Competition News: Sony FX3 FF Camera with Cinematic Look for Creators

Sony Fx3

Sony released a new camera, the Sony FX3, a light and compact cinema camera with a full-frame imaging sensor.

Sony FX3 at a glance:

  • 10.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Exmor R Sensor
  • UHD 4K up to 120 | 1080p up to 240
  • Compact Form for Cage-Free Operation
  • 10-Bit 4:2:2 XAVC S-I,16-Bit Raw Output
  • S-Cinetone/S-Log3/HLG, 15+ Stops DR
  • Detachable 2 x XLR/TRS Adapter Handle
  • Phase Detection AF/Face Tracking/Eye AF
  • 80 to 409,600 Expanded ISO Range
  • Dual CFexpress Type A/SDXC Card Slots

Preorder are available at $3,898: B&H Photo | Adorama. Worldwide preorders (not all might have it in stock):

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

. A presentation with real world images at Explora.

Sony press release:

The Most Compact and Lightweight Cinema Line Camera and First Choice for Creators Who Strive for New Cinematic Freedom

FX3 Product Highlights:

  • 10.2 megapixel[i] full-frame back-illuminated CMOS Exmor R™ sensor and BIONZ XR™ image processing engine
  • Ultra-high sensitivity with ISO expandable to 409,600 for very low light conditions and 15+ stops of dynamic range[ii]
  • S-Cinetone™ look profile which is inspired by the digital cinema camera VENICE’s colour science, also used in FX9 and FX6 Cinema Line cameras, and records up to 4K 120p[iii]
  • Compact and lightweight body design with high operability for hand-held shooting, gimbal and drone-mounted work
  • Multi-thread (1/4-20 UNC) body makes it easy to mount accessories
  • Detachable XLR handle unit with two of XLR/TRS audio input
  • “Active Mode” image stabilisation[iv] supports handheld movie shooting
  • Fast Hybrid Auto Focus, Touch Tracking (real-time tracking) and Real-time Eye AF, also used in other Alpha™ cameras
  • Uninterrupted 4K 60p recording (Continued)[v] by Effective heat dissipation and built-in cooling fan

Sony today officially announced the FX3 (model ILME-FX3) camera that combines the best of Sony’s industry-leading digital cinema technology with advanced imaging features from Alpha™ mirrorless cameras to create the ultimate cinematic look.

As the latest addition to Sony’s Cinema Line, the FX3 delivers a cinematic look and professional operability and reliability all in one device that answers the needs of young creators who are looking for new ways to express their creative vision. The new model provides outstanding image quality and usability for small scale and one-person shooting. The FX3 boasts first-class focus performance, optical image stabilisation, handheld shooting design and advanced heat dissipation for extended recording times. All this in a compact, lightweight body that provides the performance and mobility to meet the growing demands of today’s content creators.

“The FX3 was designed to turn creative vision into reality,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director of Product Marketing, Digital Imaging, Sony Europe. “It allows creators to bring their visual expression into the world of cinema through immersive content. We will continue to support the world’s creators through Sony’s Cinema Line Series.”

Cinematic Look

The FX3 flaunts Sony’s industry-leading image sensor technology to achieve high processing speeds and outstanding image quality. The full-frame, back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor full-frame 10.2 megapixel(approx. effective) count for movie recording (and 12.1 effective megapixels for stills) and the BIONZ XR image processing engine team up to ensure high sensitivity with low noise. The standard ISO range is 80 to 102,400 (expandable to 409,600 when shooting a movie), and dynamic range is an impressively wide 15+ stops[ii].

In response to a growing need for more expressive depth, the FX3, along with FX9 and FX6 Cinema Line cameras, allows users to create a cinematic look without post-production using S-Cinetone. Based on the colour science inspired by Sony’s flagship VENICE camera, S-Cinetone delivers natural mid-tones, plus soft colours and smooth highlights that are essential to cinematic look.

Create movies with in-camera 4K recording at up to 120 frames per second[iii]. Extraordinarily smooth slow-motion imagery[vi] (up to 5x) at QFHD (3840 x 2160) resolution with autofocus provides new expressive capability.

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