The Sony FX3 Camera Review... Worth It Years Later?

Why I Love the FX3 So Much…

To discuss what I love about this camera, I'll compare it to the Canon C200, alongside other compact cinema cameras one might buy for less than the cost of an FX3.

Image quality is an essential feature of your camera. Overall, how the footage actually presents itself is stunning on the FX3. Sony’s color science used to create that unwarranted yellow hue to certain skin tones, but now they’re just as smooth and true-to-life as Canon’s. After converting to REC709 and tossing on a grade, the footage looks absolutely seamless when the 4K 10bit footage is at XAVC S-I.

On the C200, I had to shoot 4K at 8-bit or 4K RAW at 12-bit; there was never a proper middle ground. The cheaper mirrorless cameras won't have as good quality across all frame rates as the FX3 boasts. For reference — 10, bit saves 64x the color information as 8-bit. That's a significant number! This allows the filmmaker more flexibility in posting for creative color grading.

Finally, the slog 3 performs beautifully, as this camera received 15= stops of dynamic range, maximizing a boot load of data. That coupled with the fact Sony has a free-to-download conversion LUT I can grade on top of that. Workflow, perfected.

You can’t beat the size of this camera. The image quality to size ratio offers punches well above their weight, making life on the road much more manageable.

The body has 1/4 20’s screw holes for mounting motions, which is fantastic. You can attach accessories to this thing directly and efficiently.

Build an entire rig without issue — throw on a top handle, matte box, V-mount batteries, or even a shotgun mic. Those accessories don't change the image, leaving infinite possibilities for quality, cinema-level footage.

Overall, I love this damn thing, and I'm confident you will too. Be sure to watch the YouTube video above for a better feel of the footage.

Who’s The FX3 Camera For?

This camera is for beginner to advanced filmmakers who want to craft short films, YouTube videos, and short-form videos with extremely lovely quality. With this camera, you can virtually create anything you want, making it worth the extra penny for its versatility. I’ll definitely use the FX3 for everything from home videos of family trips to short films for clients.

That said, if you are on set with a crew that requires multiple added features — like directors' monitors or various plugins for audio syncing — I'd suggest jumping up to an FX6, FX9, or a Canon C500 Mark II. Though, the FX3 will get the job done adequately. And the best part!? It’s under $5k. Plus, you can genuinely take this thing anywhere.