Big test
PERFORMANCE: EXPOSURE LATITUDE
GET IN CLOSER This scene was shot using the Sigma fp L, fitted with the 35mm lens at Crossness Pumping Station in Kent. The crop zoom tool is useful when you want a file straight out of camera and can’t physically get any closer to the subject, or don’t have a longer lens on hand
To assess the latitude of the 14-bit DNG Raws produced by the Sigma fp L, exposure brackets were taken in a variety of lighting conditions. Raws were exposure corrected in Adobe Lightroom, with no other controls applied.
The Sigma fp L Raws’ tolerance to overexposure wasn’t great, and not as good as other cameras. Even overexposure by +1EV was recovered with a cyan colour cast in the sky – although this was correctable with further editing.
However, the shadows and mid-tones fared much better, and these areas in the +1EV and +2EV frames looked identical to the shot that was correctly exposed. Tolerance to underexposure was much better, and there were no problems with the tonal range of the -3EV shot. There was minor digital noise in the -2EV and -3EV images, but nothing significant; it was removed with a touch of noise reduction in software.
x1
9.5K, 9520x6328 pixels, 61 megapixels, Raw file size 108MB
x1.53
-3EV
6.2K, 6240x4144 pixels, Raw file size 47MB, 53mm equivalent in 35mm format
x2.0
-2EV
-1EV
0
4.8K, 4768x3168 pixels, Raw file size 27MB, 70mm equivalent
x2.5
+1EV
+2EV
+3EV
UHD, 3840x2552 pixels, Raw file size 17.5MB, 87mm equivalent
x5
COMPACT AND BIJOU Given its small stature, you won't be surprised that there’s not much space on the back for controls and buttons. Despite that, handling is pretty good once customised to suit your needs 0.3EV steps, and a lock-free A setting to delegate aperture control to the camera body. Refer to the lens test panel for commentary on the optical skills of the 35mm f/2. It is worth saying that Sigma supplied two DG DN lenses for review – the 35mm f/2 and 65mm f/2 – so I didn’t test autofocus with more exotic optics. In terms of size, though, both lenses complement the fp L very nicely, and give good, balanced combinations. I’d imagine using it with a 24-70mm f/2.8, or 70-200mm f/2.8 would make the fp L the junior partner in terms of balance. Of course, with its L-Mount, lenses from Leica, Panasonic, Sigma and third parties can be attached – so there’s a really good choice. The 35mm f/2 and 65mm f/2 give fast, silent AF, and each lens has a manual focus switch. They also have an aperture ring click-stopped in
The fp L has a collection of aspect ratio settings, including 21:9, 16:9, 4:3 and 1:1. If you shoot different aspect ratios in Raw, the whole 3:2 file is saved, which is a handy backup should you change your mind later – but shoot in JPEG and there’s only a cropped image. Shoot in both JPEG and Raw, as I did for this test, and you’ll get a cropped and full-size file.
Flash is usable on the fp L, despite its electronic-only shutter. For this, you need the HU-11, which comes in the box. Just like the EVF-11, it screws on to the side of the camera body, but proved much easier to attach. With both EVF-11 and HU-11 fitting on the same side of the body, this means that flash photography with the EVF-11 is not an option. The camera has a
FHD, 1920x1280 pixels, Raw file size 4.5MB, 175mm equivalent
PERFORMANCE: CROP ZOOMRATIO
The fp L has a crop zoom ratio feature that lets you zoom into the image from 1x to 5x. You can do this in presets (1.53x, 2x, 2.5x and 5x) or variable within that range. All you are doing is cropping into the image – in JPEG and Raw – in-camera, so in effect, if you set 2x and are shooting with a 35mm lens, you get the view of a 70mm lens (or 175mm in the case of the 5x zoom crop). In image terms, a 2x crop in the default 3:2 aspect ratio gives an image measuring 4768x3168 pixels, and with 5x, 1920x1280 pixels. It’s worth saying that you need to be certain you want this, because you can't change your mind later.
This is unlike the aspect ratio feature, where the full-size Raw is available, even though the JPEG is cropped. So, if you think your 2x cropped in-camera JPEG would benefit from a wider view when you’re back home, tough. If you are in doubt, and assuming you have the software, time and inclination, you might be better off shooting full-size files and fine-tuning the crop later, which is clearly more flexible. That said, the crop zoom tool is a potentially useful one and the camera’s high megapixel count delivers decent-size files – the 2x crop still gives a 15-megapixel resolution and a 24MB file.
Issue 91 | Photography News 31
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