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Full Sigma FP Review & 4K RAW Video Samples

Last month I picked up a Sigma FP and have already put it to the test on a number of shoots. So far, I’m quite impressed. While the camera does have its quirks, the image quality and versatility of this camera is pretty remarkable.

If you’re new to the FP, you can read my “first impressions” post, which covers the basics of the camera.

In a nutshell, the FP is a pocket sized full-frame camera with the ability to shoot 4K video internally in Cinema DNG RAW. It has a dedicated “Cine” mode, allowing the camera, menus and display to function like a true cinema camera, making it optimal for filmmakers.

The camera currently runs $1899 for the body or $2199 with the bundled 45mm lens.

I have been shooting stills in addition to video with the FP, but for the purpose of this post I primarily want to focus on video functionality. The stills (unsurprisingly) look gorgeous coming off this sensor, but my primary need for this camera is video, so that’s what I’ll explore here today.

It’s also worth noting that my review below is based off my experience with the latest Sigma FP firmware (1.01). Prior to installing the update, I was running the original 1.0 firmware, which had loads of little bugs.

For starters, practically every image I captured with firmware 1.0 had a flicker issue. The shadows and mid tones would bounce up and down, as if the camera was auto-exposing. It looked brutal. 

Other issues I encountered included:

  • Inability to record 4K RAW internally to the recommended 300 MB/s SD Cards
  • Poor image quality when recording to 1080p, including in RAW
  • Buggy electronic image stabilization that wouldn’t activate immediately

A few days into using the camera, I actually considered returning it. These were all major issues that essentially made the camera unusable in any real world setting.

But I decided to hold off until the first firmware update, as there were still a lot of things to get excited about with the FP, and based on the intended feature-set it seemed like Sigma’s priorities were in the right place.

Thankfully, when firmware 1.01 came out, all of these issues disappeared. My cards starting working with 4K RAW, the image quality improved immensely in 1080p, stabilization issues were solved, and the camera seemed to run more smoothly overall.

It’s amazing to see how quickly Sigma was able to update the firmware to solve these problems.

All of this really made me do a 180 with the camera. I went from feeling unsure about even keeping it, to being pretty blown away its capabilities.

So with that in mind, below I’m sharing my thoughts on the new and improved Sigma FP, running 1.01 firmware.

Here we go –

DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY

Anyone who truly loves pocket-sized cameras is going to have an immense appreciation for the FP. It’s a minimalist’s dream camera.

Despite having a full frame sensor, the camera body is incredibly tiny. By far the smallest camera I’ve ever owned, yet it still somehow feels incredibly strong and built for pro use. It also is really comfortable to hold in you hand, even without a cage or grip configured.

There are loads of manual controls on the body, which I love.

Most notably, a button on the top of the camera allows you to switch between cine mode and still mode. Settings, menu functions and screen information will automatically change depending on your selection.

You’ll also find some useful shortcut buttons on the bottom of the camera, including Tone & Color. The Tone button allows you to manually adjust the contrast curve of your image, and the Color button gives you access to a wide array of picture profiles.

Although there is no dedicated ISO dial as you’ll find on Fuji’s cameras, the ISO can be accessed easily through the Quick Select menu button on the back of the camera. And there are two additional dials (one on the top, one on the back) that can control aperture and shutter speed.

There’s a single SD memory card slot next to the camera’s battery, which is secured with a small battery door and metal latch. This is a nice added touch as it gives you some more security when shooting in the field.

In addition to a standard 1/4” 20 thread on the bottom of the camera, you’ll also find one on each side of the camera. This makes it easy to mount on a standard tripod for vertical video or stills.

This side of the body also has a few ports – USB data output, Micro HDMI port and a mic input. I haven’t yet used the data port, but this can be utilized to output a full 4K 12bit RAW image to an external hard drive. In a future firmware update, you should also be able to export 4K 12bit RAW through the HDMI output for use with external video recorders.

All in all, the build of this camera is optimal. Small, rugged, weather sealed, easy to rig up and configure however you like… Not a whole lot to complain about.

