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Today Sony released the long-awaited Sony FX6 camcorder. It’s the baby sister to the Sony FX9 and the flagship Sony VENICE:
The FX-line of cameras is the full-frame successors to the extremely popular Sony FS5 ii and FS7 ii cameras, which have Super 35mm sensors.
Body and Mount
Like other Sony cameras, the FX6 also has the Sony E Mount, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
The magnesium alloy chassis body is build to work in even dusty and damp conditions with several improved weather sealing improvements throughout the body compared to the FS5 II.
On the body you find several buttons to critical functions for easy access.
And you get 2-channel XLR Audio Input, in-built stepless electronic V-ND’s, an LCD Touch Screen, 12G SDI, HDMI, and a removable top handle with three customizable buttons.
The camera uses SD Card / CF Express Type-A Card.
Sensor And Processing
The FX6 features a 10.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Full Frame 4K-class Sensor with 15+ stop Dynamic Range. It features a dual base ISO of 800 and 12800.
The BIONZ XR Processor allows for Sony’s excellent High-Speed 4D Autofocus System. In fact, The BIONZ XR image-processing engine provides up to four times the processing speed compared to the FS5 II.
The fast readout also allows for minimal rolling shutter as we’ve seen on the A7SII.
A difference from the A7S III is that the FX6 doesn’t have any image stabilization. So you have to rely on optical image stabilization in the lens.
Codecs and Frame Rates
Internal codecs include FullHD Long-GOP or 4K all-intra compression.
It’s capable of recording 10bit 4:2:2 DCI 4K (QFHD) at 120fps WITH excellent autofocus even when shooting wide open.
It’s possible to simultaneously capture high bit-rate formats (such as XAVC-I in 4K) and low bit-rate HD proxy files (with an 8-bit XAVC-L (1920×1080) 9Mbps MP4 wrapper). Unfortunately, proxy files cannot be captured during 16-bit RAW output.
Picture Profiles
Picture profiles include S-log 3 & S-Cinetone image profiles as well as 16 bit RAW-output to the Atomos Shogun 7.
Price
So how much does the Sony FX6 cost?
The price of the Sony FX6 at the time of release is $5,998.00
Read more about the Sony FX6 and see the full list of specs on Adorama.
| Sony FX6 | Specs |
|---|---|
| Name | Sony PXW-FX9 |
| Sensor | Back-illuminated Full-Frame Exmor R CMOS with an effective resolution of 3840 x 2160 |
| Sensor Size | 35.7 x 18.8 mm |
| ISO | Dual Base 800 & 12800 (up to ISO 409,600) |
| Dynamic Range | +15 stops |
| In-built NDs | Electronic stepless 7-Stop variable ND Filter (1/4 to 1/128) |
| Mount | E-Mount |
| Max Resolution and Framerates | 10bit 4:2:2 DCI 4K at 120fps |
| RAW Formats | 16-bit RAW output |
| Autofocus | Fast Hybrid Autofocus (627 focal-plane phase-detection AF points plus contrast-detection AF) Face Selection, Eye Detection, AF assist, lens-ring AF subject selection. |
| Media | CFexpress Type A / SD card (x2) |
| Color Science | S-Log 3, S-Cinetone |
| Audio Connections | 2 x 3-Pin XLR Mic/Line Level (+48 V Phantom Power) Input Stereo mini-jack Headphone Output Built-in omnidirectional condenser microphone (body) Stereo condenser microphone (handle) |
| Audio Formats | XAVC: 4-Channel 24-Bit 48 kHz LPCM Audio Proxy: 2-Channel AAC Audio |
| Integrated Monitor / EVF | 3.5″ LCD Touchscreen with a resolution of 2,760,000 Dots (1280 x 720 pixels) |
| Monitor Outputs | 12G/6G/3G-SDI HDMI Output up to 4K 16-bit RAW output |
| Wireless | 2.4 GHz bandwidth 5.2/5.3/5.6/5.8 GHz bandwidth Security: WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK NFC |
| Battery Type and Slots | Sony BP-U Series (BP-U35/U70) |
| DC Power Input | 1 x Barrel (19.5 VDC) Inpu |
| Weight and Dimensions | Weight: 1.96 pounds (0.89kg) Dimensions: 6.125”L x 4.625”H x 4.5”W (153 x 116 x 114mm) |
| Other | Removable top handle 1 x Multi-Interface Shoe 1 x 1/4″-20 Female |
About the author:
Jan Sørup is a videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.