With reports rife that the Sony FX5 will be launching later this month, boasting features like open gate video and triple-base ISO, you have to wonder: should Canon be worried?
After all, the biggest camera company in the world has just spent a fortune bringing three versions of its FX3 killer to market (the Canon EOS R6V, R6 Mark III and EOS C50). And no sooner have those cameras hit shelves than Sony looks like it has one-upped them – at least, if the latest camera rumors are accurate.
Sony Alpha Rumors, has "confirmed" that the Sony FX5 is will be announced on July 22 – and it's an upgrade on the FX3 (and perhaps Canon's latest bodies) in almost every way.
The headline features, and the ones that potential buyers will be most concerned with, are 5K open gate, triple-base ISO, false color and the same AI autofocus unit found in cameras like the Sony A7R VI.
In addition, the FX5 will boast "a body that is only barely bigger than the FX3" and will also be at least somewhat modular in nature, with an external removable electronic viewfinder unit.
Sony FX5 specifications (rumored)
- 16.6MP fully stacked sensor
- Bionz XR 2 with AI AF
- 5K open gate (3:2)
- Triple-base ISO
- False color
- Venice menu style
- Modular tilting EVF unit
- 3.5-inch articulating screen
Should Canon be concerned?
It took Canon (and Nikon, in fairness, with the Nikon ZR) years to provide an alternative to the monstrously successful Sony FX3. And it did so with the R6 V / R6 III / C50 trifecta that offers every possible kind of FX3 customer every possible kind of photo / video performance combination.
Launched in 2021, the FX3 lacked obvious features like false color and internal RAW – let alone more modern features like open gate video. So Canon loaded its trio of FX3 killers with monstrous specs like 7K open gate, algorithmic subject detection and a far more pixel-rich 32.5MP sensor.
If these leaks are true, however, the FX5 now returns fire with some even more impressive specs. Triple-base ISO was introduced by Canon a few years ago, in the high-end Canon EOS C400, but its latest bodies only feature dual-base ISO.
It now records RAW internally in X-OCN (extended tonal range Original Camera Negative), Sony's 16-bit linear encoding profile. And while its 16.6MP sensor has more modest resolution, its stacked design is much faster and its 5K capture might be preferable to many users simply in terms of storage and workflow.
And of course, while the C50 and R6 V famously eschewed any kind of electronic viewfinder, the FX5 is also promising a modular EVF option for those who need it.
The proof in the pudding is obviously in the eating. Sony Alpha Rumors' report notes that testers "say that while this camera is a bit… expensive, it is also a far superior cine camera compared to the FX3." So cost will be a crucial factor.
For now, however, it seems that Sony has played a very smart chess match with its FX3 successor. Let's see what happens on July 22.
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Check out our Canon EOS C50 vs Sony FX3 comparison to see how those bodies square up. And take a look at the best hybrid cameras along with the best cinema cameras to see what else is on the market.
