Sony FX3 Review (+ comparison to Sony a7S III)

The Sony FX3 cinema camera is basically a Sony a7S III in a cinema-oriented body. We'll show you how it works and tell you how it compares to the a7S III.
Watch our related reviews:
Sony a7S III: • Sony a7S III Review: B...
Sony FX6: • Sony FX6 Review - How ...
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[@Richards84]

For real, this video really brought out your eyes in a pleasing way. Take that for whatever it's worth.

[@killerskincanoe]

glad i wasn't the only one who felt that way strongly enough to come down to the comments!

[@rw3452]

This is the best and probably least fan boy review I’ve seen. Thanks for the high quality review.

[@petermclennan6781]

DPRTV presentations continue to increase in production value and information content. Good on ya, boys!

[@JWS1968]

Something I really liked about this camera and would love to see on more cameras at all levels moving forward are the in camera mounting points. No more cages. Great idea.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Really outstanding review! Dripping with insights and helpful information. Thanks so much! 💛🙏🏼

[@ignorance_is_strenght]

Love the high ISO comparison. Thanks guys!

[@moonvic]

I got the FX3 and am super happy with it, ideal for gimbal work and also tripod use with audio inputs, in my case

[@KoenSpaansen]

Honest review Jordan, lets go for the A1!

[@mousse4444]

Loved the way you framed and composed this video.

[@Martincyborg]

Yes!

[@niccollsvideo]

Well thank you! I tried to make him look good, and get some interesting areas around him to compose with.

[@JenniferKlinger]

@@niccollsvideo mission accomplished!

[@surrogatemarker]

All being equal. I think I prefer the Sony over the S1H in the past few videos but they are very close. However, I don’t know what impacts your workflow may have had when working with the Sony footage.. I’m only seeing the final results.. it may be interesting for you to talk about post workflow issues and differences between the Sony and Panasonic platforms in producing the final results.

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

I’d love to hear this as well, and ease of use in the field. I have both Sony and Panasonic and I find Panasonic so much easier to use that I end up getting better results usually.

[@BikeShopGirl]

I would also love to talk about workflow too. Not enough folks talk about this

[@WhaikoreroRaps]

I would love this as well

[@maaaps]

Don't know about the Panasonic, but I really thought the past couple episodes shot on the FX3 looked better than the ones shot on the Pentax K-01. Could just be me though.

[@thatjordandrake]

Interesting point...

[@DarqueSoul]

any chance we can get a comparison of the FX3 and Canon C70?

[@keithdennis5085]

I really appreciated this review!

[@akoraymission9907]

What software did you use for ISO and WB adjustment in post production? Does this apply to A7S III with Atamos V as well? Thanks.

[@RondellKB]

Great review!

[@andylawn9521]

Great content as usual.

[@nikinik7503]

No complains for the video quality Jordan. This camera got this filmic look, not too saturated, especially outdoor scenes are great.Big thumbs up.I am still Olymposonic fan, but we have to give sony credit,because they rule the sensor world.

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

Finally someone points out the importance of the EVF. I always use the EVF to record in sunlight - which is why I think the A7Siii is better for me out of the two. Plus it can take great photos - sure 12mp but that’s good enough in a lot of circumstances. EVF helps there too. Thanks Jordan!!

[@KPGuitarStudios]

Abandoning the GH5 so soon? :P Really appreciate the Podcast relase! XC60 recording studio is back! Was the image a little flat on this? S1H for the win in this comparison

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

@@KPGuitarStudios Haha. You know the only way I abandon the GH5 is for the GH6!! But you know I wanna buy every camera on the market too 🤣

[@KPGuitarStudios]

@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis Does your lovely wife know that you want to buy them all? :P I'm seriously considering a complete switch to Olympus and ditching all Pannyboys. They're not quite tweaked for video the same way but damn, straight out of camera is more than good enough. Zero editing is good and actually possible. Oh, did I mention working AF?

