Cinema & broadcast / CAMERA REFERENCE

FX5

Sony

Announced: 22 July 2026

Announced 22 July 2026. Sony Japan’s 18 August notice delayed the camera and accessories; later CineD laboratory coverage used a production unit with firmware 1.00.

FX5 brings internal X-OCN and 3:2 capture to Sony’s compact Cinema Line. Open gate is restricted to RAW in the announced firmware, and the optional viewfinder and XLR handle compete for the same shoe. Sony Japan subsequently delayed the launch; the original August target should not be read as confirmed regional shipment.

01 / TECHNICAL RECORD

Specifications

Manufacturer documentation checked 4 October 2026; claims and planned features identified separately.. Source: Manufacturer specifications ↗.

Image and recording

Sensor: Full-frame, fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS
Processor: BIONZ XR2 with dedicated AI processing
Video maxima: 5K60; 4K120; Full HD240, depending on scan mode and codec
Base ISO: 800, 4000 and 12800; manual selection in Cine EI and Flexible ISO
Dynamic range: 15+ stops in S-Log3, according to Sony
Open gate: 3:2 full-pixel readout; X-OCN only in announced firmware
Internal RAW: 16-bit scene-linear X-OCN LT, C1 and C2
Anamorphic display: 1.3×, 1.5×, 1.6×, 1.8× and 2× de-squeeze

Operation and connections

Stabilisation: Five-axis IBIS; Active and Dynamic Active modes have limits and crops
Display: 3.5-inch 2.76-million-dot touchscreen on four-axis arm
Cooling: Built-in fan
Battery: NP-SA100, 2670mAh
USB: Two USB-C ports; PD power and timecode via optional adapter
Network: Wired LAN
XLR audio: Optional XLR-H2: two XLR/TRS inputs, up to four channels and 96kHz/32-bit float
Viewfinder: Optional DVF-EL1; cannot be fitted with MI-shoe handle simultaneously

Planned firmware

Version 2.0: Announced for 2027; XAVC S-I open gate and further high-frame-rate RAW modes are planned

02 / INDEPENDENT COVERAGE

Reviews and field reports

Pre-production hands-on

CineD first-look review ↗

Johnnie Behiri filmed in Japan with unfinished firmware, using full-frame 5K24 X-OCN LT because not every mode worked yet. He welcomed open gate, RAW and the optional viewfinder, but noted that the EVF and XLR handle cannot be used together. This first look is not a final-firmware laboratory test.

Johnnie Behiri

Lab test

CineD production-camera laboratory test ↗

Gunther Machu tested production firmware 1.00. In 5K X-OCN LT at ISO800 with dual gain on, he measured 13.4 stops at SNR=2 and 13.3ms rolling shutter; switching dual gain off reduced readout to 5.6ms. Exposure recovery reached 11 stops in RAW, with noise reduction at the deepest recoveries, versus nine stops in XAVC S-I. These results are mode-specific.

Gunther Machu

03 / PROVENANCE

Sources and dates

Announcement and first-release dates are labelled separately; availability can vary by market. Specifications can vary by region, firmware and recording mode; use the linked manufacturer documentation for those conditions.

Archive updated 2026-10-04. Archive coverage and dataset credits →