FX6: The Sony ILME-FX6V Owners Club

Years ago when they were showing off the 16-35 PZcine lens, they teased the 24-70 and 70-200 versions. They were supposed to come out in succession. Then covid hit and they have been MIA with no information since.
 
I'm guessing the 16-35 PZ Cine didn't sell well at all. It was difficult to see who it was for. If you want cine lenses there are so many options, both cheaper and way more expensive / prestigious than Sony. It also weighed 50% more than the FX6 body.

I would like compact, lightweight, parfocal, full-frame zooms with OSS, great AF and a decent manual focus throw (don't care about servo but I'll take it).

- An f/4ish 20-70. I can use centre scan in an emergency for longer focal lengths. If it's 24-105 or something I'll still buy it.

- A set of shorter-range f2.8ish zooms. Edited to remove my focal length preferences - I'd love a 2-lens set like the Optimos (21-56mm and 37-102mm) but I'll take anything reasonable.

I'd pay up to 5000 USD for each one of those assuming that they were excellent, more if spectacular. Modern, AF-friendly, single-op, pro-level documentary lenses.
 
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Andy9 said:
I would like compact, lightweight, parfocal, full-frame zooms with OSS, great AF and a decent manual focus throw (don't care about servo but I'll take it).
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Until there’s some kind of breakthrough in components/production/tech, this will always be a “pick your poison” with full frame. Parfocal, full frame, zoom? Forget lightweight. Great AF and a true (not by wire) manual focus? Choose 1. Full frame complicates things with the amount of glass, super 35 will give you infinitely more options if you want the best of all worlds. This is why I would have paid more for a 24-70 cine version. Yes it would’ve been heavy, but it would have a proper manual focus when pulling the ring back, and excellent AF by pulling the ring forward. Power zoom and parfocal (although faking it electronically).
 
Newsguy said:
Great AF and a true (not by wire) manual focus?
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My Z280 offers that, plus a 17x servo. But of course. it's not a FF camera. Very handy to have around, though.

BTW, focus by wire for FF lenses isn't as bad as it used to be. Both my Sony 70-200mm and 200-600mm have fantastic AF plus manual focus that comes close to feeling like my cine lenses.
 
I have the 16-35 and quite like it...actually really like it. I would agree though, probably didn't release the other two mentioned lenses in the line due to poor sales of the 16. It is a pricey lens new but i picked up a second hand lens for $4200. I've never weighed it but feels slightly heavier than either the 28-35 or 18-110 however it is more compact in terms of length. It is sharper than the 28, as it should be and when used w/ the rocker seems a bit more responsive then either the 18 or 28. I also no longer have worries in tight spaces and i like that its a 2.8 equivalent. So for me i've found it to be a very useful lens for both run and gun and interview situations and a valuable part of the lens kit.
 
Doug Jensen said:
My Z280 offers that, plus a 17x servo. But of course. it's not a FF camera. Very handy to have around, though.

BTW, focus by wire for FF lenses isn't as bad as it used to be. Both my Sony 70-200mm and 200-600mm have fantastic AF plus manual focus that comes close to feeling like my cine lenses.
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Well once we get into the newer fixed lens camcorders, it’s definitely better. I meant specifically the e-mount full frame glass. I agree that the longer telephoto lenses have a nicer dampening. I sound like a broken record, but I can’t fathom why Sony never created a proper S35 ENG camera. Lighter and better balanced than the Amira with the ability to use cine glass or adapt a B4 lens for certain applications. I guess they did the market research and decided it wouldn’t sell. I know that Blackmagic makes that exact camera, but nowhere near the ergonomics like a Sony Eng cam.
 
Doug Jensen said:
My Z280 offers that, plus a 17x servo. But of course. it's not a FF camera. Very handy to have around, though.
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I came from a Canon XF, and was used to Servo Zooms, so for me not having decent OSS PZ options is just .... weird, and why I've got the 28-135 mounted most of the time as it is the closest equivalent to what I had. Seems Sony's focus is Photo Based Lens tailored for bodies that have IBIS these days - so you get OSS for long, and nought for short in their latest lens.

I'd also give up some of the Long End to get something a bit wider than 28mm. It's hard to walk back through a wall to get everything in frame sometimes (where as you can always go tighter in post). That said I do also have the 16-35 OSS Sony Zeis. I did try the GM2.8 16-35 but without OSS it was inferior for me handheld and no PZ. I did look at the C version but it is just a repackaged GM for triple the amount to add the PZ motor and still does not have OSS. The other two C versions of the Lens seem to have quietly disappeared.
 
Doug Jensen said:
According to the article you linked to
"FX6 Version 4.0 expands the capabilities of this camera by adding new features including . . . autofocus in S&Q mode."

Uh, we've always had auto-focus in S&Q Motion mode since day one. It is one of the best features of the camera.
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The new firmware is going to give autofocus in ‘off’ frame rate like 22fps or 48fps or 56fps etc. Not only for frame
rates which are divisible by your base frame rate.
 
alaskacameradude said:
The new firmware is going to give autofocus in ‘off’ frame rate like 22fps or 48fps or 56fps etc. Not only for frame
rates which are divisible by your base frame rate.
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That's right, but the article didn't say that, did it? Poorly worded announcement by Sony and then repeated in the article.
I gotta say though, I sure look forward to having auto-focus at 22 fps. That is a game changer. :)
 
There is as well a desquize option monitoring, but as the other cameras it's only 1.3 or 2.0.
And of course no open gate readout. Alister Chapman told me that the hardware don't allow this. Actually, there is no version of XAVC capable of recording any aspect ratio other than 17:9 or 16:9, and since the codec is an Hardware chip, for open gate it's dead we will never have it.
So it looks to be a minor update
 
Just got an e-mail saying the new FW is now out. I've downloaded it but not yet applied at tested it out.

===========================

Cinema Line FX6 firmware update now available
Unlock a next-level movie-making experience with Firmware Version 4.00 for Cinema Line FX6.

New features include:

• File Naming (Camera ID / Reel No.) support
• Desqueeze function for anamorphic lenses
• Autofocus support in Slow & Quick mode
• Shooting mode support & workflow improvements with Cine EI Quick
• Enhanced 3D LUT support

Benefits and Improvements
  • Adds support for Movie file names in the Camera ID + Reel# format
  • Adds a function that displays De-squeeze (2.0x, 1.3x) in the viewfinder and HDMI output
  • Adds more AF frame rates during Slow & Quick Motion
  • Adds support for Flexible ISO and Cine EI Quick in shooting mode:
    • Allows you to record S-Log3 content with exposure settings by adjusting the ISO sensitivity
    • Allows you to record at a base ISO setting the same as Cine EI, with the base ISO adjusted automatically in conjunction with EI value
  • When the shooting mode is set to Flexible ISO, Cine EI, or Cine EI Quick, adds support for recording a 3D LUT file to the same memory card with the base look used during shooting as the shooting data, at the same time
 
Update went fine. Did a quick check of the new AF in S&Q mode which I use a fair bit, (seemed to work) and I note from the manual.
- S&Q now support auto focus for all frame rates from 7 --> 120fps
- except with the SEL16F28 - not sure about 3rd party lens
- except if you are at F18 or higher
- Still no option to record Audio.
 
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