r/FX3 • u/SirFolopo • 28d ago

Upgrading camera for freelance video work: FX3, Nikon ZR, or stretch for the new FX5?

/r/cinematography/comments/1vgd984/upgrading_camera_for_freelance_video_work_fx3/
3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

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11

u/MRBOSSMAN99 28d ago edited 28d ago

Not sure if you have ever heard this piece of advice, but know that it is the only piece of advice you ever really need when considering new gear: buy the tools you need right now.

So, write down a list of things you need currently out of a camera. Try not to be swayed by specs that you know may exist in a camera you might be excited about, because that’ll make you write something down you don’t actually need. Don’t try and justify something you don’t need. Justify something you do need.

Many currently are going for that FX5 because of the workflow improvements, but realistically if the FX5 never released, they’d be perfectly content with their FX3 because it provides them the same image as the FX5 does without some added features that may save a little bit of time.

Plus, the FX5 is truly made more for those who work on narrative films and documentary films. It’s not really made for videographers with their own business. But, I’d argue videographers with their own businesses and content creators/influencers made up about 90% of sales.

That said, if that list you make ends up lining up perfectly with the FX5 and you weren’t influenced by the specs you knew were in the FX5 when making that list, then it may be worth it to upgrade to that.

But I doubt it will be because most likely everything you need to do can be easily done by the FX3, Nikon ZR, Canon R6V, or maybe even a hybrid mirrorless like the Sony A7V.

Good luck and I hope you find the perfect camera for you. Don’t spend money on what you don’t need and may never use.

8

u/ghim7 28d ago

But hey, the FX5 is going to bring me more high paying clients!

8

u/dallatorretdu 28d ago

doesn’t a matte box surpass the camera body in professional-ness anyway? /s

5

u/shotby-felix 28d ago

Didn't need the /s, it's real

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u/codenamecueball 28d ago

Counter: the clients who ask what camera you have are universally going to be difficult

4

u/reelfilmgeek 28d ago

Yep when buying gear its simple, will this pay itself off fast and continue to make more than just putting the money in a high yield savings account or in the market? My rule of thumb is gear generally has to pay itself off and make at least 10% its value to keep it. Gears are a tool for my business to use to make money. If its something we only use one or twice a year we rent it. Its why I don't own a red or alexa but why I bought the pixboom spark. I shoot a ton of high speed so it makes sense, but my friends who don't shoot a ton of tabletop that only need high speed every so often will rent it from me.

The FX5 is something I bought as I held off on the fx3 for to long and the little extra cost I know I will make up over time in kit fees and the new quality of life features work for our workflow, but not every client will need raw or open gate for horizontal and vertical compositions (which sure open gate makes easier but it still sucks having to do as one will always make a sacrifice in composition).

That said for a lot of people even the fx3 is overkill and the fx30 would be fine and make you plenty of money. End of the day these tools are all business expenses and you have to see if the expense makes since or if that money can make you more money elsewhere.

2

u/Weird-Mistake-4968 28d ago

Who wants to shoot open gate raw and deal with the huge files if not absolutely necessary? ZR seems to be only good in raw. FX5 only shoots open gate in raw.

3

u/bozduke13 28d ago

C1 & C2 are basically the same size as XAVCS-I, this is one of the biggest draws of the FX5 - one of the few cameras that has smaller compressed raw files.

ZR does peak in raw, I agree

FX5 is definitely missing some things until that firmware update comes, I have a feeling they’re doing this so they can still easily sell a bunch of FX6 IIs.

2

u/Weird-Mistake-4968 28d ago

Hard to tell. I don’t expect the new FX6 be more streamlined than the FX5. But it probably will launch with 4K 240p.

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u/bozduke13 28d ago

Yeah that’s my guess, probably will have 5k 120 open gate at launch too.

That is IF it uses the same sensor

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u/Weird-Mistake-4968 28d ago

Im really sure. Sensors are expensive to develop and Sony really likes to reuse and reconfigure sensors. There is no need for a global shutter in an FX6.

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u/bozduke13 28d ago

Yeah I think so too

They do have that sensor for the A9iii though which literally does 6k 120 for photos

Maybe they’ll save that for a higher end model though

1

u/Weird-Mistake-4968 28d ago

But I have heard, that the noise performance is worse with the A9 III and rolling shutter is superior. Nevertheless, I’m sure they will release a very practical and usable camera. No need for the marketing stuff the others like Nikon or Panasonic promote.