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

@@KPGuitarStudios dude, you should go for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. It has amazing stabilization, great out of camera colours, and they added phase detect autofocus. If you like micro 4/3 and you’re not looking for 10-bit - the thing is a dream. Plus the Mark I is a steal at the price.

[@ziginox]

If only Sony had given a detachable EVF of some sort, like the FDA-EV1S for the old NEX-5R and 5N...

[@austintbrayton]

When recording with multiple audio inputs, is there an option to record audio as separate stems to mix individual tracks in post?

[@JamesBenet]

Excellent exposition of the differences and capabilities. It is a shame that in 2021 we still have low res mushy line skipped 240fps 1080p video in cameras of this caliber. When will that change?

[@NORWAYORNOWAY]

Jordan is nailing it with composition these days!

[@thomas280663]

Hey, which camera would you prefer, Canon EOS R5 oder Sony A7Siii, for video?

[@BonaventureHope]

Another great video. Thanks.

[@seanhdr4k629]

I've thumbed up this video. I want to see more on 16 bit HDMI video output quality when recorded on Ninja V. I have a Nikon Z6 and it does 12 bit output. Will it be ok if there will be a separate video on this topic, please?

[@patrickchase5614]

Ahahahah love the EOS 3 at 7:20. I loved that camera, though the eye AF was never truly accurate for me. I ended up upgrading to EOS 1vs. It will be interesting to see how they can do in the R3 by training an ML model with images of the user's eye looking at each point, and then coupling that with scene recognition to refine the detection by "nudging" low-confidence estimates to significant scene features like people (at least that's how I would go about improving eye AF with more modern technology, as a software engineer with an imaging background).

[@108u9]

@DP Review 8:24 is this to demonstrate the colour balance and overexposure recovery of the ProRes RAW? Seems very blue and overexposed in the before correction sample shot

[@thatjordandrake]

Exactly. This is a pretty dramatic example of how much you can correct footage using ProRes Raw.

[@oneonlyxram]

This is a tough choice, I do "run and gun" vlogs some times, but I usually do more stationary reviews of cars, motorcycles, etc. I used the a7siii before and loved it, I do like the view finder for stills. I know you mentioned that it is tough not having that view finder for stills, but does the fx3 still take great photos?

[@GermanViking]

Even the oldie Panasonic Gh5 comes with some more convinient features, they are just making the same mistakes as Canon reserving stuff they could perfectly fit in for no reason.

[@jimkozmik]

Hi jim from canada..great job on reviews..iam in the market for new underwater camera 4..8k..shoot superwide..with lights..what is the best camera..zcam 6k...sony a1..ax3..sih..tks ...koz

[@jaimealmeida1271]

I’m happy to know that my A7siii was the best choice.thank you for the review excelente compose position camera.

[@jameiswilson9473]

DPRTV is the best camera review channel on YT. Thanks guys!

[@zagorcuk1966]

I think Gerald Undone is slightly better and even more thorough.

[@samireivinen]

Thanks for a great video. I would love to see these compared to Sony A1. A1 color seems so much better, would love to hear you guys thoughts about it compared to FX 3.

[@ahojahojish]

Hello, how does this camera compare to my lumix gx85? I feel like its very close between the two. I dont know if I could justify spending the money on fx3 considering I already have a beast of a cinema camera in my gx85

[@FreshWaterLake]

What software is being used at 8:10 ?

[@melodymatters]

Cool overall review. My only real gripe is that I don't consider 12800 to be a genuinely "low light" ISO these days, given current camera tech and software. I have a Sony A7S II that I regularly shoot at a minimal of 51200 ISO, for both video and stills, for small venue concert footage (well, pre-pandemic). And I use an AI-based editor for the stills to great effect. Your S1H footage has been nice, but I don't it see it being better than that of the FX3. The current price for the S1H seems about midway between that of the FX3 and A7S III, which is a really tough spot to be for a camera that only approximately matches the image quality of the Sonys in the lower ISOs, but is way behind in other areas, especially focusing,

[@joseacarrasm]

Does the camera includes an integrated ND filter?

[@Fineartfilm]

i wish there was preroll/ cache record option available in this being a cinema oriented body..

[@amir1343]

Hello, Thanks for your video I Bought a pentax 645z two years ago and a I take picture and Video by this pentax model Can you give me your thoughts on selling pentax 645z and i then buy a sony FX3?

[@toneproductions1]

Is the Moire on your shirt actually in the footage or is it compression?

[@DutchUltra]

You guys really know your stuff!

[@davidaltizer]

Great video!! Didn’t notice much of a difference between FX3 vs S1H! The overall shooting experience shouldn’t be overlooked though! I’m sure you enjoy actually shooting with the S1H more than the FX3

[@dudemanismadcool]

Both get outclassed by the Pentax

[@Ohadberry]

DPReview TV I love your videos! very informative (and fun of course). I would simply love if you could do a video explaining the basics to understanding all of the technical terms and subjects discussed in a lot of your videos: Rolling shutter LUT LOG Profile OverSampling\Pixel Binning I consider myself quite a technical person, having studied electrical engineering in the university and still don't fully understand these concepts. Those are just the ones that I'm struggling with I'm sure there are other terms other people struggle with as well. Just an idea! Anyway keep up the good work! Love it! I always have a surge of excitement seeing a new video uploaded.

[@BarefootMediaTV]

shutter angle and having the xlr adapter under the handle and a hotshoe on top of it for an external monitor would have made a huge difference for this camera.

[@debanjanliverpool]

Jordan all the way ... great video 📹

[@DutchUltra]

Wait why is oversampled image not good? I'm considering buying the zv-e10 which obviously has the oversampled 4k... is that bad?

[@mvabiv]

Anybody know if this camera does unlimited recording and doesn’t tap out at the 29:59 minute mark?

[@nivlatour1523]

Can we use it as still camera?

[@chriskingcreative]

I was very surprised that I really loved this video quality compared to the SH you usually shoot with, the framing was beautiful, colours were REALLY good and I love the contrast from the camera. I have to say that I preferred this image. It was also a tiny bit sharper then the Panasonic's image you've been using. Jordan would you ever consider doing some reviews of used older cinema cameras for us? I would love some C100, or Sony F3 action, looking back at value and quality! THanks so much!

[@magnus547]

Thank you Jordan for this review. I value your perspective very much!

[@HazardSports]

Great Review! Clears up a lot of hype and boils it down to apples vs apples!

[@duaneadam]

Something I haven't seen discussed is the FX3 has 24 bit audio. In reviewing the specs on the Sony website, it appears the A7S has 16 bit audio unless you add the XLR shoe. For those that value audio quality the FX3 is a better choice.

[@caseyandtim]

What is the reigning low light sub-$4k?

[@cars291]

The results from you Panasonic keep on impressing me. The Sony Results seem excellent but do not leave the same impression .

[@cbflazaro]

im going with the fx3 for 4 reasons: 1: the included handle allow me to connect 2 "wireless go II" and have all 4 lapels i use at weddings connected to 1 camera, saving me on sync'ing etc. 2: all the buttons and default controls are more in tune for video 3: tally lights 4: more mounting points. which means no need for cages. Bonus for it looking more like a video camera. doesnt really bother me, but maybe is more likely to shut up those telling me to get a "video camera"

[@davidsanchez1]

yes, I am agree with you but I don't understand why sony says that it is in the cinema line.

[@cbflazaro]

@@davidsanchez1 because doing so makes it sell more.

[@davidsanchez1]

@@cbflazaro 😂😂 good point, have a good day!

[@ResizeFilms]

The FX3 is a way better camera for professional video work than the a7S III hands down. XLR inputs, active cooling system, mounting points, top handle, tally lights, great updated features. Makes much more sense for any sort of filmmaking.

[@Jordi_RG]

I see no upgrade from the Pentax, I think Jordan should definitely hold to it for now (:

[@seantomlinson3320]

Neat as always even for a device I'll never buy. Fascinating ergonomics choices on this little thing huh?

