The new FX3 makes Sony’s coveted cinematic look accessible to more creators, providing outstanding image quality and usability for small scale and one-person shooting. A number of creators had the chance to try it out in advance of its launch and are sharing their thoughts around the web. Check out these reviews for the new Sony FX3: 

See what creators are saying about the new Sony FX3 in our hands-on review roundup.

Lizzie Pierce

“...for someone who wants to move into a cinema camera world, this is the perfect way to inch yourself over that line and invest in a true cinema camera. Because internally, it is the same as an FX6. And the cool part is that they made it in a way where you can essentially build out your own FX6 if you want.”

“This camera could be great for someone who travels a lot, who’s very run-and-gun, who doesn’t necessarily want to drag around an FX6 everywhere you go. This is small, this is built to be handheld. Like I said before, it doesn’t need a cage. You can strap this to the hood of a car, hang it from a tree. So it might be for that cinematographer, that cinema-camera user, who just wants something a little small and a little more run-and-gun.” – Lizzie Pierce

NoFilmSchool.com

“I am often a solo shooter and almost always in run-and-gun situations following documentary subjects, live events, DIY commercial work, and shifting indie production environments. I’ve not been a user of the Alpha line before, but the FX3 could get me. I could definitely see the FX3 thriving in my shooting environments while giving my footage a professional cinematic look.” – Oakley Anderson-Moore

Read the full review here.

B&H Video

“The FX3 has a lot going for it if you’re mostly dedicated to video production and cinematography. But the interesting thing is that it still retains the ability to take a still image since the camera does have a focal plane shutter. Now these are only 10.2 megapixel stills, but with silent shooting options, remote control, wireless FTP photo transfer, and perhaps most advantageously, the FX3’s low light performance, the camera can double as a still camera when you need it.” – David Guerra

Mark Bone

“I’ve only had a chance to shoot with it for a week, but I have been enjoying it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, the FX6 just came out and I didn’t really see a reason for the FX3. But after shooting in the gym with Julian all morning, I realized how handy this camera is to have. And for me,  this would become a vlogging camera really easily. I think it’s the camera I will replace my α7 III with. This camera appeals more to me for video and film.” – Mark Bone

Adorama

“The integrated mounting points make mounting super easy, and the front and rear tally lights let even the talent know you’re rolling. With the FX3 there’s nothing extra that shouldn’t be on the camera, and for applications like this, minimalism is a win.” – Julian Jarry

Matti Haapoja

“The FX3 is really interesting. This is the first true mirrorless filmmaker-first camera that I’ve seen from Sony. Whereas the α7S III, even though the guts are the same, it’s still a photographer-first camera. You can tell by things like the EVF and the form factor. But THIS is a filmmaker-first camera. Even though it can still take the same photos like the α7S III.”

“I think for me, this is going to be the way to go.” – Maati Haapoja

George’s Camera TV

“If you’re looking for that extra flexibility and that extra power, and that really cinematic look, especially YouTube content creators – the fact that you can shoot photos on this, really easy to shoot thumbnails, you don’t have to do screenshots. The ability to shoot photos and take really good cinematic video – this is literally the all-in-one solution. And it’s super compact, it has a flipscreen for those selfies as well, and the overall aesthetic of it and the overall ergonomics of it just make it so good to mount on a gimbal or to run around free roaming to get the content that you need.” - Andrew

PRO AV TV

“In comparison the FX3 isn’t really a step up from the α7S III in my opinion, but what it is instead is a fantastic, alternative version of the α7S III. This might be missing a few of the key features of the FX6, but it will still be an excellent video camera – just like the α7S III is. It’ll have the same strengths – the fantastic image quality, the superb low light, $K 120 frames per second in all codecs, the low rolling shutter, the RAW output, the stabilized sensor. You just now have to choose now which is the right tool for you and your work.” – Carl Yates

Jason Vong

“If you’re more movie or documentary-style oriented, I’m telling you man, that top handle makes a huge difference. Coupled with the fact that you don’t have to beef it up with a cage, if I didn’t already own the α7S III, I probably would’ve gotten the FX3. From a cinema perspective, it’s a much better value, all-in-one package movie camera. And seeing as how I use the α7S III 90% of the time as a video camera, it’s nice to have that included audio interface because I can attach my XLR mic directly to it, or slim it down and not use anything at all, or even attach a wireless Sony mic and start vlogging with it if I want to. Again I just like how the FX3 is super adaptable.” – Jason Vong

Hot Rod Camera

“It’s really for anyone who owns a Venice, FX9, or FX6 who wants a tiny camera that matches those cameras, and performs at a level beyond what you should expect for a sub-4,000 camera. It’s also much more usable than the α7S III in a cinematic context.” 

Gerald Undone

“I called the α7S III camera a technical masterpiece, so how could I not love this camera? It’s an α7S III, but more video focused. I really like the body design. I think it’s functional – it looks great. I like the top handle, the port doors and the texture of the chassis.” 

Filmtools

“This is for anybody wanting to get into a cinema camera that’s a low light king. It’s going to give you more functionality than the α7S III, but not have all the features or the price tag of the FX6. Additionally the small form factor gives you the ability to fly it on a gimbal or a drone.”