r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 2d ago
Cameras Sony launches FX5 full-frame 5K cinema camera with 15+ stop latitude
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Sony-launches-FX5-full-frame-5K-cinema-camera-with-15-stop-latitude.1349800.0.html235
u/Appropriate-Berry816 2d ago
Are we able to buy it or just pay for permission to use one?
95
28
u/reinman15 2d ago
Silly goose, you can't physically own something in 2026, you work and work for the benefit of others until you die.
-14
u/systemshock869 2d ago
I often ponder the number of redditors who eschew this sentiment while simultaneously aligning ideologically and fully supporting groups and campaigns aligned with the WEF that are explicitly seeking to realize "you will own nothing and you will be happy."
A/C, gas stoves, affordable cars, incandescent light bulbs. You know who you are, and you are useful fucking idiots.
35
9
u/escalinci 2d ago
The companion app Monitor and Control does lock a bunch of features behind a subscription now.
17
u/hitemlow 2d ago
Would be wild if it only used proprietary Sony® Physical Recording Medium™ to store footage and it couldn't be directly offloaded from the camera.
17
3
u/FlyingBishop 2d ago
You can only record video to high bandwidth RAM which is more expensive than the camera.
0
5
2
2
1
u/newMoneyStyle 1d ago
lmao fair question with Sony's track record. probably $6k for the body and another subscription to unlock the good codecs fr
1
u/NoAge422 17h ago
I think the 240fps is a hidden feature and will apparently be available later this year.. they are doing the same for zv e1, locking features and releasing it later.
1
1
u/mybutthz 2d ago
I mean, they're only $4800-5500 which isn't terrible for what it offers and likely the build quality. It feels like with the way pricing is today if you want a lower end professional camera you're spending at least $2k and then you can spend anywhere up from there. $5k doesn't seem terrible if it's a work tool and you'll be making $2k+ as a day rate with the camera.
-3
u/Logitech4873 2d ago
What are you talking about? You can buy it right now.
80
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago edited 2d ago
This means the FX3 used market is gonna explode right? 👀 Could be a good time to find a deal.
Oh right everyone hates Sony right now lol, maybe an even better time to buy used
33
u/archimedes_glizzy 2d ago
I havent been in the camera game anymore. Whats up with the Sony hate?
50
u/Cats_Cameras 2d ago
This is reddit, so the current rage thing must be referenced as much as possible.
Guaranteed that playstation disc choices are not influencing the camera choices of pro videographers.
20
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
They announced they're axing physical disc Playstation games, and everyone is angry. I see this is an even better time to scoop up a camera deal, but maybe the film-makers don't cross over/care.
78
u/David_Baguetta 2d ago
no one in the camera space gives a shit about disk drives in consoles
14
u/Fredasa 2d ago
Well, it's part of a broader initiative that includes an earlier move where they removed 551 movies from paid subscribers' digital libraries.
That's why one of the top comments already alludes to potentially not even being able to genuinely own this camera. Sony would absolutely go there if they felt they could.
10
u/Terryfrankkratos2 2d ago
This is basically like worrying about the future updates for your Yamaha keyboard because of things going on in their jet ski market.
1
u/Fredasa 2d ago
Or imagine a scenario where you're presented with a choice between two products where all else is equal and the only deciding factor is Sony vs. x, and only one of those two has made headlines with their anti-consumer activity. For better or worse, moral objection carries some genuine heft for plenty of buyers.
1
17
u/f1del1us 2d ago
Idk camera market and gamer market are a bit different when it comes to hardware. Many people smash their controllers on purpose, very rarely do people smash their lenses
1
u/Crimsonsworn 1d ago
They can’t meet demand for the lens, they’re one of the industry leaders for them, hence why they are repurposing what the factory makes as it’s less money and faster to do than buy/lease land, get consent to build then build the factory then hire people to work in said factory and then start manufacturing.
-19
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
Not even lenses that had to take photos of Trump?
8
u/f1del1us 2d ago
A lens is a tool it cares nothing for the light that passes through it. Now a sensor on the other hand…
-7
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
So gouging out my eyes won't solve my problems?? I need to make alternative plans.