[@wparo]

This man knows his stuff. I feel stupid watching these videos.

[@Kevlexicon]

I've seen some user reviews complain the fx3, despite it's internal fan, overheats when shooting in warm environs for over 45minutes. would putting the fx3 in a smallrig cage and connecting to a 98wh external battery significantly lessen the possibility of overheating over longer shoots?

[@baqcasanke]

What framerate? I have an fx3 and shoot commercially. Never had it over heat. I think one time i was doing 4k60 for about 45min straight in the NC sun. It gave me a warning. That is all. I regularly shoot wedding outdoors in the sun, 30min straight 4k60 for the ceremony in xavc-s. Never had a heat warning. Some things can change this. Powering via usbc can cause extra heat. Using the h.265 xavc-hs can cause extra heat. 4k120 obviously. But also certain SD cards seem to heat more as well. Also i use the tilta cage. Always. So maybe that does help idk. ✌️

[@Kevlexicon]

@@baqcasanke ah, thanks for the response, man. yeh, sorry was jus p-noid spending the $, comparin options. yehmon, spoke w a rep that said its a rare problem only heard of when shooting rly hot outdoors at high framerates. seems like ur having good experiences w it, nice! ended up buyin n testing a unit. fx3 def can handle 1hr at 4k 24p etc i mostly shoot at. seems to work fine powered by external battery. overall seems a solid camera, but will have to test it more. but yurr, nice to have somethin current to shoot w. thanks again for sharing ur user experience!

[@lassegrimmelt3336]

Nice video

[@skymakai]

Wait what, ProRes raw now supports WB adjustment? Same on the A7s3? EDIT: Just checked... It does not work on the A7s3. I hope Atomos and Sony add this!

[@lukedebeer1354]

loved this slightly over the s1 - but it often depends on which optics u shoot I guess. So what did u just use here on the FX3?

[@ishfaq2634]

Let's hope FX3 will get an Firmware update 2.0 with A7IV features, like A7SIII got an FX3 (S-Cinetone) update as 2.0. It'll make FX3 a step above A7SIII.

[@jaegerschtulmann]

The problem with the noise reduction on the Panasonic is that your color shifts, whereas the fx3 retains color fidelity.

[@duckyTV]

you can control noise reduction and record cinema 4k via Ninja V on a7siii the same way you can on FX3

[@GlassfilmWeddings]

patiently waiting for you guys to call me for my fx3!!!

[@GlassfilmWeddings]

Got it! I just wish they put a built in ND!

[@AllThingsFilm1]

I'm seriously looking at the FX3 as my next cinema camera, especially for the autofocus and low light performance. A lot of the issues you mentioned in this video really aren't a factor for me. I mostly depend on external monitors for filming regardless of what camera I'm using. The other camera I'm looking at is the Canon C70, especially for the built in NDs, etc. I currently own the BMPCC4K, so the P6K Pro is also an option for me. But, I really want a camera that has good autofocus, which I think is important especially for indie/low budget filmmakers like myself. What keeps pulling me back to the FX3 is the full sized XLR inputs. Which I think is huge for filmmaking in general. Great review, as always. Thanks for your insights.

[@bccreativeproductions9767]

All Things Film, Im totally in the same boat as you. C70 was the one I wanted. Small mirrorless is a pain with audio, nice to just plug in your mics and go without external accessories.Built in ND's is also a win. The FX6 is a fantastic choice if you shoot for agencies as they want all the external connections etc, but now during Covid I don't want to overspend and the image coming from this FX3 is sublime. The handle with XLR's is a Godsend in my opinion and that unbelievable low light from these sensors is nothing short of incredible. I shoot doccies, corporate and commercials bla bla but, Im really liking this small form factor and that Sony autofocus is astounding. Unlimited recording is a total bonus. You can't really go wrong with any camera nowadays, but for run and gun the FX3 seems terrific. Here in South Africa, our currency certainly wins no awards :) so I have to go with bang for buck. Its hot here in summer, so the FX3 with the fan and longer recording times should compel me more to go with this option.