My only real issue is that the camera doesn’t have a dedicated headphone jack. This can be worked around by using a USB-C to Headphone adapter and monitoring from the USB port, but it’s always better to have a dedicated sound output. 

I imagine some other filmmakers and photographers may be frustrated by the LCD screen too. While the screen delivers beautiful quality (and is bright even under harsh sunlight), it doesn’t swivel at all and is locked in place. For me, this isn’t really an issue based on the way I like to shoot. But worth considering depending on your specific needs.

It’s also worth highlighting that the camera uses an L-mount, which has an incredibly short flange distance. This means you can adapt practically any lens to the camera – so long as the image circle covers the sensor. For those of you who own a lot of Canon glass, Sigma has created the MC-21 adapter which converts EF to L mount with electronic pass through.

RECORDING OPTIONS & FEATURES

By far the biggest draw about the Sigma FP is its ability to record Cinema DNG RAW. The camera can currently output 12bit RAW to an external drive in 4K (UHD) resolution, and can record 12bit internally at HD resolution. For internal 4K RAW, you step down to 8bit color.

For the vast majority of shooting scenarios, 8bit RAW on this camera is plenty to work with. Especially when you consider that this effectively becomes 12bit color if you downscale to HD or 2K, as you increase your color information per pixel.

While I absolutely love the look of the internal 4K 8bit RAW files (more on the below), the file sizes are just so massive. A 128GB card only gets about 10 minutes of record time in 4K RAW, compared to nearly 30 in HD RAW. Most of the time I end up mastering to HD or 2K anyways, so for smaller shoots where I don’t want an external recorder, 1080 will often be the way to go.

Of course you can also record in compressed formats on this camera too, either with ALL-I compression (420Mbps) or Long-GOP (120Mbps). With ALL-I, you get 32 minutes of record time on a 128GB card in 4K, compared to 2 hours and 46 minutes with Long-GOP.

One feature of the camera that I use often is the “DC Crop” mode. This effectively crops the sensor to Super 35, giving you the ability to utilize lenses that don’t cover a full frame sensor. I’ll even use this setting while shooting with full frame glass to get a more traditional S35 field of view.

I toggle this feature on and off so much that I’ve made it one of the shortcuts on the camera’s quick menu, along with white balance and ISO.

As for the camera’s color modes, I have been shooting everything with the “Portrait” setting. There are a number of other color presets/profiles in the menu too, but most of them are too stylized for my needs. “Portrait” seems to be the most subtle, and retains the most dynamic range to my eye. 

I’ve been tempted to try to preserve even more detail by adjusting the tone controls, which allow you to lift your shadows and pull down your highlights. But after some experimentation, I didn’t find any real benefit to adjusting the colors in camera, and have had better results leaving those settings as-is.

In any case, it looks like Sigma will be releasing a log picture profile in a future firmware update, so that will surely be the go-to profile for anyone shooting compressed.

Although the camera has no in-body stabilization capability, it does offer an ES mode which will stabilize your image digitally, not optically.

I’ve shot quite a bit with this mode, but have had mixed results. In some cases it’s worked as well as IBIS on other cameras, but on other shots it seems to really struggle. It’s never terrible, but at times you can really feel the digital movement, which I don’t like. 

That said, I’m optimistic that this feature may improve with future firmware updates, as there’s already been a bump in quality since firmware 1.01 was released.

On the plus side, the FP is packed with so many other essential features for filmmakers – Zebras, focus peaking, frame guides and even a director’s viewfinder mode.

The director’s viewfinder is very cool, although I haven’t really had a need to use it in the real world just yet. It replicates an optical viewfinder that you might use on set to help you work through your shot setups. 

It has presets for many cinema cameras, including Arri Alexa and RED, and can even de-squeeze your image if you’re shooting anamorphic.

Right now you aren’t able to record in this mode, but that’s a feature that could potentially be added in the future.

All things considered, the feature set is pretty incredible on this little camera, and clearly designed with the filmmaker in mind.

