Sony Cinema Line FX3A
Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023
What Buyers Say
Sony Cinema Line FX3A
The Sony FX3 and FX3A are overwhelmingly praised as top-tier cinema cameras, delivering stunning image quality, exceptional low-light performance, and reliable autofocus. Users highlight the compact, lightweight design and cinematic colors straight out of camera, though some note the need for external ND filters and a short battery life of about 2 hours. A few minor complaints include the included HDMI cable not working well with the monitor and the desire for 90-degree connectors.
Pros
- Stunning image quality
- Exceptional low-light performance
- Reliable autofocus
- Compact and lightweight design
- Cinematic colors straight out of camera
Cons
- No internal ND filters
- Short battery life (~2 hours)
- HDMI cable incompatible with monitor
- Lack of 90-degree HDMI connectors
- Sharpness limited to 4K native cap
Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023
The Panasonic Lumix S5II is overwhelmingly praised as a fantastic hybrid camera that finally brings phase-detect autofocus to the L-mount lineup. Users highlight its excellent video features, including a fan for unlimited recording, great stabilization, and beautiful color science, all at a very competitive price. A few long-term users report a shutter button issue, and some note the limited lens selection compared to Sony, but the vast majority consider it the best value full-frame camera under $2,000.
Pros
- Excellent phase-detect autofocus
- Great video quality and codecs
- Internal fan prevents overheating
- Outstanding image stabilization
- Beautiful color science
Cons
- Shutter button issue after extended use
- Limited lens selection compared to Sony
- APS-C crop in 4K 60p
- Rolling shutter at fast pans
- External monitor disables internal display info
Scores
Specifications
| Sony Cinema Line FX3A | Panasonic Lumix S S5 II | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Size | full-frame | full-frame |
| Megapixels | 12.100000381469727 MP | 24.200000762939453 MP★ |
| ISO Range | 80★ | 100 |
| Processor | — | L2 |
| Autofocus | ||
| AF Points | ||
| AF Type | Phase Detection: 759 | Photo, VideoContrast Detection, Phase Detection: 779 |
| Eye AF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Animal AF | — | ✓★ |
| Subject Detection | — | ✓★ |
| Shooting | ||
| Burst (Mechanical) | — | 30 fps★ |
| Burst (Electronic) | — | 30 fps★ |
| Max Shutter | 1/8000 | 1/8000 |
| Electronic Shutter | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video | ||
| Max Resolution | 4K | 6K★ |
| 4K FPS | 120 fps★ | 60 fps |
| 1080p FPS | 240 fps★ | 100 fps |
| 10-bit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Log Profile | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAW Video | ✓ | ✓ |
| Codec | XAVC S-I, 16-Bit Raw Output | H.264/H.265/MOV/MP4/ProRes 4:2:2/4:2:0 8/10-Bit |
| Display & EVF | ||
| Screen Size | 3" | 3" |
| Touchscreen | ✓ | ✓ |
| Articulating | ✓ | ✓ |
| EVF Resolution | — | 3.7M dots★ |
| Build | ||
| Weather Sealed | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Weight | 0.64 kg★ | 0.66 kg |
| Battery Life | — | 370 shots★ |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wi-Fi | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| HDMI | HDMI | HDMI Output |
| Hot Shoe | ✓ | ✓ |
Pros & Cons
Sony Cinema Line FX3A
- Strong connectivity (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong af (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
- Strong video (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
- Below average sensor (7th percentile)7th %ile
- Below average burst (33rd percentile)
Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023
- Strong display (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong build (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong connectivity (96th percentile)96th %ile
Pricing
Verdict
Scores 96 overall, wins 10 of 10 usage categories and 10 of 33 specs.
