Sony FX30 vs Sony FX3 Is FX30 Better Than FX3

So, in this review, I’m comparing Sony FX30 vs Sony FX3 to help you decide which camera you may need to buy for your next project.

There are plenty of differences and If you want to learn more about them I have done a long review of each of both cameras you can check the links, and hopefully, this comparison will let you figure out which camera is better suited for you.

So, at first, glance it looks identical to the Sony FX3, so what makes this camera different I will start off with the differences between the FX30 and the FX3.

However, the Sony FX3 and Sony FX30 do feature better cooling solutions than the Alpha Series of cameras thanks to the addition of AF and better intakes and exhaust for air and this means you have a much lower chance of running into overheating issues whereas you may with the Sony A7 IV

So, if you’re thinking about buying one of these cameras and you can’t decide which one you want to get then there are a couple of things you should probably consider.

What Are the Differences Between FX30 and FX3?

In terms of physical feature differences between the Sony FX30 and the FX3 the only real difference is the sensor size resolutions and recording options and the ability to use aps-c lenses plus a speed booster with full frame glass.

the biggest difference between the two is the FX30 has a backside illuminated CMOS sensor just like A7 IV whereas the FX3 uses a 12.1megapixel full-frame sensor.

And the FX30 uses a 26-megapixel APS-C size sensor whereas the readout speed of the FX3 is much faster than the FX30, if we look inside they are very different, and the internals are completely different.

There is also no flash sync control on the FX3, there is also no NFC in the FX30 whereas there is with the FX3 and those are just my thoughts after checking them.

So, Something else that you’ll find that’s different with the FX30 in comparison to the FX3 is that this has some of the newer features that you find like on the Sony A7 IV which is focus mapping and focus breathing compensation.

Focus breathing compensation is really awesome when you use a lens that has a lot of focus breathing so when you’re rack focusing and you notice the edge is kind of breathing in and out this will actually compensate for that.

What Are Similarities Between Sony FX30 VS Sony FX3?

the FX30 basically looks the same as the FX3 if we look from the outside looks the same, it has the same kind of body, the same kind of buttons and the same kind of display, it has a lot of things from its bigger brother the FX3 in the front.

So, both cameras run similar menu software, both cameras have excellent phase and contrast detection autofocus, both have image stabilization systems, the full-frame label, light cluster, the NFC logo the color of the quarter 20 threads which are black on the FX30, and silver on the FX3.

both cameras feature a zoom rocker on the shutter button that allows you to control powered zoom lenses or clear image Zoom to achieve some really smooth consistent zooms this is possible on the A7 IV but it requires rebinding the function to two buttons which isn’t ideal.

They both feature similar recording formats using Sony’s xabc, and both feature the same color profiles as an S-log 3 sine tone, both have the same dual card slot, both have the same codecs and bit rates as the Sony A7S III and FX3 and they use the same MPF Z100 battery.

Both cameras have the same excellent white balance function very similar inputs and outputs and both feature dual ISO sensors all these features are found in the A7 IV.

Menu

The FX3 has a similar menu system just like A7 IV but the FX30 does have the edge slightly over the A7 IV.

FX30 has a new layout for the main menu which gives faster access to Key video menu items they also updated the stand-by movie screen to put all the settings around your image similar to Venice’s EVF layout.

Sensor

The FX30 has a 26-megapixel 6K sensor that is being downsampled to 4K its a full sensor readout there’s no pixel binning and the image is very sharp whereas FX3 has 12 megapixels and its a big difference between them.

the FX30 is doing much less noise reduction in the shadows from the FX3 and Sony A7S III sensor. So, the FX3 looks cleaner when dramatically underexposed but that might not actually be necessarily a good thing depending on the style of work you do and how you like to work in post-production.

the FX30 is a crop sensor so you’re not going to get the same ISO performance like FX3 does, you’re not going to get these same shallow depth of field from F1.4 or even F 2.8 lenses.

So, having that crop sensor means more of your image is actually in Focus. Second, when you’re shooting at 120 FPS it crops in an additional 1.5 times and you’re basically shooting on a micro four-thirds sensor.

Image Quality

When it comes to image quality It’s really impressed by how similar the colors and the overall image look there’s a difference in the bokeh and the background blur and I’d say the FX30 looks pretty nice maybe not quite as good as the full frame but the colors are the exact same color grades because it is an aps-c size sensor.

Low Light Performance

When it comes to Low Light performance the image of the FX3 looks better over the FX30 though, the FX3 is also a low-light monster it really does perform excellently in low light and you can really see the difference between the two of them.

So, in low light FX30 has a little bit more grain in comparison to the FX3 also the FX30 in lower light situations had more noise in comparison to the FX3 which is super clean so FX30 is not as good as the FX3 like not even close in low light.