[@Donbros]

I bought A7SIII literally just for viewfinder and it was like 500 euro cheaper. Imo it is so much better you can get cage to do all other stuff

[@Pfagnan]

That’s exactly what I did. Got the cage, external monitor and nice XLR shotgun mic. Excellent a7Siii run and gun a7Siii unit!!! Oh and I still have an amazing EVF. No boxy FX3 for me….

[@zagorcuk1966]

I think with the S-cinetone this footage looks as good as that of Panasonic. With the added AF functionality...it's a no-brainer. On some parts the highlights looked over exposed....my guess is that's an user error. You mentioned the difference between FX6 and the FX3 and pinted out that the only difference is "switching off the NR" and the DCI 4K. You forgot the variable ND on the FX6. That's what you pay for. Downside of the FX6 is that you cannot use it for taking pictures. Considering the features, prices, pro's and cons of F3/A7S3/FX6 I still think that Sony should give us DCI 4K in the FX3 via firmware.

[@RichardsWorld]

Even though I am a Sony guy, and proud owner of the A7S III and A1. I think like the way your videos look with the Panasonic S1H better. Maybe its because you guys have more experience with the Panasonic.

[@tek_soup]

Did you mean, the LCD is not as good as the as7iii? Thanks

[@GodsofTaiwan]

Its the same LCD

[@minarimon3106]

Is it better than fx6 in low light conditions??

[@Yupthereitism]

It’s the same

[@willvazquez3218]

The FX3 renders a prettier image than the A7SIII. I own both cameras and I can confirm that the colors are richer and the highlight rolloff is smoother. There's a little magic fairy dust that Sony sprinkled on the FX3. Is it major compared to the A7SIII? No, it's maybe 10% prettier. But isn't that the difference between an Alexa and a Sony? It's all in the subtleties.

[@2424rocket]

If you know how to use da Vinci resolve… You can make the image look anyway, you want to.

[@Ihavegumgum]

S1h still preferable. Best of the best

[@Newbster312]

Jordan in a new jacket 😲

[@Aman_Mondal]

Huge question for Jordon have you noticed that the Sony A7SIII has a bit of warmer yellow look only for the skin tones which is also present on the FX3 but is not present on the FX6 which personally looks better I am talking about identical situations and colour grading there this might be a Sensor difference or colour gamut thing or something but should people be aware about this I saw something similar happening on Potato Jet's Channel

[@jamescook5931]

I'm sure Steven Spielberg can't wait to get his hands on the Fx3. The image quality and specs are going to make him a world-famous director one day!!

[@haploguy]

The S1H or rather the lenses have some sort of magical 3d pop effect. Sony has the AF and low light but Panasonic just looks more cinema-y even with the hunting.

[@michaelscott1778]

So Jordan reviews this camera and says hardly anything about the zoom. This feature is rare or am I wrong ?

[@R44Flight]

A kind of Narcissistic oriented review. Why all the sarcasm? I friggin love the camera. I love the handle mount with all the audio capability built in. It handles audio better than other more expensive gear we have. Its also a hybrid, a still camera with enhanced video capability. 24 MP full frame, great low light, great dynamic range, easy menu system. Doesn’t just feel like another same old same old. Fun actually. If this reviewer was a jet pilot he wouldn’t be flying a lot of the newer stuff because of the Paradigm shifts in what manufacturers think is best ergonomics and most effective interface, even from year to year. The power switch is just NOT in the same place on different aircraft, neither is the autopilot button, etc….. so each aircraft must be flown enough until it is second nature. everything has plus and minuses. Taking a new camera for a weekend of shots does not familiarity make. Finally, plus and minuses might be true for him but not for others. As a studio video platform on a tripod, the button layout is good as i spent most of my time behind the camera and the autofocus and tracking is so good i am not really touching much up front. For me the screen is a plus and a minus. In studio great in bright sun he is correct so I am looking for an external monitor, which btw, we also use on the big Sony XDCAM PXW-FS7. I love using the handle for walking around doing stills rather than a strap and being able to use it as a make short gimble for a still or short video.

