UPDATE: It has been reported that the Sony FX5 will indeed be an open gate camera – and, fittingly enough, it will record in 5K resolution in the 3:2 aspect ratio.
The report also notes that the global shutter image sensor will be different to the one featured in the Sony A9 III.
The addition of open gate represents something of an about-turn for Sony, which for years insisted that there wasn't sufficient consumer demand.
"On multiple occasions, Sony managers said they didn’t believe it was a feature users really needed," writes Sony Alpha Rumors.
"But it looks like they’ve finally changed their mind: the upcoming Sony FX5 is expected to feature full open gate support. Specifically I have been told the camera has open gate 5K 3:2 support!"
ORIGINAL STORY (Jun 24): A new report "confirms" that the Sony FX5 will be announced in July, featuring bleeding-edge features like a global shutter sensor (previously seen in the Sony A9 III) and specs from the Venice cinema line.
The report also hints, with a wink and a smile, that highly requested features from users will also be included on the FX5. Could this be the long-desired introduction of open gate video?
For years we have heard camera rumors about a successor to the Sony FX3. However, while both Nikon (with the Nikon ZR) and Canon (with the Canon EOS R6 V and EOS C50 in particular) have eclipsed the original model, Sony hasn't brought an FX3 II to market.
Instead, Sony Alpha Rumors writes that we will see an FX5 next month.
"While everyone else was convinced that a new FX3 II was on the way, I can now confirm through trusted sources that Sony will announce a new Sony FX5 in July!"
We know from Weibo outlet E8M_8888 that Sony has registered a new FX model, having spotted the filing with Chinese certification bodies. So a new model is definitely on the way – and Sony Alpha Rumors is confident that it will be a "mini Venice" in terms of capability.
"It's a substantial upgrade over the FX3. It gets a new name because it's more like a compact Venice camera than an Alpha camera with cine features," adding that, "button and menu layout take over many aspects of the professional Venice camera".
E8M_8888 had previously reported that it would be "a modular camera that adopts an FX3-like style but moves away from standard Alpha camera design language.
"Its body layout and button configuration are more professional," with modularity supporting cinema peripherals and expansions such as XLR handles, external EVFs and SDI connectivity.
Crucially, due to its hybrid Alpha / Venice nature, the FX5 looks like it could shake up the hierarchy of Sony's cinema camera lineup – much as Canon did with hybrid bodies like the EOS R6 V and EOS R5C.
Should Canon be worried? The company already debuted global shutter sensors in its Cinema EOS lineup (with the Canon EOS C700 PL), so that in and of itself isn't new.
But Sony has invested heavily in the tech and will surely be doubling down on its advantages – and if that does cross the streams with open gate, this could be a very big deal…
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See where the biggest gaps are that the FX5 might close, with these Canon EOS C50 vs Sony FX3 and Nikon ZR vs Sony FX3 comparisons.