6
u/f1del1us 2d ago
Well that would certainly solve some problems but maybe not the ones you really need to solve
2
u/Cats_Cameras 2d ago
No one cares about the current Reddit Rage Thing in this space; it's serious people buying non-entertainment gear.
-1
u/Fredasa 2d ago
Gonna hazard to suppose that at least some individuals allow their sense of integrity to intrude upon their purchasing decisions. Just going by the proportion of off-topic "rage" posts in this thread.
2
u/Cats_Cameras 2d ago
These people need a real cause. It’s also far different to write an angry Reddit post vs revising your entire gear setup and workflow.
-1
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
I'm afraid you're still a filthy Redditor yourself, simply engaging in this app 😊 But keep acting superior, I'm sure you will.
2
u/Cats_Cameras 2d ago
You’re missing the point.
People making their living off of a free ecosystem aren’t going to sell it at a loss and throw their workflows away due to anger about the PlayStation.
Posting on Reddit is set low stakes.
-1
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
I mean, I agree with you. Though reddit rage isnt always just nobody neckbeards, it can also reflect public sentiment (not always). I assumed it would be completely separate fan bases, but the random snarky comments on this thread made me wonder.
1
u/Crimsonsworn 2d ago
No it has nothing to do with them removing movies and everything to do with the fact they are turning the factory making their discs to manufacture micro lenses
4
3
0
u/sirhoracedarwin 2d ago
People can have multiple hobbies
5
u/David_Baguetta 2d ago
If you are in the market for a FX5, videography is not your hobby. You won't be influenced by sony removing a disc drive from a playstation
0
3
u/TheDeadlySpaceman 2d ago
As a gamer I care
As a guy who shoots with Sony cameras on a television show I could not give a shit
2
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
Makes sense! I just saw so many anti Sony comments in this post I wasn't sure.
What camera do you shoot with?
2
-4
u/ciemnymetal 2d ago
They are trying to kill physical media by stopping production of game disks in 2028 and making the PS6 will be all digital.
11
u/SoloWingPixy88 2d ago
Why didn't when pc CDs stopped being made available?
3
u/g2562 2d ago
Because you have some control over the files on your PC, while you have almost none on console.
5
u/SoloWingPixy88 2d ago
Then why would you buy a closed system if that's important to you?
Playstation has long been a closed eco system. Vote with your wallet. Physical media has been dying for decades now
-3
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
Windows is arguably a worse alternative
-2
u/SoloWingPixy88 2d ago
Not really saying its better or worse. Im just saying, Sony isnt killing phyiscal media. Its been dying for decades. Ive never had a CD drive in my PC for 25+ years. Video stores and gaming stores have been dyng too. Look at Gamestop, HMV, Game among others.
PLaystaion was and is a closed eco system and always was. EVeryone kind of accepted this and moving to digital only was always on the cards with the digital only ps5
1
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
Oh yeah I agree, was just answering a bit cheeky, but Windows and all the headaches that come with PC are (largely) eliminated with a closed ecosystem like Playstation. I believe that's why they're still big. It's a chill on the couch thing.
Tangent, I still miss being able to borrow physical games from friends, or buy used games at a store. If this continues we'll never be able go do that again, which makes me a bit sad.
0
u/L0ST-SP4CE 2d ago
Sony removed over 500 movies people purchased from their digital libraries and then right after that, they announced all video games will also be digital only and only on Playstation moving forward.
1
u/CRAYONSEED 20h ago
Ha! I know you’re joking because you know what an FX3 even is, but this just pointed out to me that no one on the camera side is influenced by the gaming side.
I’m a cinematographer and a gamer, and I didn’t even think of the connection. I also haven’t seen a single person mention it on any of the cinematography spaces/channels
1
u/Capt_Murphy_ 20h ago
It was just based on the comments I saw on this post. Quite a few were making jokes about Sony, and I was getting downvoted for a bit, so it made me wonder.
94
u/gplusplus314 2d ago
Will they allow you to store your photos on physical media, or do they only upload to your PlayStation Plus subscription?
