The Sigma fp in the non-test
4.12.2019
Translation: machine translated
The smallest full-frame camera in the world can be upgraded modularly and operated like a large camera. It also offers professional video features. Nice, nice. But I don't know what to do with it.
This should have been a test of the world's smallest full-frame camera. But I found it extremely difficult. This is due to the very unconventional concept of this camera. In the end, it turned out to be more of a field report.
A professional video cam?
As soon as I started using the Sigma fp, I realised that the video function of this camera was not just a side issue, but an important component - possibly even its main function. The tiny dimensions of the Simga fp make it easy to integrate it into a video rig. It comes with professional video features: it can record the raw video format Cinema DNG in 12 bit on an SSD, and in 8 bit on UHD-II. It has a timecode for synchronisation with other cameras and things I've never heard of before - such as the fact that the shutter speed can also be specified in degrees.
My problem, however, is that I can't test professional video functions in any meaningful way. That's a world of its own that I'm not at home in. Our video producer Manuel Wenk is interested in being tested, but only if he can find a suitable project - and that can take even longer.
Photography with the Sigma fp
But even if I limit myself to the photo functions, the Sigma fp gives me more than enough puzzles. It's tiny for a full-frame camera, which is kind of cool. Without the grip and lens, it looks like a compact camera.
But of course the camera is not usable in this form. It needs at least one more lens. Full-frame lenses tend to be large. With the 45mm f/2.8, the camera is still reasonably manageable. The other two lenses I was able to try out are large and heavy.
In order to be able to build the camera so small, Sigma has omitted various things: viewfinder, flash, handgrip. These can all be screwed on or attached as separate accessories. It is a modular system. However, this also means that you have to buy everything separately and are often rebuilding.
I only have the handgrip for this accessory and I really need it for the two larger lenses.
I think all three lenses are absolutely great. They are superbly made, fast and simply a joy to use. But with the two large ones, the small body turns from an advantage into a disadvantage. A large camera body provides a counterweight and support.
The small Sigma fp also lacks some controls. For example, the camera does not have a button for exposure compensation. The wheel on the back is responsible for this, but this wheel turns very easily, often unintentionally. The exposure compensation is constantly adjusted. Although there is a lock mode to prevent unintentional actuation, it also locks almost everything else. It is also awkward to use even via the quick menu.
There is a gap between the screen and the rest of the body from which waste heat can escape. The screen therefore looks as if it could be pulled out, but it is immobile.
The short battery life also bothers me when taking photos. To make matters worse, charging takes a long time. Sigma only supplies a USB power adapter for charging in the camera - you have to buy an external charger separately. This means that you can't use the camera while it's charging, and according to the user manual it takes a whole four hours. Could be true - I haven't checked. I had to plug the camera back in at every opportunity, even when the battery wasn't completely empty.
More puzzles
And so it goes on and on. I take the camera into an indoor go-kart facility, it's pretty dark and the exposure times have to be short. That means high ISO values are needed. Here is a shot with 5000 ISO.
The noise behaviour is worthy of a full-frame camera. Kind of cool. But the Sigma fp is not a real sports camera. No super-fast autofocus, too few controls. I'm a bit perplexed.
Sigma does not use a proprietary RAW format, but Adobe DNG. I find that exemplary. DNG can be edited just as flexibly as RAW in terms of colour depth and white balance, but is a standardised format that almost all editors, even older ones, can handle.
I really like the different colour styles for JPEGs, which are directly accessible via a dedicated button. Even if I end up editing the raw data instead of the colour-modified JPEG, the colour variants help me to work towards a certain direction while I'm taking the photo. This is very valuable, because it's the only way I can take the right photos in the first place. If the photos don't exist, even the best post-processing on the PC is useless.
I am puzzled by the Fill Light function. According to the user manual, it is used to lighten dark shadows without making the light areas too bright. Almost all cameras have this kind of contrast compensation, but it usually only works in JPEG mode. This is also the case here.
The strange thing is that I can turn Fill Light up to plus 5 or minus 5, but level 1 already has a strong effect. At level 3 there is a completely exaggerated HDR effect, and what the camera delivers at level 5 is simply grotesque.
One camera for everything, or just for video?
Trying out a modular camera like this is exciting. But I can't come to a clear conclusion. I can't adequately test the video area. And after my attempts to use the Sigma fp as a photo camera, I have to say: it can do a lot, but it's not the king anywhere. The lenses are too large for an always-on camera, an integrated viewfinder would be desirable for street photography, the battery is too weak as a travel camera and the resolution is rather low for landscapes.
Nevertheless, I like the camera. The cute dimensions, the sturdy workmanship, the lenses, the unconventionality. But I wouldn't buy it for myself. <p
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
