Sony's FX5 Brings Internal RAW, Open Gate 5K, and Three Base ISOs to the Cinema Line
Sony's FX5 is official — 5K open gate, internal X-OCN RAW, triple base ISO, and a 750g body at $4,898. Here's the full spec breakdown and what it means for the Cinema Line.
The Sony FX5 is official. Announced today, July 22, 2026, and available for pre-order now with shipping starting in August, the FX5 is Sony's most significant Cinema Line addition since the FX3 — a compact full-frame cinema camera that brings several capabilities previously reserved for the VENICE 2 into a 750g body priced at $4,898 body only.
We covered the open gate and global shutter rumors extensively here at BRC. The FX5 delivered on most of them. Here's what's actually in the camera.
The sensor and processor
The FX5 is built around a new 16.6MP full-frame fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor paired with the BIONZ XR2 processor — Sony's latest chip with an integrated AI processing unit. The fully stacked architecture is significant for a cinema camera: it enables faster sensor readout, which directly reduces rolling shutter artifacts in handheld and action work. That's one of the chronic complaints about the FX3 at its limits.
Open gate 5K at 32️⃣
The FX5 shoots 5K at a 3:2 open gate — capturing the full sensor area rather than cropping to a fixed aspect ratio in-camera. For editors, open gate means maximum reframing flexibility: shoot once, output 16:9, 4:3, vertical, or anything else without losing resolution. This was the most-anticipated feature from the rumor cycle, confirmed.
High frame rate options: 5K 60p, 4.5K 120p, and FHD 240p, with 4K 240p arriving in a future firmware update.
Internal X-OCN RAW
The headline codec is internal X-OCN (Extended Tonal Range Original Camera Negative) — Sony's 16-bit linear RAW format that's been a VENICE-exclusive feature until now. X-OCN produces smaller, more manageable files than traditional RAW while preserving over 280 trillion possible colors and full post-production latitude. It records in LT and custom varieties, alongside the familiar XAVC codec family (HS-L422, HS-L420, S-I, S-L422, S-L420). A future firmware update will bring open gate 3:2 to XAVC as well.
Triple base ISO
Three native base ISOs — 800, 4000, and 12,800 — give the FX5 genuinely flexible latitude across lighting conditions. At 800 and 4000, you're shooting with clean signal in daylight and controlled environments. At 12,800, you're shooting in low light that would have required significant post-processing or exposure compromise on earlier Cinema Line bodies. Combined with the Dual Gain setting, Sony claims 16+ stops of dynamic range (versus native 15+ stops at standard settings).
The body
At 750g and measuring 5.3 x 3.11 x 3.39 inches, the FX5 is compact for a full cinema spec sheet — closer to the FX3's footprint than the VENICE 2. The body has been streamlined: fewer physical buttons than other FX-line cameras, but six assignable buttons and a versatile multi-function dial inherited from the VENICE 2 carry forward. The LCD monitor has grown to 3.5 inches (from the FX3's 3-inch screen) and now supports 4-axis multi-angle adjustment, with a 16:9 aspect ratio for a cleaner on-camera info layout. Two CFexpress Type A / SDXC card slots and the new NP-SA100 battery (promising 130 minutes of 4K 60p recording per charge) complete the storage and power picture.
Port complement: full-size HDMI, two USB-C ports, mic jack, headphone port, and Ethernet/LAN — the LAN port being the notable addition for networking and remote monitoring workflows.
IBIS, AF, and monitoring
The FX5 includes improved IBIS with roll correction and a Dynamic Active mode — meaningful for handheld and gimbal work where the FX3's stabilization showed its limits. AI-based subject recognition handles Human, Animal, and Bird tracking via the XR2 chip, with Auto-Tracing White Balance also getting an AI assist. Clear Image Zoom now works simultaneously with optical zoom throughout the zoom range.
Monitoring gets a genuine upgrade: false color, waveform, vector scope, and focus mapping are all new additions alongside the classic histogram, zebra, and peaking options. Anamorphic de-squeeze covers 1.3x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x, and 2x lenses.
The optional accessories worth knowing about
Two significant optional accessories ship alongside the FX5 body:
The XLR-H2 XLR Handle Unit ($798) adds 96kHz / 32-bit float audio recording — a genuine professional audio upgrade that makes the FX5 a more self-contained production tool. The body-plus-handle kit is priced at $5,500.
The DVF-EL1 Electronic Viewfinder ($698) is a tilting removable OLED EVF with a 3.68 million-dot panel, 2500 cd/m² peak brightness, and wide color gamut compatibility. Removable and tilting are the key words — it detaches and repositions for handheld and shoulder-mount work rather than being a fixed protrusion.
A USB-C to BNC timecode cable ($98) rounds out the accessory lineup for multi-camera sync.
What the FX5 is not
Worth stating plainly: the FX5 has no photo mode — it is a video-only camera. There are no internal ND filters. There is no external SSD recording support. Sony appears to be leaving the hybrid shooting lane open for a future FX3 Mark II. If your workflow requires any of those features, the FX3 or a future hybrid update is the relevant body.
Where it fits
The FX5 sits above the FX3 and FX30 in Sony's Cinema Line and below the VENICE 2 — bringing X-OCN RAW, open gate, triple base ISO, and VENICE-style menu design to a compact cinema body at under $5,000. For cinematographers, owner-operators, and production companies who've been building Sony E-mount glass collections around the FX3 and wanted a genuine cinema codec step-up without going full VENICE, this is the camera they've been waiting for.
Key Specs:
- Sensor: 16.6MP full-frame fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS
- Processor: BIONZ XR2 with integrated AI unit
- Open gate: 5K 3:2
- High frame rates: 5K 60p, 4.5K 120p, FHD 240p (4K 240p via future firmware)
- Primary codec: X-OCN (16-bit linear RAW), LT and custom variants
- Secondary codecs: XAVC HS-L422/L420, S-I, S-L422/L420
- Dynamic range: 15+ stops native; 16+ stops with Dual Gain
- Base ISOs: 800, 4000, 12,800
- Stabilization: IBIS with roll correction and Dynamic Active mode
- Screen: 3.5-inch 16:9, 4-axis multi-angle
- Storage: Dual CFexpress Type A / SDXC
- Battery: NP-SA100 (~130 min 4K 60p)
- Weight: 750g
- Ports: Full-size HDMI, 2x USB-C, mic, headphone, Ethernet/LAN
- Price: $4,898 body only; $5,500 with XLR handle
- Optional EVF: $698 (DVF-EL1, removable tilting OLED)
- Shipping: August 2026
