The Sony FX3 has won Time Magazine’s best inventions of 2023 – accessible film making award. The FX3 won the award because it was the main camera for the Hollywood blockbuster “The Creator”. The FX3 wasn’t a B camera, it was used to shoot the vast majority of the film (I believe there was also a small amount of FX9 footage).
And this wasn’t a Sony stunt. The director of this sci-Fi film Gareth Edwards chose the FX3 because he felt it was the best camera for the job. In various interviews Edwards has stated that one of the prime reasons for choosing the FX3 was its low light performance. The FX3 allowed him to shoot with real moonlight rather than bringing in complex and expensive lighting rigs. It allowed the DP Oren Soffer to move more freely with the actors as they could do more with the natural available light rather than artificial lights. This in turn led to them shooting longer takes which Edwards feels gives the film a more organic look.
For the film the FX3 was connected to an Atomos Ninja V and they recorded ProRes Raw.Of course – the film went through some extensive post production work and there is a lot that AI can now do to clean up an image or to rescale it. But, I think we are now at a stage where almost every cinema camera that is in the market today, from the FX30 to a Venice could be used to make a feature film and the audience is unlikely to be aware of whether you used a $3K camera or a $75K one. At the same time I do feel that there is a lot to be said for picking the right camera. A studio based film might be quicker and easier to shoot on a Venice. A location based film may benefit from a smaller and lighter package.
Whichever camera you choose, great story telling remains the main goal. Good lenses, lighting (or the use of the available light in a pleasing way) and composition are key elements in telling that story. Your skills as a film maker are more important than the camera you choose to use, but choosing the right camera can make the job easier. It’s a wonderful time to be a film maker.
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With an FS7 and FS5, each equipped with 18-110mm servo zooms, a couple of Super 35 Cinema primes, a small collection of Zeiss Contax FF lenses with Speed Booster, the FX30 is our obvious move.
The FX30 is a cracking little camera. I prefer the way the image from the FX30 looks compared to the FX3 and FX6. The 6K oversampling helps create a more rounded image that looks a bit less processed. And the range of lenses you can use is vast. But, for ultra low light the FX3/FX6 are still my first choice.
I know that since the introduction of the A7s III, low light filming has become ‘a thing’ but really, in our experience, some fast primes and judicious application of the Gain switch is all we’ve needed. What Topaz VAI can do with noise reduction, upscaling and even stabilisation is now quite remarkable.
For its form factor & low-light capabilities, I’m considering using the FX3 alongside Venice 2. I prefer not to record to an outboard device. What’s the difference between recording RAW to the Ninja V or internally? Thanks for all your posts – you are a great source of camera wisdom.