Malaysian filmmakers and content creators have a new camera to track: the Sony FX5, a compact full-frame model that slots into the company's Cinema Line. It brings several tools that used to sit in pricier bodies into a smaller, run-and-gun frame, though for now the launch is a Singapore one.

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What the Sony FX5 offers

At the core is a newly developed full-frame, fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor paired with the BIONZ XR2 processing engine, which includes a dedicated AI processing unit. Shooting in S-Log3, the camera reaches 15+ stops of dynamic range, and it offers three base ISO settings of 800, 4000 and 12800 to keep noise in check across different lighting.

  • Newly developed full-frame, fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with the BIONZ XR2 engine and a dedicated AI processing unit
  • 15+ stops of dynamic range in S-Log3, with three base ISOs (800, 4000, 12800)
  • 5K up to 60fps, 4K up to 120fps, Full HD up to 240fps
  • Dual Gain Shooting, a first for the FX series

The Dual Gain Shooting mode, a first for the FX series, is designed to widen latitude and hold shadow detail while keeping noise down.

The FX5 keeps the compact Cinema Line form factor. Image: Sony.

Open Gate and internal RAW, new to the FX line

For the first time in the FX series, the FX5 supports Open Gate shooting, a full 3:2 readout of the whole sensor, alongside 17:9, 16:9 and Super 35mm scan modes. That gives editors more room to reframe for different delivery formats from a single take.

It also records internally in X-OCN, Sony's 16-bit RAW format, without an external recorder. Two new codecs, X-OCN C1 and C2, join the existing LT option and cut file sizes to speed up transfers and post-production. Two accessories arrive with it: a DVF-EL1 OLED detachable viewfinder and an XLR-H2 handle that supports in-camera audio recording at up to 96 kHz, 32-bit float.

Director Gareth Edwards, who tested the camera on a shoot across Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal, said: "Guerrilla filmmaking just went to the next level, the FX5 is the run-and-gun cinema camera to beat."

Price and availability

Sony has set Singapore pricing at SGD 6,399 for the ILME-FX5B body only and SGD 7,199 for the ILME-FX5 with the XLR Handle. Pre-orders run from 23 July to 9 August 2026 through Sony Stores, the Sony Store Online and authorised camera dealers.

The optional pieces are priced separately: the DVF-EL1 OLED viewfinder at SGD 899 and the VMC-BNCU1 timecode adapter cable at SGD 129 (both available after mid-August), and the XLR-H2 handle at SGD 1,099 by special order. A pre-order promotion adds a free 240GB CFexpress Type A card, plus purchase-with-purchase savings on selected lenses and accessories.

Malaysian pricing and availability have not been confirmed.

The takeaway

For creators who want Cinema Line features such as Open Gate and internal RAW in a body they can carry all day, the FX5 is worth watching. The open question for local buyers is when, and at what price, it reaches Malaysia.