In November, I shot during one month a documentary for Vice News aboard a rescue boat that saves people in the Mediterranean Sea. I was the sole shooter and I used a7sIII 95% of the time. I also had a Canon 200 but I only used it for sit down interviews. The a7sIII was really better than the c200 (for me at least) for this kind of run and gun situations (extreme low light, fast rubber boats with big waves, chaotic rescue situations...). The AF was even usable despite the Metabones and Canon glass. That all said, I wish the a7sIII was more video oriented, and I am now therefore considering buying the FX3 for myself. I like the design better and of course the included XLR module, although I can't explain why they did not make it detachable to give the option to use directly on the camera without the handle. Also, something you did not mention Mark, is that the FX3 has a mini jack input in case you want to strip down the camera to it's bare minimum. ( This mini jack, is strangely not available on the FX6 if I'm not wrong.... ) When I was on the speed rescue boat for example, I used the Seinnheiser MK-400 which could eventually be considered as "not professional".. (whatever that means) but hey, this was almost a war situation, with people in distress, drowning etc,... This hasn't hindered me to make a film that has now almost 900K views on the Vice News RUclips channel. Lack of ND's is indeed always drawback, but because of the harsh conditions aboard the ship, I valued more the form factor of the a7sIII and the image stabilisation over the commodity of the ND's on the c200. I became a master of adjusting the circular VND with the top of my finger while shooting and I ended up missing more waveforms or false color than internal ND's. Ironically, much older and cheaper cameras like the GH5 or the more recent S5 have better ergonomics for video. Why no waveform / vectorscope displays nor shutter angle on the FX3?? Something already implemented on the GH4! It's so frustrating to see a 2021 camera marketed as "cine line" without these basic features that only depends from software… False color would also be super handy. Hopefully, it will come in a firmware upgrade. Long story short, this camera is definitely not only about image quality but mainly about ergonomics. I love your channel and content, but just now, as potential FX3 buyer, I wish you had focused a bit on the usability of the camera as it's been quite clear for everyone that the image quality is basically equal to the a7sIII. Would love to know more about your set up / rig with the SmallHD monitor attached to the top handle, as this is a definitely another differentiating point of this camera (lack of EVF, but handle included and build in mounting points.). It looks really handy with the screen is centered / in line with the lens, and doesn't seem to hinder the use of the handle itself. Would be great to see how the camera feels when you shoot with it, with this form factor.. how you can quickly switch to slo mo compared to the -apparently awkward- experience of the FX9,… How do you compensate the absence of C1, c2 c3 buttons of the a7sIII. Anyway... I thought I could share my experience here after a long and harsh shoot on a a7sIII and as potential buyer of the FX3. Because, yes, despite my feeling of being ripped off by Sony that did not include Waveform / True color / Shutter angle and 24p.. I still consider buying it over the a7siii... :) Keep up the great content as always.
@Superjeanmarc Great work on the vice piece man. I'm curious what you ended up going with? I shoot a lot of run and gun doc as well and I was looking at the fx3, a7siii or c70 since the fx6 is no where to be found haha
@@lukecatena7567 Thanks for your comment Luke. I ended up with the FX3, and I have to say that I do not regret it at all. It might seems like nothing but the video specific features of the body, like the second record button in the front, tally lights, and of course the XLR handle makes a huge difference. There is one accessory you HAVE to buy though which is the Smallrig handle extension ( MD3490 ) that improves infinitely the grip and functionally of the system, adding a NATO rail at the top where I attach my monitor. I personally wouldn't go for the C70, despite it being an excellent camera, because I'm not a fan of the current lens ecosystem of Canon that mixes EF and RF.. I hate adapters and find it just adds confusion when buying lenses. The E-mount lens choice is just amazing. Also, I bought the a7IV as still camera, that can also serve as b-cam for interviews. For me, the really big downside of the FX3 remains the lack of internal ND's.. And in that area, the variable progressive ND of the FX6 is unbeatable ... Maybe one day .. :) Hope it helps!
@@Superjeanmarc Thanks for the detailed response! Do you find yourself missing the EVF of the a7siii? I want to stay away from the A7IV because of everything I've heard from overheating problems. Also, do you have any more doc work online shot on the fx3? would love to check it out!
Exactly! The FX3 is an absolute beast of a camera for indie filmmakers. XLR inputs, active cooling system, mounting points, top handle included, 10-bit internal and 16-bit RAW video output. Much more suitable and reliable for professional video work than the a7S III that’s for sure. Great review Mark, always a pleasure! 👌🏽 Greetings
Mark, I have to say that you are, without a doubt, my favourite YT follow when it comes to cinematography/camera stuff. "Specs don't matter, what you're shooting matters." 100% bang on! This goes right in line with one of my other favourite quotes from you; "don't shoot to find stuff, find stuff to shoot". Keep up the great work!
Honestly one of the most unbiased and packed with knowledge cinema camera reviews I've ever saw, thank you very much. I'm a designer crossing over to content creation.
Depends on what camera the LUT is based on. If the LUT was created from the Fx-9 then the fx-6 and fx-3 will look magenta as the fx-9 has a noticeable green tint to it’s original image out of the box. I suspect this is what has happened in this example. If you create the LUT from the image output of the fx-3 then the other two cameras would both look green with the fx-9 the worst.