[@DarkPa1adin]

still waiting for Fuji aps-c video centric MILC with unlimited record time. also Panasonic S5mk2 (hope it will be a real FF successor to the GH5 with full-size hdmi)

[@Aviciiz]

S5mk2 won't be a thing. First of they never name there models with a mk2/3 and the S5 is just released so you gotta wait for a few more years.

[@xWood4000]

I don't understand why it doesn't have true 24p or DCI, it's should be a cinema camera. Or I know why, it's an internal a7s iii but still annoying

[@mauibuilder1239]

A removable, TILTABLE EVF would make the FX3 amazing even though it would require alternative microphone options 🤔

[@snowwalker9999]

You could always get a screen viewfinder. I know it adds to the size and the weight but a camera cinema rig is going to be bulky anyway.

[@AMomentInTimeProductions]

This review is really old there, They have fixed some of the issues you talked about. you can now put a ton of your own custom LUTS in there now that is one of them.. You should update this review because the time you reviewed this camera until now it has changed quite a bit

[@salmanul_fares]

You could have shot low light at the second native iso at 12800? it's dual gain right, like the A7S3?!

[@dpreview]

12800 is the second gain step when shooting S-Log 2 or 3. The high ISO test was done using S-Cinetone, where the second gain step is 2000 ISO, so we were well past that.

[@nathanaeldavenport2251]

In answer to your question, I didn't realize you had used the FX3 for the last three episodes until you said something. Which is to say - nothing about the footage stuck out to me as being better or worse than the S1H.

[@dudemanismadcool]

Both were noticeably worse than the Pentax

[@SovietLensReviews]

It's a bit of a shame how the FX3 does have a screen from a gameboy on it. If they'd done something impressive there like OLED-ized it, could've been a camera for the ages.

[@Eforbesy31]

Can we get a Canon C70 review?

[@lukerabin5079]

Yeah. Right. Obviously a seasoned professional response.

[@aslanyureky]

everyone says sensors are same without making a real dynamic range test. well there is huge difference between FX6 and fx3/a7s3 for those who care about latitude.

[@navpreetsingh8156]

There is very little reason to buy this over the A7S which is currently £400 cheaper, it's the exact same camera with a different body but without EVF, still got a dreadful screen

[@Pfagnan]

Exactly!!

[@joshmartonosi5624]

Jordan would be a staring contest champion. Does he ever blink?

[@gabefernandez1]

The A7S iii has unlimited record time. Right?

[@artistjoh]

The S1H is the better camera but for me that means buying into L mount glass, and I already have Sony FE lenses, so for me, the GH5S/G9 remains my primary mirrorless shooter with the Sony A7S II for low light, and I will supplement that with the FX3 when I save enough to get it. However, my favorite video cameras are still camcorders, and the JVC LS300 is my favorite, but I also love the Panasonic DVX-200. After a few years of regular needing to upgrade because video improvements were significant, we have entered a time where the current cameras good enough to not needing to upgrade for many years. We are in a paradise of good choices, and I am loving it.

[@nirro6]

I prefer the Sony. It’s a noticeable difference in the AF comparing the 2.

[@3VAudioVideo]

EOS 3 ;)

[@JestaultSteinkeKachuik]

davinci does pro res raw these days for anyone watching in 2022 onward.

[@gimiked8685]

I'm sticking with the R3 for a while. It's not broke so why fix it. Thing is amazing still. New stuff looks awesome! Good to know Sony is working on things we can use.

[@MrTaco-ei5hl]

Use a little Force and - smash the sony Fx3 and the Panasonic S1H together Wallah!! The perfect camera!

[@alb1rdy547]

Wuuuu what up notification gang! Still not forgiven you for the lord of the rings thing Jordan