Sony announces both the FX9 and Z750 professional video cameras.
What would you get if you threw a boatload of Sony Venice and A9 parts on a table and challenged Sony engineers to make a run and gun camera? Well, the answer is the follow up to the popular FS7 line. And it’s called the Sony FX9. Designed with the best technologies from the VENICE and A9, the new FS9 has roughly the same basic run and gun style body as the previous FS7 line, but with some notable improvements. Sony also announced the more TV-centric Z750 complete with 12GSDI and wireless capability. Let's take a look.
In what Sony calls a "world's first," the FX9 has a variable electronic neutral density filter that can be controlled from a hard dial on the side of the camera.
Sony FX9
Sensor
Under the hood, the Sony PXW-FX9 has a back-illuminated full-frame 6K Exmor R image sensor that oversamples 6008 x 3168 resolution to create its 4K images capable of full HDR. For those keeping tabs the VENICE oversamples its 6K at 6048 x 4032. Sony says the Exmor R sensor provides 15+ stops of dynamic range and has a dual base ISO at 800 and 4000. (VENICE dual base ISO 500 and 2500).
Like VENICE, the FX9 includes S-Log 3 and S-Gamut 3 Cine but Sony added a new color science called S-Cinetone that's said to have a more accurate color gamut and skin tones for a better cinematic look. The footage we were shown using S-Cinetone did have less of a video feel to it but still walked that Sony visual palette. The camera is Netflix approved.
Sony added a new color science called S-Cinetone that's said to have a more accurate color gamut and skin tones for a better cinematic look
Fast Hybrid AF & Face Detection
Sony included the fast autofocus systems we find on its popular Alpha series cameras. The Fast Hybrid AF has 561 focus points covering 94% in the horizontal and 96% in the vertical in full-frame mode. Sony also added in face detection for filmmakers with the ability to choose and track your subject by setting it with the touchscreen LCD.
Variable Electronic ND Filter
In what Sony calls a "world's first," the FX9 has a variable electronic neutral density filter that can be controlled from a hard dial on the side of the camera. You'll also notice several other hard dials there, covering functions for customizable ND filter presets, dual-channel audio adjustment, Iris control, white balance, and shutter. This is a nice addition since it eliminates what Sony calls "Menu hunting" for the right setting, wasting time on set. And it's got a cool old-school vibe.
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Recording Modes
The FX9 is capable of shooting 4K full-frame (3840 x 2160) at 24p/25p/30p or S35 (3840 x 2160) at 24p/25p/30p/60p. A future firmware update will add 4K (4096 x 2160) and 60fps in full-frame mode and in S35 will see 24p/25p/30p/60p at 4096 x 2160.
High frame rates of 100/120fps are supported in 1080p full-frame and S35. In a future update, 150/180fps will be added in 1080p and S35 will see 3840 x 2160 get 100/120fps.
Build
The FX9 keeps the same run and gun style body as the FS7 with an E- mount lens mount and includes a slew of quick menu options on the side of the camera. Sony also added in 4 separate channels of audio.
Other refinements include genlock timecode in/out on the body. Electronic viewfinder design can be changed to have a sunshade and the grip is more compact – merging the best features from the FS5 and FS7 grips.
FX9 Future Plans
Sony has laid out plans for its future which will include 16bit RAW output, 4K60p recording in full-frame mode, full HD 180fps in 6K full-frame mode and DCI 4K recording. The firmware update was suggested to hit summer 2020 but nothing is confirmed.
Sony also showed us an optional XDCA External mount module, which offers the following connections:
- RJ45 ethernet
- dual-link streaming
- DWX slot in for wireless audio (future firmware update)
- DTAP power
- V mount battery support
Price and Availability
The target price for the FX9 starts at $`10,999, $13,499 for the kit, which includes an A-mount 28-135 kit lens. Shipping starts next summer. The XDCA Unit will be available in January 2020 for $2499.
Sony Z750 Camcorder
Other specs include:
- 2/3" 4K 3 chip CMOS image sensor
- global shutter
- 4:2:2 10 bit
- HDR and S-Log3
- 4K/HD simultaneous recording
- HFR up to 120p in HD
- XAVC-L 422 200M codec
- VPID interface
- 12G-SDI
- Built-in wireless streaming to the internet
That's pretty much all we were told about the Z750, which looks like it'll be very popular with television news crews. It will be available in February 2020. Price is TBD.
Sneak Peek: Cinema Lens Series
Sony also gave us a sneak peek of their new Cinema Lens Series of lenses. The three lens set starts off with the E-Mount FEC 16-35 T3.1. It covers the entire full frame of the image sensor, up to 96% coverage, and has power zoom. Here it is up close and personal:
I like having a constant aperture speed in a zoom lens, an at T3.1, that's going to be a very high performing piece of glass. Being Sony, the lens line will only available in E-Mount. There are no plans to create their own lens mount adapter, but they did tell us that Metabones adapters will support their lenses.
Price for the first FE C 16-35 is targeted at $5,500 and will be available this Spring.
Your Comment
16 Comments
One thing that is really confusing me: 4K 100/120p raw output.
Does this require the extension unit, or just the future firmware update? It's pretty hard to decipher which features rely on future updates and what relies on the extension unit. For example 6K raw out seems to need the extension unit. So does 10-bit 4K 120p output. But 4K 120p raw only says it requires the firmware update. So is the camera capable of certain types of raw output without the extension unit?
September 13, 2019 at 4:20AM
Does it really come with an A-mount? Am I not getting something? Why not EF mount - I didn't even know they made those GM lenses on the picture for A-mount...
September 13, 2019 at 8:04AM, Edited September 13, 8:04AM
I think you might be confused, it’s an E-Mount camera that has many specialized lenses available for it, both by Sony and others.
EF is a Canon mount, so it wouldn’t make sense to use.
September 13, 2019 at 9:19AM
Thanks but I am only confused by the article as it clearly states at two different parts that the camera comes with an A-mount and with an A-mount kit lens, otherwise I am quite familiar with the E-mount, I own two E-mount bodies...
September 13, 2019 at 11:23PM
This article states that the camera is equipped with an A-Mount. It is incorrect.
September 13, 2019 at 5:52PM
No, article says camera has E-mount but comes with A-mount kit lens.
October 16, 2019 at 10:59PM
World's first AF cine lenses...
September 13, 2019 at 2:35PM
What about the Canon 18-80?
September 14, 2019 at 2:06AM
Right you are. Ok, world's first FF AF cine lenses...
September 17, 2019 at 2:33PM
I'm very into the ergonomics and I'd like to get to use this over my FS7 but it doesnt seem like that much of a replacement. I'd like to see 6K in the 2nd version of it, or if they do something in between. Whats great is that if you have an FS7 and like it, it seems like most of your AKS will work on this.
September 14, 2019 at 12:41PM
The electronic ND has been around since the FS5, so not sure about world's first. It's the standout feature on the FS-X line and is a game changer for anyone who's used it.
There are some subtle and not so subtle differences. At some point we'll get 6k out of this thing, but they're holding off so they don't cannibalize themselves. The BIG differences are the new color science, real AF on a Sony Cinema Camera(the others had it but c'mon), a better EvF which I didn't find all that bad on our FS7II, 4 audio dials on the outside like their EnG XDcams and supposedly a much better zoom rocker. That was a big disappointment from our EnG days. The Fuji new gathering lenses are so smooth compared to anything I've slapped on our FS5 or FS7. Don't know if it's the lenses or the mechanism driving them. Guess we'll find out.
The ergonomics seem the same which are fine. Seems their so-so menu system is still intact. Ugh. And the rod for the EVF seems like the same length which bugs me, since it needs to be 1-2" longer for more adjustment options.
We're not rushing to 6k here, so I'm not on that bandwagon. Still shooting in 4k and delivering mostly in HD for the foreseeable future except on shows where we need more resolution for LED walls.
September 16, 2019 at 7:44AM
Yeah sorry NFS, you've made too many mistakes in recent articles. A-mount? Really? Please double check your facts. It's as if you've hired writers who aren't even interested in filmmaking. At this point it's more reliable to check newsshooter or cinema5d.
September 14, 2019 at 6:16PM
Hi, I probably didn't understand something, it doesn't have internal RAW?
September 16, 2019 at 7:40AM
The sensor size on FX 9 is 35,7 x 18,8 mm does that qualify it a full frame - should it not be at least 36 x 24 mm?
September 19, 2019 at 5:41AM
James,
With all due respect, I am sick and tired of the ridiculous negative hype train that there is a “Sony look.” It’s not real, it’s not a thing. It’s marketing drivel, and you’re caught up in it too. Please drop that shit. It’s old and tired.
Secondly, you mentioned a touchscreen LCD? I haven’t seen a lot about the camera, but I heard that the LCD was not touchscreen capable. Can we double check this?
September 19, 2019 at 10:45AM
What's the point of amazing auto focus if you can't tap on someones face and have the camera face detect / AF?
So yes - that would totally suck if it didn't have touchscreen.
It's not like they can't afford it - Sony sells $79 digital cameras - literally entire cameras - that have touch screens. So having a touch screen seems pretty reasonable even if you have buttons. It's just a better way to interface if they make the menu system useable.
Granted - I doubt it would be as easy as BlackMagic's touch screen system (known as one of the easiest menus) - or as big and beautiful touch screen as the new Black Magic Pocket Cinema 4k / 6k cameras.
Having the a9 auto focus engine without the ability to touch on a face and have it tracked is super annoying and just plain cheap.
September 19, 2019 at 1:29PM