Sony blames pre-order surge for FX5 delay ahead of October release

RedShark News

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Sony says that pre-order demand is behind the FX5's latest delay, with around 7000 orders still to clear before October shipping.

Long trailed and with rumours of production issues, the FX5 is on show at IBC with delivery planned for mid‑October, although you may have to wait longer than that to get your hands on one.

The new model in Sony's Cinema Line fills a gap between the FX3 and the FX6 and is apparently so in demand that the firm's production line couldn't keep up.

"If you order now, you'll be on the list, but because we already have a lot of orders, that means your unit will likely arrive toward the end of the year or early next year. We've had far more demand than expected," Reiko Beitz, Sony expert, told RedShark.

"My advice is simple: order now. If your name is on the list early, you can probably get it in October. If not, it'll be later, because we need to fulfill all the pre‑orders from August first. We've already had around 7000 orders. So yes, we're in a bit of a backlog.

"We're still working to make it a fully polished, high‑quality product, and that takes time," he added. [Conspiracy theorists, start your engines. A DRAM shortage is the latest speculation. Ed.]

The FX5 brings long‑requested features such as open‑gate recording, internal RAW, three base ISOs, and a detachable OLED viewfinder into a compact, production‑ready body. Sony technical marketing manager, Ben Pilling, said the camera represents "everything people have been asking for finally in one place."

Pilling said the FX5 sits below Sony's higher‑end cinema cameras but introduces capabilities previously reserved for models like VENICE and BURANO. "Open‑gate recording, our other cameras didn't have that. Internal RAW, that's been a big demand. FX5 brings all of that into play."

FX5 features

The FX5 supports Open Gate 3:2 full‑sensor readout, X‑OCN RAW recording, and new lightweight RAW codecs X‑OCN C1 and C2, enabling 16‑bit scene‑linear files written directly to CFexpress cards. Sony confirms these capabilities in its official launch materials, noting the camera's fully stacked CMOS sensor, 15+ stops of dynamic range, and three base ISOs of 800, 4000 and 12800.

One of the most notable design changes is the optional detachable OLED viewfinder. "It's a big, big ask," Pilling said. "People loved the FX3, but traditional shooters wanted a proper viewfinder, especially in sunshine. FX2 has a built‑in EVF, but FX5 gives you the option. Detachable, optional, whatever your workflow needs."

The FX5 also ships with an optional XLR top handle, enabling 96 kHz / 32‑bit float audio, a first for the FX series. "When you've got the handle attached, you get 32‑bit float audio, XLR options, and a 3.5mm jack," Pilling said.

Pilling emphasised the camera's sensitivity: "Great rolling‑shutter performance, great low‑light performance. FX3 and FX6 are known for low light, this is more than competitive with those." With three base ISOs, shooters can maintain low noise across mid‑range exposures without stretching a single ISO node.

Because the FX5 records internal RAW, Pilling said it fits naturally into high‑end workflows. "You could use this as a B‑cam on a BURANO," he said. "It's the same menu structure as our virtual camcorders, not the Alpha‑style menus. It fits into that workflow a lot more cleanly."

The camera also adds false color, waveform, and anamorphic de‑squeeze, features previously limited to higher‑tier Sony cinema bodies.

Sony plans a major firmware update in August 2027, adding 4K240, expanded HFR support, open‑gate XAVC, and frame‑grab functionality. These future updates are also referenced in Sony's official FX5 announcement.

Pricing and availability

Pilling confirmed the FX5 will begin reaching dealers towards the end of October. Sony's official pricing lists the FX5 body at €5400 and the FX5 with XLR handle at €6000. The detachable viewfinder is an additional cost of €750.

New DP7 and DP5 monitors

Sony also has the RM-DP7 and RM-DP5 monitor‑controllers at the show. "These are remotes which are also monitors," Pilling explained. They support camera control, focus control, vector scopes, assignable buttons, LAN or USB connectivity, and third‑party wireless integration. The 7‑inch version includes HDMI in/out and SDI, while the 5‑inch model offers HDMI only.

"You can control the camera itself — focus, settings, everything — even if the camera is on a crane or remote rig," he said. "They're calibrated by our engineers for high color accuracy."