Great news for aspiring filmmakers: Sony’s most-accessible-yet full frame Cinema Line body is expected in August. With features designed to provide truly cinematic footage and professional operability in a way that allows for total creative freedom for a solo creator, the Cinema Line FX2 is primed to make a splash. Available body-only or in a kit with the XLR-input handle, you can guarantee yours today… then, get to work on those scripts in the meantime!
Sony’s Cinema Line is a favorite among professionals and amateurs alike—anyone who respects their technological innovation paired with the optical playground that is the E-mount lineup should look long and hard at these cameras when seeking a masterful motion-capture machine. The FX2 joins the FX3 (metaphorical big brother) and the FX30 (APS-C sensor-based) as one of Sony’s “hybrid” Cinema Line cameras, all of which have bodies resembling their α7 still-camera cousins but which have been designed expressly for videography.
(That being said, the FX2 does shoot gorgeous 33 MP stills, with Log capture available. This means you can process production stills in the same workflow as your video postproduction, and applying the same LUTS to your promo photos as the film itself can boost your publicity game significantly.)
You’ve got the look
It’s been getting easier and easier to produce better and better images every year. As much as I look back fondly on my NEX-5, the quality of the video produced effortlessly by the latest gear is astonishing. With a solid 15+ stops of exposure latitude (and a selectable base ISO of either 800 or 4000), the FX2‘s eye is wide open.
There are three separate Log shooting modes and up to 16 user LUTs can be imported for real-time, in-camera monitoring and previewing with the end in mind. The FX2 also offers 1.3x and 2.0x desqueeze settings, for monitoring anamorphic capture.
The FX2‘s BSI Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ XR processor team up to create 7K oversampled 4K video (with full pixel readout and no binning) up to 60p 10-bit 4:2:2. You can even set it to record variable-framerate video (up to 2.5x slow-motion in 4K or 5x in FHD).
It’s all you, baby
Sheathed in a compact, lightweight, magnesium-alloy chassis, the Cinema Line FX2 is easily operable as a solo auteur, yet doesn’t skimp on the essentials—there are accessory 1/4-20 threads in three locations, plus two more on the bottom for tripod mounting. The generously-cupped EVF and touchscreen LCD are both tiltable for maximum usability, or you can monitor (and/or record) on a larger display via HDMI or using the Monitor & Control mobile app.
Real-time Recognition AF is better than ever: 30% more accurate human eye recognition compared to FX3 and FX30 and capable of targeting a wide variety of subject categories. Plus, a built-in cooling fan keeps the processor under control so it can perform those operations without forcing you to take a break or limiting your recording time.
Focus breathing compensation allows you to focus on keeping your rack focus steady, and advanced, in-camera stabilization features like Active Mode and Framing Stabilizer let you pounce naturally and come away with great footage.
Intuitive professionalism
The FX2‘s “HOME” screen features the BIG6 layout inherited from Sony’s legendary CineAlta line of digital cinema cameras. It’s specifically designed for pro video workflow: just press the HOME button to display the BIG6 screen, which shows your framerate, EI, shutter speed, iris (aperture) size, Look (allowing real-time LUT preview), and white balance, all immediately obvious and easily adjustable using the touchscreen (Iris can be substituted with ND, to adjust for a physically attached ND filter). In the middle, there’s a band displaying other pertinent information, like timecode, levels, battery charge, memory capacity, and more.
The physical controls of the camera look familiar to α7 user, but take a closer look: controls and their placement have been optimized to prioritize video in every way. That’s especially true if you opt to also get the XLR-H1 audio-adapter handle (which I highly recommend—click here to read why). That handle adds support for up to four-channel 24-bit audio recording. Several high-visibility tally lamps reduce the chance of making The Big Mistake, too.
Once you’re ready to move out-of-camera, the Cinema Line FX2 makes that effortless, too. Footage is recorded internally using two SDXC slots, one of which also accepts CFexpress Type A cards. Transfer can be made using SuperSpeed USB—up to 10 Gbps—or Wi-Fi, and Sony offers Catalyst plugins for both Adobe Premiere Pro and Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve in addition to its own mobile apps.
Ready to start living at the level of your cinematic dreams? Pre-order the Sony Cinema Line FX2 today, here or at a Mike’s Camera near you!
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