Rachel Tracy is, undoubtedly, a successful filmmaker. She’s worked on standalone documentaries and series for every one of the UK’s major broadcasters. She’s been shortlisted for a Grierson Award and worked on award-winning programmes. But at the beginning of 2021, as she approached her 40^th birthday, she felt unsettled—maybe even unsatisfied.

That’s when her latest project, Forty at Forty, was born. She would try to find 39 other women, born on exactly the same day as her, to talk about how they felt about where they were in their life—and then she’d invite them all to a joint 40^th birthday party.

This would be a completely new project, unlike anything Tracy had shot before. She needed to film with a dependable, cinematic camera that could work flexibly, consistently and with minimal fuss. So she chose the Sony FX6: a full-frame cinema camera in a compact, ready-to-go body.

Discreet shooting for powerful moments
In fact, compactness was a non-negotiable requirement for the camera Tracy would use. Combining this with the need for broadcast-ready image quality put the FX6 at the top of a short list. The main reason was purely practical: she would be shooting the project herself. Sometimes while juggling lenses and a tripod, sometimes while looking after her two year old daughter. A large, cumbersome camera simply wouldn’t cut it. But Tracy knew the size of the camera could also affect her work in a more subtle way.

“I wanted something small that wouldn’t make the women I was filming feel deterred from talking openly and honestly. We’d be covering intimate subject matter and I wanted something to help me sensitively capture those moments.”

With countless unrepeatable moments like this, Tracy needed to know she was getting the shots she needed—every time. And, as a solo shooter, she bridged multiple production roles at any given moment. Any feature that helped her reliably capture unique content was a welcome addition, and the FX6’s intelligent eye-tracking autofocus ticked that box.

“Of course, I always check that it’s in focus, but it’s nice to have that security. And to know that I’m still achieving the look that I want as well as being able to fully concentrate on the content. It’s been particularly useful when I’ve turned the camera on myself.”

Work in any kind of light
With 40 women to speak with, shooting this project meant recording in numerous locations, at different times of day. Any features created with flexibility in mind were welcome, especially those that would help Tracy achieve the look she wanted without the need for expensive peripherals or constant tweaking. First among these was the FX6’s built-in electronic variable ND filter.

While the ND filter handled fluctuating light conditions, the camera’s dual base ISO and dynamic range of 15+ stops kept Tracy’s subjects clear in low light too. For one part of her film, she records one of her ‘birthday twins’ working on the door at a nightclub in London, then interviews people in the queue. Without the enhanced base ISO of 12800, this would have meant seriously grainy images—or having to somehow light the scene, which just wasn’t feasible.

All-female crew
Forty at Forty was a complex step into the unknown for Tracy. It wasn’t funded or commissioned. She would shoot the majority of the film on her own. She even needed to film herself, solo. Then, at the end, she’d juggle a day of multi-camera shooting for the 40^th birthday party, directing at the same time as starring.

As a member of We Are Doc Women, a group that supports women directors working in factual television, Tracy knew from the start that she’d work with an all-female crew at the birthday party. Knowing this, the FX6 seemed even more ideally suited to her project:

“It’s going to be a real game-changer, just in terms of being able to show women that if they are smaller framed then they can use this camera and get great results— even without a rig.”

E-mount lenses deliver quality and convenience
After speaking with the Sony team, she received two extra FX6s and an FX9 to record with, not to mention a series of Sony lenses, including a 70-200mm f/2.8 GM, 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and several 50mm f/1.4’s. While the FX6 had already proved itself a worthy shooting partner, Tracy found that using Sony’s E-mount lenses took things to a new level: “I have used other lenses, and I couldn’t say why they’re not as good, but they’re not… I want a lens that does what you want it to do, with minimal effort.

“I was borrowing someone else’s 50mm lens beforehand and then when I bought my own Sony 50mm lens, the look and feel of it was very different. It just looks beautiful. I can get this lovely shallow depth of field, and everything’s super crisp and in focus when I want it to be.

Three camera ops provided ample coverage of the party with their FX6s, opting for a mix of handheld shots and shooting with lightweight rigs. Meanwhile, the FX9 was set up for vox pops in a confessional room downstairs. Throughout the party, the shooters weaved between guests, capturing everything that Tracy needed without disturbing conversations.

“I think that shooters using the FX6 can blend in and that probably added to the sense of intimacy and the filming itself not getting in the way of the party … This has also opened my eyes to having a Sony camera and Sony lenses, for ease of use. Otherwise you lose so much time with adapters and changing between different systems.”

A versatile, high-end camera
Shooting on Sony cameras wasn’t new for Tracy, who’s worked extensively with the FS7 before. Nor was it new for many of her crew. But she’s particularly impressed with both the image quality and the practicality of the FX6.