Friday News: Sony Drops the FX5 and Teases Another Big One, Canon Goes Retro, and the RX10 V Lands
Man, July is not playing around. Every time I look at my phone this week there's another camera announcement in my feed. I'm writing this from Hong Kong with the GH7 and the 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II as always, but honestly half of this stuff has me itching to put down the MFT kit and go play with a full-frame cinema body for a weekend. Let's walk through what's actually hot this week — no fluff, just the stuff that matters if you're a working photographer or hybrid shooter in 2026.
Sony FX5 lands at $4,899 and it's clearly aimed at me
The big one for me personally is the Sony FX5. Launched July 22nd, shipping mid-August, body-only at $4,899 USD. That's not cheap, but it's also not FX6 money. And the spec sheet is... honestly kind of insulting to my wallet because I want one. 16.6MP stacked full-frame Exmor RS sensor, Bionz XR2 with the dedicated AI processing unit, 15+ stops of dynamic range in S-Log3, three base ISOs (800 / 4000 / 12800), and Dual Gain shooting — first time in the FX series. And here's the real headline: Open Gate 3:2 and internal X-OCN RAW recording. Both firsts for the FX line.
If you don't know what Open Gate means — basically you can shoot full-sensor 3:2 and reframe later for vertical, horizontal, anamorphic, whatever. With anamorphic de-squeeze built in. That's huge for solo shooters like me who deliver in multiple formats for social and clients. And X-OCN is Sony's 16-bit scene-linear RAW format — way more color data than 12-bit, way more latitude to grade.
The FX3 has been my "if I ever leave MFT" camera for years, and the FX5 basically takes the FX3 formula and adds the things FX3 shooters like me have been begging for since launch. New detachable OLED EVF (7.08M dots, 2,500 nits), 3.5" Venice-inspired UI, tri-band WiFi with 6GHz, the new NPSA100 battery (130 min recording — up from 113 on the FX3A), 5K 60p, 4K 120p, FHD 240p. Gareth Edwards literally shot a project across Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal with one. That's the endorsement right there — run-and-gun cinema camera to beat.
Yeah, the EVF port blocks the MI shoe when mounted and you lose 32-bit XLR audio. And there's still no built-in ND like the FX6. But at $4,898 body-only? Sony basically made the FX3 obsolete overnight. If you're a hybrid shooter eyeing the FX3 — wait, or pay the extra $1k for the FX5. No contest.
RX10 V quietly became the wildlife camera to beat
Not as sexy as the FX5, but Sony also dropped the RX10 V earlier in July and it starts shipping this month. $2,299 USD, available August 2026. The ZEISS Vario-Sonnar 24-600mm f/2.4-4.0 lens is the same range as before — 25x optical zoom in a single body. What changed: AI-powered Real-time Recognition AF (people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, airplanes — yes, airplanes), 30 fps blackout-free shooting with 60 fps AF/AE calculations, 4K 120p, and the body now uses the NP-FZ100 battery — about 50% more life than the RX10 IV.
For wildlife and birding photographers this is basically the dream one-body setup. I met a guy in Sai Kung last weekend shooting kingfishers with an RX10 IV and he was getting frame-fillers without ever changing a lens. The V is going to be that, plus actual AI subject tracking that works. If you can't justify a 600mm prime + body + teleconverter, $2,299 for everything in one sealed brick is hard to argue with.
Sony has one more thing coming August 4
And then the rumor mill went nuts this week — Sony Alpha Rumors confirmed via trusted sources that Sony has another product announcement locked in for August 4, 2026, at 3pm London time. The leading candidate is a new 100-400mm lens (the current Sony FE 100-400mm GM is from 2017, so it's overdue). But there's also heavy speculation that the a7S III replacement is finally landing. The a7S III was announced in August 2020 — that's six years ago. For a Sony video-focused body, that's an eternity.
If it is the a7S IV, expect: stacked sensor, AI AF unit from the a7 V, 4K 120p minimum, maybe 6K open gate, S-Cinetone 2. If Sony finally puts the AI processing unit into the a7S line, it's basically a mini FX5 with a stills-focused body. I'll be watching the live blog at sonyalpharumors.com next Monday.
There's also a wild rumor that Sony made an offer to acquire Tamron. Take that one with a massive grain of salt — Sony has never been the type to buy lens makers, they prefer to compete. But if true, it would consolidate the E-mount third-party lens market overnight. Probably noise, but it's fun to think about.
Canon Q2 earnings: compacts are saving them
On July 27th Canon announced their consolidated net profit forecast for FY2026 is 340 billion yen, up 2% from last year. That's 7 billion yen higher than their previous forecast, driven by weaker yen and US tariff refunds. The big takeaway: compact camera sales are driving growth, with Canon explicitly targeting more than 50% growth in the compact segment for the second half of 2026.
Translation: Canon figured out that the vlogging/compact renaissance is real money and they're doubling down. Expect more PowerShot and V-series models through the rest of the year.
And then there's the Canon EOS R8 Mark II rumor
Speaking of Canon — Canon Rumors is at "near-100% confidence" on a retro-styled EOS R8 Mark II, announced around late August 2026. Allegedly using the 32.5MP sensor from the R6 Mark III and Cinema C50. Adding IBIS (the original R8 has none — major omission) and dual card slots. Plus a possible special edition tied to Canon's 50th anniversary. The header image on Craig Blair's May roadmap piece literally pairs a vintage Canon AE-1 with the current R8. That's the design language they want you to think about.
If Canon nails the retro aesthetic and prices it near the current R8 ($1,499 new, sub-$900 used), it directly competes with the Nikon Zf and Fujifilm X100 series. Sony still has nothing in this segment — they keep refusing to make a retro-styled body. So if you want a daily-carry full-frame with character, the R8 II might be the one to watch. I'm personally excited. The GH7 stays my main body, but a retro Canon for street walks? I see it.
Wrapping it up
So to recap this wild week: Sony launched the FX5 (the FX3's real replacement) and the RX10 V, teased an August 4th announcement that's probably the a7S IV, Canon posted strong Q2 earnings driven by compacts, and Canon's R8 Mark II retro body is locked in for late August. If you're shopping for a hybrid body right now, the smart move is probably wait two weeks — the August 4th Sony event will set the tone for the rest of the year, and the R8 II rumor needs to be confirmed or denied.
Me? I'm saving up. The FX5 is calling my name and I hate it.
That's it for this week's news. See you Monday — and if anything drops between now and then, I'll be on the LensClear feed.