@@kazlepek6552 the FX-9 has the best resolution of all these cameras even if they are all set to the same settings. The FX-9’s sensors resolution is almost twice that of the Fx-6 and if you weren’t looking at a compressed RUclips version of this observation you could instantly tell which footage was shot on what camera just from the extra details in the FX-9 footage. FYI, I believe that in the latest firmware update for the Fx-9 some colour adjustments have been done to reduce the green mentioned in my original post.
The fact that the FX3 looked practically identical to the FX9 once you color graded and matched them up is crazy to me. This should go to show that “cheap” cameras aren’t much more different compared to the higher-end ones when you put them in the right hands. If someone wants to solve the sharpness issue, you can simply slap on a diffusion filter and you’ve got a softer look similar to the FX9. If I had the budget, I would get the FX6 just because it’s not too big and not too small and I like how “big budget” the body feels + ND filters. However, I have the FX3 and I LOVE this thing. This has an image quality way above its league and the size + features are just icing on the cake. It’s a cinematic, tiny masterpiece with really great photography capabilities that I use for professional, paid work.
You may not be able to see it on youtube, but the FX9 sensor definitely produces the best image ( I shoot on the FX6) - the FX6/3 sensor is very good, but the FX6 processing looks a tad better .. that accounts for the digital sharpening happening in the 3. It’s nuanced but the difference is there, and if you can’t tell the difference after working with all three and you don’t need the ND or form factor save some money by going with the FX3
Mark. I’m a massive fan. I’ve been doing video Production for companies for 6 years now, but it only became a passion in the last year. I’ve watched every video of yours (on this channel). I love your work and I learn everything I can from your videos. Legit. Thank you.
Venice and Venice2 has been getting a lot of love in the film world. My experience with it has been positive , studios love the color science of the Sony CineAlta line
Thank You Mark for your in-depth review. I was looking at either the FX-3 or the FX-6; however, since I shoot more video than stills (I need the SDI connection), the size, ND filters, and Timecode option, makes the FX-6 the camera I will purchase in the near future.😃
It’s a truly brilliant camera! It’s incredible how much of a package it is in such a compact form factor. Powerful and reliable for professional video work, Sony really nailed it on this one! Great review Mark, best one on RUclips by far as usual. Your short film really shows how good the FX3 is, outstanding job! Cheers
It's becoming more evident to me that Sony positioned the FX9 as a broadcast workhorse with a bunch of features that I'll most likely never use like genlock and the ability to shoot interlaced. It's also the only of the three which can shoot s35. From the side-by-side comparisons (love those) it looks like saturation decreases left to right from the FX3 having the most to the FX9. I still think the FX9 looks the best 😊
@@benellis9866 I've been shooting on the FX6 for almost 2 months and the menu says 'scan mode' with 2 options, Full Frame or S35. I don't know what else that could mean. Switching to S35 makes you lose the option of shooting in 4K tho
@@benellis9866 The FX6 and FX3 most certainly do have an S35 shooting mode, but only for 1080p. I'm sure what you meant to say was that the FX9 was the only one that could record 4k in S35, which is true.
Using your own LUT adds a variable to this that kinda defeats the purpose of the initial comparison. If ANYTHING, not including the initial conversion to a normal gamma curve and colour space, is being adjusted on a curve than anything that is different from the camera you designed the LUT for will then be pushed even farther away from the "baseline". The best way to compare is shooting SLog-3 in all of them and using a colour space transform in Resolve, ACES, or the official LUTs from Sony.
For value for money it's hard to look past... the A7Siii. It's literally the same as the FX3 plus an EVF for less than the FX3. Love Mark's reviews; even though he's a little snobby about mirrorless cameras. I'm beginning to think Sony created the FX3 just to trick him into using a mirrorless camera ;) Good work Sony; he lapped it up. (Joking aside-love Mark's work)
Haha. Tongue in cheek about mirrorless cameras. I cannot use them for my work but they create lots of amazing work!’ Thanks for the comment and the love man! Keep crushing it
I feel like a kid entering a candy shop! form the 3 images at the beginning I prefer the fx9 one! Amazing camera. My favourite tough is the fx6, the more time passes the more I love it even though I just got the bmpcc 6k pro cause I couldn't afford the fx6, but they, one day in the new future! Thanks Mark and I will definitely check your IG thing! Cheers
Hi Mark Love your films… I use the FX3 with a tentacle sync box plugged into one of the 4 audio inputs which means ingesting files through the tentacle studio software but given the size advantages over other 10bit cameras I am loving it… VariND and black 1/8th promist rounds off my setup … I mostly shoot veritè so I pretty much use the G 24-105 F4 and sometimes a 35 50 or 85 prime for setup interviews etc….
Won't be getting any of these cameras more than likely anytime soon but enjoyed seeing all the comparisons! Eventually by the time I upgrade my a7iii, i'll either go with a7siii or maybe the fx3 if I see myself making more proper "cinema" films to use all the extra features.
So… If I was ever on the fence, you moved the needle. The FX3 is for me. At least until I can afford the FX6. The n that will take over as my A-Camera.
