GEAR
SIGMA FP TEST
Select menu, which is a great way to set all the most-used settings. Hit QS, move the thumb pad wheel to change between settings, then spin it to alter those settings. In Cine mode, you can change the video format, frame rate, time code, shutter angle, aperture, ISO, colour and white- balance. If you want more options, the AEL button takes you deeper into the right menu. It’s simple and easy to get to grips with. You can also customise the QS menu with whichever settings you want. If you dig into the mainmenu manufacturers, not as good as others as lots of functions are buried inside sub-menus. Once you get used to it, it’s intuitive and pretty simple. On the subject of controls, the top plate has the standard red Rec button, but in Cine mode, the larger shutter release button does the same job. The body itself feels rugged and solidly made, and is weather resistant. It’s also compact –when you remove the L-Mount lens, it’s almost a shock to see the full-frame sensor. Only then do you realise howmuch tech Sigma has packed into a tiny body. It’s ideal for use on gimbals and drones, or anywhere that a larger camera won’t fit. The metal body acts as a heat sink for the heat generated by such a big sensor recording Raw files. And the cooling vents around the 3.12-inch rear touchscreen also help cooling. At no point did the camera overheat at all. But the screen is totally fixed, which is not great for a video camera. Shoot from a slightly lower or higher angle and it’s impossible to see, especially outside in daylight. In that case, you need an external monitor. We tried it with an Atmos Ninja V and it transformed the handling, although obviously increased the size significantly. The Sigma has helpful guides such as waveforms, zebras and focus peaking – as do many external monitors. It’s just hard to see themon the Sigma unless it’s at eye level. And there is no viewfinder, although Sigma offers one as an optional extra. The camera has built-in image stabilisation and contrast-detect autofocus. This is decent for most static or slow-moving subjects and is precise. It does have face and eye detection, which you can set it to track moving subjects and alter the focusing area. However, it doesn’t have the same high-speed tracking capabilities and seemingly endless system, it’s relatively easy to navigate. Better than some
120Mbps. Then there’s CinemaDNG Raw at up to 2500Mbps. Depending on which of these settings you go for, it unlocks various different frame rates and resolutions. For example, if shooting Raw to an internal SD card, you can only record in 8-bit at up to 2000Mbps, but if you record it to an SSD, then you can choose 8-, 10- or 12-bit. If you want the ultimate in quality and 12.5+ stops of dynamic range, 12-bit Raw is incredible, as it offers you the chance tomaximise dynamic range, pull detail from shadows and highlights and change white-balance to perfection. Add your own level of sharpening, grade it to your heart’s content and even use stills grabbed from the Raw video for amazing- quality photos. With no anti-aliasing filter, youmight encounter moiré, so you’ll need to apply some measures to control that, too. The fp also produces quite contrasty Raw files, so you need to work out your colours. But for quality, there is nothing better. However, it does come at a cost in several ways. For example, if you record in 12-bit CinemaDNG, the only frame rate supported is 23.97 fps. So that’s a pain if you want to film in the more normal 25 fps. For that, you need to drop to 10-bit. Another cost of Raw is in complexity, as you have to process the Raw files in a programme like DaVinci Resolve. Fine if you edit in Resolve, but if you use other NLEs like Final Cut Pro X, then it adds time and a learning curve to get the best out of each file. But the big one is the file sizes and space you need to record them, store them and computing power to edit them.
“The body itself feels rugged and solidlymade, and is weather resistant. It’s also compact”
customisation options of hybrid phase-detect systems such as on Sony or Olympus mirrorless cameras. What it does offer is a Director’s Viewfinder option. This allows you to fix the lens of your choice and set the camera to give the view as you would record on other cameras fromArri, Sony and Red in a variety of different settings. This is a nice option for DOPs on bigmovie shoots, but in reality is not of huge use to independent filmmakers. The camera will also soon offer the hybrid still/movie cinemagraphs, but this will come via a firmware update. Aside from the spec and handling, the real beauty of this camera is the images it produces. We tested a version of the camera without its final firmware, but the quality shone through anyway. Especially if you go for the ultimate quality and shoot CinemaDNG Raw in any of the bit depth options available. However, not all options are available in all settings, andmany depend on whether you are shooting to the internal SD card, an SSD drive via the USB-C port or externally via HDMI to one of the twomonitors that currently work with the Sigma fp: the Atomos Ninja Inferno or Blackmagic Video Assist 4K. The camera shoots inMOV All-I in 4:2:0 8-bit up to 440Mbps, or GOP in the lower-spec 4:2:0 8-bit at up to
ABOVE The metal body of the Sigma fp acts as a heat sink and there are cooling vents around the 3.12-inch rear touchscreen
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WINTER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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