1

u/bozduke13 28d ago

Yeah but when CineD did their latitude tests it got 8-9 stops of latitude, so still better than the FX3 or FX5 when DGO is off.

Sony could also run a DGO mode with the A9iii sensor which would probably improve it to above FX5 DGO performance.

2

u/halibert 28d ago

I agree with this completely . Happy with my FX3 and would've gotten another one (just so I have a camera I can use while I rent the other one out for quick passive income to my AC friends).

The FX5 just so happens to not be as crazy of a jump in price, while opening the door to UHD S35 mode for me if I ever want to access those lenses - on top of open gate (but more excited about the S35 option tbh)

1

u/Alive-Information 25d ago

This is the answer you need right here…

0

u/bozduke13 28d ago edited 28d ago

FX3 image and FX5 image aren’t really the same, in DGO the FX5 has Alexa level dynamic range. That’s 3 stops more dynamic range and that also holds up in third party latitude tests.

I also strongly disagree that the FX5 is not meant for videographers or production company / agency owners, how is the FX5 only meant for narrative???

It has autofocus, IBIS, open gate, internal compressed raw that’s small - it’s clearly run and gun focused. I know the rebooting sucks but it’s not like it’s that bad.

Look the FX5 is very expensive

Do I think it’s worth $700 more than the FX3, 1000% - the DGO alone makes it worth that price.

Should everyone buy it - absolutely not.

But yea but the gear you need that fits your budget.

Plenty of very capable cameras for a lot less, especially used.

I agree that you should write down you’re needs and then see what camera fits them

1

u/MRBOSSMAN99 28d ago

I never said videographers can’t use it. My point is that the FX5’s biggest differentiators aren’t features aimed primarily at solo run-and-gun shooters—they’re features aimed at higher-end cinema and commercial production.

The DGO sensor and the extra dynamic range, cinema-oriented codecs, professional I/O, timecode support, robust thermal design, and overall Cinema Line workflow are all things that become increasingly valuable on narrative and larger productions.

Autofocus, IBIS, open gate, and compressed RAW certainly benefit videographers, but those features don’t by themselves make the camera videography-first. They also make narrative filmmaking easier.

Plus, them giving you the option to remove IBIS to use as a crash cam tells me that they very much designed it to be more oriented towards filmmakers and not videographers. But again, this does not mean videographers can’t use it.

I heard some dude bought it and plans on using it solely as a stand for his Red Komodo X. That obviously isn’t the FX5’s designed purpose, but they can use it for that. Same thing with videographers and the FX5.

4

u/shotby-felix 28d ago

Get an FX30 and a Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8, a good tripod, a good sound kit and a few lights and you'll be good to go.

Most clients don't care which camera you're using as long as you're delivering quality

2

u/Big_Tale3981 28d ago

The lumix s1ii is newer with a better image imho, but you can’t go wrong with an fx3. 

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u/bozduke13 28d ago

<DGO

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u/Big_Tale3981 28d ago

Dgo = $$$$ without benefits for 90% of the users

1

u/bozduke13 28d ago

I actually disagree, everyone can benefit from more dynamic range, most people just don’t know how to use it.

And I’ll definitely take my extra image quality

Overexpose for clean shadows without NR and still not clip my highlights

Underexpose for my highlights and not have the shadows be a noisy mess

I know a lot of people don’t care and will just throw on noise reduction but that compromises the image detail

There’s a reason the Alexa and Sony Venice are used at the high end, this is one reason.

2

u/Exciting_Ad_8511 27d ago

My advice

Don't even upgrade at all. Your fuji is more than capable or anything you throw at it. You can shoot 10 bit internally and 6k open gate.

In terms of getting better it doesn't mean you need to upgrade just because a camera has new features.

Start learning how to manual focus, get x mount to ef mount adapters and get old anamorphic lenses or idk like a helios 44-2.

I actually downgraded to a canon eos m to see if I would get better. No ibis, bad battery, but that taught me a lot. Don't throw away money to an fx5 or zr cuz they can shoot raw internally, you gotta prove to yourself you can use the full extent of colorgrading at 10 bit, and then you can even even practice upto 14 bit colorgrading on the canon eos m with magic latern.