IMAGE QUALITY

For me, image quality is the #1 consideration I take into account when choosing a camera, and the Sigma FP really delivers on this front. 

Unsurprisingly, shooting in RAW at 4K (3840 x 2160) will give you the best overall results when shooting internally.

Even in 8 bit, the images have so much color information and retain detail beautifully in the shadows and highlights. They grade incredibly well and under no circumstance (yet) have I felt limited by not working with a 12 bit file.

I do often find myself shooting in 12 bit / HD, but that’s really just a means to save card space. For most of my projects HD is plenty to work with, so I suspect this will be a bit of a sweet spot for certain jobs.

In both 4K RAW and HD RAW, the images coming off the cards truly feel like they’ve originated on a cinema camera. Even ungraded, they are rich and dynamic, and have the sort of depth and texture you might expect from a much more expensive cinema camera.

The two compressed modes (ALL-I & Long-GOP) are useable as well, but nowhere near the quality that you’ll get when shooting RAW. Between the two modes, ALL-I looks a bit better to my eye (likely due to the higher data rate), and will play back more easily on most machines. The Long-GOP codec is practically identical in quality though, and the much smaller file sizes will make it ideal for lower budget or documentary projects.

For narrative work or higher end commercial projects though, I wouldn’t recommend shooting compressed. The images just feel thinner somehow, even before you grade them. They are slightly grainier (even at low ISOs), and definitely have more of a DSLR look.

Much of this is to be expected as compressed files never look as good as RAW, but I have to wonder if we’ll see improvement in this area too via a future firmware update. Other cameras seem to maintain higher quality even with more compression, so perhaps this will be refined as time goes on.

Regardless of whether you shoot RAW or compressed though, you’re going to benefit from really amazing color science. 

This is such a massive variable for me as I do a ton of color work, so naturally I’m very happy Sigma has delivered on this front too.

Whether in daylight, tungsten, fluorescent or LED, the Sigma FP renders beautifully accurate color palettes, natural skin tones, and excellent contrast.

The highlight rolloff is really subtle and filmic too, which helps so much in high contrast scenarios.

As for dynamic range, the camera seems to give me about 11 or 12 stops while shooting in RAW – to my eye at least. This is more or less average for cameras in this budget tier.

I’m getting about a stop and a half less DR when shooting compressed, but that’s a rough estimate and different results may be found in a lab.

As for low-light, the Sigma FP is a beast, no matter what mode you may be shooting in.

The highest ISO I’ve ever actually needed to use was 6400, which is really clean. This was somewhat to be expected as the camera is full frame and low-light technology has come so far in recent years, but still I have to give credit where it’s due.

I took a few more test shots at even higher ISOs, and the camera continues to hold up really well. Above a certain point (roughly 25,600), it does start to get really grainy and the image quality takes a big hit. But that’s to be expected on any camera, and most of us never need to shoot anywhere near those levels.

6400 and below is safe not only for grain and noise, but for color and dynamic range too. Even pushed that high, the camera still captures a ton of color information and more than enough DR to give you options in post. 

Below is a little test video I shot with the Sigma FP in Malibu a few days ago around sunset. It wasn’t a particularly vibrant sunset, but the camera still picked up the subtle color gradations beautifully. And the footage was really easy to grade.

I tested out a ton of my CINECOLOR LUTs on the footage as well, which worked like a charm!

All the shots below were taken in 4K RAW 8bit with the Sigma 45mm lens. Mostly at ISO 800 or below, but a few shots here were captured at 1600. The files were converted to ProRes 422 HQ using DaVinci Resolve, and were edited and graded in Final Cut Pro X –

45MM KIT LENS

I wanted to add a few words here about Sigma’s 45mm lens, which can you purchase as a bundle with the camera.

There’s quite a bit to like about the lens – It’s compact, well constructed, has a manual iris ring, and most importantly captures very detailed images.

From a technical standpoint, there’s really not much to complain about… From a creative perspective though, it’s not my favorite piece of glass.

