Posted by Joey Nathan on 16th Sep 2019
Sony FX9: First Impressions
The new Sony FX9 was well received at IBC. Deliveries are expected to start in December and the estimated list price is somewhere between £10K and £11K + VAT. Price will depend on currency exchange rates at the time of delivery, but likely be in the sub £10K range. We suggest (obviously) placing a pre-order now to get yourself front of the queue. Deposits are fully refundable, should you change your mind.
What are the key features?
The key features for the FX9 are the amazing Auto Focus, the super sampled 4K from 6K image, Dual ISO of 800 and 4000, 15+ stops of Dynamic Range, the new Sony colour science (S-Cinetone) and much more. Sony FX9 combines a lot of features from the Sony Alpha, Venice and FS7 line to give you a camera with a lot to shout about.
Is it worth it?
The price point may seem a little high compared to the FS7M2. But remember, the FX9 includes many of the XDCA features in the main camera body including Genlock and Timecode. The FS7M2 and XDCA-FS7 combination is around £8.5K to end user, so the two are very comparable.
Why E Mount?
The Sony Venice is E Mount, the PL is just an adaptor sitting in front of it. The FX9 fully utilises the interface with Sony lenses to make the Hybrid AF work. The camera will also work with Canon lenses through a suitable adaptor but testing to see the quality of the AF in this combination hasn’t been carried out yet. The flange back distance (or lack of) makes the E-mount the most easily adaptable to other lens mounts.
There is still lots more to talk about in the coming weeks. We will hold an open day / workshop as soon as we are able to secure a model for demonstration, so watch this space.