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What’s Missing From the Sony FX5? Your Poll Results + Sony’s Bid to Buy Tamron – Focus Check ep128

August 6^th, 20265

by Felix TappeinerAugust 6^th, 2026

An unusually busy summer continues. Sony is warning that FX5 orders have outstripped its own expectations, and at the same time the company has put a non-binding offer on the table to buy Tamron outright – two stories that say a lot about where Sony sits in this market right now.

Johnnie joins from a hot and humid Osaka with insights from his interview with the FX5 product planning team, and we work through the results of our FX5 feature poll, the FCC pressure on XTRA in the US, a substantial Nexus G1 update, Christopher Nolan’s fully analogue IMAX production of The Odyssey, and a long list of lens, accessory and software releases.

This episode is sponsored by Hollyland – check out the Pyro S wireless video transmitter on their we b site. (29:29 in the episode).

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Sony warns of possible delivery delays as FX5 orders far exceed expectations

(01:48 in the episode)

Sony has issued a warning about possible delivery delays for the FX5 – notably only on its Japanese website and in Japanese, which is part of why we take it at face value rather than reading it as marketing pressure. Johnnie points out that CineD can see order volumes in real time through our B&H and CVP affiliate partnerships, and the pattern here is one we normally only see when Blackmagic Design launches a camera. For Sony it has been a long time since demand looked like this.

His read is that this is simply the best camera Sony has made in recent years, priced correctly for its target audience. Nino notes that back orders are not unprecedented for Sony – the FX3 and a7S III both saw them during the pandemic – and that Japanese manufacturers tend to warn early rather than risk a reputation for slow delivery.

The more useful question is whether to order now or wait for firmware V2. Johnnie’s advice is blunt and worth repeating: buy a camera when you need it, and judge it on what it does out of the box. Do not buy on the strength of a firmware update promised a year out, because in a year the competitive landscape and the price may both look different.

One practical update from the episode: Adobe has been in contact and X-OCN RAW already works in the Premiere Pro beta, available to Adobe subscribers. Johnnie has tested it and reports it working well, with near-daily updates.

Poll: which missing FX5 feature do you want most

(09:01 in the episode)

We asked which single thing people would want Sony to address in a future firmware update, hardware revision or successor model. Nearly 54 percent – close to 300 votes – went to an internal electronic variable ND filter, still the longest-standing request in mirrorless. Recording to external SSDs via USB-C took almost 10 percent, earlier availability of the firmware V2 features roughly 8 percent, and simultaneous use of the EVF and XLR handle 7.17 percent. SDI output and genlock took 7 percent, a stills mode another 7 percent, and a true 4K Super 35 crop mode 6 percent. Only 2 percent said the FX5 is already exactly the camera they wanted.

Two results stood out. The low score for a stills mode probably reflects our video-oriented readership more than the market – and as Johnnie notes, it is coming in the upcoming firmware anyway. The low score for a true Super 35 4K crop was more surprising given how often that was requested for the FX6 and FX3; the FX5 manages roughly 3.5K in Super 35.

One commenter argued the poll was flawed and should have been split between things achievable in firmware and things requiring a new body. Fair feedback, though as Nino points out, we do not have enough visibility into the hardware to draw that line reliably.

On the ND question specifically, Johnnie makes the point that an internal ND in the FX5 would have killed the FX6 outright, which is presumably why it is not there. Nino’s counter is that the FX6 already looks exposed: without the internal RAW, the higher frame rates and the open gate mode, its remaining advantage is the ND. That argues for an FX6 successor eventually – though neither host has any information suggesting one exists.

Also missing from the poll and raised in the comments: pre-roll. With 240fps on board, the absence of a cache function makes high frame rate work considerably more wasteful. Johnnie has put that question to Sony, along with the reboot on frame rate changes and the missing 25p and 30p options in some compressed H.265 modes. Answers are still pending.

Ryoji Yamada-san, Sony FX5 product planner and Takuro Ema-san, a senior manager and Johnnie Behiri. Credit: CineD

The Sony FX5 interview – firmware V2, anamorphic limits and Cinema Line strategy

(20:18 in the episode)

Johnnie interviewed Ryoji Yamada-san, product planner for the FX5, and Takuro Ema-san, head of product planning for the entire Cinema Line. He addresses the recurring feedback about Japanese manufacturer interviews directly: questions are submitted in advance and answers are often read, because the alternative is interviewing an English-speaking executive who does not have the answers. The trade-off is deliberate, and the point of these interviews is to put the people actually planning and engineering these cameras in front of the audience.

For context, Sigma and Yamaki-san operate very differently and take questions unprepared – company culture varies, and both approaches have their limits.

One confirmation of note: Sony has stated the FX5 does not use the a7R VI sensor, contrary to speculation in our earlier episode with Philip Bloom.

Johnnie’s main frustration is anamorphic. The FX5 offers de-squeeze for monitoring, but enabling it disables both autofocus and IBIS – which, as Nino observes, is an active decision rather than a technical consequence, since a de-squeeze on the monitor has nothing to do with either system. With open gate, internal RAW and Sony’s strong autofocus and stabilisation, anamorphic support here could have been exceptional. The loss of IBIS is the real deal-breaker: the micro-jitter it leaves behind is visible on a large screen and cannot be fixed in post without cropping further. Panasonic manages this, so there is no obvious reason Sony could not.

Sony proposes to acquire Tamron

(30:21 in the episode)

Tamron has confirmed it received a non-binding proposal from Sony Corporation to become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sony Group. The statement only exists because an Asian online outlet reported it first; Tamron has set up a special committee to review its options and says there is nothing further to disclose. Worth knowing: Sony already holds almost 15 percent of Tamron, so this is not an approach from an outsider.

The hosts disagree productively on what it means. Nino’s concern is consolidation and what happens to Tamron’s Z, RF, RF-S and Fujifilm X mount lines – he cannot see a Sony-owned Tamron continuing to serve competing mounts. Johnnie’s view is the opposite: that is precisely the point of the acquisition. No Japanese camera manufacturer sells lenses for rival mounts under its own name, but owning a third-party brand is a way to do exactly that, and a business needs to earn.

Underneath that is a broader disagreement about lens lock-in. Johnnie argues that falling lens prices have made switching systems far easier than it used to be – you now buy the body first and the lenses after. Nino’s counter is that anyone with a full set of G Master glass is not going anywhere.

Johnnie’s more interesting question is why Tamron would sell at all. The answer, as Nino points out, is that the statement makes clear they did not put themselves up for sale – they received an offer and are disclosing it because it leaked. Whether shareholders find the price attractive is another matter entirely.

XTRA Muse 2 Pro pre-orders paused in the US as FCC scrutiny intensifies

(39:58 in the episode)

XTRA has paused early-bird pre-orders for the Muse 2 Pro in the US and is issuing full refunds, while continuing to sell its existing products including the predecessor model. The Muse 2 Pro is strikingly similar to the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, just as its predecessor closely resembles the Pocket 3. XTRA is one of several US-market brands – Sky Rover among them – that have received FCC inquiries about possible links to DJI. Neither XTRA nor DJI has ever confirmed a connection.

Johnnie is unsparing: producing near-identical hardware under a different sticker and expecting US authorities not to notice was never going to work, and it is now costing money in both fines and refunds. His inference is that DJI’s silence – no lawsuit, no complaint about the obvious duplication – suggests some form of synergy. Nino’s concern is the collateral damage: if these are shell arrangements, they have squandered whatever chance DJI had of rebuilding trust in the US market.

Both hosts remain of the view that the non-drone products have no business being caught up in this. The surveillance concerns that drove the drone restrictions do not transfer to a gimbal camera – and as last week’s lab test showed, the Osmo Pocket 4 Pro is a remarkable device that US buyers currently cannot get except through grey imports at a premium and without warranty.

Nexus G1 update – CINAF autofocus for any lens and U-Mount as standard

(45:48 in the episode)

After a long quiet stretch and a lot of reader questions, the Boland brothers have published project update 11. The headline is CINAF – Cinematic Intelligent Natural Autofocus – a sensor fusion system combining machine vision, high-density matrix LiDAR and inertial sensing with calibrated lens profiles. It claims 76,800 focus points, tracking of up to five faces, retention of subjects that leave the frame, and operation in total darkness thanks to the LiDAR.

The bold part is that it works with any lens: auto-identified, electronic, or fully manual via external FIZ motors – from a vintage Helios 44-2 to Panavision Ultra Vista anamorphics. Effectively the logic that third-party autofocus adapters provide is built into the camera body. LiDAR focus systems have existed before, but not natively in-body with automatic lens identification. Johnnie notes Bosma is doing something comparable with the Vega H2, and we have interviewed Franklin about it.

The second piece of news is that the U-Mount – a one-click interchangeable mount covering EF, E, Micro Four Thirds, L and PL – will now ship as standard on every Nexus G1 rather than as an option. During our earlier podcast interview Nino argued it should be the default because it is the product’s clearest unique selling point, and the team has credited that recommendation in the update.

There is still no shipping date; the pre-order page says it will be announced in the next update. The camera is stated to use around 200 unique parts and 20-plus manufacturing techniques, with the coating changed from pure PVD to a hybrid after microchipping in testing, and the team reportedly working seven days a week. A Founders Edition is available at 2,980 USD against a 3,300 USD retail price.

Johnnie’s caution is well placed: the market does not stand still, and the risk for any new entrant is arriving after the moment has passed. Nino’s version of the same thought is that at some point done has to beat perfect.

How Christopher Nolan shot The Odyssey entirely on IMAX film

(54:48 in the episode)

The Odyssey is the first full feature shot entirely on 65mm IMAX film. Nolan has shot on film throughout his career, but from The Dark Knight onwards the IMAX cameras were reserved for action sequences, because they are loud enough to make dialogue recording impossible. Coming off Oppenheimer he had the leverage to demand a silent IMAX camera – and IMAX built one.

The solution is an enormous blimp that makes an already large camera almost comically big. It is carried by four or five people, and on location work at a castle it had to be hauled up by hand daily. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot on a Cartoni head, which Elisabetta Cartoni has been justifiably proud of. Because the blimp is so large, a system of mirrors had to be built around it so actors could see each other’s faces during shot-reverse-shot dialogue. Takes max out at just under three minutes.

The camera is named the Keighley, after the late IMAX chief quality officer David Keighley and his wife Patricia, who still works for the company; their son Jeff has shared the story on Instagram. There is a featurette embedded with the article and a 60 Minutes segment worth watching for the manual splicing and cutting process – remarkable to see in 2026.

Only 41 screens worldwide are projecting the film in 70mm, with more expected, including Vienna by the end of August. Nino saw it in digital IMAX and found the production hugely impressive, though he had expected an even grander scope – more of the massive wide shots that justify a negative this size, and fewer close-ups. IMAX is marketing the camera itself heavily, popcorn boxes included, which is unusual and rather good for the format’s future.

Does film have a future? A Kodak factory tour shot on film

(01:02:54 in the episode)

Leon and Natalie Barnard, better known as Team 2 Films, have made an hour-long tour of the Kodak Rochester factory – and shot the entire thing on 35mm film, using an Arriflex 35-3 with Atlas Mercury anamorphic lenses. They walk through how celluloid is actually made, the differences between stocks, storage, and the history of a plant that has been producing film in the US for around 130 years.

The level of access and the amount of historical research are both exceptional, and the production value is what you would expect from their previous work on the URSA Cine Immersive and elsewhere. Storage sponsor iodyne is a fitting match, given every foot of that negative had to be scanned and edited.

It deserves considerably more views than it currently has. Worth watching in full.

DaVinci Resolve 21.0.3 released

(01:06:27 in the episode)

A minor point release, as the number suggests. The notable item is a decode fix for some Sony BURANO X-OCN clips – worth updating if you work with that footage. There are also keyframe ease action fixes and interlaced fixes. Whether it also touches the new FX5 files is not specified. Either way, Blackmagic is clearly keeping pace with Sony’s codecs, which matters a great deal more now that X-OCN is arriving in more mainstream bodies.

Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini 12G family released

(01:07:26 in the episode)

A new family of compact Thunderbolt 4 capture and playback boxes with 12G-SDI, answering the frequent question of whether the recently updated Mini would get a 4K version. It has.

The broader point is that Blackmagic keeps pushing live and broadcast workflows onto a desktop budget. Fill and key plus DaVinci Resolve replay in a box this small, starting around 300 to 400 USD, targets streamers, sports and small OB setups at a price that would have been unthinkable not long ago. As with internal RAW in small camera bodies, it comes down to how much processing now fits in a device that does not overheat.

Cooke SP3 and AP3 lenses now available for Nikon Z mount

(01:09:11 in the episode)

The SP3s are popular precisely because they deliver the Cooke look in a compact package suited to the smaller cameras people are increasingly shooting on. Native Nikon Z support is a strong signal of how well the ZR has been received – and it also means these lenses work on RED bodies with Z mount, RED being Nikon-owned.

Johnnie’s reading is worth noting: Cooke would not risk its name or a lawsuit, so this implies they secured proper approval from Nikon. That is the more interesting precedent here, and other manufacturers should take note.

Cooke SP3 and AP3 lenses now for Nikon Z mount. Image credit: Cooke

Simmod 4-in-1 ARRI PL lens adapter released

(01:13:18 in the episode)

A PL adapter with an interchangeable camera-side mount, covering E, RF, Z and L. Ron Sim – previously a podcast guest, and the man behind the Apsara lenses – has priced it well. Johnnie notes there are comparable products from 7Artisans, currently around 180 USD at B&H versus 190, and from DULENS at a higher price.

It fits the theme running through this episode: mount flexibility. A PL adapter like this lets one set of lenses follow you across bodies, much as the Nexus G1’s U-Mount does from the other direction. Johnnie’s larger question – whether the mount will eventually stop mattering at all – runs into flange distance as the hard physical limit.

CINELUX REDUXA A1 focal reducer for the ARRI ALEXA Classic, XT and SXT teased

(01:13:11 in the episode)

A focal reducer aimed at first-generation ALEXA bodies, giving those Super 35 sensors the effective field of view of full frame glass plus roughly a stop of extra light – the same principle Metabones popularised with the Speed Booster, funnelling a larger image circle onto a smaller sensor.

The appeal is obvious: people still love the look of the ALEV III sensor, and these bodies now change hands for around 5,000 euros. This is a tease rather than a release, with no pricing or availability, but prototypes and images have been shared and there is a newsletter for updates.

Megadap M2RF Leica M to Canon RF autofocus adapter released

(01:15:18 in the episode)

This one took a moment to work out on air, because it does not do what comparable products do. It is not driving an external FIZ motor and the Leica M lenses involved are entirely manual with no motors of their own.

What it actually does is physically move the lens back and forth inside the adapter, changing the flange distance to the sensor and therefore the focus plane. You set the lens to infinity and the adapter handles the rest, with a motor built into the adapter body and only a small amount of travel needed.

That is a genuinely novel approach, and an elegant one – no rigging, no external motors, no extra battery, powered from the camera. The obvious constraint is lens diameter: the lens has to be narrower than the mount it is receding into, which is why small Leica glass works. Plenty of people are already asking for an E mount version.

SmallRig HawkLock cage and accessories for the Sony FX5

(01:18:19 in the episode)

Everyone is accessorising the FX5 now. SmallRig’s HawkLock cage changes how the camera grips and rigs, and includes a better enclosure for the XLR-H2 handle – a sensible target, given how that accessory attaches to the body.

Tilta full camera cage for the Sony FX5

(01:19:01 in the episode)

A multi-component half-cage design, which makes getting the camera in and out easier and keeps the overall package smaller – the goal being usability rather than bulk. There is a magnetic latch to prevent the battery compartment opening accidentally, DJI quick release points for moving between tripod and gimbal, and the usual Tilta handle options.

Worth remembering that the FX5 ships as a Cinema Line camera and already has attachment points. If you only need two or three you may be fine without a cage – though a cage still spares the built-in connectors some strain.

MID49 previews a modular support and power system for the FX5

(01:20:24 in the episode)

The most interesting of the three, because it includes an EVF extension cable that lets you reposition the viewfinder – which also frees the smart hot shoe so the XLR handle can be used at the same time. That is a direct fix for the problem that placed fourth in our poll.

MID49 already made an equivalent for the FX6 and the connector appears to be the same, which likely explains how quickly this appeared. As Johnnie says, expect more solutions here and probably cheaper ones. The frustration is that something this obvious should have come from Sony in the first place.

MID49 Baseline 15mm LW baseplate for the Pixboom Spark

(01:22:10 in the episode)

An Arca-Swiss compatible quick release baseplate with quarter-inch and three-eighths screws to prevent twisting, and support for attaching a lens support – which matters on a body this small if you are hanging a heavy lens on it. SmallRig has a cage for the Spark, but third-party support has otherwise been thin, so it is good to see MID49 step in. We have a Pixboom Spark in the office and there will be considerably more content on it over the coming months.

AI masking course update on MZed

(01:23:51 in the episode)

MZed released new updated lesssons for the AI masking course, utilizing the newest tools in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro. Image credit: Holy Moly Films / Mascha Deikova

Two new lessons have been added to the AI masking course in Masha Deykova’s Efficient Filmmaker series, covering the updated masking capabilities in both DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro. The capability itself is remarkable – click a subject and it tracks through the entire clip with no rotoscoping. Masha demonstrates it on a real music video shot our production company worked on, creating overlapping performances of the same person in a single frame without ever entering a green screen studio. The course is part of MZed Pro, available monthly or annually.

The philosophy of shooting with available light

(01:25:53 in the episode)

A detailed look at films that work without artificial light, and how far natural light alone can be pushed. The Tree of Life is the obvious modern reference, and Barry Lyndon the historical one – Kubrick shooting by candlelight in 1975 with lenses and stocks nowhere near as fast as what we have today.

Beyond the technical, it covers what available light does for performance when actors are not working around lighting setups. A documentary approach applied to narrative work.

That is it for this week. Leave a comment on the YouTube video or the article, or email us at [email protected]. Next episode arrives on Thursday – and Johnnie has the Kinefinity Vista review coming as soon as the final firmware lands.