Sony announces FX30 camera for emerging filmmakers

Budding filmmakers will have another tool to add to their kitbag following the announcement of the Sony FX30, a compact cinema camera.

Made for movie creators early in their film journey, the 4K Super 35 FX30 is the latest Cinema Line camera from Sony. Included with the new camera is a back-illuminated APS-C Exmor R CMOS sensor, and a dual base ISO (800/2500) for capturing enough light with minimal noise distortion. It uses Sony E-mount lenses, so there are plenty of shooting options available.

With various codec settings available, the FX30 shoots in 4K Super 35 – a 16:9 widescreen ratio – by oversampling from 6K at up to 60fps. Additionally, the camera can capture 4K footage at 120fps or Full HD at 240fps for when faster frame rates are needed, like when recording sports in slow motion. To assist with this, the FX30 also features various auto-focus settings such as Real-time Eye AF for locking onto people or wildlife, plus other real-time tracking and auto-focus assists.

As photos of the camera suggest, the FX30 is portable and comes in a much smaller form factor than many other Sony Cinema Line cameras. This lends it to versatile scenarios, like handheld filming, gimbal mounting, and attaching extra accessories. It has two XLR audio inputs plus a 3.5mm stereo mini jack to enable 4-channel recording. When recording, the camera’s 16:9 modes can shoot at 10-bit 4:2:2, while an HDMI output allows for saving 4K 16-bit RAW to an external device. For storage, there are two memory card slots compatible with CFexpress Type A cards and SDXC/SDHC cards.

Alongside the FX30 announcement, Sony revealed two new CFexpress Type A Memory Cards – the CEA-G320T and CEA-G640T respectively. These high-capacity cards are designed to support fast read and write times, so you can focus on capturing footage. Both cards read at 800MB/s and write at 700MB/s, with capacity being the only difference. As their model numbers indicate, the CEA-G320T holds 320GB, while the CEA-G640T stores 640GB, adding to the pre-existing 80GB and 160GB variants.

Available by late October, the Sony FX30 comes in two options at retail: the body costs $2,999, while a bundle including a top handle goes for $3,699. The new memory cards are expected to arrive in December. The CEA-G320T will cost $1,299, and the CEA-G640T $2,499.

Between the likes of Sony and Canon, filmmakers of all abilities are spoilt for choice when it comes to equipment. The FX30 looks like something enthusiasts could use, or a secondary camera option for larger productions.

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