The FX3 isn't the obvious choice over the A7SIII if you're a filmmaker. That's a bit lazy of you to say that. With the A7SIII, you can buy the K3M module and have the same audio as the FX3. A7SIII has a viewfinder and some Filmmakers use it. It's a great way to get stable shots as well i.e. putting the camera up to your face. FX3 has tally lights, that might be significant if you're in front of the camera. The holes in the body of the FX3 is no substitute for a cage, which gives you far more versatility. In summary, it depends on what features you value more as a filmmaker and offcourse there's price.
FX9 has the most "natural" look in my opinion. It is more nuanced colour separation, it looks like they've worked on that colour science quite a bit. The FX3 is flashy, exaggerated, in-your-face (no pun intended), and FX6 is like an in-between. I really like FX9 and the way how smooth everything looks and very subtle tone distinctions. Great camera, I wish I had it.
The problem though is that as soon as this debate is settled Sony will come out with the FX1 that will have 6K slow motion, internal RAW, a bazillion stops of dynamic range and cost only 1500 bucks. It's a bit daunting buying any new camera these days because it's likely the next one released just a month later will make you look like a dickhead for buying the one you did.
Just discovered your channel… Never saw you before… You pushed me over to buying the FX3… I’d still rather have the Komodo X… But that’s above my price range. What cage and what monitor would you recommend for the FX 3. And I like how you get right to the point… We don’t have to watch you get coffee and we don’t have to listen to rock music in the background. Thanks
If the FX6 has the same sensor as the FX3, I assume the low light performance is the same? You didn't mention the FX6 at all in the low light performance section. Just wondering.
Mark (11 months ago): fx9 is the most versatile camera! Mark (4 months ago): fx9 is trash, so many menus Mark (today): I think a good iphone would beat the fx9...
Great review! Really beautiful shots man! I had a couple thoughts. 1:37 That looks like in camera sharpening which can be turned down 2:30 Applying the same lut to different cameras will always make some look good and others look bad. Use a better lut made specifically for the fx3's color rendering and I'm sure the color difference would be negligible
Sony is always releasing hey. Anyways, I like the music videos you shoot. What do you think about the Blackmagic Pocket 6k? How is the Sony A7S 3 ... Dope or Nah?
Buy yourself a field recorder like a zoom h5 and there you have two condenser mics and up to 4 XLR ins and go with the 3,5 mm Stereo output into the input of the camera. Looks the same, does the same.
You talked about the X3 full frame sensor acting like it was the obvious choice over the A7Siii because it is full frame. Um..the A7Sii is also full frame. It uses the very same sensor as the FX3 and FX6. The FX3 gains you a slightly more rugged housing, The A&Siii gains you an eyecup, so you can use your camera in the bright light of day, with an eyepiece. Honestly, I think that's biggest difference.
if, as all the influencers claim, the fx3 is just an a7siii in disguise then why are they so adamant that i should stick with the a7s3 if i still take stills (insert italics here)? price? viewfinder? why isn't anyone elaborating here?
Is it just me, or when Mark was holding the Polar Pro Variable ND filter (P.M. Edition), he starts to look so much like Peter McKinnon, I forget who I'm watching... 😄
I'm loving everything on this update, except for if you shoot in any of the log formats (flexible, cine ie, cine quick) you can't do 4k hdmi output, only 1080. So if you want to shoot in a quality higher than 4KAVC-I externally on a Ninja recorder, you have to disable log, and just choose slog 3 in the picture profiles.
Hi thanks for the great video. Have just found out the same results as you that FX3 squeezes more in black than FX6 with the same lut (why?). Tried to adjust the s-log 3 settings in FX3 where we adjust Black gamma to medium +4 then the curves on the two cameras look more similar. Has anyone else done such tests? And you say that FX3 and FX6 have the same sensor but I have heard that it is not true, and it’s seems strange when one lut behaves different… so what is it that is correct?
Did you do anything to minimize flickering from the fluorescent lights in the slowmo footage in the boxing video? Cause it looks so much better then when I’ve tried filming slowmo with my a7iii.
8:40. Hey Mark, quick question: Are you sure? A7S III and FX3 are the same camera with same sensor, with same low-light and ISO Performance. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thank you!
Comparing colour through a LUT seems like the a very easy way of making anything you didn't make the LUT for look terrible. I'd say just add contrast and saturation and see what the differences are. Some would like the FX3 over the FX9, but this test makes that evaluation impossible. The LUT itself is also way too intense, even with the FX9, not very useful as a gage of colour.
Do you think it would make a smart decision as an all-be-all content creation camera and gateway drug into the cinema camera system? I've got an a7 III and was waiting for the a7s III for so long... now this comes along and throws a spanner in the works...
luv your luts mark. hey maybe you can update your lut for it to work with fx3 and a7siii. tweaked down the saturation or shifting the colours a little bit
Not trying to bring the a7Siii vs FX3 argument to the table but "so if you're a still shooter buy the a7Siii, but if you're a film maker and you wanna make videos I would say hands down go with the FX3" comment they both have the same sensor and look the exact same on film specs and all... I understand form function and design but you will literally get the exact same visible results from both cameras. So many out there have highlighted the FX3's benefits with additional cooling or the removal of the viewfinder but outside of small design differences like that you will end up with the same result. Buy the camera that fits you best between the two but they are the same camera!
