The latest (free) firmware update (version 3.0) for the Sony FX9 adds a slew of new features to the camera including Anamorphic View Modes, Touch Tracking AF and a whole lot more!
Learn more about the main features and improvements below.
Anamorphic Lens “De-Squeeze” Support for Viewfinder
With the update installed, the FX9 provides 1.3x or 2x lens de-squeeze when viewing through the LCD monitor.
The reason to use de-squeeze is that the sensor scan is actually wider than it really needs to be at this resolution, creating vignetting at the sides of the frame.
To counter this, the de-squeeze function takes that into account and not only de-squeezes the image but also crops the sides emulating how the footage will look after post production.
When using 2x lenses with the FX9, the camera must be set to 6K Full Frame (FF) scan mode, and with 1.3x lenses FF 6K scan, FF 5k crop or the S35 4K scan modes can be used to provide the correct sensor height.
Note: The 2x de-squeeze function is for use with S35 anamorphic lenses that are normally used with 35mm film.
S16 2K Crop I B4 Lens Support
The update also adds a S16 2K crop mode which allows you to use the center Super 16mm sized 2K scan area only which is especially useful when shooting at high frame rates above 60fps.
Unlike the FF 2K or S35 2K scan modes, this mode uses every single pixel within the scan area resulting in little to none of the image artefacts that are common when shooting at high frame rates using FF 2K or S35 2K.
However, because of the cropping, for wide shots you will need to use a very wide lens.
This mode is also especially useful when shooting with Super 16mm or B4 2/3″ ENG lenses via suitable adapters.
REAL TIME TRACKING AF
The other big feature addition is real time tracking AF, also known as “touch tracking” allowing you to use the viewfinders touch screen to simply touch where you want the camera to focus.
Once selected, the focus area will continue to be tracked as long as it stays in frame over-riding any other focus mode while it is selected.
It can also be used in conjunction with Face/Eye AF prioritizing and tracking the face that you have selected. You can also identify and save individual faces to be able to quickly switch focus from person to person.
This mode can also be used when the cameras AF switch is set to MF by turning the “Touch Function in MF” setting to ON in the system menu.
It also works with the AF side switch on the side of the camera is set to manual focus (MF).
This allows you to use an autofocus lens to focus manually, but then instantly switch to real time tracking AF simply by touching the LCD screen.
Real time tracking works across the entire frame regardless of the chosen AF frame area.
S700 protocol support via Ethernet
Finally, the update also adds the ability to control the camera remotely via Sony’s XDCA-FX9 extension unit connected to the camera and also connected to a supported remote control panel via ethernet cable.
Supported remote control panels include:
