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Maybe it’s an L-Mount Alliance in-joke, however the Sigma BF simply out-Leicad Leica. Possibly the 2 firms positioned a wager on whether or not Sigma can be first to outdo Leica’s cameras or Leica can be first to outdo Sigma’s lenses.
Both approach, the Sigma BF is a really intelligent little digital camera for some acquainted causes. It’s so stunning that it makes your coronary heart skip a beat. It’s constituted of a single block of aluminum. It boasts bountiful inside reminiscence. It strips bodily controls and an EVF in favor of a friction-free touchscreen-driven expertise. And it makes use of the L-Mount.
What has that acquired to do with Leica? As a result of again in 2014 it launched the Leica T – a digital camera that was additionally achingly stunning, additionally constituted of a single block of aluminum, additionally had a great deal of inside reminiscence, additionally ditched the controls and EVF, and likewise used the L-Mount (effectively, again then it was referred to as the T mount).
However the Sigma BF is larger, higher, extra in each approach. And it’s hands-down probably the most beautiful digital camera I’ve ever seen, not to mention used – not for the reason that Hasselblad X1D has a contemporary digital camera had the chutzpah to be so daringly totally different in the way it appears. It’s really a masterclass in industrial design.
The identical ethos behind the best way the digital camera appears – “radical simplicity” – lies behind the best way it operates. Not solely does it ditch nearly each bodily management, it additionally banishes each single icon from the rear display screen. The thought is that the Sigma BF turns into the on a regular basis digital camera that may exchange your telephone, for all these moments after we attain for our pocket as a substitute of our digital camera bag.
So, the Sigma BF beat Leica at its personal sport. However does it beat at this time’s cameras?
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Sigma BF: Value & availability
The Sigma BF is priced at $1,999 / £1,969 / AU$3,999 and goes on sale in April in both silver or black end.
For comparability, the equally sized Sony A7C II is presently $2,200 within the US, whereas the equally specced Panasonic Lumix S9 is round $1,400 proper now. The entry-level Nikon Z5 is available in as little as $995, however when you’re on the lookout for the most effective bang for buck then the powerhouse Canon EOS R8 is about $1,200 in the mean time.
Sigma BF: Specs
|
Sensor |
24.6MP back-side illuminated full body CMOS |
Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
Mount |
L-Mount |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
Stabilization |
Video stabilization solely (digital) |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
|
Climate sealed |
“Mud and splash resistant construction” |
Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
Max video decision |
6K 30p, 4K 30p, FullHD 120p |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
Autofocus |
Hybrid part & contrast-detection |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
Sensitivity |
ISO100-102,400 (exp 6, 12, 25, 50) |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
Max burst fee |
8fps |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
Viewfinder |
None |
Row 8 – Cell 2 |
|
Rear display screen |
3.15-inch TFT touchscreen, 2.1 million dots |
Row 9 – Cell 2 |
|
Reminiscence |
320GB inside (no card storage) |
Row 10 – Cell 2 |
|
Connectivity |
USB-C |
Row 11 – Cell 2 |
|
Dimensions |
130.1 x 72.8 x 36.8mm |
Row 12 – Cell 2 |
|
Weight |
388g physique solely • 446g with battery |
Row 13 – Cell 2 |
Sigma BF: Construct & dealing with
Sigma’s “radical simplicity” manifests in a couple of methods, right here. To begin with, the absence of an digital viewfinder – or anywhere to mount or join one, since there isn’t a sizzling shoe and no HDMI connection… nor a headphone jack, microphone jack, sync port or reminiscence card slot.
The Sigma BF has solely three “connections”: a USB-C port, a tripod mount and a single strap lug. The USB port is used for each charging and transferring your pictures, for the reason that digital camera opts for a whopping 230GB of inside storage slightly than counting on playing cards.
The dearth of sizzling shoe, mount factors or HDMI does restrict your means to make use of flash, seize audio or join an exterior monitor – and when you choose a neck strap, slightly than one on your wrist, you’ll want one which connects to the tripod mount.