@11:20 Just a little FYI. Sony`s image stabilization will not work when you are using a lens with stabilization. You have to turn the IS on the lens off for it to work... At least thats how it is with the FX9.
FX9 has much more Teal in the background... seems there is a color balance shift, white balance obviously wasn‘t the same, although you dialed in the same numbers.
When you mentioned Lens stabilization with gyro meta data stabilization at 11:25 from my understanding you can’t use both. It’s one of the other. I at least know this is true on the FX9 paired with the Sony 28-135. But, I’m not sure if it’s true for the FX3 and FX6. I would assume it’s the same.
My guess for the sharpness would be the same reason why the A7SIII also looks sharper than the FX6. Both the A7SIII and FX3 bake in Sharpening and NR regardless of the setting you choose for either. This is super unfortunate and I think it kills the image in comparison. Edit: "Kills" is harsh. It's just unfortunate since this is a purely software implementation.
Contrary to everyones opinion If you shoot external raw on the a7siii/fx3/6 you bypass all of the in-camera NR and sharpening. So if it's critical to someone's workflow to have the most un-processed file you can do it with the external raw, plus you can utilise the entire sensor and shoot 4.2k.
Mark could’ve been the extra sharpness of the FX3 related to the lens you use? Did you use the same lens on the three tests? I have the FX6 and A7SIII I find the footage almost the same but I noticed in your FX9 that thr image has more blue in the mid tones. Again this could be only part of the grading.
@@nickdubesa8068 a7siii does more correction in camera like NR. The FX6 allows you to turn it off. Probably the a7siii applies more sharpening in camera. Both sensors are equal so the image capture should be the same before internal processing happens.
@@GastonShutters thank you for the reply. I really prefer the natural look without sharpening and noise reduction. The fx3/ a7sIII look so good it doesn’t seem like a big deal though
It's also worth mentioning that the FX9 can still shoot in s35 in 4K, so your lens choices are much more abundant than the FX6/3
In November, I shot during one month a documentary for Vice News aboard a rescue boat that saves people in the Mediterranean Sea. I was the sole shooter and I used a7sIII 95% of the time. I also had a Canon 200 but I only used it for sit down interviews.
The a7sIII was really better than the c200 (for me at least) for this kind of run and gun situations (extreme low light, fast rubber boats with big waves, chaotic rescue situations...). The AF was even usable despite the Metabones and Canon glass.
That all said, I wish the a7sIII was more video oriented, and I am now therefore considering buying the FX3 for myself.
I like the design better and of course the included XLR module, although I can't explain why they did not make it detachable to give the option to use directly on the camera without the handle. Also, something you did not mention Mark, is that the FX3 has a mini jack input in case you want to strip down the camera to it's bare minimum. ( This mini jack, is strangely not available on the FX6 if I'm not wrong.... ) When I was on the speed rescue boat for example, I used the Seinnheiser MK-400 which could eventually be considered as "not professional".. (whatever that means) but hey, this was almost a war situation, with people in distress, drowning etc,... This hasn't hindered me to make a film that has now almost 900K views on the Vice News RUclips channel.
Lack of ND's is indeed always drawback, but because of the harsh conditions aboard the ship, I valued more the form factor of the a7sIII and the image stabilisation over the commodity of the ND's on the c200. I became a master of adjusting the circular VND with the top of my finger while shooting and I ended up missing more waveforms or false color than internal ND's.
Ironically, much older and cheaper cameras like the GH5 or the more recent S5 have better ergonomics for video. Why no waveform / vectorscope displays nor shutter angle on the FX3?? Something already implemented on the GH4! It's so frustrating to see a 2021 camera marketed as "cine line" without these basic features that only depends from software… False color would also be super handy. Hopefully, it will come in a firmware upgrade.
Long story short, this camera is definitely not only about image quality but mainly about ergonomics. I love your channel and content, but just now, as potential FX3 buyer, I wish you had focused a bit on the usability of the camera as it's been quite clear for everyone that the image quality is basically equal to the a7sIII.
Would love to know more about your set up / rig with the SmallHD monitor attached to the top handle, as this is a definitely another differentiating point of this camera (lack of EVF, but handle included and build in mounting points.).
It looks really handy with the screen is centered / in line with the lens, and doesn't seem to hinder the use of the handle itself. Would be great to see how the camera feels when you shoot with it, with this form factor.. how you can quickly switch to slo mo compared to the -apparently awkward- experience of the FX9,… How do you compensate the absence of C1, c2 c3 buttons of the a7sIII.
Anyway... I thought I could share my experience here after a long and harsh shoot on a a7sIII and as potential buyer of the FX3. Because, yes, despite my feeling of being ripped off by Sony that did not include Waveform / True color / Shutter angle and 24p.. I still consider buying it over the a7siii... :)
Keep up the great content as always.
Thanks for the input!
@Superjeanmarc Great work on the vice piece man. I'm curious what you ended up going with? I shoot a lot of run and gun doc as well and I was looking at the fx3, a7siii or c70 since the fx6 is no where to be found haha
@LT - Video. Thank you much for your words! For some reason I only see this comment now… :/ Happy to have inspired you!
