Sony’s upcoming cinema series could potentially lower the bar for entry into the category to more creators. Announced in a teaser on September 2, the new Sony Cinema Line will mix two existing but updated cameras with a new, smaller cinema camera before the end of the year. While cinema cameras are typically reserved for the high-end pros, the company says that the new line is designed for “a broader range of creators.”
The Sony Cinema Line starts with the existing Venice camera, designed for digital movie production, and the FX9, favored by documentary photographers. Both cameras are expected to see updates. The third generation of FX9 will incorporate remote control and additional lens support next year, while the Venice will see new firmware features aimed at broadcast users in November 2020.
Before the end of the year, the series will launch a completely new cinema camera, the FX6. Sony says that the new camera will “appeal to a wider spectrum of visual creators,” but offers little specifics and no technical specifications for the camera. What genres will be targeted in those wider demographics? Does the camera reach more artists because of beginner-friendly features, price, or both? We may have to wait until the end of the year to find out at the official launch.
What’s clear from the teaser image, however, is that the FX6 will take on a smaller form factor than the FX9. In the launch, Sony notes that the series will venture outside of the usual “cinema camera and professional camcorder form factors.” The company notes that the series is also dedicated to “enhanced operability and reliability.”
“The voice of our customer is critical to everything we do,” Neal Manowitz, Deputy President of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics, said in a press release. “We have the deepest respect for filmmakers, cinematographers, and storytellers, and will continue to evolve our product line to meet and exceed their demands. Just as our Venice camera was designed to capture the emotion in every frame, our new Cinema Line expands that vision to allow a broader range of creators to push their boundaries further, and capture and create like they’ve never been able to before.”
The FX6 is expected out before the end of the year, while the Venice firmware is slated for November and the newest generation of the FX9 won’t launch until sometime next year.
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