Character is really important to me in a lens, which is why I like shooting with vintage lenses or modern cinema lenses that have unique qualities to them. The 45mm from Sigma feels pretty neutral and sterile – which isn’t usually what I’m looking for.

For some filmmakers, this may actually be a positive thing, especially those shooting documentaries, events or corporate spots. If that’s the case, the 45mm may be perfect: Small enough to go anywhere with you, while capturing objectively accurate images with minimal distortion.

It seems silly to pick on on a lens for being too “correct”, but if you’re going for a more classical or analog look then this isn’t the lens for you. 

Another issue for me (and maybe only for me!) is the focal length…

My favorite focal length for everyday use is 50mm paired with a Super 35mm frame. I wrote a whole article about how if I had to shoot everything on one lens, I’d shoot on a 50.

Factoring in the crop, a 50mm lens on Super 35 is like using a 75mm lens on full frame. So when shooting in FF mode on the Sigma FP, to get the look I’m usually after I would need to shoot on a 75mm lens.

Again, this is a personal bias, so don’t let it sway your decision. But for my needs, 45mm on FF is too wide for closeups and portraits, but not wide enough for landscapes or establishing shots. I would have preferred something a touch wider or a touch longer, but that’s just me.

All that said, the 45mm lens is still extremely capable of capturing gorgeous images in the right hands. It just comes down to your personal needs and creative taste.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For me, this camera is definitely a keeper. It’s fun to use, extremely versatile, captures stunning images and will only get better with future firmware updates.

Is it right for everyone? Probably not… But no camera ever is. 

As an A camera, it’s perfect for indie filmmakers on a budget, documentary shooters who need to be inconspicuous, and small corporate/commercial productions too.

As a B camera, I can see it being matched with higher end cinema cameras (notably Alexa & RED) on larger productions, used for specialty shots in tight spaces, and of course rigged up on drones and gimbals.

Anyone planning to use the camera for stills in addition to video is going to be very happy – the still image quality is astounding. A viewfinder would make it even better in a practical sense (I do miss having an EVF when shooting stills), but I doubt that will be a dealbreaker for most hybrid shooters.

People often compare this camera to the Blackmagic Pocket 4K/6K, but I see them as very different tools. Blackmagic’s cameras are designed for video exclusively. They function and operate more like a traditional cinema camera and will give you that user experience in the field.

The Sigma FP on the other hand is more of a Swiss Army knife. It’s for the jack of all trades who needs a camera that can do everything, or a working cinematographer looking for a versatile b-cam. It’s offers a totally different paradigm that is ideal for a certain type of filmmaker.

It’s certainly one of the most innovative and forward thinking cameras I’ve seen in a while, and for me that counts for a lot. I can’t say that it’s right for everyone, but it’s definitely earned a spot on my gear shelf.

I look forward to seeing how the FP evolves over time with firmware updates, and will aim to post more footage when I can!

What are your thoughts on the Sigma FP? Leave a comment below.

And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

About Author

Noam Kroll is an award-winning Los Angeles based filmmaker, and the founder of the boutique production house, Creative Rebellion. His work can be seen at international film festivals, on network television, and in various publications across the globe. Follow Noam on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more content like this!

43 Comments

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  • I appreciate the compact size of this device, and the USB output feature is fantastic because it allows me to easily connect and record directly to an SSD, like my Samsung T5. I typically shoot in 4K 8-bit raw and use Slimraw for offloading, similar to my process with the Bolex D16. Slimraw efficiently reduces the file sizes from the fp by almost threefold, making post-production handling more manageable. Plus, it’s lossless, ensuring no compromise on quality.

    Reply
  • Jasper
    at

    I appreciate the size of this device, and the USB output feature is fantastic since it allows me to connect and record directly to an SSD, like my Samsung T5. I consistently film in 4K 8 bit raw and use Slimraw for offloading, similar to my approach with the Bolex D16. Thanks to Slimraw, the file sizes from the fp are reduced to almost a third of their original size. This makes post-production work more streamlined, and the best part is that there’s no compromise on quality as the compression is lossless.

    Reply
  • Rijo Johny
    at

    Hi Noam,

    I’m planning to get an FP. What do you think of it now after all the updates it has received?

    I’m a little short on budget. If I can get only two FF cine primes out of 24, 35, 50 and 85, which two focal lengths would you recommend, considering the DC crop mode could potentially give me two additional focal lengths. My main uses would be for narrative and travel content.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  • Fantastic camera. What external SSD would you recommend for this camera?

    Reply
  • Matyen
    at

    This is the camera for all my location shoot.

    Reply
  • Admin
    at

    I have upgrade to Sigma FP L with 61 megapixel sensor.

    Reply
  • Tyen
    at

    Been using this camera for more than a year. Love it.

    Reply
  • DC-9
    at

    Love this camera for all my commercial shoot. Smallest full frame camera I ever own.

    Reply
  • MTPOCK
    at

    Thank you so much for this article.

    Reply
  • hi Noam,
    Have you tried the Colour off mode, with the 2.0 upgrade to
    see if it brings up the quality of the compressed All-I video?

    Reply
    • I didn’t get a chance too unfortunately! No longer have the camera.

      Reply
      • JAMES KENNEDY
        at

        Hi Noam! I just recently bought an FP and am in love with it. I’m really interested in hearing why you decided to let yours go. And wondering if you feel your XT4 or other Fujifilm bodies outperform the FP in scenarios you find yourself in. I also love Fujifilm, but the images the FP captures are beyond what I ever produced with X-Trans II and IV sensored cameras I’ve had.

        Reply
  • Reza
    at

    Thank for that good read! So you say we don’t have any flickering and bending issue with Sigma fb after updating frimware?

    https://youtu.be/8gu125agc-c

    Reply
    • I’ve sold mine now, but didn’t notice it after updating. I know others have still had issues…

      Reply
      • Tommaso
        at

        Thanks for the article! Why did you sell it? I’m curious…because of the lack of 4K 60P? The sensor should be capable of capturing it, do you know if Sigma plans to add it? Another question…is a log curve coming via a fw update? Lastly, are the (bottom) shadows plagued by FPN like BMD cameras or are just grain like noise like a RED after a proper black shade so noisier but more organic and without FPN?

        Reply
      • hi Noam, Why did you sell? From your review, it seemed that you were very impressed with the fp. While you still had the camera, after the 2.0 upgrade, did you try Colour off mode, to see if it made a difference with the compressed All-i files?

        Reply
  • Sid
    at

    Hi Noam, great content. Loved your thorough review.
    I own the sigma fp and came here looking for the flickering issue (that I am facing with CDNG sequences). Not sure how you got it resolved, I am currently running firmware # 1.02 and inconsistent exposures/ flickering of image plagues my camera. Specially on 60 fps HD CDNG sequence.

    Again, thanks for the wonderful content, power to you.

    Reply
    • Sorry to hear you’re having that issue, Sid! Did you try contacting Sigma?

      Reply
  • Amal
    at

    Hi Noam, such a great website! I have just started my journey into filmmaking and I have been looking at the Sigma FP for its specs, size and as a modular system. I wonder if you recommend it over Blackmagic 4k or 6k for example, and whether the sigma can produce as cinematic image as the Blackmagic. I don’t care much for stills although its a nice-to-have. I guess two months after your review, perhaps you have further insights into this camera and whether its still “a keeper”.

    Reply
    • Thanks so much, Amal. I do love the Sigma FP, but if size/form factor isn’t that important and you aren’t shooting stills, the Blackmagics are definitely worth considering. The image quality from both cameras is incredible, but they do have a different look to them. I’d try downloading raw footage from each camera, and comparing for yourself before making a purchase. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  • 1.0.2 coming very soon Sigma told me today, Jan 6.2020

    Reply
  • Hi, I want to know if this camera can record 1080p CinemaDNG RAW 12bit using the full sensor, and how sharp it is compared to the crop mode. If it is using the whole sensor for the FHD image, I guess it is doing something to reduce the image, line skipping, pixel binning or cropping, which make the image soft, if it is doing some resampling, it will consume a lot of battery and produce some heat. If you could share samples making sure it is using the full sensor, I’ll appreciate it.