The minimalism extends to the digital camera’s controls; the Sigma BF presents you with a shutter, 4 buttons (energy, play, menu and OK) and a clickable wheel on the again. This would possibly come as a little bit of a shock when you’re used to a DSLR or a professional sports activities physique, however keep in mind – this digital camera isn’t making an attempt to be these issues, it’s making an attempt to be as streamlined as a smartphone.
I believe we’ve established that the Sigma BF is a traffic-stoppingly fairly digital camera. Although, it needs to be mentioned, that has rather a lot to do with the truth that I used it primarily with Sigma’s new silver 35mm and 90mm I-series primes. With common black L-Mount lenses, it definitely appears rather a lot much less engaging – although you might, in fact, go for the black model of the BF. Remember, nonetheless, that it’s an actual fingerprint magnet.
Anyway, the digital camera is machined out of a single ingot of aluminum – a course of that takes seven painstaking hours on gigantic machines within the Sigma manufacturing unit in Aizu (which I used to be fortunate sufficient to go to, and see the digital camera being assembled). This offers it an astonishingly sturdy really feel and reassuring diploma of heft, whereas one way or the other nonetheless being extremely mild at simply 446g.
It evokes the identical feeling of tangible high quality as different cameras machined from a single piece of metallic, just like the Olympus PEN-F and the aforementioned Leica TL. The result’s a physique with no single seen screw gap, for an extremely elegant end.
Nonetheless, not like the PEN-F (which featured a leatherette end) and TL (which had comfortable, horny curves), the Sigma BF is an unapologetically angular digital camera. Whereas it has no sharp corners, it has laborious strains and harsh edges – that means that its ergonomics are removed from pleasant to arms (excluding the palm notch on the bottom-right of the physique, which reminds of the Sigma SD Quattro).
I ought to level out that just about everyone I’ve spoken to felt that the digital camera was uncomfortable to carry for prolonged durations. And some additionally identified that the dearth of a entrance grip additionally made it laborious to maintain maintain of.
All I can let you know is that I used the digital camera with none discomfort in any respect – though I did develop up utilizing a Nintendo NES controller, which is equally pointy, so perhaps my arms are simply resistant to it. I’ve additionally by no means had an issue conserving maintain of a digital camera with no grip (I don’t put on a strap, both) and had no concern holding the BF out over bridges or out of home windows.
The digital camera boasts a “mud and splash resistant construction”, with Sigma stating that “though this building permits the lens for use in mild rain, it’s not the identical as being waterproof”.
As with many cameras, it’s rated to be used in temperatures from 32-104°F / 0-40°C – although remember that utilizing it in situations past this vary will have an effect on battery life (extra on that within the Efficiency part), which is rated at 260 pictures / 60 minutes of video.
Sigma BF: Efficiency
How does the “radical simplicity” work in observe? Fairly effectively, truly. It took a sizzling minute to get used to the grammar of the Sigma BF’s interface, which is not like something I’ve ever used earlier than, however after just a little adjustment of muscle reminiscence I used to be flying.
By default, the display screen has no data on it in anyway; all that’s displayed is the dwell view of your scene. A fast press of the OK button will discreetly show your settings across the edges of the body, after which you spotlight and click on the one you wish to assign to the wheel – which you’ll be able to then rotate to control publicity values, scroll by means of colour presets and so forth.
Folks typically criticize cameras with just one management dial, however numerous photographers shoot in a precedence mode anyway – which I dare say is how the Sigma BF is meant for use (it is aiming to interchange the best way you employ your telephone, in any case). And when you mount a lens with an aperture ring, you don’t actually lose any management anyway.
Taking pictures totally by way of the rear display screen is one thing you both vibe with otherwise you don’t. Definitely when you dwell in a really vivid setting, the place there’s numerous solar or snow, it may be laborious at occasions to see the display screen. However once more, it is a system seeking to exchange your telephone – so taking pictures on the rear display screen is a part of the deal. However hey, I shot a journey pictures project in India utilizing a digital camera with no EVF and it wasn’t an enormous deal.
Nonetheless, because it’s the solely display screen, I might have liked it to tilt. Mounted rear screens ought to have died with DSLRs and, whereas I do know it will have messed with the only piece of aluminum aesthetic, it messed with my means to take fairly a couple of avenue pictures photographs as a substitute. However once more, this is identical concern you could have with a telephone… so once more, it’s merely a part of the deal.
