The Sony FX5 cinema camera delivers the specs that professional video shooters have been waiting for: full 5K Open Gate recording with internal RAW, in a body that costs less than $5,000. The wait was long. The spec sheet, however, is hard to argue with.
Sony Electronics launched the FX5 on July 22, 2026, as the newest addition to its Cinema Line series. The body-only FX5 is priced at $4,898, with a kit bundled with the XLR-H2 audio handle available for $5,499. Both are set to ship in mid-August 2026, with pre-orders open from the day of the announcement.
Sony FX5 Cinema Camera Specs: 5K Open Gate, X-OCN RAW, Three Base ISOs
“The FX5 builds on Sony’s Cinema Line expertise, praised by cinematographers and video creators worldwide,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President of Imaging Solutions at Sony Electronics.
At the center of the FX5 is a new 16.6-megapixel full-frame, fully-stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor, paired with Sony’s BIONZ XR2 processor that includes a dedicated AI processing unit. The fully-stacked sensor design allows for faster data readout — which is why the FX5 can shoot 5K at up to 60 frames per second in the new 3:2 Open Gate mode, and 5K at up to 120fps in 16:9. Slow motion options include 4K at up to 120fps and Full HD at up to 240fps.
Open Gate means using the full sensor area without any cropping. This gives the shooter more raw image data than a standard 16:9 frame, allowing more flexibility in post-production — whether that’s reframing, stabilization, or converting to vertical formats. This is the first time the FX series has supported 3:2 Open Gate recording.
The FX5 also brings internal 16-bit X-OCN RAW recording — a format previously reserved for Sony’s much more expensive VENICE series cameras. Combined with a dynamic range rated at 15 or more stops in S-Log3, this gives editors a substantial amount of latitude when color grading footage. The camera has three base ISO settings — 800, 4000, and 12800 — plus a Dual Gain Shooting mode for handling mixed or difficult lighting conditions.
Sony has not included a built-in electronic viewfinder. The optional DVF-EL1 detachable viewfinder is sold separately. The XLR-H2 audio handle, which comes in the $5,499 kit, adds professional-grade audio input for location sound.
A firmware update planned for August 2027 or later will add High Frame Rate shooting up to 240fps in X-OCN format — a capability not available at launch. For working videographers and documentary camera users who want an internal RAW workflow without the cost of Sony’s VENICE 2, the FX5 at $4,898 fills a gap in the Cinema Line that has been open for some time. Whether the absence of a built-in EVF is a problem or a non-issue depends entirely on how you shoot — for gimbal work and run-and-gun environments, a detachable viewfinder is often the better arrangement anyway.
