The Sony FX3 is the top of the line cinema camera with a compact lightweight body. As a full-frame cinema camera, it’s designed to meet the needs of professional videographers and content creators who demand top-notch performance. This camera has been causing a stir in the industry thanks to its ability to deliver stunning visuals and professional-grade features in a form factor that’s ideal for vlogging and on-the-go shooting.
Overview
The Sony FX3 is a full-frame sensor with advanced video recording options that allow you to capture breathtaking footage. The camera’s build quality, excellent stabilization, and user-friendly controls make it a joy to use in various shooting scenarios. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or an up-and-coming videographer, the FX3 offers the flexibility and performance to bring your creative vision to life.
Sony FX3 Sensor
Sony FX3 has a 12MP full-frame sensor for videographers and filmmakers. One of the most notable aspects of the FX3’s sensor is its excellent low-light performance. In fact, you can capture high-quality footage even in near-darkness. The sensor’s ability to maintain image quality while bouncing between low and high ISO settings is remarkable, allowing you to shoot dynamic scenes without compromising visual fidelity.
Another key feature of the FX3’s sensor is its impressive dynamic range. With 15+ stops of dynamic range, you have a wealth of data to work with in post-production. This wide range allows for greater flexibility in color grading, especially when shooting in S-Log3. Sony has also provided a free-to-download conversion LUT, further streamlining your post-production workflow. The sensor’s stabilization capabilities. The stabilized sensor allows handheld shots with minimal shake, even at longer focal lengths. This feature, combined with optically stabilized lenses, provides exceptional stability for your footage.
Ergonomic and Build Quality
The Sony FX3’s design and ergonomics thoughtfully blend functionality and compactness. The camera’s body features a magnesium alloy chassis with weather-sealing, ensuring durability in various shooting conditions. Weighing just 640 grams and measuring 3.06 x 5.11 x 3.33 inches without the handle, battery, or media, the FX3 is slightly heavier than the a7S III but maintains a similar footprint.
One of the standout features of the FX3’s design is its multiple 1/4″-20 mounting points. These allow you to attach accessories directly to the camera body without needing an external cage. This thoughtful design element enhances the camera’s versatility and streamlines your setup process. The FX3’s body also incorporates effective heat dissipation measures. This design feature allows for extended recording times without the risk of overheating, even when recording 4K movie. You’ll appreciate this reliability during long shooting sessions or in challenging environmental conditions.
Regarding ergonomics, the FX3 is designed with user comfort in mind. The camera’s grip is well-contoured, providing a secure and comfortable hold during handheld shooting. The button layout is intuitive, allowing quick access to essential functions without navigating complex menus. Overall, the body and build quality of the Sony FX3 reflect its position as a professional-grade cinema camera. Its robust construction, thoughtful design elements, and ergonomic considerations make it a reliable and user-friendly tool for videographers who demand both quality and practicality in their equipment.
Sony Alpha FX3 LCD Display
The Sony FX3 has 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD that offers flexibility in customizing your display experience to suit your preferences and shooting conditions. You can adjust the display quality, balancing visual clarity and battery life. To change the display quality, navigate to MENU → Setup → Monitor → Display quality and select your desired setting. Selecting the High setting will result in higher battery consumption compared to the Standard setting.
Based on your specific shooting requirements you’ll need to consider a balance between display quality and power usage. The FX3’s display system can adapt to the camera’s operating conditions. When the camera’s temperature rises, the display quality setting may automatically become locked to Standard. This feature helps prevent overheating and ensures consistent performance during extended use.
Handling and Controls
The Sony FX3’s handling and controls are a thoughtful reconfiguration of traditional camera layouts, optimized for video shooting. The camera offers two primary handling options: a right-handed body grip or using the audio handle. When holding the camera body, almost all the controls are conveniently placed on the right side. The exposure control buttons for iris, white balance, and ISO are on the top, along with the AF point joystick. This layout allows for quick access and natural thumb movement to the focus magnification button on the back.
The zoom dial, which controls powered zoom lenses, enhancing run-and-gun capture capabilities. The camera also includes three dials for exposure control, providing precise adjustments. The FX3 contains a lock function for exposure controls. Long-pressing buttons like ISO can prevent accidental setting changes, which is particularly useful when switching between the camera body and top handle grip. While the audio handle offers a lighter grip and smoother camera movements, it requires reaching across with your left hand to adjust exposure settings. However, the camera thoughtfully includes two record buttons, with one conveniently placed on the left side under the lens for easy access when using the handle.
Sony FX3 Video Recording Features
The FX3 supports 4K video recording at up to 120fps, giving you the flexibility to create stunning slow-motion sequences. This high frame rate capability, combined with the camera’s full-frame sensor, allows for exceptional detail and smooth motion in your footage. Its 10-bit color depth provides 64 times more color information than 8-bit, offering greater post-production flexibility for creative color grading. After converting to REC709 and applying a grade, you’ll find that the 4K 10-bit footage in XAVC S-I format looks seamless.