@@lukecatena7567 Thanks for your comment Luke. I ended up with the FX3, and I have to say that I do not regret it at all. It might seems like nothing but the video specific features of the body, like the second record button in the front, tally lights, and of course the XLR handle makes a huge difference. There is one accessory you HAVE to buy though which is the Smallrig handle extension ( MD3490 ) that improves infinitely the grip and functionally of the system, adding a NATO rail at the top where I attach my monitor. I personally wouldn't go for the C70, despite it being an excellent camera, because I'm not a fan of the current lens ecosystem of Canon that mixes EF and RF.. I hate adapters and find it just adds confusion when buying lenses. The E-mount lens choice is just amazing. Also, I bought the a7IV as still camera, that can also serve as b-cam for interviews. For me, the really big downside of the FX3 remains the lack of internal ND's.. And in that area, the variable progressive ND of the FX6 is unbeatable ... Maybe one day .. :) Hope it helps!
@@Superjeanmarc Thanks for the detailed response! Do you find yourself missing the EVF of the a7siii? I want to stay away from the A7IV because of everything I've heard from overheating problems. Also, do you have any more doc work online shot on the fx3? would love to check it out!
Exactly! The FX3 is an absolute beast of a camera for indie filmmakers.
XLR inputs, active cooling system, mounting points, top handle included, 10-bit internal and 16-bit RAW video output.
Much more suitable and reliable for professional video work than the a7S III that’s for sure.
Great review Mark, always a pleasure! 👌🏽
Greetings
Phillip Bloom has a very insightful (lengthy) video on this exact subject.
ruclips.net/video/MDGuqzVEWcY/видео.html
Mark, I have to say that you are, without a doubt, my favourite YT follow when it comes to cinematography/camera stuff. "Specs don't matter, what you're shooting matters." 100% bang on! This goes right in line with one of my other favourite quotes from you; "don't shoot to find stuff, find stuff to shoot". Keep up the great work!
Honestly one of the most unbiased and packed with knowledge cinema camera reviews I've ever saw, thank you very much. I'm a designer crossing over to content creation.
Depends on what camera the LUT is based on. If the LUT was created from the Fx-9 then the fx-6 and fx-3 will look magenta as the fx-9 has a noticeable green tint to it’s original image out of the box. I suspect this is what has happened in this example. If you create the LUT from the image output of the fx-3 then the other two cameras would both look green with the fx-9 the worst.
It’s not just the color, the texture is different. The FX3 definitely looks much sharper
fully agree. but anyways loved the detailed comparison
@@kazlepek6552 the FX-9 has the best resolution of all these cameras even if they are all set to the same settings. The FX-9’s sensors resolution is almost twice that of the Fx-6 and if you weren’t looking at a compressed RUclips version of this observation you could instantly tell which footage was shot on what camera just from the extra details in the FX-9 footage. FYI, I believe that in the latest firmware update for the Fx-9 some colour adjustments have been done to reduce the green mentioned in my original post.
Never have truer words been spoken than "Specs don't matter, what you're shooting matters." AMEN
The fact that the FX3 looked practically identical to the FX9 once you color graded and matched them up is crazy to me. This should go to show that “cheap” cameras aren’t much more different compared to the higher-end ones when you put them in the right hands.
If someone wants to solve the sharpness issue, you can simply slap on a diffusion filter and you’ve got a softer look similar to the FX9.
If I had the budget, I would get the FX6 just because it’s not too big and not too small and I like how “big budget” the body feels + ND filters. However, I have the FX3 and I LOVE this thing. This has an image quality way above its league and the size + features are just icing on the cake. It’s a cinematic, tiny masterpiece with really great photography capabilities that I use for professional, paid work.
You may not be able to see it on youtube, but the FX9 sensor definitely produces the best image ( I shoot on the FX6) - the FX6/3 sensor is very good, but the FX6 processing looks a tad better .. that accounts for the digital sharpening happening in the 3. It’s nuanced but the difference is there, and if you can’t tell the difference after working with all three and you don’t need the ND or form factor save some money by going with the FX3
thanks for video. in one word witch one should I buy FX3 or RED Komodo or Ursa 12k. for film making
❤
Mark. I’m a massive fan. I’ve been doing video Production for companies for 6 years now, but it only became a passion in the last year. I’ve watched every video of yours (on this channel). I love your work and I learn everything I can from your videos.
Legit. Thank you.
Venice and Venice2 has been getting a lot of love in the film world. My experience with it has been positive , studios love the color science of the Sony CineAlta line
in this video i learned its the subtleties that makes the FX9's color beautiful.
I'm a New Culinary Filmmaker and this was very helpful can't wait to get our FX3. We appreciate you. Aloha
Thank you!!!! For pointing out the difference between the cine line and the DSLR line.
This is the best review so far out there. Thank you!
Thank You Mark for your in-depth review. I was looking at either the FX-3 or the FX-6; however, since I shoot more video than stills (I need the SDI connection), the size, ND filters, and Timecode option, makes the FX-6 the camera I will purchase in the near future.😃
It’s a truly brilliant camera!
It’s incredible how much of a package it is in such a compact form factor.
Powerful and reliable for professional video work, Sony really nailed it on this one!
