Sony FX5 brings open gate and 5K RAW

Sony’s new FX5 Cinema Line camera fills two gaps in its lineup with open-gate recording and 5K RAW. It also adds a stacked sensor, three base ISO settings and image stabilization, but the package comes with a professional-level price. Positioned between the FX3 and FX6, the FX5 is Sony’s first camera in this class to offer both features.

Sony FX5 specifications

• 16.6-megapixel full-frame stacked sensor
• Base ISO settings of 800, 4000 and 12800
• 5K RAW recording through Sony’s X-OCN codec
• 3:2 open-gate capture using the sensor’s full width
• 4K at 240fps, 4.5K at 120fps and 5K at 60fps
• Five-axis stabilization, plus Dynamic Active electronic stabilization
• Two CFexpress Type A slots and two SDXC UHS-II slots
• Built-in microphone, headphone, HDMI, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections

Open gate is useful beyond vertical video. It lets filmmakers crop the same footage for different platforms and works with anamorphic lenses. Sony has added de-squeeze support so anamorphic footage appears correctly proportioned on the camera’s display. The company is also positioning ISO 12800 as a practical setting for night shooting.

The FX5 weighs about 1.62 pounds, or just over 700 grams, and its body is closer to the FX3 than to larger cinema cameras. It includes a tilting 3.5-inch screen and a detachable OLED viewfinder with 3.68 million dots and brightness of up to 2500 nits.

The camera’s feature set appears designed to keep users inside Cinema Line rather than losing them to Canon, Blackmagic and other manufacturers that already offer open gate and advanced RAW recording. It may also signal that these capabilities will eventually spread to more Sony mirrorless models.

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Preorders for the FX5 are open. The body costs $4,898, while a kit with a handle and XLR adapter costs $5,498. The handle is available separately for $798. Sony says shipments will begin in mid-August.