and genuine speed into one body. The star is its new 66.8-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS sensor paired with a Bionz XR2 processor. That unlocks blackout-free stills at up to 30fps and reduced rolling shutter. Hot on its heels is the new FX5, a huge leap forward from the FX3 that has been the 4K sales star for five years. The FX5 has a similar body, but now uses the same larger battery of the A7R VI and a stacked 16.6-megapixel sensor with the Bionz XR2 processor and integrated AI. That means it not only has the majority of the A7R VI’s clever AI autofocus tech and
Same but different The new FX5 looks similar to the FX3 but is boosted by a stacked sensor that might not be quite as new as it seems...
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