Great review Mark, best one on RUclips by far as usual. Your short film really shows how good the FX3 is, outstanding job!
Cheers
It's becoming more evident to me that Sony positioned the FX9 as a broadcast workhorse with a bunch of features that I'll most likely never use like genlock and the ability to shoot interlaced. It's also the only of the three which can shoot s35. From the side-by-side comparisons (love those) it looks like saturation decreases left to right from the FX3 having the most to the FX9. I still think the FX9 looks the best 😊
The FX6 can shoot s35.
@@vincepeeters4455 Clear image zoom isn't the same thing.
@@benellis9866 I've been shooting on the FX6 for almost 2 months and the menu says 'scan mode' with 2 options, Full Frame or S35. I don't know what else that could mean. Switching to S35 makes you lose the option of shooting in 4K tho
@@benellis9866 The FX6 and FX3 most certainly do have an S35 shooting mode, but only for 1080p. I'm sure what you meant to say was that the FX9 was the only one that could record 4k in S35, which is true.
Great video. Am considering an upgrade from the 6600 to either an Fx3 or an Fx6 and this is so helpful. Thanks man!
Good to see a side by side comparison .
Great honest review Mark... thanks!!
Using your own LUT adds a variable to this that kinda defeats the purpose of the initial comparison. If ANYTHING, not including the initial conversion to a normal gamma curve and colour space, is being adjusted on a curve than anything that is different from the camera you designed the LUT for will then be pushed even farther away from the "baseline". The best way to compare is shooting SLog-3 in all of them and using a colour space transform in Resolve, ACES, or the official LUTs from Sony.
Your name matches this comment well
This is the test I was looking for.
For value for money it's hard to look past... the A7Siii. It's literally the same as the FX3 plus an EVF for less than the FX3. Love Mark's reviews; even though he's a little snobby about mirrorless cameras. I'm beginning to think Sony created the FX3 just to trick him into using a mirrorless camera ;) Good work Sony; he lapped it up. (Joking aside-love Mark's work)
Haha. Tongue in cheek about mirrorless cameras. I cannot use them for my work but they create lots of amazing work!’ Thanks for the comment and the love man! Keep crushing it
If you don't need an EVF but do need XLR inputs the FX3 is actually less expensive than an A7S III + the XLR module.
A Good Ol' Quality test, I love it! Thank you for putting all of this footage together. You're work is insanely good!
Always good as pale in the winter 😅 with valuable insight. Great effort Mark! 👍
just bought an fx3 and loving it. paired it up with the 24-105mm sony lens.
How would you say that lenses for music videos/vlogs?
Mark! You are amazing knowledgeable and fun! Thank you!
ur comedy bits and pieces are just the best :) haha love it..and offcourse thx for the review man :D
I feel like a kid entering a candy shop! form the 3 images at the beginning I prefer the fx9 one! Amazing camera. My favourite tough is the fx6, the more time passes the more I love it even though I just got the bmpcc 6k pro cause I couldn't afford the fx6, but they, one day in the new future! Thanks Mark and I will definitely check your IG thing! Cheers
Hi Mark
Love your films… I use the FX3 with a tentacle sync box plugged into one of the 4 audio inputs which means ingesting files through the tentacle studio software but given the size advantages over other 10bit cameras I am loving it… VariND and black 1/8th promist rounds off my setup … I mostly shoot veritè so I pretty much use the G 24-105 F4 and sometimes a 35 50 or 85 prime for setup interviews etc….
thank you for sharing! love our fx9+a7s3 combo.
Won't be getting any of these cameras more than likely anytime soon but enjoyed seeing all the comparisons! Eventually by the time I upgrade my a7iii, i'll either go with a7siii or maybe the fx3 if I see myself making more proper "cinema" films to use all the extra features.
For professional video work go all the way to the FX3 hands down!
FX3 with internal ND + Prores = perfect camera
So… If I was ever on the fence, you moved the needle. The FX3 is for me. At least until I can afford the FX6. The n that will take over as my A-Camera.
Thanks for this comparison, Mark! Super helpful as always! Love your work.
Hey Mark, you footage is stunning. Great stuff. Do you think the Canon C70 can compete with these three Sony beasts?
Hey man, great video. What lenses are you shooting on to get some of these shots? And what shooting codec are you using? Mainly asking about the fx6.
The FX3 isn't the obvious choice over the A7SIII if you're a filmmaker. That's a bit lazy of you to say that. With the A7SIII, you can buy the K3M module and have the same audio as the FX3. A7SIII has a viewfinder and some Filmmakers use it. It's a great way to get stable shots as well i.e. putting the camera up to your face. FX3 has tally lights, that might be significant if you're in front of the camera. The holes in the body of the FX3 is no substitute for a cage, which gives you far more versatility. In summary, it depends on what features you value more as a filmmaker and offcourse there's price.
Fx9 looks great!
Hey Mark. Thank you so much for this video I was already waiting for from you ;-)
Hope to see you in the new round of the Art of documentary.
Your Lut have a serious issues, never got red skintone like that with my sony camera
its his LUT or his Monitor... Sad story :/
His LUT was made for FX9 so it makes sense it would look gnarly on other cameras.
Yeah, maybe you should see the work of Mark he did with the FX9...just a thought?
@@falkowehr8975 i really enjoyed his documentary work. But the skintone on this side by side is ridiculous.
Me neither especially not on the FX3
This makes my choice no easier! 😭 BMD vs. Canon vs. Sony.....
Great film Mark 👍🏻 since two weeks i have the fx6 and i am still testing & training with it 😉 best cinematic greetings from germany
FX9 has the most "natural" look in my opinion. It is more nuanced colour separation, it looks like they've worked on that colour science quite a bit. The FX3 is flashy, exaggerated, in-your-face (no pun intended), and FX6 is like an in-between. I really like FX9 and the way how smooth everything looks and very subtle tone distinctions. Great camera, I wish I had it.
That was entertaining and educational and showed some nice craft. I appreciate the detailed info as I am still learning.
Right and on point on every topic!
Dude I love your video. Great review super entertaining.
The problem though is that as soon as this debate is settled Sony will come out with the FX1 that will have 6K slow motion, internal RAW, a bazillion stops of dynamic range and cost only 1500 bucks. It's a bit daunting buying any new camera these days because it's likely the next one released just a month later will make you look like a dickhead for buying the one you did.
At least it would take 3 years to get a camera better than the fx3. This one would take some time to be replaced.
I can't wait till I can get my first cinema camera
The fx3 has detail shapening applied which cannot be turned off, that's why it looks sharper.
RAW dogg it and it goes away
Nice video mate
Just discovered your channel… Never saw you before… You pushed me over to buying the FX3… I’d still rather have the Komodo X… But that’s above my price range. What cage and what monitor would you recommend for the FX 3.
And I like how you get right to the point… We don’t have to watch you get coffee and we don’t have to listen to rock music in the background. Thanks
Thanks Mark! Great review!
If the FX6 has the same sensor as the FX3, I assume the low light performance is the same? You didn't mention the FX6 at all in the low light performance section. Just wondering.
Mark (11 months ago): fx9 is the most versatile camera!
Mark (4 months ago): fx9 is trash, so many menus
Mark (today): I think a good iphone would beat the fx9...
Bahahaha. I actually laughed out loud
FX3
The FX9 was slightly more punched in on those side by side comparisons, too
Great review! Really beautiful shots man! I had a couple thoughts.
1:37 That looks like in camera sharpening which can be turned down
2:30 Applying the same lut to different cameras will always make some look good and others look bad. Use a better lut made specifically for the fx3's color rendering and I'm sure the color difference would be negligible
I will say you can use time code if you’re syncing it using trans/receivers I’ve used the dietys to sync it with time code.
In the intro i thought you are starting off Beat Boxing!
😂
Sony is always releasing hey. Anyways, I like the music videos you shoot. What do you think about the Blackmagic Pocket 6k? How is the Sony A7S 3 ... Dope or Nah?
Thanks for your thoughts! I'm looking to get a few for my church. Any suggestions on what would be the best option? I'm guessing the FX6?
4:30 Time Code was added to the FX3 in firmware update 2.00 a year ago 😅 now I guess it doesn't matter to get the others 😅
I use timecode with the fx3. You have to change a USB setting. as long as you don't power the camera down it will keep it.
Buy yourself a field recorder like a zoom h5 and there you have two condenser mics and up to 4 XLR ins and go with the 3,5 mm Stereo output into the input of the camera. Looks the same, does the same.
not me watching this to reaffirm my choice of buying the fx9 over a year ago and ease my paranoia
Hey Mark thanks so much for this comparison is helpful ❤
You talked about the X3 full frame sensor acting like it was the obvious choice over the A7Siii because it is full frame. Um..the A7Sii is also full frame. It uses the very same sensor as the FX3 and FX6. The FX3 gains you a slightly more rugged housing, The A&Siii gains you an eyecup, so you can use your camera in the bright light of day, with an eyepiece. Honestly, I think that's biggest difference.
Hey mark,
Is it possible to get the same look in the fx3 to the fx6 by just lowering the detail to -7 and saturation like -3?
yeah, but it's more so about if you're shooting s-cinetone on both and matching the gamma settings.
left an abo. gonna get the fx3
loved the set Gahdaamn
Who's upset? I think I know. I recently saw a comment on Vistech's review/comparison. But yeah, he's right... they're basically the same camera.
if, as all the influencers claim, the fx3 is just an a7siii in disguise then why are they so adamant that i should stick with the a7s3 if i still take stills (insert italics here)?
price? viewfinder? why isn't anyone elaborating here?
Is it just me, or when Mark was holding the Polar Pro Variable ND filter (P.M. Edition), he starts to look so much like Peter McKinnon, I forget who I'm watching... 😄
I would've thought shooting in s-cinetone with all 3 would have been an easier test for you to show differences in image quality.
I concur! would have been a good test
Your LUT isn’t optimized for FX3 or A7siii. I’ve been shooting with A7siii and didn’t notice any orange/red tone on my face with the LUTs I’m using.
Great content as always. Thank you
@@MikeEbrahimi thanks brother. I'm going to release some LUTS more tuned for the s-cinetone
Thanks bro 👍👍👍
for film making what's your suggestion
FX3. RED KOMODO. URSA 12K. THANKS FOR VIDEO
I'm loving everything on this update, except for if you shoot in any of the log formats (flexible, cine ie, cine quick) you can't do 4k hdmi output, only 1080. So if you want to shoot in a quality higher than 4KAVC-I externally on a Ninja recorder, you have to disable log, and just choose slog 3 in the picture profiles.
