Sony just announced the a7R6, and honestly? It tells us a lot. An 8K filmmaking powerhouse, 32-bit float audio, and the first new battery technology from Sony in eight years. But beyond being a great camera on its own, the a7R6 is basically Sony showing us a preview of where things are headed, and that has some very exciting implications for the FX3 Mark II and a7S4.

I want to go through what Sony has already revealed and make some educated guesses about what is coming next, because these future cameras are shaping up to be really exciting. We’re going to divide this into three categories: things I believe are guaranteed to be coming (well, as guaranteed as speculation can be), things I’m probably right about but can’t say for sure, and lastly, some wishful thinking that would make these cameras truly special.

Just to be clear upfront: this is all speculation. I don’t have any inside information. Let’s get into it.

Part 1: The Guaranteed Upgrades

The Articulating EVF from the FX2

Starting with the body of the FX3 Mark II, this is one I would be absolutely shocked if Sony didn’t include: the articulating EVF from the FX2. A lot of filmmakers weren’t thrilled with the FX2, mostly because it was a great camera body paired with a rather mediocre sensor that cropped in when recording 4K at 60fps. But one genuinely great thing about that camera was the EVF that could tilt up. It was a joy to use, and I would not be surprised at all if Sony carried that forward into future compact cinema cameras like the FX3 Mark II.

Sadly, I doubt we’ll see this EVF make it to the a7S4. Sony has shown that with their photography-focused cameras, they tend not to go that route. However, there is good news on the body front. Sony did add a front tally light to the a7R6 that lights up when you’re recording, and I would bet that also comes to the a7S4.

The Flip-Out Tilting Monitor

This one almost feels too obvious to even mention at this point. The flip-out and tilting monitor that was introduced on the a7R V has essentially become the new Sony standard. We’ve seen it on the a7V and now the a7R6. In my review of the a7V, I called it the best screen design Sony has ever put on a camera, and I have no doubt it’ll be on both the FX3 Mark II and the a7S4.

The New BIONZ XR2 Chip and NP-SA100 Battery

This one I would truly be shocked to not see. The new BIONZ XR2 processor and the NP-SA100 battery system that debuted with the a7R6 are almost certainly going to make their way into both cameras. The new batteries offer 17% longer battery life, but more importantly, they run at a higher voltage, 7.82 volts versus 7.2 on the older NP-FZ100 batteries.

Here’s my theory on why this actually matters: I believe that this more efficient processor paired with the higher voltage is what unlocks some of the more exciting capabilities we’re seeing on the a7R6, and will unlock those same capabilities on future cameras. Look at the accessories the a7R6 supports versus the a7V, which is only about six months older but uses the older battery tech. With the a7R6, Sony introduced the new XLRA4 handle with 32-bit float audio recording internally to the camera. My theory is the older batteries simply couldn’t power the camera and that XLR handle at the same time, so Sony bumped the battery tech to compensate.

And I would be absolutely shocked if the a7S4, a video-focused camera, didn’t support that XLR adapter. I’d be even more shocked if the FX3 Mark II didn’t have a locking, cinema-specific version of it with 32-bit float audio. I’ve talked before about the features I consider non-negotiable for these cameras, and 32-bit float audio is definitely on that list.

Part 2: Things That Are Probably Coming (But Who Knows)

Open Gate Recording

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way: open gate. Every time I talk to Sony employees, whether that’s at Sony Kando events or any camera reveal, open gate comes up. Filmmakers want it for everything from shooting horizontal and vertical video in one take to using anamorphic lenses. Sony is very aware that we want it. And while the a7R6 doesn’t include it, what better camera to finally introduce open gate than a filmmaker-focused body like the a7S4 or FX3 Mark II? I’m still putting this in the speculation category, but I think filmmakers might riot if Sony doesn’t include it. It’s coming.

Internal RAW Video

The one feature that Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and even Apple with the iPhone offer that Sony still does not: internal RAW video recording. The form it takes could vary quite a bit. Panasonic just licenses ProRes RAW from Apple. Canon makes their own flavor. Nikon basically supports everything. At a bare minimum, Sony could license ProRes RAW as an option. But they also have their own professional RAW format called XOCN that’s currently only available on very high-end cinema cameras like the Venice and Burano. Maybe they bring a version of that down to the FX3 Mark II and a7S4. Personally, I love Nikon’s approach of offering as many RAW flavors as possible. I’d love to see Sony do the same.

Higher Frame Rate Video

When the a7S III came out, filmmakers were genuinely shocked that it could shoot 4K at 120 frames per second. That was a jaw-dropping spec at the time. The sensor platform that powers the a7S III and FX3 is now several years old, so there is a lot of room to improve. I can’t help but feel that Sony could shock filmmakers again if the FX3 Mark II were capable of 4K at 240 frames per second. That would be wild. I still remember the Sony FS700 from over a decade ago, which could shoot 240fps for about 9 seconds before it had to buffer to the card. And now we could be talking about that kind of slow motion in a small, portable cinema camera with no buffer. So cool.