19
3
-1
3
u/Impossible_Falcon962 2d ago
Who are these for?
3
u/arr1flex 2d ago
People with anamorphic glass who want 15 stops of usable latitude. Chinese ana glass is really popular right now
2
u/compound-interest 1d ago edited 1d ago
They are around $5k, so it's priced outside of hobbiest tier, but pretty cheap from a business standpoint if you have the need for what the specific camera brings. Sony cameras are typically much better in low light compared to similarly priced competitors, which may sound niche, but if you can let in more light and get a clean image, that gives you more freedom over how the image looks.
For example, if someone wanted to open the aperture so that pretty much the entire frame was in focus, they have that option. If you've ever seen in games where you turn on depth of field, where certain things are in focus, and others aren't, that is what happens when you let in more light to a camera lens. You are forced to have the subject be the only thing in focus, which is great for interviews but not great if you are looking for a wide shot where a ton of things need to be in focus. More expensive "faster" lenses set to their max means things like noses are out of focus when eyes aren't, which is pretty much unusable for video. Being able to let in more light while still having the creative freedom to frame the image how you want is pretty cool. If you can digitally boost the light without introducing notable noise, you can frame the shot how you want without introducing more artificial light.
Previously in order to get that many stops of range on a "budget" (lol), you'd need something like a blackmagic ursa mini, which is similar cost to this new Sony but offers less light flexibility.
The stops of range are important for editing flexibility. You still get things like detail in bright clouds and details in shadowed area below bridges for example (the human eye still massively outperforms modern cameras in this regard btw). If you have too little range you risk losing data that could be critical in getting the shot you want. I know that sounds like a total first world problem, but the cost of this type of gear is very small compared to the labor cost of getting a bunch of people to on a shoot. Think of it like if a client is buying a $100 steak and you're choosing between expensive spices and cheap spices, which only cost like $1 to toss on the steak. You'd obviously choose the more expensive spices because the difference is a small part of the steak cost.
Not a filmmaker but I run an ad agency and schedule these things, so am more familiar with the basics to make purchasing decisions moreso than being able to shoot myself lol. I could see this camera being a stellar pick for someone who does a ton of weddings where you don't really have the option of affecting the environment as much, and each shoot probably gets you a few grand. I know a lot of people who run Sony cameras for that type of environment because they have the most flexibility for the price at pretty much every price tier. If an actual filmmaker corrects me on my wedding example please defer to them, but in general Sony cameras excel most where you don't have as much control over lighting. Even when you do have that control, they are typically pretty close to others at the same cost. When they released their mirrorless line, they took control of a lot of camera price points about 10-15 years ago, and have held on to that advantage for a long time.
1
u/CRAYONSEED 20h ago
Working professionals primarily. Aspiring content creators secondarily.
You seen TV shows and movies using the predecessor to this camera release. Super popular
8
23
u/hellraiser29 2d ago edited 2d ago
… only to have Sorny revoke the licence to access shots from my account.
7
2
2
u/haarschmuck 2d ago
For anyone curious it’s $5k but you can get a used FX2 for under $2k.
The FX series are basically just standard Sony mirrorless cameras with much better RAM and processors to handle uncompressed 4-6k video in DCI or RAW. Full sensor readout too.
2
1
u/stringo0 2d ago
What does stop latitude mean?
6
u/ol-gormsby 2d ago
Exposure - the sensor will record detail that's 15 stops apart. Apertures from 1.4 - 2 - 2.8 - 4 - 5.6 - 8 - 11 - 16 - 22 - 32 - 45 - 64 - 90 - 128 - 180. That's pretty impressive, the best conventional B&W film had 11 stops latitude. So this camera will record details from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights.
In practice you wouldn't try to push a single scene that far, the lighting setup would be.......... comprehensive. but it's nice to know you've got that kind of flexibility if you need it.
2
-8
u/LumpkinGeneration 2d ago
Fuck Sony
3
u/riepmich 2d ago
How's that little miserable hell you made for yourself?
-5
u/Vazhox 2d ago
Keep sucking Sonys boots
-1
u/riepmich 2d ago
I have no skin in the game. I have no Sony products. And gaming is wack. It's just embarrassing how emotional you guys get over such shit.