The camera’s S-Log3 gamma and S-Gamut3.Cine color mode are particularly useful for maximizing dynamic range. With 15+ stops of dynamic range, you have a wealth of data to work with in post-production. Sony has also provided a free-to-download conversion LUT, further streamlining your post-production workflow. The FX3 is unmatched in low-light conditions. Its full-frame sensor and dual base ISO (800 and 12,800) allow excellent performance in challenging lighting situations. You can expect usable footage up to ISO 128,000, with noise becoming noticeable around ISO 32,000.
Digital and 5-Axis Stabilization
The Sony FX3 offers exceptional stabilization features for every shooting mode. The camera incorporates a 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) system, which minimizes camera shake, especially when using longer focal lengths. The Active Stabilization mode. This mode works exceptionally well for handheld shooting, particularly when moving the camera forward or backward. It’s most effective with lenses from 35mm and up, though you might notice some warping in the corners with wider lenses. However, be cautious when using Active Stabilization on a gimbal or during sideways panning, as it can cause warping at the edges during significant movements.
The FX3 also includes Sony’s innovative gyroscope sensor, which records camera movement data. This data can be utilized in post-production with Sony’s Catalyst Browse or Catalyst Prepare software to further stabilize your footage. Early tests show impressive results, especially when combined with IBIS and an external gimbal. It’s worth noting that while Catalyst Browse is free, it only exports in 8-bit. For 10-bit 4:2:2 footage, you’ll need the paid Catalyst Prepare version. To achieve optimal results with this software, you may need to increase your shutter speed, which can affect the natural motion blur some filmmakers prefer.
S-Cinetone and Color Science Profiles
The Sony FX3 color science gives the extensive control over your footage’s look. The camera’s Picture Profile feature allows you to adjust settings for color, gradation, and other image characteristics for both still images and movies. The FX3 comes with preset picture profiles, labeled PP1 through PP11, each tailored for different shooting conditions. These presets serve as excellent starting points for various scenarios. However, you can customize these profiles to suit your specific needs.
When it comes to gamma curves, the FX3 provides a wide range of options. The S-Cinetone gamma curve is designed to achieve cinematic gradations and color expressions, which is ideal for portrait shooting with softer color reproduction. For those seeking a more traditional look, the camera offers standard gamma curves for both movies and stills. For maximum flexibility in post-production, you can utilize the S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma curves. These profiles capture a wide dynamic range, allowing for extensive color grading. The S-Log3 curve, in particular, offers characteristics similar to film.
The FX3 also supports HDR recording with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) profiles. These profiles balance dynamic range and noise reduction, with options like HLG1, HLG2, and HLG3 offering different emphases. Regarding color modes, the FX3 provides options like Cinema, Pro, and S-Gamut3.Cine, each designed to work with specific gamma settings. These color modes allow you to achieve looks ranging from standard professional camera output to wide color spaces suitable for digital cinema.
Autofocus System
The Sony FX3’s autofocus system is one of its standout features, offering exceptional performance that enhances your shooting experience. The camera provides two primary autofocus modes: Tracking and Spot Focus. Tracking AF is particularly impressive. It seamlessly follows your subject from foreground to background and everywhere in between. You simply tap on the person or object you want to track, and the camera does the rest. This feature proves invaluable when shooting dynamic scenes or when you need to focus on other aspects of filming, such as adjusting exposure or audio settings.
The FX3’s autofocus system also excels in its customizability. You can fine-tune the AF Transition Speed from 1 to 7 and the AF Subject Shift Sensitivity from 1 to 5. These adjustments allow you to tailor the autofocus behavior to your shooting needs. For situations where continuous tracking is not needed, Spot Focus performs admirably. You can easily tap between multiple subjects using the touchscreen to achieve smooth focus transitions.
The camera’s autofocus capabilities extend to specialized scenarios as well. For instance, you can switch between Human-Eye and Animal-Eye focus modes, making it versatile for various types of shoots. While the FX3’s autofocus system performs exceptionally well in most conditions, it’s worth noting that it may struggle in extreme low-light situations. In very dark environments, you might need to switch to manual focus for optimal results.
Connectivity and Management
The Sony FX3 offers connectivity options, enhancing your workflow and versatility on set. The camera features a USB Type-C port (SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps compatible) and a Multi/Micro USB port, providing flexible options for data transfer and device connection. The FX3 includes an HDMI Type-A jack for video output, supporting YCbCr 4:2:2 10-bit and RGB 8-bit output. This lets you connect to external monitors or recorders for high-quality video monitoring and capture.
Wireless connectivity is well-covered with Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi capabilities. The camera supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards, enabling fast and reliable wireless transfers. NFC functionality is also included, with NFC Forum Type 3 Tag compliance for quick pairing with compatible devices. Regarding workflow, the FX3 offers several features to streamline your production process. The camera supports USB tethering and wired LAN connections via USB-LAN adapters, providing options for studio setups or remote shooting scenarios. For external recording, you can enable RAW output via HDMI. This feature, when activated, allows you to record high-quality RAW footage to compatible external recorders like the Atomos Ninja V. The camera also offers the option to record internally while outputting via HDMI, providing a useful backup.
