Sony FX30 Announced With APS-C Sensor

Sony has announced a new addition to their Cinema Line – the Sony FX30 (ILME-FX30).

Alongside the FX30 Sony also announced two new high capacity CFexpress Type A Memory Cards, the CEA-G320T (320GB) and the CEA-G640T (640GB).

The FX30 body only will cost $1,798 in the US, £2,499 in the UK and €2,300 in Europe. For around $400 more there’s also a bundle available with the XLR adapter/top handle.

Preorders have already started in Europe and will start in the US at 10pm ET, Wed Sep 28. First shipments are expected in October 2022.

Check Price & Reviews: Sony FX30

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The FX30 is a 4K Super 35 compact cinema camera that offers many professional features of the Cinema Line, such as Dual Base ISO, Log shooting modes, and user-imported LUTs (Look Up Tables) at a price point that is a little more affordable for aspiring filmmakers.

The FX30 features a 26MP APS-C backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that is capable of capturing oversampled 4K (from 6K) at up to 60p and 4K/120p video with a 1.62x crop.

Video can be captured in 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 in either H.265 or H.264 AVC files or output as ’16-bit’ Raw video to an Atomos Ninja V+ external recorder.

Both mechanical (optical in-body 5-axis) and digital image stabilization are included and it’s also possible to use Sony’s Catalyst desktop software to better digitally stabilize video footage using the gyro metadata embedded in the video files.

The FX30 also features Sony’s Focus Map which makes it easy to visualise depth of field and also ‘Breathing Compensation’(with compatible lenses) that corrects for the phenomenon in which the angle of view changes according to the focusing distance during movie recording. This can also be added in post using Sony’s Catalyst software.

Like with the FX3, the FX30 offers Sony’s Cine EI (Exposure Index) modes for Log shooting, including an ‘Easy EI’ mode for those who want to make the most of the dual conversion gain sensor design with minimal input.

The FX30 features Sony’s fast and reliable autofocus, with settings including:

Real-time Eye AF (human, animal, or bird)
Real-time Tracking
Detailed AF settings
AF Assist

The FX30 is pretty much identical to the FX3 when looking at the camera. All of the buttons are in the same place and apart from the ‘FX30’ branding and APS-C sized sensor behind the lens mount, you’d be hard pushed to tell them apart.

The FX30 also uses the Sony NP-FZ100 battery found in many other Sony Alpha camera bodies, you can also power the FX30 via USB-C.

The FX30 is equipped with two memory card slots that are compatible with both CFexpress Type A cards and SDXC/SDHC cards.