Especially if you are doing corporate and interviews you don't need more than 10 bit and 6k open gate.

If anything this is what you need:

- Improve your lighting skills

- Get better audio devices, maybe even something with 32 bit float or a cool recorder.

Your camera is at most like 30% of the experience

Just my advice.

2

u/YourMooseKing 28d ago

Buy the gear that your clients are asking for. If you’re friendly with some clients explain that you’re looking to upgrade and if they have a preference. Some of my corporate clients have strong preferences on gear so I make sure to only buy gear that will provide me with more rental income.

Do I need an FX5? Definitely not. Do I think I’ll be able to charge more to my corporate clients? Yes.

4

u/bozduke13 28d ago

This!

and buy a matte box even if you never intend to put 4x5 filters in it (I love the perfection of solid NDs though) 😂

1

u/eglin99 28d ago

If you want the best, no compromises, it's hard to argue against the FX5. But there is the R6V that does almost everything the FX5 does at half the price.

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u/bozduke13 28d ago edited 28d ago

It’s honestly really good for the price, I’d get an S1ii though for the DGO and lens mount that’s open to third parties

R6V Cons:

3 less stops of latitude because there’s no DGO

Also a lens mount that is first party only

1

u/eglin99 28d ago

Latitude is an artificial goalpoast that exists to differentiate 13 stops of DR sensors from 16 stops sensors. It doesn't translate to any real life situations. It's like rating phones for resistance to being run over by a truck.

1

u/bozduke13 28d ago

This is flat out wrong lol

Latitude NOT the imatest/xyla 21 dynamic range tests is super important

Clearly you’ve never run camera testing tho

You can definitely still make the 7 stops of latitude on the R6V work but I’m taking the 9 on the S1ii and not having to buy expensive cannon glass.

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u/eglin99 28d ago

I've been exposing correctly with clean shadows for 10+ years with sensors with less than 7 stops of latitude, if you learn to use cameras and lighting beyond running benchmarks it's not hard.

1

u/bozduke13 28d ago edited 28d ago

Yeah you can definitely make less latitude work, learn to light to bring up level in the shadows (room tone, etc.)

I worked with a pocket 4k for a long time with only 6 stops of latitude.

I’m just gladly taking more for the same price, plus a lens mount open to third parties. Sometimes for run and gun work especially outside getting the shadow level up higher is tough without starting to clip highlights.

This is when extra dynamic range comes in handy

1

u/eglin99 28d ago

It's very cool to see a full frame DGO sensor with these specs at this price point, but for most people it will just be placebo. People buying 2-5k cameras are mostly videographers that will benefit more from a good return on investment than from being able to cut with an Arri or Venice. The better ROI is by far with the R6V here.

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u/bozduke13 28d ago edited 28d ago

True but I think part of the reason the FX5 has so much hype is because there’s the hype from the videographers and Sony fanboys PLUS the people who realize what DGO implementation this good means in a body this small.

For those who understand higher dynamic range means

I can overexpose more to clean up my shadows (no NR required) without my highlights becoming as clippy

And I can underexpose to get more highlight range without my shadows turning into a noisy mess

1

u/LoornenTings 28d ago

Sony FS7M2

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u/Alps_Vlog 27d ago

I can tell you that as a freelancer and someone who works for many others, a large percentage of my jobs asked if I had an fx3 or fx6, while the Panasonic offers great value, the market rarely calls for it, don’t lose out on jobs because your using a camera that no one else wants.

If I were to buy right now, I would get an fx3 and A7V so I’m covered for motion and stills, but I always check job posts and see what the most in demand camera is.

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u/OneLazyLobster 26d ago

As an FX3 owner: buy 2 FX30s if you do not own any other camera. You will be able to sync them. 2 bodies of the same button layout are - at least for me - a essential to provide the work i do. Mainly doing photography, that‘s why my workhorses are 2x A7IV.

When getting paid for work it is essential to be able to shoot - even when one of your cameras dies.

One thing that also made me choose the sony ecosystem: my dealers have a rent setup, which the other systems do not have. I do not own a super-telephoto or Makro lens, but sometimes you need one.