Cinematographers, prepare yourselves for some thrilling news because Sony has just unveiled the latest addition to its esteemed Cinema Line family, the FX2! This new camera serves as a smooth entry point into the expansive Cinema Line range, offering independent creators or small crews a highly adaptable tool to capture high-resolution content with enhanced cinema-focused features, such as an articulating eyepiece and improvements designed to empower creative professionals. Storytellers, cinematic visionaries, and solo crews get ready to experience the premium quality of Sony's high-end cinema with the FX2.
The newly launched Sony FX2 excels at producing stunning photos and videos, delivering beautiful out-of-focus effects courtesy of its full-frame 33.0 effective megapixel back-illuminated Exmor Râ„¢ sensor. With an impressive dynamic range of up to 15+ stops using S-Log3, the FX2 excels in capturing intricate details in both the brightest highlights and deepest shadows. Engineered for maximum adaptability, the camera features Dual Base ISO at 800 and 4000, guaranteeing excellent performance in both brightly lit and low-light environments. Its video ISO sensitivity can be extended up to 102400, making it perfectly suited for even the most challenging lighting conditions.
The FX2 is designed to be lightweight and portable, with dimensions of approximately 130 mm x 79 mm x 105 mm and a weight of just 180 grams (1.5 lbs), making it ideal for solo or small crew productions. Drawing on the compact, flat-top design of the Sony FX3 and FX30, the new FX2 offers a familiar feel while ensuring compatibility across different setups. The built-in mounting points (UNC 1/4-20 x3) allow for a cageless configuration, providing greater flexibility for rigging. An optional top handle (ILME-FX2) further enhances mobility and control, particularly during handheld or dynamic shooting scenarios. Additionally, the camera features a new high-resolution 3.68-million-dot tiltable EVF (electronic viewfinder) specifically designed for video production. This viewfinder offers a wide viewing angle and increased immersion thanks to its deep eyepiece.
Complementing the EVF is a 3.0-type vari-angle touchscreen LCD, which makes it effortless to frame shots from nearly any angle. The top panel and grip are equipped with intuitively arranged controls, and tally lamps provide clear recording status, supporting efficient operation on set. A customizable "BIG6" home screen offers quick access to essential shooting parameters, including FPS, ISO, shutter speed (angle or speed), Look presets, white balance, iris, and neutral-density (ND) filter settings. Addressing the rising demand for vertical content creation, the FX2 includes support for vertical menu display during shooting, which is ideal for social media formats. The handle-equipped model enhances professional usability with two XLR/TRS terminals and a 3.5mm stereo mic jack, enabling 4-channel, 24-bit digital audio capture.
As a camera tailored for video, the FX2 supports a diverse range of recording formats, including 4:2:2 10-bit All-Intra. It also offers high-quality recording options like XAVC S-I DCI 4K at 24.00p, providing ultimate flexibility in production workflows. The FX2 can continuously record for up to 13 hours in 4K 60p, thanks to its internal cooling fan and effective heat dissipation structure. The camera also offers variable frame rate settings, allowing up to 60 fps in 4K (for a maximum 2.5x slow-motion effect) and up to 120 fps in Full HD (for up to 5x slow motion). It supports Log shooting in Cine EI, Cine EI Quick, and Flexible ISO modes. To further enhance cinematic expression, creators can import up to 16 user LUTs for on-camera preview, ensuring precise colour monitoring on set. Filmmakers can also quickly and easily create in-camera cinematic looks with S-Cinetoneâ„¢ set as the default, along with various Picture Profile and Creative Look presets. Additionally, a de-squeeze display function is available, supporting both 1.3x and 2.0x anamorphic lenses for accurate framing.
The FX2 introduces a cutting-edge Real-time Recognition AF (autofocus) system that delivers rapid and dependable performance with enhanced precision for humans, alongside recognition capabilities for animals, birds, vehicles, and insects. The Auto mode facilitates effortless identification across these subjects. Making its debut in the Sony Cinema Line, the FX2 is equipped with Active Mode and Dynamic Active Mode, both engineered to ensure smooth and stable handheld shooting experiences. For those seeking ultimate control, the FX2 offers features such as focus breathing compensation, AF Assist, and customizable autofocus transition speed and sensitivity. These tools empower creators to fine-tune focus, resulting in expressive and cinematic visuals. Additional functionalities include Auto Framing, which automatically crops and tracks a subject to maintain its prominence when the camera is tripod-mounted, and Framing Stabilizer, which keeps the subject consistently positioned within the frame, making it ideal for scenarios where the camera operator is moving alongside the subject.
From a still photography standpoint, the FX2 offers an added log shooting option through a newly introduced ‘Log shooting’ menu. This feature allows creators to capture high-resolution 33MP stills, specifically optimized for colour grading during post-production. The MOVIE/STILL mode lever provides a swift transition between still photography and video recording. Menu items adjust automatically based on the selected mode, enhancing user convenience. Additionally, mode selection is simplified with a prolonged press of the Fn button, enabling users to recall and switch shooting modes with ease.
The FX2 is also notable for its extensive expandability and connectivity options. It includes an HDMI Type-A terminal capable of outputting up to 4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit video and 16-bit RAW for premium recording and monitoring. To ensure seamless data transfer and remote control, the camera supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and wired LAN via a compatible adapter. The USB Type-C port facilitates SuperSpeed USB data transfers up to 10Gbps and supports USB Power Delivery (PD). Additionally, built-in USB and network streaming capabilities enable live broadcasting and remote production workflows. With these features, the FX2 is designed to meet the demands of both still photographers and videographers, providing a versatile and high-performance tool for a variety of creative applications.
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