Sony FX2 Review – An Entry-Level, Full-Frame, Cinema Line Camera. Is the Price Right?

by Johnnie BehiriMay 28^th, 2025

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Say hello to the Sony FX2 – a new full-frame camera that carries the Cinema Line badge with pride, while sitting just below the Sony FX3. On one hand, it is indeed an entry-level camera, but on the other, it has features that the very popular FX3 can only dream of. Interested in knowing how this filming device is doing in the real world? Then keep reading!.

It is no secret that the Sony compact Cinema Line of cameras is ageing (and no, we don’t take into account the announcement of the new FX3A). So, we at CineD got really excited when we heard a new camera was about to see the light of day. I mean, we could feel people eager for a new Sony camera. How do we know? The Sony VENICE Extension System Mini, which was unveiled at the end of March, was one of the most-read articles this year. (Not to mention how well the Instagram reel did!). And now, the new FX2 is finally here. A bit shy – maybe even under-specced in some respects – but clearly ready to deliver the much-needed boost of energy to a company proud to lead in several segments of our industry.

Before diving in, it is important to mention that this review and the above footage were taken with an early pre-production camera. For this reason, we did not conduct our usual lab test. Please watch this space – we’ll run full technical tests once the final firmware is available.

Highlighted specs in a nutshell

For those who missed the announcement article by my colleague Omri, here are the highlights of what to expect:

• A 33 megapixel sensor (and sorry, we cannot confirm or deny if this sensor was used before in any of the Sony mirrorless Alpha line). A separate AI Processing unit for autofocus, 4K full-frame in up to 30p (oversampling from 7K) and up to 4K 60p in S35 (oversampling from 4.6K).
• For those who need a high-density sensor count for photography, this camera is a true hybrid one. New with this model is a physical switch between shooting modes: “Movie/Still”.

• Log shooting in RAW photo mode is now added to the menu for easier and faster accessibility. Speaking of which, support for taking photos in this setting will be available later this year in DaVinci Resolve. An interesting decision when thinking that this is a photo feature. So, for the present time, Sony recommends shooting stills in JPEG or HEIF for better matching XAVC video color tones, as developing RAW photos is not available for now.

• A 90-degree tiltable electronic viewfinder (EVF) is built in! (Thank you, Sony, for listening.)

• “BIG6” Home screen. Taken from Sony’s higher-end models, this easy-to-use screen menu can be customised with some of your most-used parameters for fast access. (Personally, one of my favorite new features.)

• Two SD card slots, while slot 1 (only) can also accommodate CFexpress Type A cards.
• Finally, for a better physical connectivity experience, there are two tripod screws at the bottom of the camera.

• Like with other compact cameras in this line, the 1.3x and 2.0x desqueeze display function is available (more on that below).
• Enhance autofocus: For the first time, the “Recognition Target” can be set to “AUTO” (so no need to switch between human, animal, bird, car, and such).

• The camera will be sold in a body-only version for $2699.99, or with an XLR handle for $3099.99.

There are other elements that I find very useful, like the decision NOT to cover the mic/headphone sockets with any rubber. While there might be some consequences to this in the future (weather sealing?), no doubt the audio operation will be much easier.

Little Greece in Vienna

OK, before moving on to the review itself, an acknowledgment. Vienna is a very calm city, so it was nice to meet Thanos, a young, positive, energetic person who, together with his family, moved from the island of Kos to fulfil a little dream. The family’s taverna is very small, yet extremely yummy and friendly. The good energy led me to film in this place for a few hours, and the outcome is presented in the above short doc.

In the field

As many of you already know, I have a real love for experimenting with anamorphic lenses. Now, while this new camera is not entirely “anamorphic-friendly,” I still gave it a go. Originally, I was aiming to film with the new BLAZAR MANTIS 1.33x lenses (which supposedly have a stronger 1.5x aesthetic feel to them), but as those could not arrive at the office in time, I used the APEX AF 1.33x instead. Now, before anyone jumps in and says that the APEX lenses are made for S35, you are right! So what I did was to use the camera’s clear zoom function and set the crop to a minimum of 1.2x. This gave me the ability to work with those 35mm and 50mm lenses and enjoy their autofocus performance. (By doing so, I also got rid of the softer lens edges.) Another approach would be to set the camera to “active steadyshot”, and as this mode crops into the image, too, a little 1.1x clear zoom in can give a similar result. I’ll touch more on the subject of working with anamorphic lenses down below.

