Sony FX30 review: We put the tech giant’s latest cinematic camera to work
Sony has added the brand new FX30, a compact 4K Super 35 cinema camera, to its cinema series.
The FX30 offers users many features of Sony’s cinema series such as dual base ISO, log recording modes and user-imported LUTs at an affordable price for aspiring filmmakers. Despite being compact, the FX30 packs a lot of features.
We tested the FX30 on a real documentary shoot. Read on to find out how it went.
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Key Features:
- 26.1MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor
- New customizable list style main menu screen
- 10-bit 4:2:2 XAVC SI, 16-bit raw output
- S-Cinetone/S-Log3/HLG, 14+ stops DR
- Phase Detection AF/Face Tracking/Eye AF
- Two CFexpress Type A/SDXC card slots
- UHD 4K up to 120p
- Compact shape design
Check out some clips of the FX30 on a documentary shoot below:
what we think
Lightweight and compact:
The FX30’s compact and lightweight design makes it ideal for travel. The weight factor is also a big plus when filming for long periods of time. Compared to traditional film cameras, the FX30 lets you maintain film quality and experiment with innovative shots. The FX30’s flat-top design allows for filming of accessories through various threaded attachment points, making it adaptable for shooting scenarios.
Uninterrupted Recording:
The FX30 is equipped with a heat dissipation system that enables uninterrupted 4K 10-bit recording. The FX30 had no overheating issues even when recording continuously in 4K 10-bit for two hours. The camera’s heat dissipation system was also silent during recording. I was very impressed with the performance of the FX30. The FX30 also delivered realistic and natural color reproduction. The FX30 is a powerful tool for all types of video shoots.
Tile menu:
Sony’s latest menu updates really help with filming during shoots with improvements in video-specific menu selections. The tile-based adjustment menu makes adjustments to relevant movie selections quick and easy. The menu is fully customizable, allowing users to import their own settings relevant to their shooting needs.
Dynamic range and color:
The FX30 performed very well even in extremely bright conditions. The camera’s high 14-stop dynamic range and 10-bit filming capability made post-processing easy, allowing us to edit highlights and color without losing filmed detail.
Final Thoughts:
The FX30 is a great film camera for the aspiring filmmaker, and given its price, it’s a great start for maintaining the feel of a film camera and the quality of the content. For seasoned professionals, the FX30 is the perfect choice as a filming camera option. Given the camera’s high performance in a small, compact body, the FX30 has limited battery power, making it less than ideal for use as a standalone camera for prolonged shooting. This camera is amazing value for money.
Sony Australia provided this publisher with equipment for testing purposes. This did not affect our opinion of the device and our rating remains independent of the manufacturer.
7NEWS.com.au did not receive any financial support for this story.