Pro Moviemaker Jan-Feb 2021 - Web

GEAR SONY FX6

IMAGES The clever AF can pick out a bird among tree branches and lock on well. The camera screen is good and very responsive

THE VERDICT If you love the image quality, AF and fast frame rates of the Sony A7S III mirrorless camera, but wish all that tech was in a real cinema camera, then the FX6 is your dream buy. It has better low-light performance, C4K 17:9 settings, proper XLR audio, huge battery life, incredible built-in ND filters and lots more. Including the “proper professional camera” style that impresses certain clients. And it doesn’t actually cost that much more than an A7S III either. It’s also compact and light so you don’t need to splash out on larger tripod, heads, sliders and gimbals. While the £400/$400 asking price for 160GB CFexpress Type A cards might make you wince, thankfully fast V90 SD cards can be used, apart from for the very fastest and most data- intensive codecs. If you really want an FX9 but can’t stomach the price and don’t need the high-tech settings it offers, the far cheaper FX6 does almost as much. And in some things like fast frame rates and low light, it does even better. It’s ideal as a B camera to an FX9, too. And its more compact size makes it better for use on a drone, gimbal or as a crash cam. In terms of value for money for a full-frame cinema camera, the FX6 performs well and simply has no competition at the moment.

ND Filter, which allows you to switch between stepped ND stops or variable ND. You can also use Auto ND, which allows you to keep your shutter speed and aperture constant for a consistent look, and the camera automatically alters the ND. The built-in ND filters mean there is no room for IBIS, so the only in-camera image stabilisation comes when you use stabilised E-mount lenses. Compared to the A7S III, which has full IBIS, it’s one of the few disappointments with the camera. However, the FX6 records gyro metadata for every shot, then Sony’s Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Prepare softwares can stabilise it. It’s not ideal, as it’s another step to make in post, but it does work very well. Also like the FX9, the FX6 has Wi-Fi built in, which can be controlled remotely via a smartphone using Sony’s free Content Browser Mobile, where you can alter camera settings and view what’s being filmed. We found it a bit fiddly to set up, and tried three different ways of making it work. Once it was set up and passwords laboriously keyed in, it connected easily every time. The resolution of the images on the phone is not great, though. Physically, the camera is very small and compact with a great adjustable handle grip, lot of user- customisable buttons, but sadly no locking E-mount system. The top handle screws into the body and houses the two XLR inputs and the MI shoe. For a camera that’s so small and light, it’s ideal for a gimbal or drone. But taking off the top handle means there is no way of attaching an external mic at all. And while we’re complaining, there is no viewfinder at all. This, allied to the short body, mean it’s

not very natural to use it on the shoulder. For shoulder use, you’d want some sort of rig and either an EVF or an optical loupe to fasten to the touchscreen. The screen is very good and has buttons to toggle peaking, zebras or the AF point. All of these can be customised. The touchscreen itself can be used to change settings, or you can use the large multifunction knob at the front or the small joystick near your thumb. And a nice touch is the menu button, which has a short push for most-used function, then a long push brings up the full menu. There are lots of customisable options, and the FX6 feels like a real cinema camera designed for people who have worked with them for years. Fromwaveforms and vectorscopes to focus peaking and adjustable zebras, plus all the proper audio controls, it really is a pro-based tool that is easy to use. There are nine user-settable buttons for you to program in most- used settings, too. And the menu is complicated, but usable. The new menu system in the A7S III is better. But with decent ergonomics, a full-frame sensor, fantastic autofocus, great image quality and fantastic low-light performance, the FX6 is a camera that makes lots of sense for lots of filmmakers. “If you really want a Sony FX9 but can’t stomach the price, the far cheaper FX6 does almost asmuch”

More information

sony.co.uk

HOW IT RATES Features: 9 No audio inputs on the body, EVF, IBIS or Super 35 4K cropmode Performance: 10 Stunning 4K, a camera that can prettymuch see in the dark Handling: 9 Light body is well thought out and easy to use, highly customisable Value formoney: 10 Themost affordable full-frame cinema camera you can buy PROMOVIEMAKEROVERALL RATING: 9/10 We love the Sony A7S III, and this has somuchmore

Pros: 10-bit 4:2:2 4K/120p and 240fps HD Cons: No 6K or internal Raw recording

60

PRO MOVIEMAKER

Powered by