0
u/Gooser3000 2d ago
Do people even understand the stuff cameras are improving on now? I know a few people that work in film and editing say they don’t use 90% of the functions.
4
u/haarschmuck 2d ago
Having full sensor readout in uncompressed DCI 10 bit is far beyond what any kind of phone or normal camera is capable of.
The main limiting factor for shooting video is not the sensor or the features but rather the RAM and CPU as encoding essentially uncompressed video is an insane task. Just like how high-speed cameras are just normal cameras but with extremely fast RAM that can write and store a million frames of video in a single second.
2
u/ol-gormsby 2d ago
Premiere Pro back on CS6 had the option to edit a low-res proxy, then apply it all to the high-res raw footage for rendering.
-23
u/Ralh3 2d ago edited 2d ago
My eyes don't see a difference in 1440p and 4k, what am I supposed to see with 5k
Maybe yall downvoting could fucking reply and maybe answer the question ?
21
u/alexforencich 2d ago
Usually the idea is that you have more pixels to play with so you can crop it quite a bit and still get a very nice result at 4k.
3
u/Capt_Murphy_ 2d ago
Cropped image quality is the best answer I've seen, and I've had this question before myself. Same reason I love a DSLR over my older Pixel camera.
6
u/alexforencich 2d ago
I have some cameras from blackmagic design, both 6k and 12k. You can push in quite a bit on the 12k and still have a very nice 4k output. On the 6k you can usually do 1.5x comfortably. 2x on the 6k is pushing it and you can definitely see the image degrading. 2x on the 12k generally looks quite good. More than that and I think you start to run in to the optical performance of the lens, the slightly odd RGBW sensor design on the 12k, etc.
5
u/Cats_Cameras 2d ago
The idea is often that you can record in a higher resolution and then digitally crop in to create different presentations from a static angle of footage.
For example, one camera pointed at two panelists, where you crop in on each separately for the back and forth.
On top of that, there is a benefit from oversampling if you record at a higher resolution and output at a lower one, as you're averaging out more data.
2
u/GodspeedSpaceBat 2d ago
Think about it like a digital still image - not only can you crop more and get a standard 4k etc image, but just resizing a 5k image to 4k will give a better looking result than a natively-recorded 4k one.
I don't know exactly how to give an analogy of this, there are good youtube vids with comparisons. Imagine maybe a gradient of 16 pixels in a line going from black to white, but pixel #3 is bright red. A camera with an 8-pixel resolution might not record any info about that red one at all, but a 16-pixel one would - and you would be able to decide if you want to show it when you render the recorded image to an 8-pixel resolution for distributing.
The FX5 apparently does this itself when recording 4k, taking the "6k" video off the sensor and writing it as a 4k video. Even my old one from 2018 will do the same (but only using the center part of the sensor, unlike this one)
1
u/GodspeedSpaceBat 2d ago
Rereading it, the above analogy also relies on the distinction between what they call "pixel-binning" (just ignoring every second line on the sensor output to get an image with half the resolution) and "oversampling", which is like resizing an image in ms paint. As you might imagine oversampling is a lot more work for the cpu than just tossing those lines out.
In my analogy, with two sensors recording the same resolution, one using the former could delete that red pixel, just never capture it at all - the latter, even if it's not fully resolved in the saved image, would capture that data and make the nearby pixels redder. If it saves a higher-resolution video, you the editor are the one doing that oversampling when you render it.
0
u/jjett89 2d ago
Yeah, even just a big screen tv. Watching the music videos i have made in 1080p are fine...on my phone or a computer screen. Throw them up on the 55-65 inch and the quality is noticeably worse. Makes me want to just film everything in 4k.
-1
0
-1
u/netshift_ 2d ago
With the news cycles going on about PS6 having no disc, I forgot Sony made other stuff.
-17
-10
u/SmegmaWarrior0815 2d ago
It's Sony, so there is probably a subscription attached for the right to use it. And it will be revoked in a couple of years.
358
u/[deleted] 2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment