FS7: New Sony PXW-FX9 with venice features and 6k full frame

J

J.Brown

Well-known member
FX9_1.jpg

Today comes a new Sony PXW-FX9 camera with a full frame sensor and 6k recording. Other highlights include:

Dual native ISO 800/4000
Venice colors
Variable ND
15 stops DR
Over sampled 4k recording
Fast Hybrid AF
Internal 10-bit 4:2:2 recording
And more

The camera has the same form as FS7 II but with improved features like four audio channels adjustment on the body.

Sadly to get raw recording one need the new XDCA-FX9. Post to be updated with images.
 
Last edited:
Hopefully not that expensive if it's "only" 4K... granted I only get requests for 4K rarely anyway, but my next cam has to be future-proofed for at least 5 years.
 
4k downsampled from 6k is great, it should be a noticeable improvement over the "straight" 4k of the FS7 (which loses detail and colour fidelity to the debayering).

It'll be really interesting to see how it stacks up against the C500 Mkii (which I'm finding myself really drawn to, as it basically offers everything I'm looking for at the moment).
 
“The FX9 will also be compatible with the newly launched E-mount lens FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G, which uniquely balances full manual operability for movie shooting and auto-control functions.” This lens that's supposed to be announced tomorrow as well is almost more exciting to me than the new FX9. I am not a fan of the focus-by-wire design of Sony lenses, but I do appreciate their autofocus capabilities. If they start coming out with cine versions of their GM line that still retain autofocus and metadata, that's huge.
 
Joshua Milligan said:
“The FX9 will also be compatible with the newly launched E-mount lens FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G, which uniquely balances full manual operability for movie shooting and auto-control functions.” This lens that's supposed to be announced tomorrow as well is almost more exciting to me than the new FX9. I am not a fan of the focus-by-wire design of Sony lenses, but I do appreciate their autofocus capabilities. If they start coming out with cine versions of their GM line that still retain autofocus and metadata, that's huge.
Click to expand...

Very interesting. I wonder if it's like the Panavision lenses - full, conventionally geared, manual control. But able to be flipped over into an electronically controlled mode.

That's kind of the holy grail - proper, manual cinema lenses - that can be flicked over to autofocus modes when needed (for gimbal walk and talks etc.)
 
Grug said:
That's kind of the holy grail - proper, manual cinema lenses - that can be flicked over to autofocus modes when needed (for gimbal walk and talks etc.)
Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts. Right now you have to choose between autofocusing photo lenses or fully manual cine lenses. The only real hybrid that actually works well as a hybrid is the 18-110. If they start releasing lenses built off of the 18-110's design, but that cover your typical full frame lenses (16-35, 24-70, 70-200, 24, 35, 50, 85, etc.), then that's a massive game changer. I think that's an ace in the hole compared to anyone else's offerings and would be a huge reason to continue shooting on the Sony E-mount platform.
 
I'm curious as to operational characteristics of the Fx9. Will the tally-light remain on screen when you disable the rest of the display? Will you be able to apply a VF LUT when recording in S&Q? Will the VF cable detach from the VF, as it does on the C500 MkII? Will the loupe be an improvement over the Fs7 loupe? Will it come standard with a cheese-plate on the top of the camera, something long overdue on as a standard feature on a camera?
 
Grug said:
Very interesting. I wonder if it's like the Panavision lenses - full, conventionally geared, manual control. But able to be flipped over into an electronically controlled mode.

That's kind of the holy grail - proper, manual cinema lenses - that can be flicked over to autofocus modes when needed (for gimbal walk and talks etc.)
Click to expand...

Are you saying there are currently lenses from Panavision that are electronically controlled? If you are, what lenses would those be?
 
Grug said:
... It'll be really interesting to see how it stacks up against the C500 Mkii (which I'm finding myself really drawn to, as it basically offers everything I'm looking for at the moment).
Click to expand...
You figure the extension unit will take you into the Canon territory price-wise. For the non-cinematic applications, X-OCN should suffice.

Joshua Milligan said:
“The FX9 will also be compatible with the newly launched E-mount lens FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G, which uniquely balances full manual operability for movie shooting and auto-control functions.” This lens that's supposed to be announced tomorrow as well is almost more exciting to me than the new FX9. I am not a fan of the focus-by-wire design of Sony lenses, but I do appreciate their autofocus capabilities. If they start coming out with cine versions of their GM line that still retain autofocus and metadata, that's huge.
Click to expand...
I've been "suggesting" the same thing on the Canon forums, since Canon had the sole AF system on its cinema cameras up until now.

Canon does have two T4.4 rocker zooms but 3.1 should be in a different class.
 
JPNola said:
I'm curious as to operational characteristics of the Fx9. Will the tally-light remain on screen when you disable the rest of the display? Will you be able to apply a VF LUT when recording in S&Q? Will the VF cable detach from the VF, as it does on the C500 MkII? Will the loupe be an improvement over the Fs7 loupe? Will it come standard with a cheese-plate on the top of the camera, something long overdue on as a standard feature on a camera?
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more! There was a lot of room for improvement over the FS7 beyond the spec wars, so I hope they addressed those issues as well.

Personally, I don't know a single owner/operator that wanted a full frame or 6K sensor.
 
If they knew the benefits, they would all want one.

As repeatedly mentioned, a full-frame 6K sensor does not need to shoot full-frame or 6K (as appears to be the case for this camera).

Even the ARRI Alexa at a time when dinosaurs were roaming the earth in 2010 super-sampled its image from a higher-resolution chip.
 
DLD said:
You figure the extension unit will take you into the Canon territory price-wise. For the non-cinematic applications, X-OCN should suffice.
Click to expand...

If the extension unit lets you pop cards into it to record the raw signal, great. If it's another case of having to send out a raw signal to an Odyssey 7Q or Atomos recorder... that erases most of the appeal for me. It's 2019, external recording is just an added level of stress that I don't want in my life anymore.

That said, how many FS7/FX9 level shoots EVER have the budget to record raw anyway? So maybe that's all a moot point either way.

Accessory power distribution is my only concern with the C500 MkII, other than that, it offers just about everything that I'd like a camera to have.

Very interested to see how the Sony stacks up.
 
I want one thing more than anything in a new FX9 camera and that's the ability to use the same picture profiles in Custom mode that you have available in CINE EI mode, or better yet, give us the option to change ISOs and select a custom WB in CINE EI mode. Either way would work. While I get why they have it setup that way, I do still find it frustrating that my mirrorless cameras can have any ISO, any WB and any picture profile you want when shooting with them, but on the FS7 you can't have that freedom unless you want to shoot in Custom mode which doesn't have the same picture profile options as CINE EI. That and a higher resolution monitor are really the things I want more than anything else.

Realistically though, I don't see myself upgrading from my FS7II. It's paid for, it still makes me money, clients still love it and I've never once felt during a shoot that my camera didn't have what it needed to be up to the task. Knowing that, I think that for my business it makes more sense to stick with what I have until the day it finally isn't capable of delivering what the world demands anymore, and quite frankly I believe that time is a good ways off.
 
Joshua Milligan said:
“The FX9 will also be compatible with the newly launched E-mount lens FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G, which uniquely balances full manual operability for movie shooting and auto-control functions.” This lens that's supposed to be announced tomorrow as well is almost more exciting to me than the new FX9. I am not a fan of the focus-by-wire design of Sony lenses, but I do appreciate their autofocus capabilities. If they start coming out with cine versions of their GM line that still retain autofocus and metadata, that's huge.
Click to expand...


I can't get excited over any T3.1 lens. That's like getting excited over the girl with thick ankles that your mom picked out for you to marry. :D
 
Yea, I really dislike slow lenses (even f/2.8, T3.1). The concept sounds amazing, but if they aren't f/1.4, f/1.8, I'm personally not too excited. The E-mount stills glass is so good and so fast and can be inexpensive as well.
 
The extension unit may allow 6K X-OCN recording with the R7 back. Maybe. Either way, you'll still get 16-bit output. Plus you'll get 4K @ 120fps at 10-bit. Since I got my R7, 98% of what I shoot is X-OCN. It's a stellar format. But like Grug said, at this price point, the R7 doesn't make much sense unless they drop the price of the recorder in half.

**Just read the point about not being able to record 6K.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top