Big test Sigma fp L PRICE: £1999
SIGMA-IMAGING-UK.COM
If the prospect of full-frame shooting gets your creative juices flowing, but you don’t want the burden of a large camera, the Sigma fp L could be perfect for you
SPECS › Prices fp L body £1999, fp L with EVF-11 £2449, 35mm f/2 DG DN £549, 65mm f/2 DG DN £649 › Prices of optional accessories EVF-11 electronic viewfinder £599, LVF-11 LCD viewfinder £289, HG-11 handgrip £59.99, HG-21 large handgrip £99.99 › In the box fp L, BP-51 Li-ion battery, body cap, strap, 2x SH-11 strap holder, HU-11 hotshoe unit, UAC-21 USB-AC adapter, USB cable › Sensor 61-megapixel, back-illuminated Bayer CMOS sensor. Shoots 12/14-bit Raw › Sensor format 35mm full-frame (35.9x24mm), 9568x6380 pixels › Lensmount L-Mount › ISO range Native ISO 100-25,600. Expanded sensitivity ISO 6, 12, 25, 50, 51,200, 102,400 › Shutter range Electronic shutter, 30secs to 1/8000sec, Bulb up to 300secs. Flash sync 1/15sec, 1/10sec or less in 14-bit Raw › Drivemodes Single, continuous, interval shooting. High speed 10fps approx up to 12 shots › Exposure system PASM, evaluative, spot and centre weighted average › Exposure compensation +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps, AEB in three or five frames › Monitor TFT, 3in 2.1m dots › Viewfinder EVF via optional › Focusing system Image plane phase difference AF + contrast detect system. Single AF, continuous AF and manual › Focus points 49 points, face/eye detect, free move mode, tracking AF mode › Image stabiliser Electronic IS › Video DCI 4K 4096x2160/24p, 3840x2160 UHD 4K/23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 48p, 50p, 59.94p › Movie format CinemaDNG, MOV › Connectivity USB 3.1, HDMI Type D, microphone/remote release/ time code port, 3.5mm headphone port on optional EVF-11 › Other key features Crop mode (1.5x to 5x focal length), aspect ratios (21:9, 16:9, 3:2, A-size, 4:3, 7:6, 1:1), dust and splash resistance › Battery BP-51, 240-shot capacity, USB rechargeable › Storagemedia 1xSD card › Dimensions (wxhxd) 112.6x69.9x45.3mm › Weight 427g body with battery and SD card › EVF-11 electronic viewfinder 3.68m dots, 0.5in OLED panel › Contact sigma-imaging-uk.com
WORDS AND IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
WHEN THE 24-megapixel fp came out, Sigma said it was an ultra- compact, full-frame camera that would appeal more to videomakers than still photographers. Its body is designed to accept accessories, and boasts a large heat sink. And it’s small enough to use in gimbals, drones and rigs, shooting 4K video. Size-wise, the fp L is identical to the fp and just a few grams heavier, but this is more photographer-centric, with a 61-megapixel, back-illuminated Bayer array sensor; not a Foveon sensor. The fp L is a small, rectangular box with a slight palm-facing bulge – the only nod to ergonomics – although Sigma has optional grips that can improve handling. The touch monitor is fixed, and its 2.1 million dots give an excellent viewing image, but it’s not ideal for composing in bright light,
BIG THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES The Sigma fp L offers 61-megapixel, full-frame images in a tiny body DESPITE THE FP L’S SMALL STATURE, THE CONTROLS ARE ADECENT SIZE AND POSITIVE TOUSE. MOST BUTTONS CAN BE CUSTOMISED and you have to do it manually, with a large switch on the side of the eyepiece. It can be annoying when lifting the camera to the eye and finding that the monitor is set, or vice versa – but you get used to flipping the switch in time. Using the fp L with the EVF-11 affects camera handling, but not how the controls or menu behave. The on/off switch is a positive, although start-up time takes around two seconds – sluggish in modern terms – and having an equally large cine/still slider is good. The only other controls on the top-plate are a video record button – which can’t be dedicated
or shooting at high or low extremes. The optional EVF-11 (also fits the fp) should be considered essential, although it’s not cheap at £450. The EVF-11’s image is excellent, and its 3.68 million dot resolution means detail is finely resolved. It’s designed for shooting waist-level or from lower viewpoints, but you can’t view the image from a distance as you
LESS IS MORE No ambiguity here, with two large, positive switches for on/off – and swapping between stills and video shooting in-camera charging, which would have saved the hassle of taking off the grip when recharging the fp L. In use, there is no auto switchover between EVF and camera monitor, significantly increases the camera’s size – by about one-third – which makes it less bag-friendly and an awkward shape, too. There’s a headphone socket and USB-C socket fitted, but there’s no power pass- through, so the latter does not enable would with an articulating monitor, so for shooting at ground level, you’re going to have to get your eye low. However, there are downsides. It’s fiddly to fit, and often takes a couple of attempts before it can be secured. You have to engage two ports, a locating lug, hold a rubber cover flap and locate the locking screw. Sometimes it was fine and I got it fixed on first go; on other occasions, it required several tries, so it’s not a procedure you want to do in a hurry – or with cold fingers. Adding the EVF-11 also
28 Photography News | Issue 91
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