My Thoughts on the Sigma BF as a Sigma FP Owner - 5 Pros and 5 Cons
Sigma Announces the Sigma BF
I was surprised by the announcement of the Sigma BF. As a long-time Sigma FP owner, I was beginning to think Sigma was done making cameras.
The Sigma FP is a unique camera that reached a niche audience, but from what I’ve read, it never hit the sales numbers necessary to make building a 2nd version a no-brainer. Sigma’s CEO has openly stated in recent years that the Sigma FP’s future is undecided.
So, I was shocked 3 days ago to hear Sigma was launching an FP-like camera, but not one meant to be a direct successor to the FP line.
The Sigma BF is a minimalist and modern take on the original FP. The original FP was geared towards videographers, but the new BF appears to be targeted at stills photographers.
As a stills photographer and a lover of unique cameras, I love the concept. In this article, I want to discuss 5 things I like and 5 things that concern me about the camera as a long time Sigma FP owner.
*You can read my Sigma FP review here.
Sigma BF Key Specs:
Launch Price - $2,000
Full-frame 25mp sensor
446 grams
All aluminum body
One USB-C port
Internal Storage, 230gb
3.2 inch fixed LCD screen at 2.1 million dots
L-Mount
5 Things I Like About the Sigma BF
(1) The Design
I’ve long lusted after the Leica T 701, a camera which launched in 2014. It has a solid aluminum body, and APSC sized sensor, and a minimalist design just like the Sigma BF. Most people mocked the Leica T, but I loved it for its uniqueness.
I love the Sigma BF for the same reason. In a world where all other cameras look the same, its nice to see Sigma taking a risk and creating something truly unique.
(2) The Luxury Aspect
The Sigma BF is clearly a luxury camera without an ultra-luxury price tag. If anyone can challenge Leica, it’s the designers at Sigma.
The Sigma FP is beautifully built, one of the best feeling cameras I’ve ever handled, and the BF looks like it will improve on build quality even further.
Practicality aside, the Sigma BF looks like a million bucks.
(3) Price
Don’t get me wrong, $2,000 isn’t cheap, but it also isn’t expensive when you consider what you’re getting. The Sigma BF gives you a niche product, top-of-the-line build quality, and a unique experience like no other.
I don’t doubt for a second that this camera will match the build quality of a Leica, though Leica would be charging $6,000 instead of $2,000.
(4) The Screen
Many have bemoaned that the Sigma BF only has a fixed LCD screen and no option for an EVF. Luckily, it looks like the screen on the BF is similar to the one found on the Sigma FP, which is the best LCD screen I’ve ever used on a camera.
The screen on the FP is bright, color rich, and very detailed. I used the screen exclusively for over a year to focus m-mount lenses which I adapted to my FP. The screen was good enough to acquire critical focus even in sunlight.
(5) The Size
The Sigma FP is one of the most portable full-frame cameras ever, and the Sigma BF is roughly the same size. It has never been a hassle for me to carry my FP in a small bag or even in my jacket pocket. I carried it in my coat pocket for an entire trip to Paris. Its great to be able to take it out subtly, take a photo subtly, and then tuck it away without drawing attention to yourself.
The sleek black color will be ultra stealth. The silver less-so, but what the silver lacks in stealth it makes up for in beauty.
5 Things that Concern Me About the Sigma BF
(1) What does this Mean for the FP Line?
What does the launch of the BF and Sigma’s rebrand mean for the FP line? Many FP users thought the FP was only a few upgrades away from being a perfect niche camera. Will we ever see a Sigma FP mark ii? Or is Sigma leaving the FP behind and reshaping their offerings moving forward?
The Sigma BF is being marketed largely to photographers, so maybe there is still hope for an improved Sigma FP to meet the needs of video shooters.
(2) No IBIS
I desperately wanted the new Sigma FP to feature a basic stabilization system, but it looks like the Sigma BF is too minimalistic for such frills.
Image stabilization (IBIS) is helpful in photography for photos that require longer shutter speeds, and its helpful in videography for removing hand shakes from footage.
I wanted the Sigma FP’s successor to be my everyday camera, but I hate having to stabilize all my video clips in post-processing. The introduction of IBIS would have convinced me to pre-order this camera immediately.
(3) Ergonomics
Just look at the thing… There isn’t much to grab onto, especially on the front face of the camera. Sigma did add a knurled metal texture to the front, which I suspect will help with grip, but I doubt it will be enough to support most lenses with one hand.
That said, this camera is form over function, so I don’t think many prospective buyers will consider ergonomics a deal breaker (myself included).
(4) No Small Lenses
In my opinion, the Sigma BF would be much more compelling if it had been launched with a premium prime pancake-style lens (28mm or 35mm maybe) that matched the BF body. The smallest L-mount prime is the Sigma 45mm f/2.8, which is great, but the FP and BF line definitely need more premium compact options. Even the i-series primes are too big for this sleek little beauty.
To be frank, the i-series lenses don’t match this body. Those who will be interested in buying this camera will be aesthetically minded, and they aren’t going to want to mar the Sigma BF’s beauty with a ugly industrial looking lens.
I don’t understand what’s holding Lumix, Leica, and Sigma back from developing some truly compact pancake-esc primes for the L-mount.
(5) Will Sigma Support the Camera over the Long-Term?
The Sigma FP was originally billed as a modular camera that could evolve into almost anything, but when sales numbers were lack-luster, Sigma kind of stopped developing new accessories for it.
What will be the fate of the Sigma BF? Is this the beginning of an exciting new line for Sigma? Or just a one off variation of the FP? Only time will tell.
Will I Buy the Sigma FP?
If the new Sigma BF featured IBIS or an EVF, I would have swiped my credit card already. But the lack of any significant new features compared to the original FP has me conflicted.
I very well might buy the Sigma BF, but with the price of the Sigma FP and FP L falling on the used market, I’m tempted to buy a used FP L instead. The FP L has a 61mp sensor, more ports, more functionality, and is around $1,350 USD used at the time of writing this article.
One thing that could sway my decision towards the Sigma BF is if the new camera has significantly improved auto-focus.
Either way, I’m just glad to see Sigma continuing their innovation and originality, and I applaud them for launching this new, exciting, and beautiful camera.
*You can read my Sigma FP review here.
