This is like the higher-spec Lumix S9 with EVF and mechanical shutter I wanted Panasonic to make. For $2700 the Sony FX2 is an interesting beast but it does have a few major caveats. 1 – quite a slow sensor with a lot of rolling shutter in 24p. 2 – Sony still doesn’t have an internal RAW recording codec to call their own, or even ProRes RAW in the FX2 – it has external RAW output only via HDMI and only in APS-C crop. 3. Unfortunately there’s still also no internal ND of any kind, which is strange considering the electronic ND equipped Sony FS5 is now over 10 years old. Sort it out Sony!
Although it doesn’t break any new ground, the FX2 at least brings some welcome new features for video users for not much more money than the Sony a7 IV.
The new dynamic steady-shot looks fantastic for handheld walking shots of moving subjects, although it does incur a very big crop. Autofocus is the best on the market and far ahead of Panasonic. The FX2 is also the first full frame hybrid video-focused Sony camera to feature a fully articulated EVF, which sets it apart from the more expensive FX3 in a nice way, it being far better for stills for a start. Much higher resolution 33mp vs 12mp too.
The solid 33MP sensor (from the a7 IV) has a very nice image and unlike the Panasonic S9 the FX2 has a mechanical shutter, in part because the sensor is rather slow and can’t get by without it. It has quite a bit of rolling shutter in the full pixel readout modes, and there’s no 4K/120p like the a7S III or FX3, and 4K/60p 10bit 422 is limited to Super 35mm crop mode only like the a7 IV.
The Venice UI for filmmakers and a quick video access panel, along with active cooling and 16bit RAW HDMI output round out an impressive feature-set for the price, with the camera being aimed at a very broad section of the market – enthusiasts and pros alike, including the people formerly known as artists and filmmakers that our modern corporate dystopia likes to call “content creators” and “influencers” instead, whose job it is to create content for consumption and influencing consumers to spend more money.
What use are we if we’re not either creating or consuming?
So just to TLDR…
a7 IV spec in an FX3 form factor, with nice articulated EVF, great stabilisation, mechanical shutter, but quite a slow sensor readout and no internal RAW codec or ND.
It’ll certainly be a nice camera to pick up used for under $2k in a few months.
