Nauticam NA-FX5

Sony FX5 Full-Frame Cinema Camera

The FX5 sits at the top of Sony's compact Cinema Line. The fully-stacked sensor reads out fast enough to hold rolling shutter in check at high frame rates, and the BIONZ XR2 engine with its dedicated AI processing unit drives human pose estimation autofocus that stays locked on a diver or a moving animal rather than hunting for a face that is behind a regulator. Three base ISOs of 800, 4000 and 12800 mean the camera can be matched to available light rather than fighting it, which matters as much on a dim wall at 30m as it does on a sunlit reef top.

Key Camera Specs

• Full-frame fully-stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with BIONZ XR2 engine and dedicated AI processing unit
• 15+ stops of dynamic range in S-Log3, with base ISOs of 800, 4000 and 12800
• Dual Gain Shooting mode, a first for the FX series
• 3:2 Open Gate full-pixel readout, plus 17:9, 16:9 and Super 35mm scan modes
• Internal 16-bit X-OCN RAW recording, including the new X-OCN C1 and C2 codecs
• 5K up to 60 fps, 4K up to 120 fps, FHD up to 240 fps
• AI human pose estimation autofocus with Real-time Tracking
• 5-axis optical in-body stabilization with roll correction range approximately double that of the FX3

The Nauticam NA-FX5

The NA-FX5 carries forward the control layout, port system and monitoring options proven on the NA-FX3, including Nauticam's patented port locking lever and the rotary housing lock. Unveiled on the very first Nauticam DSLR housing in 2009, this locking lever has become a signature of the Nauticam brand. No twisting or threading action is required to mount a port, and it locks securely in place with this lever. Machined from solid aluminum block and hard anodized, the housing is depth rated to 100m and ships with handles and stabilizing brackets pre-installed.

Mission Control Design

Every control a cinematographer reaches for mid-take is placed within reach of the ergonomic handles, which feature stainless steel stiffening brackets to reduce unwanted movement even when the rig is loaded with large video lights. A REC lever falls under the right thumb on the rear of the housing, and the camera's multi-functional dial is fully exposed including its click function, so iris, ISO, white balance and menu navigation are all handled without breaking grip. Every camera function is accessible from outside the housing with the exception of the front Fn6 and front REC buttons.

The housing body carries twenty 1/4"-20 threaded mounting points and one M10 threaded mounting point, so lights, monitors, action cameras and tripod plates can be added wherever the shot requires them rather than only where a manufacturer decided to put a shoe.

Connectivity

Two accessory ports are located on the front of the housing, an M24 x 1 and an M16 x 1, with a third M16 x 1 port on the rear. The front M24 accepts the Nauticam HDMI 2.0 and 1.4 cable systems for external monitoring, and the rear M16 takes the optional 25625 M16 Vacuum Valve II. The remaining M16 port can be fitted with the 26325 USB-C Bulkhead for surface power delivery, which can be run at the same time as an HDMI output.

Premium Professional Optics

Water is an unforgiving optical element, and correcting for it is what Nauticam has spent more than a decade engineering. Nauticam water-contact optics treat the water itself as part of the optical formula rather than something to shoot through, which is how they deliver wide fields of view with corner-to-corner sharpness and close focus performance that a full-frame sensor recording 5K Open Gate will genuinely resolve. Paired with the right Nauticam port or wet optic, the FX5 gives up nothing underwater.

The NA-FX5 uses the N100 Port System, shared by every full-frame Sony mirrorless housing in the Nauticam lineup, so existing Sony shooters cross over without rebuilding their optical kit. The system provides access to Nauticam's full range of professional glass and acrylic dome ports, macro ports, and premium water-contact optics including the WACP series, WWL wide angle wet lenses, the MFO, and the SMC and CMC macro converters. These are conceived using commercial lens-design software to achieve optical quality that conventional ports cannot reach. With the 37305 or 37306 adaptor, the housing also opens onto the N120 port range.

Sony builds superb wide glass, and a lens like the FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II performs well behind a Nauticam glass dome port. Some loss of edge sharpness and contrast is an unavoidable limitation of any dome. Nauticam water contact optics maximize sharpness corner to corner while improving contrast and autofocus performance. That advantage matters most on the larger frame area the FX5 uses in Open Gate, where the extreme corners of the sensor are in play on every frame.

Recommended Optical Combinations

• Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G with the WACP-1B — the highest resolving fast zoom available on this format and the first choice when image quality drives the decision. The constant f/2.8 aperture is usable wide open, and the lens drives the FX5's autofocus and subject tracking exceptionally well.
• Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 with the WACP-C — the same water-corrected optical approach in a noticeably more compact and lighter package, for shooters building a rig they have to travel with.
• Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 with the WWL-1B — the most compact water-corrected solution possible, and removable in the water so a single dive can cover wide reef scenes and mid-range subjects without a port change.

On the macro end, the new Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM sets the bar for macro performance on this format, and Nauticam's accessory optics turn it into the most versatile lens in the bag. The MFO-1 improves overall image quality with a slight increase in magnification and meaningfully improves autofocus speed and accuracy. The MFO-3 widens the field of view for fish portraits and larger critters. The SMC-3 delivers the highest magnification in the range for the smallest subjects. All three mount in the water on a flip holder, so a single dive can cover a fish portrait, a nudibranch and a subject barely visible to the naked eye without ever changing a port.

HDMI Output

The FX5 supports both HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4 output through the front M24 bulkhead, routed to an external monitor or recorder housing for accurate framing, focus and exposure confirmation on a large, bright display. The HDMI 2.0 system pairs with the Ninja TX and Ninja V monitor housings, while the HDMI 1.4 system supports the Nauticam G7 and T7 UltraBright monitors and the NA-Shinobi II. A USB-C bulkhead for surface power can be run alongside either system.

Vacuum Check and Leak Detection System

The Nauticam vacuum check and leak detection system ships with the NA-FX5 as standard equipment. Combined with the accessory 25625 M16 Vacuum Valve II, this monitoring system provides constant updates on the water tight and safe-to-dive status of the housing. A simple color coded LED lighting system lets the user know that the vacuum is solid, or that the housing is losing vacuum. Leak detection is built into the same circuit, so if there is water intrusion, an audible and visual indication will occur. The Nauticam system is temperature compensated, eliminating false alarms caused by a change in outside temperature, or from a camera heating up on an action packed dive.