50 9 May 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Ataglance
£2,300 with 45mm f/2.8 lens
● 24.6 MP full-frame back-illuminated
Bayer-pattern CMOS sensor
● Leica L Mount
● 49-point contrast detection AF
● ISO 100-25,600 (expandable options
ISO 6, 12, 25, 50, 51,200 and 102,400)
● Fully-electronic shutter:
30 to 1/8000sec, Bulb
● 112.6x69.9x45.3mm
● 422g (body with battery and card)Testbench IN THE FIELD
O
ne of the most
interesting cameras of
2019 was the Sigma
fp, which gobsmacked
most pundits when it came out at
the end of October. Not only was it
the smallest full-frame mirrorless
camera in the world, it eschewed
Sigma’s favoured Foveon sensor
technology in favour of a
conventional 24MP Bayer chip and
packed in lots of heavyweight
video-recording features. These
include 4K recording (3840x2160)
at 30fps, plus the ability to output
raw video in the 12-bit CinemaDNG
format to an external recorder. Thefp can also record directly to an
external SSD by plugging one into
its USB-C port. So is the camera
an ingenious hybrid or a messy
compromise? Does the ‘yang’ of all
those video features balance with
the ‘yin’ of the still-photography
experience? A recent trip to Japan
to interview camera and lens
makers following the cancellation
of the CP+ show provided me with
the perfect opportunity to road-test
this intriguing hybrid.
This was the fi rst Sigma camera
I’d picked up for a long time and I
was instantly impressed by the
compact dimensions. At112.6x69.9x45.3mm, and
weighing 637g with the 45mm
f/2.8 lens, this is a camera you can
easily get into hand luggage, or
fi sh out of a camera bag when you
are out shooting. The camera
design is quite boxy, however, and
can feel awkward in the hand
without the (optional) HG-1 grip.
The titchy body also feels
unbalanced with a longer lens
attached, as I witnessed at a
promotional event in London last
year. Sigma is to be applauded
however for making such a small
and light full-frame mirrorless
camera, at a time when quite aThink
diff erent
Sigma’s fp, the world’s smallest full-
frame mirrorless camera with powerful
video features to boot, was one of 2019’s
surprises. Geoff Harris sees how it
shapes up as a travel companion
The fp makes manual
focusing a lot easier,
which comes in handy
with long-exposure shots