You can add timecode with the Ninja V + Connect or SDI module.
Sony is on fire with all the new camera!
Hi thanks for the great video. Have just found out the same results as you that FX3 squeezes more in black than FX6 with the same lut (why?). Tried to adjust the s-log 3 settings in FX3 where we adjust Black gamma to medium +4 then the curves on the two cameras look more similar. Has anyone else done such tests? And you say that FX3 and FX6 have the same sensor but I have heard that it is not true, and it’s seems strange when one lut behaves different… so what is it that is correct?
Did you do anything to minimize flickering from the fluorescent lights in the slowmo footage in the boxing video? Cause it looks so much better then when I’ve tried filming slowmo with my a7iii.
8:40. Hey Mark, quick question: Are you sure? A7S III and FX3 are the same camera with same sensor, with same low-light and ISO Performance. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Thank you!
Really enjoy ur channel. Do all of them have low pass filter or just 6 and 9?
Comparing colour through a LUT seems like the a very easy way of making anything you didn't make the LUT for look terrible.
I'd say just add contrast and saturation and see what the differences are. Some would like the FX3 over the FX9, but this test makes that evaluation impossible.
The LUT itself is also way too intense, even with the FX9, not very useful as a gage of colour.
Do you think it would make a smart decision as an all-be-all content creation camera and gateway drug into the cinema camera system? I've got an a7 III and was waiting for the a7s III for so long... now this comes along and throws a spanner in the works...
luv your luts mark. hey maybe you can update your lut for it to work with fx3 and a7siii. tweaked down the saturation or shifting the colours a little bit
7:23 “Cinnamon line” 😂
Not trying to bring the a7Siii vs FX3 argument to the table but "so if you're a still shooter buy the a7Siii, but if you're a film maker and you wanna make videos I would say hands down go with the FX3" comment they both have the same sensor and look the exact same on film specs and all... I understand form function and design but you will literally get the exact same visible results from both cameras. So many out there have highlighted the FX3's benefits with additional cooling or the removal of the viewfinder but outside of small design differences like that you will end up with the same result. Buy the camera that fits you best between the two but they are the same camera!
@11:20 Just a little FYI. Sony`s image stabilization will not work when you are using a lens with stabilization. You have to turn the IS on the lens off for it to work... At least thats how it is with the FX9.
Mark why does your face look longer on the FX3 and Fx6? VS FX9? Did you use different lenses and distances? Does anyone else noticed that?
FX9 has much more Teal in the background... seems there is a color balance shift, white balance obviously wasn‘t the same, although you dialed in the same numbers.
FEWER pixels! I do like the idea of the Cinnamon line, though. ;-)
When you mentioned Lens stabilization with gyro meta data stabilization at 11:25 from my understanding you can’t use both. It’s one of the other. I at least know this is true on the FX9 paired with the Sony 28-135. But, I’m not sure if it’s true for the FX3 and FX6. I would assume it’s the same.
That's correct. None of the cameras cause shooting with optical stabilization and also then have the gyro data used later.
My guess for the sharpness would be the same reason why the A7SIII also looks sharper than the FX6. Both the A7SIII and FX3 bake in Sharpening and NR regardless of the setting you choose for either. This is super unfortunate and I think it kills the image in comparison.
Edit: "Kills" is harsh. It's just unfortunate since this is a purely software implementation.
Contrary to everyones opinion If you shoot external raw on the a7siii/fx3/6 you bypass all of the in-camera NR and sharpening. So if it's critical to someone's workflow to have the most un-processed file you can do it with the external raw, plus you can utilise the entire sensor and shoot 4.2k.
7:23 “Cinnamon Line”
Heard him say it, and immediately looked for the comment. LOL
wanted to comment that, you beat me to it. Well played sir!
Not gunna lie i ended up here looking for reviews on the FX9 gun by freedom ordinance.
🤣🤣🤣 I hope this was still helpful
@@markbone some what. I don't know much about cameras. But if i ever do need to learn I'm coming to your channel!
Dang it, I was so close to winning the IG contest!
What causes that darn magenta look in every Sony camera?
Mark could’ve been the extra sharpness of the FX3 related to the lens you use? Did you use the same lens on the three tests?
I have the FX6 and A7SIII I find the footage almost the same but I noticed in your FX9 that thr image has more blue in the mid tones. Again this could be only part of the grading.
You haven’t noticed the a7siii sharpens footage more than the fx6? I have heard this, I wish it were not true. Do you like the a7siii footage as much?
I'm pretty sure it's artificial detail/sharpness
@@nickdubesa8068 a7siii does more correction in camera like NR. The FX6 allows you to turn it off. Probably the a7siii applies more sharpening in camera. Both sensors are equal so the image capture should be the same before internal processing happens.
Buy a pro mist filter 👌🏼
@@GastonShutters thank you for the reply. I really prefer the natural look without sharpening and noise reduction. The fx3/ a7sIII look so good it doesn’t seem like a big deal though