All in all, the camera behaved flawlessly. I conducted the entire interview with Thanos while the camera was set to autofocus, and it performed as expected. I also want to highlight the internal audio Pre-apms. As a single shooter, these must be of good quality. Also, here I find the camera shines.

To keep my image as clean as possible, I used “Cine EI” as my default setting (Log Shooting). It allowed me to toggle between the two base ISO values, which are 800 and 4000.

Limitations and concerns

So, where does the camera sacrifice performance, you might ask? Well, to start with, if you intend on working in 50/60p, be prepared to do so in S35 only, and in all honesty, it is a bit disappointing to see this kind of limitation in 2025. (Also, the 100fps high frame rate is limited to HD only, which is kind of “OK” as it is not a “bread and butter” feature.) However, regarding frame rates, the only available setup for true 24 frames per second is in 4K DCI. Unfortunately, true 24p in ULTRA HD is not doable, which is an obstacle in certain shooting scenarios.

Next are the screw attachment points. Since this camera includes a built-in EVF, Sony had to remove some of the mounting points from the body, so keep in mind that you’ll have less flexibility when attaching accessories directly to it. Speaking of which, the EVF sits on the upper part of the camera on the very left-hand side, which is good for overall balancing when filming. The downside is that when using one of the many modern audio receivers, it could be that tilting the EVF won’t be possible as those audio devices are mostly designed in a wide horizontal shape, covering the upper part of the EVF. One way to overcome this issue is to use Sony’s XLR handle accessory.

Now, let’s talk about anamorphic filming. Unfortunately, like with the FX3 and FX30, the FX2 is not an “anamorphic-friendly” camera. First, the viewing desqueeze options are limited to 1.3x and 2.0x. More worrying is that turning on internal desqueeze does not allow autofocus, next to sensor stabilization. One way to bypass this issue is NOT to turn on the desqueeze option in the camera. Then the AF will work and the different steadyshot modes too, but do yourself a favour and try and stay horizontally balanced to avoid a potential image skew.

When scrolling through the menu, you will suddenly come across “ND Filter” (Exposure/Color/Exposure/ND Filter). Before you shout for joy, keep in mind that this feature simply helps indicate the strength of the external ND filter you’re using. Naturally, if you’re using a variable ND, this won’t be of much use. But it does have an advantage. When working with multiple cameras on set, the ND strength is being recorded as metadata for post-production.

Conclusion

Although positioned at the start of the Sony Cinema Line, this camera is definitely unique in its own way. Whether it’s the dedicated electronic viewfinder or the recently added 33-megapixel sensor, this all-in-one solution deserves attention, especially for photographers who need that level of resolution. I like the idea of introducing a “full-frame mirrorless on steroids”, meaning a proven robust body next to an internal heat dissipation solution for continuous recording. On the other hand, it’s hard to see the logic in limiting 4K 50/60p recording to S35 mode only, unless it’s due to a hardware constraint.

From the point of pricing, $2699.99 for the body-only version makes this camera the most affordable full-frame camera in Sony’s Cinema Line. (For reference, the FX3 is $3,898). Now, for those who need to show up on set with a dedicated filming tool and not a mirrorless camera, the new FX2 might be a blessing.

Despite its limitations, when looking at the company’s line of compact cinema cameras, this one quickly became my favorite. The tilted EVF is priceless for the way I film documentaries, and this is the feature I was advocating for the most. Now that this is here, maybe Sony would consider creating a portable EVF for the FX3/30? In any case, after a period of setting these cameras aside, I can now see myself working with this one in particular.

What do you think about the Sony FX2? Is this the camera you were hoping Sony would come out with? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.