Better Low Light and More Base ISOs

The “S” in a7S has always stood for sensitivity. These cameras are still some of the best in the world for low-light shooting, but the competition from Panasonic and Nikon has caught up significantly. At a bare minimum, I’d expect Sony to maintain their current low-light performance, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they pushed further.

Here’s a fun thought: Canon now offers a camera with three base ISOs. What if Sony did that? Imagine a base ISO at 800, one at 12,800, and then a third at something truly ridiculous like 51,200. That would blow a lot of filmmaker’s minds, mine included. The dual native ISO system Sony uses is already really powerful, so taking it even further with a third base ISO would be a massive win.

Part 3: Wishful Thinking (The Fun Part)

A Fully Unlocked Quad Bayer Sensor

Okay, here’s where things get truly exciting. I know I just said these cameras will probably continue using low megapixel sensors, but what if they didn’t have to?

There’s sensor technology that’s been around for a while, very common in smartphones, called Quad Bayer. Basically, it allows a sensor to be very high megapixel while still combining four pixels together into groups to create larger pixels when needed. This is how the iPhone can offer a 48-megapixel sensor but shoot 12-megapixel photos by default, giving better low-light performance through pixel binning.

Here’s what might surprise you: the a7S III and FX3 sensor already uses a form of Quad Bayer technology. When people did teardowns of the a7S III sensor, they discovered it actually has a 48-megapixel sensor under the hood, but it’s locked to output only 12 megapixels by combining four pixels together for better low-light sensitivity. So what if Sony created a new sensor with fully unlocked Quad Bayer? You could have an a7S4 or FX3 Mark II with a 48-megapixel sensor capable of shooting 8K, that could also bin down to 12 megapixels for incredible low-light 4K performance. The technology already exists to do this. I’m dreaming, but it could be incredible.

Global Shutter

Alternatively, what if Sony brought global shutter technology to the a7S4 and FX3 Mark II? It’s currently only available in the Sony lineup on the a9 III. Most high-end Red cameras use a global shutter because it completely eliminates rolling shutter and flickering light issues. That could be genuinely game-changing for filmmakers, especially those shooting under mixed or artificial lighting.

Dynamic Range Boost

Here’s one I haven’t seen many people talking about: dynamic range boost. Panasonic has had a sensor technology by this name for years now, where enabling it causes the sensor to lower its refresh rate but significantly boost dynamic range, often by a full stop. I would love to see Sony implement something similar. Their sensors have been sitting in the 15 to 16 stop dynamic range range for a while now, and any technology that could push that further would be a real win.

A Bigger Screen

I already think the a7R6 screen is great, and I expect Sony will use it on both cameras. But if they wanted to go bigger, like the 4-inch screen on the Nikon ZR or the new Kinefinity Vista, I wouldn’t complain at all. The question is whether that screen could still support the flip-out and tilt functionality. Leave me a comment and let me know: would you be okay with a bigger screen if it meant it only flipped out but didn’t tilt?

Internal ND Filters

I know I’m going to get in trouble if I don’t mention this. Internal ND filters. People have been asking for this forever, and I’ve heard from reps at multiple camera companies that the laws of physics are basically working against them, since the filter mechanism would make the camera significantly larger. But I don’t care about the laws of physics. I want Sony to figure it out. It would be an absolute dream, and I know I’m not alone on this one. Someday, maybe.

What About Price?

Historically, the a7S III launched at $3,500 and now costs $4,000. The FX3 launched at $3,900 and now costs $4,300. Looking at where newer cameras like the a7R6 are landing (around $4,500 to $4,700), I could see the a7S4 coming in at a similar price point. The FX3 Mark II is a different story, since it comes with an XLR handle that Sony currently charges around $500 for separately. My guess is Sony tries to keep the FX3 Mark II under $5,000, something like $4,998. They love that kind of pricing. But I hope I’m wrong and it’s cheaper. Given where electronics prices have gone these days, though, I’m not holding my breath.

What Do You Think?

The a7R6 really does feel like Sony showing their hand a little. The new battery, the new chip, the 32-bit float audio pipeline, it all points toward some exciting future cameras. I’d love to hear what you think Sony will include with the FX3 Mark II and a7S4, and whether I missed anything you’re hoping for. Drop it in the comments!

And if you’re currently shooting on a Sony camera and want to get the most out of your autofocus settings, check out my post on the best autofocus settings for the FX3 and a7S III. Out of the box, Sony cameras don’t come with the best autofocus settings for video, and a few quick changes make a big difference. I also have a free Sony autofocus cheat sheet you can grab there.

If you want to go even further and really level up your editing game with all that great Sony footage you’re going to be shooting, grab my free Edit Videos Like a Pro guide. It’ll help you take your footage and turn it into something you’re really proud of.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!