The camera is the easy purchase. The cards, power and rigging around it are where FX owners quietly overspend, or buy the wrong thing. This is a practical, no-hype guide to what the Sony FX line actually needs.
Memory cards: mind the format
The single most common mistake: the compact FX bodies (FX3, FX30 and FX2) take CFexpress Type A, not the more common and cheaper Type B used by many Canon and Nikon bodies. The two are not interchangeable. The FX3 and FX30 have two slots that each accept either a CFexpress Type A card or a UHS-II SD card; on the FX2, only slot 1 is a combo slot, and slot 2 takes SD cards only. The FX6 uses CFexpress Type A as well.
The FX5 takes the same dual CFexpress Type A or SD slots, and it is the one body in the line where Type A is not really optional: it is the only compact FX body that records internal X-OCN LT RAW, which is the highest sustained write rate here. Plan on two Type A cards from the start rather than SD.
- For most 4K recording, a good UHS-II SD card (V60 or V90) is enough and saves real money.
- For the demanding modes(4K 120p, high frame-rate S&Q, All-Intra, and the FX5’s internal X-OCN LT RAW), you need CFexpress Type A for the sustained write speed. Sony’s own TOUGH CEA-G series is the safe default; ProGrade Digital and Lexar make well-regarded Type A cards too.
- Capacity: high-bitrate cinema codecs fill a card fast, so two mid-size cards (relay recording, and a spare if one fails) beats a single large one.
Power: know your battery family
The FX3, FX30 and FX2 all use the NP-FZ100, the same battery as Sony’s Alpha mirrorless bodies, which is convenient if you already shoot Sony. Note that the FX3 and FX30 charge over USB-C in the body and do not include a standalone charger, so an external dual charger and a couple of spare FZ100 packs are the first accessory most owners buy. Genuine Sony packs are the reliable choice; if you go third-party, stick to reputable names and expect slightly less runtime.
The FX6 is different: it runs on the larger BP-U series (BP-U35 and up), which is part of why it holds a longer day. And if you are moving to the FX5, your FZ100 stock does not carry over: it takes the new, higher-capacity NP-SA100, and charges in-body over USB-C at up to 30W. Sony confirmed that at the announcement, and the April 2026 China registration flagged it months earlier, which is why we were able to score it before anyone could buy the camera. Budget for FX5 packs as part of the body, not as an afterthought; the FX5 tracker carries the confirmed spec and its sources.
Cages and rigging: buy for the job, not the shelf
The FX3 and FX6 already ship with a detachable XLR top handle, so you may need less than you think. The FX5 is the exception worth pricing: its handle is a separate SKU, $5,499.99 with it against $4,899.99 for the body alone, and it is the part that brings the confirmed 32-bit float audio at up to 96 kHz. If you need XLR inputs, price the kit rather than the body. Otherwise add rigging only where your work demands it:
- A cage (SmallRig and Tilta both make well-fitted ones for the FX3 and FX30) if you mount a monitor, wireless video, or a matte box, or need extra mounting points. For gimbal or handheld run-and-gun, the bare body is often lighter and better.
- A top handle or extended grip for low-angle and handheld work, and NATO rails for fast accessory swaps.
- Skip the accessories that duplicate what the body already does. The FX line’s value is how much it does in a small package; rigging it into a box camera can defeat the point.
The short list
- Two CFexpress Type A cards (or UHS-II SD if you stay in standard 4K), sized mid-range, not one giant one.
- A card reader that matches (CFexpress Type A readers are their own thing).
- Spare batteries and an external dual charger: NP-FZ100 for the FX3, FX30 and FX2, NP-SA100 for the FX5.
- On the FX5, the XLR handle if you record from external mics, since it is not in the body-only box.
- A cage only if you are hanging accessories off the camera; otherwise leave it bare.
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