Sony FX2 ain't selling - but I like it

[Andrew Reid]

Had a bit of time with the Sony FX2 today along with a Canon C50, same sensor as EOS R6 III but no IBIS or EVF, and it takes forever to switch photo / video mode.

The FX2's viewfinder was chunkier than expected, it's massive and crisp, and articulated. I love it.

The screen is so-so.

The a7v has less rolling shutter, better screen and screen tilt method.

But I do like the FX2, it's the only modern small CINEMA CAMERA that has the full photography feature-set.

I just wish they'd put the a7v architecture in there, new sensor... I was told that apparently the Sony a7c II uses a different sensor to the a7 IV, it's tweaked, but didn't sell - so Sony had loads left over and hence needed a way to use them so FX2 was born. Sounds like a typical sales rep story to me so take that with a pinch of salt but it did come originally from a Sony employee.

I am happy with the FX2's image, it's enough for me for just Cinema 24p.

There's no denying the C50 and R6 III have a specs advantage with the 7K RAW but I just think it's complete overkill. Where is our footage being seen? IMAX screen? Phone more like, laptop if you're lucky. I'm not suggesting to go back to 1080p... lol. I just think 4K H.265 is fine.

A lot of people are asking "who is FX2 for"?

Well I guess it's for weird people like me who has always valued the hybrid convergence of stills and cinema.

There's a nimbleness to it. No faffing, no huge weight, just as capable at photography.... It's the polar opposite of a Blackmagic Pyxis or Ursa.

Yet the "it ain't selling" problem is really concerning... It's as if the market has gone a bit batty.

All the stills people are buying the a7r V instead and all the video people hanker after an FX3.

So the FX2 sat in-between the two suffers from that dreaded "middle" failure because people are unable to snap out of their binary thinking.

In a way, the Nikon Zr because it doesn't have a mechanical shutter or EVF, and is lower resolution, in not pretending to be also a really good stills camera has made it appeal more for video.

Also Nikon are undercutting Sony pretty deep on price at the moment.

So not hard to see why that will further pummel the FX2's sales.

Sony need to be careful.

Their customer service is poor, the reliability is iffy (the firmware update problems in particular) and their pricing strategy is becoming Canon-like. At the same time meanwhile, Canon are putting top-level specs in a 6 series enthusiast body and getting aggressive on price with the R8, and Nikon is putting RED codecs in things that cost $2k...

So in sales terms they may have peaked and might see a downturn.

But I for one will be picking up a lovely FX2 if it ever drops below $2000 used.