I used to be massively impressed by the digital camera’s autofocus. Sigma’s AF tech has improved massively over time, and I nearly forgot that I might transfer my focus manually as a result of the BF targeted precisely what I needed it to for about 90% of my photographs with none steering.
It has head, face and eye topic detection for people and animals, and I used to be extraordinarily happy with its monitoring efficiency as effectively. It sometimes locked onto a fence or a billboard whereas taking pictures a busy avenue scene, however all it wanted was a faucet on the display screen to put a spotlight level.
One other massive win got here within the type of the colour presets, a few of that are on par with the Movie Simulations in Fujifilm cameras. There are 13 in all (together with the model new RIch, a punchy oversaturated affair, and Calm, a comfortable cyan-heavy quantity) and a few of them are really sensational straight out of digital camera. I really like that they permit you to pre-produce your photographs, and seize them as you experiened them, slightly than post-produce them till they lose all that means.
I used to be fearful concerning the lack of in-body picture stabilization within the Sigma BF, primarily as a result of I’ve owned cameras with IBIS for over a decade and my true means to handhold might be fairly stunning lately. Nevertheless it was no drawback in any respect and, amazingly, not one in all my thousand or so photographs has even a whisper of digital camera shake.
Sadly, the battery life is a little bit of a ache level. I used to be averaging about 180 photographs per cost, far wanting the quoted 260 pictures. The state of affairs was worse in chilly situations, the place the aluminum physique acted like a fridge for the battery and made it more durable to pump out energy.
It was nice for a day or night of informal taking pictures, which is arguably its meant use, however when you’re planning on utilizing it for sustained studio work you then would possibly wish to seize a few further batteries.
Word: I didn’t have the possibility to guage video efficiency as quite a lot of pre-production cameras had autofocus points in video mode. Sigma has been made conscious of the difficulty and I stay up for seeing how video performs in a closing manufacturing mannequin.
Sigma BF: Samples
Sigma BF: Early verdict
Some folks have clumsily in contrast the Sigma BF to the Panasonic S9, just because they’re equally small full-frame cameras with 24MP sensors and L-Mount lenses. However I believe this misses the purpose totally, as a result of they’re wildly totally different propositions.
For starters, that is the form of digital camera you’d see sitting on an architect’s desk. The form of digital camera that Steve Jobs would design. And it truly is the non secular successor to the Leica T / TL / T2. I don’t assume anyone would say these issues concerning the S9.
May the Sigma BF actually grow to be your on a regular basis digital camera? Sure, I believe it might. I had a riot of a time taking pictures with this digital camera, whether or not I used to be working round a lake chasing geese, stopping to snap photographs of a mountain, ambling round a citadel like a vacationer or stealing avenue scenes on a night within the metropolis. That is the right digital camera to stow in a sling bag and whip out to catch these spontaneous moments when the pictures gods compel you.
Had been there occasions after I wished it had a viewfinder? After all. Did I sometimes miss having twin management dials? Positive. However these are the criticisms I’ve about smartphones – solely this digital camera makes the compromises worthwhile.
Clearly the video autofocus wants addressing, and that’s nearly definitely a problem with the prototypes I’ve been testing (however I truthfully don’t assume it issues as a result of this actually isn’t a video digital camera). You have to to be conscious concerning the battery life, although.
I believe it is a digital camera for what Ricoh calls the snap-shooter, however who needs lightyears higher efficiency than a GR III. It is a digital camera for photographers to hold when they need one thing on their shoulder that isn’t their massive heavy workhorse. And I believe it is a digital camera for folk who wish to really feel impressed by the package they use, the identical approach that a phenomenal automobile conjures up you to drive it.
The Sigma BF is a digital camera fully its personal. The place nearly all different cameras attempt to be all issues to all folks, the BF dares to be totally different and carve out a really distinctive area of interest. Should you’re the kind of one who’s evaluating specs and measuring it up in opposition to different cameras, it isn’t for you; it is a digital camera you need simply since you need it. And that’s okay – as a result of I would like it for that exact same motive.