Sony FX5 brings 5K open-gate video to FX3 successor

The Sony FX5 is the successor to the 2021 FX3, the industry’s most popular compact cinema camera. Sony has upgraded nearly every major component, adding a new sensor, processor, battery, recording modes and monitoring tools.

Pricing starts at £4,700 for the body, with availability scheduled for August.

Sony FX5 recording and imaging upgrades

The FX5 introduces open-gate recording, allowing filmmakers to use the full 3:2 area of its new 16.6MP stacked full-frame sensor. The FX3 was limited to 16:9 or narrower formats. Open gate also raises the maximum video resolution from 4K to 5K.

Frame rates increase to 120fps in 5K and 240fps in 4K, providing extensive slow-motion options. Sony has also added internal 16-bit RAW recording, eliminating the need for an external monitor for that high-quality format, along with triple-base ISO and in-body image stabilization comparable to the company’s A7R VI.

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The camera uses the same Bionz XR2 twin processor and AI chip as the Sony A7R VI. Sony says the combination improves subject-tracking autofocus and low-light performance.

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The FX5 retains the FX3's compact shape and weighs 750g, just 35g more than its predecessor. It still has multiple mounting points and customizable buttons, while its larger handgrip houses Sony’s higher-capacity NP-SA100 battery. Sony says the battery increases runtime by approximately 30%, reaching approximately 170 minutes of 5K recording.

FX5 design, monitoring and pricing

Sony has brought over the video-focused interface used by its high-end Venice, Burano and FX6 cinema cameras. Design changes include a Venice-style multifunction dial, a joystick-style multiselector and a tally lamp.

New monitoring tools include false color, waveform, vector and focus map, joining the existing histogram, zebra and peaking displays. They mark the first time these tools have appeared on a Sony camera at this level.

The main compromise is storage. The FX5 has two card slots that support SD and CFexpress Type A, rather than the faster Type B format. Type A cards remain expensive for buyers who do not already own them.

Pricing is as follows:

• FX5 body: £4,700
• FX5 with top handle: £5,200
• Top handle separately: £780
• 7.07-million-dot tilting OLED viewfinder: £650

The top-handle bundle adds 32-bit float audio recording. Sony’s new viewfinder has its own port beside the hot shoe, but it cannot be used at the same time as the top handle.

The camera and accessories arrive in August. Buyers can also choose to irreversibly disable in-body image stabilization before purchase.

Several headline features will not be available at launch. Sony says 4K240p, 5K120p, the vertical user interface, screen-grab functionality and Open Gate in the XAVC codec will require a V2 firmware update, whose timing is still to be confirmed.

With nearly every major FX3 upgrade included, the FX5 is positioned to become a mainstay for low-budget productions—although the cost of Type A media and the delayed recording features will factor into purchase decisions.