Sony F5 & F55 Discontinued?

Has Sony officially discontinued the F5 and F55? Both cameras were announced in October 2012. Sony Japan and Sony GB have listed both the F5 and F55 as being discontinued, however, Sony USA still has both cameras listed as available.

• 

• 

• 

Anyone who bought an F5 or F55 certainly got their money’s worth. There are few cameras in the modern age that have had the longevity that the F5 and F55 have enjoyed. In fact, there are still many F5 and F55 owners out there who are still using their cameras today, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t continue to use those cameras going forward.

Even though Sony looks like they have discontinued both cameras, you can still purchase the F5 new from retailers such as B&H.

Both the F5 and F55 can be found for pretty reasonable prices second-hand.

The F5 and F55 were the first truly modular Sony digital cinema cameras. Both cameras were a departure away from Sony’s previous high-end digital cinema cameras that were large and heavy.

The F5 and F55 were a hit with shooters who were moving from 2/3″ ENG cameras because they could be configured to work in a way that was familiar. You could shoulder mount both cameras and comfortably shoot with an EVF.

Sony continued to update both the F5 and F55 over the years as well as introduce new features and functionality, such as the 4K recording option for the F5 in 2014.

I bought an F55 in early 2013 and I used it for a few years before eventually selling it and moving on to an ARRI Amira.

The Sony FS5 2 also looks like it has been discontinued. According to Sony Japan, production has been completed, which means they are no longer making the camera.

So what does this mean?

I doubt there will be F5 and F55 replacements. Sony has changed around their digital cinema camera line-up and the VENICE effectively became the F65/F55 replacement. The FX9 is arguably the F5 replacement.

You have to hand it to Sony, both the F5 and F55 were ahead of their time and their longevity is proof of that. Both cameras are Netflix approved and there is absolutely no reason why you couldn’t use either model for the foreseeable future.

Did you own or do you still own an F5 or F55? Let us know in the comments section below.