SIGMA announces the “SIGMA fp”, the world’s smallest and lightest mirrorless digital camera* with a full-frame image sensor

[degos]

Someone who wants to travel even lighter and takes a tripod and doesn’t need flash? Great, don’t need a beefy grip, viewfinder, or a hotshoe. Someone who mainly does video work and never uses those the features either?....great! Now they can pack much lighter and minimize their gear and workflow. Hopefully the price will also be inline and save money on unneeded features for those in that market as well.

'Pack much lighter'. I'm no fan of the EOS RP but it weighs under 100 grams more* than this thing and at least is usable in the normal camera fashion.

Sometimes just because you can do a thing doesn't mean that you should.

* the 495g RP weight includes card and battery, which Sigma sneakily omit from their 370g weight spec.

 

[Photo Hack]

'Pack much lighter'. I'm no fan of the EOS RP but it weighs under 100 grams more* than this thing and at least is usable in the normal camera fashion.

Sometimes just because you can do a thing doesn't mean that you should.

* the 495g RP weight includes card and battery, which Sigma sneakily omit from their 370g weight spec.

Great! This camera isn't for you. It's not for me either. Thanks for the report, eventually there's a point of diminishing returns on weight and size. This may be near that spot for FF. Also, I'm sure this was already well underway in development as Canon was developing their RP.

Sigma's market research has shown that it's a product worth investing into and believes it will sell. If it does, great. If it doesn't, they've done some R&D that will hopefully help them in the future. Canon, Sony, & Sigma feel there is a need for very small FF cameras. Good for them and anyone who wants to buy one.

 

[degos]

OK, found the fp weight with battery and card: 422g

So for 53g more you can have an EVF and a handgrip.

Sigma's market research has shown that it's a product worth investing into and believes it will sell.

Just like the Quattro cameras? I'd prefer that Sigma concentrated on lenses instead of pissing money up the wall on dead-end cameras


Oh! You can buy an add-on loupe for it that makes it thicker than a DSLR! Genius!

 

[Photo Hack]

OK, found the fp weight with battery and card: 422g

So for 53g more you can have an EVF and a handgrip.



Just like the Quattro cameras? I'd prefer that Sigma concentrated on lenses instead of pissing money up the wall on dead-end cameras

Send them a letter and tell them how to run their company. I'm sure they'll greatly appreciate it and maybe their Quattro and fP lines will disappear.

 

[Don Haines]

You never know...cargo pants might make a comeback.

Darn!

I’m wearing cargo shorts right now!

My 7D2 and the 70-200 wont fit into the pocket!

Canon is DOOMED!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

It will work with Canon lenses via a adapter, so you can use it with your Canon lenses.

Like the Canon RP, its a small mirrorless camera with no really small lenses available for it, although, Canon does have the smallish 35mm RF.

I really don't like the idea of yet another line of new lenses, the L mount comes in at least three categories for different sensor sizes, with only a few full frame lenses actually available.

 

[Kit.]

Of course, my appeals can't change anything. That's the point. But a market need can drive a manufacturer to do something about it. What do you think the purpose of a pancake lens is for? (I wouldn't consider those "big")

As one who rarely (almost never) shoots at angles of view suitable for pancakes, I think that their main purpose is to be sold to people ignorant or nostalgic.

What is the purpose of this new Sigma body?

If you saw their concept movie, it's to be a building block to make something bigger (sometimes much bigger).

Will it work? Maybe, maybe not. Foveon didn't work as well as they expected it. Everyone can make mistakes, Sigma is no exception.

What exactly is your angle here?

If one wants a small camera, especially a pocketable camera, FF is a poor choice, and "population densities and cultural norms" won't change that.

Is it to be ignorant and critical or do you have a purpose to your comments? Anything intelligent to contribute that isn't easily countered?

What exactly is your angle here? Is it to be ignorant and rude, or do you have a purpose to your comments?

 

[degos]

Send them a letter and tell them how to run their company. I'm sure they'll greatly appreciate it and maybe their Quattro and fP lines will disappear.

Do you think that companies only make good decisions? Oftentimes they make strange decisions based on the whims of executives. This is, I bet, one of them.

Just look at this fp. Its main advertised selling point is its dimuntive size, yet when you click on the accessories page every one of them adds to its bulk in order to give it capabilities that other marginally-bigger full-frame cameras already have. So, really, what is the point?

If it is to be primarily used in rigs, then small size is pointless once it is set in a cage.

If it is to be used handheld with full-frame lenses then sacrificing capabilities to be 50g lighter than the competition is pointless. That's two ounces for the colonials. One chocolate bar.

This camera will disappear quietly within two years without making the slightest difference to the market. There's my prediction. Sigma is wasting money on pointless projects whilst Tamron is eating their lunch.

 

[peters]

What an ignorant comment.

Lenses optimized for a fullframe digital sensor are big, and your appeal to "population densities and cultural norms" can do nothing about it.

Look at the 40mm 2,8f pancake for canon and tell me again that lenses have to be big. Or the 70-200 f2,8(!) for Canon RF.... ;-)

 

[peters]

OK, found the fp weight with battery and card: 422g

So for 53g more you can have an EVF and a handgrip.



Just like the Quattro cameras? I'd prefer that Sigma concentrated on lenses instead of pissing money up the wall on dead-end cameras


Oh! You can buy an add-on loupe for it that makes it thicker than a DSLR! Genius!

This looks like a great option for videography I dont know exactly what your problem is?

 

[miketcool]

This camera is being sold to compete with the GH5 and A7R series. It’ll be paired with fast lenses and an external monitor to build out lightweight FF video shooting. If you don’t understand why this is desirable, ask someone who shoots on MILC or DSLR’s for video work. Every gram counts when you’re balancing this on a gimbal for a 10 hour shoot.

 

[flip314]

When Canon makes a tiny little camera with limited functionality and a recycled sensor it's a marketing masterstroke. When Sigma makes an even smaller camera that could be the core of a higly competitive and technologically advanced video rig it's "too small for my big manly western hands". Too funny.

The RP still has a grip. The Sigma camera has nothing. I'm not personally badmouthing the Sigma camera, but there's a pretty huge ergonomics difference between the two cameras. I think both cameras will have their fans though.

 

[neuroanatomist]

This camera will disappear quietly within two years without making the slightest difference to the market. There's my prediction. Sigma is wasting money on pointless projects whilst Tamron is eating their lunch.

Sigma fp = Nikon Df.

 

[Graphic.Artifacts]

The RP still has a grip. The Sigma camera has nothing. I'm not personally badmouthing the Sigma camera, but there's a pretty huge ergonomics difference between the two cameras. I think both cameras will have their fans though.

Sorry if that came of as snarky but the Canonism around here has been running at a fevered pitch lately. It often does when everybody seems to be doing something interesting but Canon as is currently the case IMO.

I think the idea of the fp is that it's a modular core which can be used "as is" as a basic capture device or as the core of a larger customized build for photos or video. There will be a variety of both left and right handed grips available for handheld use if that's what you want. It may not be the perfect platform for everyone but it supports EF lenses and I think it's an interesting concept. There have never been more options for cross platform EF lens operability and as an EF lens owner I think that's a great thing.

 

[FramerMCB]

I’ve found most people take their cameras outside their homes on occasion.

I think they were speaking of, 'where you keep/store things'. As in where could the RP fit in my little pull-out cube space? ;-)

 

[Aglet]

Hopefully the readout speed is considerably faster for 8 bit or 10 bit video cuz 12 or 14 bit stills rolling shutter is quite slow for stills.
Quote from story on I-R

"The fp's shutter speed range goes from 30 seconds to 1/8000s, plus a bulb mode. Because of the electronic shutter, maximum flash sync is only 1/30s, falling to 1/15s when shooting in 14-bit mode."

 

[SecureGSM]

Hopefully the readout speed is considerably faster for 8 bit or 10 bit video cuz 12 or 14 bit stills rolling shutter is quite slow for stills.
Quote from story on I-R

"The fp's shutter speed range goes from 30 seconds to 1/8000s, plus a bulb mode. Because of the electronic shutter, maximum flash sync is only 1/30s, falling to 1/15s when shooting in 14-bit mode."

fill in flash at 1/15s shutter speed is a ridiculous idea to have from an event photography perspective. unless a non flash friendly event and then who cares about X-Sync speed. still, very limiting for my use cases..

 

[sid.safari]

This trend of making cameras smaller doesn't make sense to me. It reminds me of the time flip phones manufactures started making smaller devices as if portability trumped usability.

 

[neuroanatomist]

"The fp's shutter speed range goes from 30 seconds to 1/8000s, plus a bulb mode. Because of the electronic shutter, maximum flash sync is only 1/30s, falling to 1/15s when shooting in 14-bit mode."

Lame.

 

[Architect1776]

Too small, no grip and no viewfinder. Put a 70-200mm f2.8 or a 100-400mm on it and see how miserable it is to use. One can go too small where ergonomics no longer are decent.