SIGMA FP TEST
W hen Panasonic got full-frame L-Mount, most presumed Leica and Panasonic would continue their relationship andmake high- end cameras while Sigma would produce independent L-Mount lenses to fit. That way, it would give buyers of the new Panasonic S series or Leica’s SLmirrorless cameras instant access to a whole range of top-quality primes and zooms at more affordable prices than the existing Leica glass. But Sigma alsomakes cameras, although its range of unusual SD Quattro and DP Quattromirrorless compacts have a very different type of sensor called a Foveon and haven’t had any real impact on the filmmakingmarket. It means the Japanese company has the know- how and production capabilities to buildmodern cameras, and a love of doing things a little bit differently. All this converged to produce the new Sigma fp, the world’s smallest full-frame mirrorless camera and the only one to shoot CinemaDNG Raw files internally. And to an SD card, no less, rather than pricey CFast, CFexpress or XQDmedia. It’s certainly a quirky camera, one that’s designed for switching between stills and cine use – a choice hammered home by the large and obvious button on the top plate marked ‘Cine’ and ‘Still’. Choose whichever you are shooting, and the menus and configuration change totally, making it easy to switch between the two. While many mirrorless cameras definitely feel like a stills camera with added video functionality, the Sigma actually feels like it’s the other way around. Instead of the body being tailored towards stills shooters (with the more conventional PASM mode dial and flash hotshoe), it prioritises video Raw, a screen with cooling vents to stop the sensor overheating during extended video shooting and buttons under the rear screen that allow you to set colour modes and tones. That’s not to say it’s not a good stills camera, but it’s an even better filmmaking camera. together with Leica and Sigma to announce the alliance to share the
Even the strap eyelets aren’t the normal lugs for a camera strap. Instead, they are standard¼-20 threaded holes into which you screw the included strap lugs, if you want them. Or use them to bolt on standard video accessories like rigs and cages. If you do want to use flash, the included Sigma HU-11 hotshoe adapter screws into the left side of the camera and has a clamp to firmly fasten a mini HDMI lead. This clamp can be a bit small for certain leads, so youmay end up buying a more slender version if you want to link it up to an external monitor. To use the hotshoe adapter, you need to take off a rubber cover electronic connections to be made and, unfortunately, it’s easy to lose. The other connectors for the USB-C socket andmic input are hinged, so there is no chance of losing them. They are a fiddly fit, though. The rest of the camera is small andminimalist, with few external controls. But this can work well for filming as, for example, you can set the shutter speed to 180° shutter angle so it always sets a speed of twice the frame rate, using the age- old formula that has stood the test of time. Then all you need to do is set the ISO and aperture. We used the compact Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN lens, which has an aperture ring, so it all felt old school and natural. This is a mid-range lens from Sigma’s Contemporary range rather than the flagship Art range of DSLR lenses or even cine primes, but its small size made the camera truly pocketable. The back of the camera has a button labelled QS for the Quick from the side of the body. This is totally removed to allow the
SPECIFICATIONS Price: £1999/$1899 Sensor: 24.6megapixels, full- frame, BSI Bayer CMOS, 3:2 Image stabiliser: Electronic ISO range: 100-25,600. Expandable 6-102,400 Dynamic range: 12.5+ stops Lensmount: L-Mount LCD: 3.15in, 2.1million dots touchscreen Viewfinder: None Auto focus: Contrast detect, 49 points Recording format: CinemaDNG 8/10/12-bit, MOVH.264 All-I/ GOP. 4K 3840x2160 29.97p/ 25p/23.98p, FHD 1920x1080 119.98p/100p/59.94p/29.97p/ 25p/23.98p. 4K 8-bit under 25fps, FHD 12-bit under 60fps to SD card. 4K 12-bit 24fps, FHD 12-bit under 60fps, 8-bit under 120fps to portable SSD 4K 3840x2160 29.97p/25p/ 23.98p, FHD 1920x1080 119.98p/100p/59.94p/ 29.97p/25p/23.98p 4:2:2 8-bit via HDMI Connectivity: USB-C, Type D HDMI, 3.5mmstereomic input Storage: SD/ SDHC/ SDXC UHS-II slot Battery: 1200mAh BP-51 Li-ion Dimensions (WxHxD): 112.6x69.9x45.3mm/ 4.43x2.75x1.78in Weight: 422g/0.93lbwith battery and card
“It’s certainly a quirky camera that’s designed for switching between stills and cine use”
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WINTER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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