Sony FX3A Review: The FX3 Refreshed With a Sharper Screen
The Sony FX3A isn’t a new camera. It’s a quiet update of the FX3, which launched in February 2021, and it appeared at retailers around May 2025 with no launch event. The model number changed to ILME-FX3A and the price stayed at $3,899.99, the same as the original FX3. On July 9, 2026, Sony raised it to $4,299.99.
Inside, nothing changed. The FX3A has the same 12.1MP full-frame sensor, the same recording modes and the same body. The changes are parts Sony needed to swap: the rear screen goes from 1.44 million to 2.36 million dots, the same panel as the FX30, and reports say the port layout was standardized on USB-C while NFC and the infrared remote receiver were dropped.
That makes this an FX3 review in practice. Documentary and street filmmaking is where the FX3 built its reputation: a small, quiet camera you can carry through a march or a festival all day.
Photo: Pixel Effects
We found no full video review of the FX3A itself, which makes sense since it shoots identically. Matti Haapoja’s review of the original FX3 covers everything that carries over.
Video review: Matti Haapoja
What you get
The FX3A records 4K up to 120p in 10-bit 4:2:2, including All-Intra XAVC S-I. Raw is available only over HDMI, as 16-bit output to an external recorder such as an Atomos, which records it as ProRes RAW. S-Log3 has two base ISOs, 640 and 12800, and the high one is why this camera is so popular for dim events and night work.
There’s five-axis in-body stabilization plus an Active mode, and Sony’s real-time eye AF, which CineD and MPB both found reliable. A fan keeps it recording without time limits. The detachable XLR handle gives you two XLR inputs, and media goes to dual CFexpress Type A or SD slots. It weighs about 715 grams with battery and card and runs on the NP-FZ100.
What’s still missing
The same things as in 2021. There’s no viewfinder, no internal ND filter and no internal raw. Stills are only 12MP. And the camera overlaps heavily with the Sony A7S III, which shares the sensor and adds a viewfinder.
Should you buy one now?
At its original $3,899.99, the FX3A was an easy pick. At $4,299.99 it gets squeezed. The Sony FX5 adds internal raw, Open Gate and a faster sensor for about $600 more. The Canon EOS C50 costs less with its handle and records 7K raw internally, though it has no IBIS. The Nikon ZR also undercuts it.
If you’re buying used, an original FX3 gives you the same images. Check the screen and the port layout, which are the only real differences. On a tighter budget, the APS-C Sony FX30 shares the body for much less, and the Sony FX2 adds a viewfinder. For a wider look at Sony’s video lineup at events, see mirrorless cinema cameras versus a camcorder.