    Reply
    • Hi Rodrigo – I believe it is using the entire sensor in RAW HD/12 bit. That said, the results in HD 12 bit are noticeably softer than 4K, and I would typically avoid shooting RAW in HD on the Sigma FP for that reason.

      Reply
  • Jimothy Brady
    at

    Hey Noam! This was a great article, but as someone who is currently considering upgrading to this camera at some point in the near-ish future, I do have a few questions to ask if that’s alright?

    1. What other cameras would you compare the Sigma FP’s color science to? To my eye, it looks quite different to both Fujifilm and Blackmagic Design’s color sciences. I’d love to hear a professional’s opinion on the matter, because I worry I might be going mad for my mind actually comparing Sigma’s color science to that of the Panavision DXL2’s. To my eye, it seems like both cameras have a bit of a pastel quality to how they render certain colors at times… and I’d love to know if I’m just thinking crazy or not!

    2. How long exactly is the battery life on the FP? Originally I’d planned on upgrading to a Pocket 4K and saving up an extra bit to also invest in getting a V-mount battery and battery plate set-up, but it’d be nice to be able to wait a bit on throwing in that extra bit of money and using the regular in-body batteries for a while.

    3. Do you think there might be a chance that Sigma might eventually allow the FP to shoot in ProRes in-camera or into an external hard drive like the CinemaDNG RAW? Or perhaps allow the FP to output Blackmagic RAW through one of Blackmagic’s external video recorders? LOVE the look coming from the Cinema DNG codec, but I’m super green to that level of post-production work and I’d love for the camera to be able to also output something beefier than the two MOV codecs if possible.

    4. Do you know of any good instruction sources on how to handle CinemaDNG RAW for newcomers to that workflow?

    Hope you’re doing well!

    Reply
    • So sorry for the late reply, Jimothy. If you’re still looking for these answers:

      1. I find it very neutral, and similar to what I’ve experienced with the Panasonic Varicam LT in some respects.

      2. I would go through roughly 5 – 6 batteries on an average full shoot day. I rarely shot consistently, so I can’t give an exact number of minutes/hours while the camera is recording.

      3. Prores would be incredible. I’d say the chance of it happening is small, but technically it should be possible… And Sigma seems pretty open minded, so who knows!

      4. Actually no, but I will work on a blog post to cover that topic!

      Reply
      • steeven
        at

        Did you also experienced the blink / flickering color in low light ?
        Every shot I did at might are totasly unusable with cross color and flickering of the shadows…
        Either in Raw 12 bit on T5 ssd or in mov on the SD card.
        Big problem…

        Reply
        • Yes I did see it in lowlight too, which was unfortunate.

          Reply
  • EJ
    at

    I’ve had one for ten days now. Unfortunately I haven’t had enough time to focus on the camera properly yet, especially on the video side, but so far it appears to be better than I ‘feared’ in my previous comment. I was a bit wary about its apparent omissions earlier, but so far I haven’t had much buyer’s remorse.
    The first thing I did after charging the battery was to install the 1.01 firmware, so I never had to experience the early bugs.

    So far I’ve used it more as a stills camera, and the images do look nice. So far the electronic only shutter hasn’t been an issue, either. I’ve got the Sigma 2.8/45mm as well. I’ve also ordered the side handle, the MC-21 SA lens adapter and the LCD loupe which I haven’t received yet, but maybe they’ll arrive tomorrow. At least the handle and the extra batteries, and the rest of them before the holidays. Fingers crossed.

    Even though my hands-on time with the fp has been rather limited so far, I think I’ll slightly ‘disagree’ with you about two things you mentioned above. Although they are matters of taste and personal preferences, obviously.
    In my hands the fp is rather uncomfortable to hold as is, and therefore either of the handle accessories or a cage of some sort is a must. Especially with anything bigger or heavier than the 45mm lens.

