The Sony FX5 has been "confirmed" for July – with a global shutter sensor and "mini Venice" cinema features

Close-up of the Sony FX5 top plate (mockup)

A new report "confirms" that the Sony FX5 will be announced in July, featuring bleeding-edge features like a global shutter sensor (previously seen in the Sony A9 III) and specs from the Venice cinema line.

The report also hints, with a wink and a smile, that highly requested features from users will also be included on the FX5. Could this be the long-desired introduction of open gate video?

For years we have heard camera rumors about a successor to the Sony FX3. However, while both Nikon (with the Nikon ZR) and Canon (with the Canon EOS R6 V and EOS C50 in particular) have eclipsed the original model, Sony hasn't brought an FX3 II to market.

Latest Videos From

Instead, Sony Alpha Rumors writes that we will see an FX5 next month.

"While everyone else was convinced that a new FX3 II was on the way, I can now confirm through trusted sources that Sony will announce a new Sony FX5 in July!"

We know from Weibo outlet E8M_8888 that Sony has registered a new FX model, having spotted the filing with Chinese certification bodies. So a new model is definitely on the way – and Sony Alpha Rumors is confident that it will be a "mini Venice" in terms of capability.

A Sony FX camera has been registered with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) under codes WW679476, WW789166 and WW308784. The three codes likely do not refer to three separate cameras (Image credit: E8M_8888 (via Weibo))

"It's a substantial upgrade over the FX3. It gets a new name because it's more like a compact Venice camera than an Alpha camera with cine features," adding that, "button and menu layout take over many aspects of the professional Venice camera".

E8M_8888 had previously reported that it would be "a modular camera that adopts an FX3-like style but moves away from standard Alpha camera design language.

"Its body layout and button configuration are more professional," with modularity supporting cinema peripherals and expansions such as XLR handles, external EVFs and SDI connectivity.

Crucially, due to its hybrid Alpha / Venice nature, the FX5 looks like it could shake up the hierarchy of Sony's cinema camera lineup – much as Canon did with hybrid bodies like the EOS R6 V and EOS R5C.

Should Canon be worried? The company already debuted global shutter sensors in its Cinema EOS lineup (with the Canon EOS C700 PL), so that in and of itself isn't new.

But Sony has invested heavily in the tech and will surely be doubling down on its advantages – and if that does cross the streams with open gate, this could be a very big deal…

You might also like…

See where the biggest gaps are that the FX5 might close, with these Canon EOS C50 vs Sony FX3 and Nikon ZR vs Sony FX3 comparisons.

TOPICS
James Artaius
Editor in Chief

James has 25 years experience as a journalist, serving as the head of Digital Camera World for 7 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.

With contributions from

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.