Sony has introduced the FX5, a new full-frame camera in its Cinema Line that brings several features filmmakers have long wanted in a compact body — most notably 5K open-gate recording and internal RAW capture. Announced on July 22, the FX5 slots into Sony's lineup between the pocketable FX3 and the more production-oriented FX6, and it is being positioned not as a simple "FX3 II" upgrade but as its own distinct compact cinema camera.
The appeal is that it packs high-end capture tools into a small, run-and-gun form factor. For creators who have had to step up to larger, more expensive rigs to get open gate or internal RAW, the FX5 is designed to deliver both without leaving the compact category.
What's inside
At the core of the FX5 is a newly developed 16.6-megapixel full-frame, fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor, paired with Sony's BIONZ XR2 image processor and a dedicated AI processing unit. Sony rates the sensor at more than 15 stops of dynamic range and gives it three base ISO settings — 800, 4,000 and 12,800 — along with a Dual Gain shooting mode, all aimed at cleaner footage across a wide range of lighting.
The headline recording features are what set the camera apart in its class. The FX5 offers 5K open-gate capture, which uses the full height of the sensor and gives editors more flexibility to reframe and reformat shots. It also records internally in 16-bit X-OCN RAW — Sony's high-quality cinema RAW format — with new compression options, rather than requiring an external recorder. At launch it supports 5K at up to 60 frames per second, 4K at up to 120 fps and Full HD at up to 240 fps for slow motion.
Rounding out the package are in-body image stabilization, 32-bit float audio recording for greater flexibility in the mix, and support for an optional OLED viewfinder and a detachable XLR handle for professional audio inputs.
Price and availability
The FX5 is available for pre-order now and is expected to ship in mid-August. Sony has set the price at $4,899.99 for the body-only configuration (the ILME-FX5B) and $5,499.99 for the version bundled with the XLR handle unit (the ILME-FX5), with European pricing starting around €5,399.
That positioning is significant. By putting open gate and internal RAW into a body under $5,000, Sony is pushing capabilities that were recently the domain of higher-tier cinema cameras further down its range — a move that independent filmmakers, documentary shooters and solo creators are likely to notice. Whether the FX5 becomes a new default for that crowd will come down to how its images and ergonomics hold up in the field, but on paper it closes much of the gap between Sony's compact and professional cinema tiers.
