Sony FX3 video camera

Sony FX3 video camera

Sony's professional video camera for small one-man run n' gun productions. The FX3 is part of Sony's Cinema lineup and is the most compact camera in its department. The FX3 shares a lot in common Sony A7S III such as the sensor and the BionZ XR processor. In practice, this means 4K 120fps, FullHD 240fps and up to 15 aperture dynamic range. The sensor is Dual Gain like the A7S III, which means that noise is significantly reduced at ISO 12800. The camera features an S-Cinetone profile, which makes it easy to seamlessly blend footage with Sony's larger Venice cameras.

Thanks to the shared CPU and sensor, the autofocus is also on a par with Sony's consumer cameras. Real-time face and eye tracking provide a very important tool, especially for one-man productions. You can easily use the camera with a gimbal, and you don't have to worry about hand-held focusing and the accessories it requires.

The sensor also has a built-in 5-axis image stabilizer and a software half Active Mode. In Active mode, the camera does a 1.1x crop, but stabilises the image even further to make it really smooth. This is especially useful in situations where there's a lot of movement, such as walking and running with the camera.

Sony FX3 update for 2025

The Sony FX3 camcorder received a major update in May 2025, further enhancing the functionality and user experience of the camera. Here are the main changes:

• Display: The camera screen has been redesigned to offer better resolution. The old 3.0”, 4:3, SVGA (800x600) display was replaced by a new 3.0”, 4:3, XGA (1024 x 768) display.
• Charger: A new charger, the BC-ZD1, is now available for the Sony FX3.
• Power consumption: The higher resolution screen has slightly increased power consumption.
• Infrared receiver and NFC tagging: These features have been removed from the revised Sony FX3.

Compact size

The Sony FX3 is by far the smallest camera in Sony's Cinema lineup, allowing for more efficient use of gimbal and accessories. The body has directly mounted 1/4″ mounting slots, and comes with a shooting grip with XLR connector to allow the use of professional microphones. So you don't need a separate cage for the camera to attach accessories. The body weighs just 715 grams, so it will fit almost any gimbal on the market.

Although the camera is compact, Sony has again taken care of the cooling. The camera can shoot uninterrupted 4K60P footage with an external USB-PD power supply or very long (+60min) 4K120fps recordings. Overheating is not a problem at any level with FX3!

! The small size and the lack of a viewfinder also allows maximum use of the batteries for the essentials, i.e. photography. The Sony FX3 offers up to 1.6x the battery life of the A7S III.

Sony FX3 vs Sony A7S III

• Smaller and lighter form
• Built-in mounting options for accessories
• Comes with carrying handle with XLR connector
• 1.6x battery life
• Indicator lights in different directions (Tally lamp)
• More efficient cooling

Main features

• Ultra compact professional video camera
• 12.1 megapixel Exmor R Cmos sensor / BionZ XR processor
• Very fast Hybrid AF autofocus
• 4K 120fps / FullHD 240fps - up to 600Mbs
• 5-axis image stabilisation + active mode software stabilisation + Gyro data for additional stabilisation
• Internal cooling system (uninterrupted 4K60p)
• Dynamic range +15 gaps
• Built-in 1/4″ fasteners
• Handle with XLR connector
• CFExpress Type A/ SD card support
• S-Cinetone / 10-bit 4:2:2 / 16-bit RAW for external recorder

Technical specifications

• Full Frame CMOS sensor
• Actual pixels 12.1 Megapixel
• Effective pixels 10.2 Megapixel
• Color Filter Bayer
• Rolling Shutter
• Sensitivity / ISO 80 - 102,400 which is extendable from 80 - 409,600
• Dynamic 15+ openings
• Sony E bayonet
• Built-in stereo microphone
• Memory card CFExpress type A / SDXC
• 4K 120fps / FullHD 240fps
• Internal recording
  • Recording Modes XAVC HS/XAVC S-I/XAVC S 4:2:2 10-bit:
    • 3840 x 2160p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94/120 fps (600 Mb/s)
    • 1920 x 1080p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94/120/240 fps (600 Mb/s)
  • XAVC S 8-bit:
    • 1280 x 720p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps
  • Gamma Curve HDR-HLG, S Cinetone
  • Audio Recording 4-Channel 24-Bit LPCM Audio
  • 2-channel 24-bit LPCM audio
• External storage
  • 3840 x 2160 16-bit
  • 1920 x 1080 16-bit
• Connectivity I/O
  • Video Connectors 1 x HDMI Output
  • Audio Connectors 2 x XLR / 3.5 mm TRS combo input
  • 2 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm stereo mic level input
  • 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm stereo headphone output
  • Other I/O 1 x USB Type-C
  • 1 x USB Micro-B
• Wireless interfaces 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Wi-Fi
• 3″ Rotating LCD screen - 1,440,000 pixels
• Sony Np-FZ100 battery
• Additional power USB Type-C Input
• Accessory fixings 5 x 1/4″-20
• Tripod mounting 1/4″-20
• Material aluminium
• Size 129.7 x 84.5 x 77.8 mm
• Weight 640 g