This is probably due to the fact that the FX30 has 14 stops of dynamic range in comparison to the FX3 which has 15 plus stops of dynamic range.

ISO

So, the base ISO of the FX30 is 800 whereas on the FX3 it’s 640 which is a slight difference but the Dual ISO of the FX3 is 12800 whereas on the FX30 it’s 2500.

In terms of ISO the FX3 has a dual native ISO which is 640 and 12 800 whereas the FX30 has a dual native ISO of 800 and 2500.

ISO Performance

When it comes to ISO differences they both featured two base ISO but the FX3 is much higher compared to the FX30.

the FX30 look pretty good because of its sensor size and resolution, both cameras can capture 4K 120p in slow and quick mode, the FX30 has a 1.6 times crop when in this mode whereas the FX3 can record this while using the full sensor readout.

Video Features

the FX30 offers a really nice blend of shooting great quality video and it’s also the most affordable over FX3, the FX30 offers a much better shooting experience for video than the A7 IV but a slightly worse image.

Tracking System

However, there are some differences between them the FX30 has human as well as animal and bird tracking in its video mode whereas the FX3 does not.

Ports

the FX30 and FX3 feature full-size HDMI ports just like Sony A7 IV but the FX30 and FX3 can output Pro as raw whereas the A7 IV can not where you can’t capture raw for more flexibility in posts.

Storage

FX30 and FX3 have the same dual memory card slots just like Sony A7S III that can take either SD or CF Express type A cards so keep in mind that you’ll need to have two of the memory cards that are recommended if you want to be able to have backup of your footage while filming.

Battery

FX30 has the same kind of batteries found on the A7S III and the FX3 as well these batteries are by far some of the best batteries that for the size.

Another thing to note about the FX30 is that the battery life lasts a little bit longer than the FX3 when you’re doing some continuous shooting the battery life on the FX30 lasts 175 minutes whereas the FX3 is 135 minutes.

Weight

I think the FX3 is just a tiny bit heavier than the FX30 so FX3 is 640g whereas FX30 is 646g.

Price Difference

the price is also very different the FX30 is just $1,800 on BH Photo and on Adorama is the same whereas the FX3 is $3,900 on BH Photo and the same price on Adorama.

FX30 is almost exactly like the FX3 and for the price range the Sony FX30 is only around $1,800 and that is just for the body. The nice thing also is if you wanted the option to buy the top handle it is going to be sold for $2,200.

the FX3 is more expensive than FX30 but it takes everything great and pairs it with an incredibly fast sensor, improved image quality, and frame rate options.

Which Camera You Should Buy FX3 or FX30?

So, would you get the full frame Sony FX3 over the APS-C FX30 crop sensor, it would be the full frame no question about it but full frame just has some major benefits if we compare full frame to an APS-C in low light it does not even close such as the ability to get better bokeh no crop factor and much better low light performance.

If you want to buy the FX30 to save some money then you need to buy some glass because the smaller sensor and crop factor it’s going to affect the glass.

Which Is Better For Video FX30 or FX3?

The FX30 is an entry level Cinema Camera this is not going to be the same as an FX3 or an A7S III or an FX6 the FX30 it’s a $1,800 camera whereas the FX3 is at $3900 you get a lot more for that price.

If you’re just getting into videography and you want a dedicated professional video camera this is definitely a great option you can’t go wrong with either of these two cameras and they both create awesome images.

Why Should Buy FX3 Over FX30?

• without sacrificing any of the features that the FX3 has there’s only really a couple of negatives of the FX30 the first it’s not quite as good in low light because it’s a smaller sensor so it’s not going to have the performance of a full frame sensor in low light but really you should be Lighting in most situations.

• So if you just want a B camera to the FX3 then it is a great option as well over the A7 IV and the fact it has a built-in fan if you want to do some photography and many cases it just makes more logical sense over the FX30 but if you’re planning on doing lots of long interviews or long shooting then that fan is really important.

• the high frame rate footage looks better out of the FX3 whereas the FX30 has slightly restricted photo capabilities over the FX3.

• the FX30 has no mechanical shutter whereas the FX3 does it also only has a single shooting still mode and no continuous modes whereas the FX3 has both of these

Why You Should Buy FX30 Over FX3?

• the FX30 is a camera to purchase based purely on the features that it has it is a lot more affordable than the FX3 is giving you all the same features that the camera offered.

• In terms of the body design and functionality, it is very similar to FX3 the only real difference is the sensor, and different image quality, it’s going to give you a slightly different look.

Conclusion

the FX30 is definitely the better than FX3 and Pocket 6K while the FX3 still looks amazing even at 25 600 the FX3 is still looking great while the Pocket 6 gate is definitely too noisy interestingly though the FX30 actually looks quite similar at 12800 which is a surprise.