Sony’s “Cinema Line” has expanded with the addition of the newly announced Sony FX6 4K, full-frame camera which takes it’s place alongside the 6K, full-frame, FX9 and the 6K, full-frame, Venice CineAlta Camera.
While the FX6 is part of Sony’s “Cinema Line”, in reality, it’s more of a blend of Cinema and Alpha style cameras, sharing a lot of the a7S III capabilities, but housed in a larger “Cinema” style form factor better suited for video applications.
Features
The FX6 may be the smallest of the line-up, it boasts some impressive features including a 4K, 10.2MP back-illuminated sensor, 15+ stop of wide dynamic range, phase-detection AF and Sony’s new BIONZ XR processor (offering 4X faster processing performance than the FS5 II).
It also features a base sensitivity of ISO 800 with an enhanced sensitivity setting of ISO 12,800 (expandable up to 409,600) for shooting in low and very low light conditions.
The Fast Hybrid AF combines 627-point focal plane phase-detection AF with advanced Face Detection and Real-Time Eye AF in high frame rates with continuous AF.
Sony says that the Fast Hybrid AF will work with over 50 native E-mount lenses.
The FX6 also features internal, electronic variable ND filters that can be set to auto or adjusted manually in stepless increments between 1/4 and 1/128 ND.
Sony FX6: Did Sony just release their best camera ever?
The Sony FX6 is a mighty powerhouse in a mini body. Nimble, portable, but containing much of the power of the FX9. In this review we cover all our favourite features and who this new release is for.
Recording Options
The FX6 is capable of recording in XAVC All Intra 4:2:2 10-bit depth DCI 4K (4096 x 2160 – up to 60p), QFHD 4K (3840 x 2160 – up to 120p up to 5X Slow Motion) and FullHD (1920×1080 – up to 240p) for slow motion footage.
Other recording modes include, XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 8-bit QFHD 4K (3840 x 2160 – up to 120p) and 4:2:2 10-bit FullHD (1920×1080 – up to 240p) for those looking for easier to use files sizes.
Like the FX9, the FX6 features Sony’s advanced cinematic colour science, including S-Cinetone built-in producing more pleasing skin tones and losing the “coldness” that some people have complained about with past cameras.
S-Log3, S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3.Cine are also available right out of the box providing even more colour grading options for post-processing.
The Sony FX6 will be available for pre-order on November 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
If you would like to sign up to be notified of when it is available to order from Vistek, please follow this link.
Physical Features
The FX 6 uses two card slots compatible with SDXC V90 (UHS-II/UHS-1) or CFexpress Type A cards to capture XAVC-I QFHD 100/120fps and XAVC-I FHD 150/180/200/240fps footage internally.
However, like the a7S III, if you want to capture RAW footage, you’ll need to invest in an external monitor/recorder such as the Atomos Shogun 7 which can record 12-bit Apple ProRes RAW via the SDI output.
Read our blog post: Atomos Shogun 7: Adds DCI 4Kp60 full-frame ProRes RAW recording from Sony FX6
As mentioned above the FX6 features a 12G-SDI output that supports 16-bit RAW, HDMI output and timecode in/out, in addition to built-in Wi-Fi and four channel audio recording (via an XLR Interface, Multi-Interface Shoe and built-in Stereo Mic).
The 3.5-inch LCD Viewfinder can be attached on multiple locations of the camera body and use a quick access control menu to access commonly used features including, Codec, Imager Scan Mode, Picture Size and Frequency, Base ISO and Sensitivity, Shooting Modes and Audio Levels.
Key Features
- 4K 10.2 megapixel full-frame back-illuminated CMOS Exmor R™ sensor
- Compact and lightweight body design for on-the-go shooting
- Ultra-high sensitivity with ISO expandable up to 409,600 for very low light conditions
- 15+ stops of dynamic range
- S-CinetoneTM look profile, also used in FX9 and inspired by VENICE colorimetry
- BIONZ XR™ image processing engine, first used in Alpha 7S III
- Fast Hybrid Auto Focus, also used in Alpha cameras and FX9
- Recording up to 4K 120p / HD 240p, 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth in full-frame
- Support for up to 12G-SDI and 4K at up to 60p 16-bit SDI RAW output
- Compatible with more than 50 native E-mount lenses