You may say that cinema cameras are a little unnecessary. In most cases, you will be right, they offer very little in terms of photography in both professional and enthusiast segments. Unlike regular photography cameras, they are much bulkier too. Not to mention, they are a lot more expensive to work with while not offering much more in terms of pixel count. Your smartphones today can shoot at up to 8K resolution, or 4K 120fps. So why is Sony’s latest FX30 important?
It is important simply because it is one of the most compact cinema cameras to come off Sony’s production line. We want to say that the FX30 is technically the spiritual successor to the Sony FX3 introduced a few years ago. While it contains all the right traits to be one, it is a unique camera on its own though.
The Sony FX3 was technically a repackaged Sony α7S III in a cinema camera guise. It featured a larger body that is also a different colour (grey instead of black). The larger body houses bigger heatsinks and fans to dissipate heat more effectively from the 12-Megapixel sensor that shoots videos at 4K 120fps (up to). The FX30 is different.
The Sony FX30 packs a more powerful (technnically speaking) video sensor that pushes 20.1-Megapixel instead of the 12 that the FX3 has. It is not a full-frame sensor like the FX3 though. Instead, it is an APS-C Exmor R SMOS sensor with back-illumination that offers a rather high ISO sensitivity.
The APS-C sensor also means that the camera shoots at Super 35 format by default. At that, the camera oversamples the footages from 6K at up to 60fps to scale it down to 4K formats. You can even get the camera to shoot at 120fp (4K) or 240fps (Full HD) if you want that extra smooth feel or that beautiful looking slow motions. Of course, all these are shot at 10-bit 4:2:2 internally. If you have an external recorder that is capable, you can output to 4K 16-bit RAW formats.
With the latest Sony cameras, you want to shoot videos at S-Log3 for even more details and vibrant footage than before with colour grading. Sony’s cinema line-up of cameras offers ever better gamma settings though. You get something called the S-Cinetone for Sony’s signature cinematic look in combination with BIONZ XR engine.
Of course, the BIONZ XT engine also means you get a full suite of Sony’s clever technology for its Alpha cameras. Real-time Eye AF tracking for humans, animals, and birds allows you to keep your subject in full focus quickly no matter where they go within the frame. In combination with AF Assist, autofocusing in a compact camera has never been this easy. There is even a Focus Map that allows the camera to compensate for breathing effects and set your depth of field before you take your final shot. For run-and-gun situations, the Active Mode works with the built-in 5-axis stabilizer with time code synchronization for rock steady footages even in freehand shooting situations.
Alongside the FX30, Sony launches two new CFexpress Type A cards. You can now get the XFexpress Type A card in 320GB and 640GB flavours in addition to the current 80GB and 160GB variants. Like the existing cards, the CFexpress Type A cards offer 700 MB/s write speeds, which is overkill considering that 4K 120fps videos only writes at up to 400 MB/s at the maximum. The new TOUGH cards are also IP57 water and dust resistant.
The Sony FX30 comes in the FX30 and FX30B variants. Bost will be available November onward in Malaysia. There is no official pricing detail for Malaysia just yet, but we are keeping our ears close to the ground for that. For more information on the new Sony Cinema Line FX30 and FX30B, you can visit their website.