    Speaking of which, that would be the other thing I see somewhat differently. I think the 2.8/45mm lens is quite a nicely made compromise between price and performance. The images look pretty for the most part, it’s ‘bokehlicious’ enough and better yet it doesn’t seem to breathe a lot, which is fantastic for an inexpensive ‘kit’ lens. I don’t mind the ‘sterile’ look –horses for courses– I think the overall look is fine and usable for a lens like this.
    Mind you, I do like and own legacy lenses as well, but for certain tasks this lens is just right. I’ve got a feeling it will be fairly easy to match with some of my existing M-mount lenses. Need to play with my toys a bit more, soon.

    I don’t mind the 45mm focal length, either. I kinda like it. Like you mentioned, the focal length and the ‘sterile’ look work well for corporate shoots and documentary work, for which I’ve been using a Voigtländer 28mm and a 40mm lens quite a lot. I like those focal lengths, and in S35 mode the angle of view of the 28mm is actually pretty close to the 45mm in full frame, and the 40mm is only slightly wider, yet quite usable in both FF and S35 mode. Well, at least they seem to suit me, and I hardly ever use 35mm either in FF or S35 mode for some reason. I do have a couple of 50mm lenses, though.

    In short, the focal length and the character of the lens are fine with me, and the only thing I don’t like about the lens is that it’s fly-by-wire. No mechanical focus or aperture ring, no clutch, no de-clicking the aperture dial. Oh well, given the price point and overall performance, I can live with that.

    I’m still in the process of customising the camera to my liking, but so far I’ve figured that I’ll probably shoot with it in 12-bit RAW UHD with the Samsung T5 I’ve got already, and 12-bit HD internally. I haven’t yet tested how well, or how easily it will match with my Ursa Mini footage. I believe that’s the way I’ll use it as a B cam, and the 12-bit HD RAW would probably be a nice option for fast(er) turnaround web projects.

    Although I’m a bit puzzled about the HD RAW mode, since it doesn’t seem to be cropped like it is in my Ursa Mini, and that would indicate it must be line skipped or something. Which in turn makes me wonder is it literally ‘RAW,’ then, after all…
    Oh well, what matters is the look of the end result. Looks like it’s still a better option than the compressed version.

    I’m looking forward to the next firmware update which will hopefully bring real 24fps frame rate as an alternative to the 23.98fps version, which is less relevant outside the US. Another feature I’d love to see is a second QS menu, just like in the Sigma SD and DP stills cameras. The current QS menu is barely enough for all the functions I’d like to access quickly, like I can with my Sigma stills cameras.

    Oh and in case your readers happen to own those Sigma Foveon sensor cameras, I tested two Sigma flash units with the fp. The tiny little TTL flash that comes as an accessory for the DP1 and DP2 cameras works fine with the fp, too. However, the bigger 500-series (as in not the latest) flash unit that works fine with the SD Quattro H does not work with fp. It just goes nuts when you try to use it with the fp. I haven’t tested it with the newer 6×0-series flash units, but I’d guess it’ll work with those.

    Further observations for those who might be interested;
    I tested the existing Novoflex SL to EF adapter, and it kinda works. Sorta. You can use it in M and S mode, but AF and electronic aperture do not work with it. So it’s a usable option with manual and cine lenses.
    I also tested the fp with a Leica TL lens, and it works like a native lens, albeit in DC crop mode. Those APS-C Leica lenses are well made and rather compact in size, so they’re yet another interesting option for the fp in S35 mode.

    What else, well, apart from those firmware updates mentioned, I wish Sigma will come up with an EVF module at some point as well. That would be super cool. That’s about it. Sorry about the novel-length comment. 🙂

    All in all I think it’s a quirky little camera, but since ‘Quirky’ is my middle name I’m not complaining. I guess it’s a keeper. Looking forward to shooting some more with it during the holidays.

    Reply
    • Wow, thank you for such a detailed writeup, EJ. Lots of great stuff in here for everyone to digest.

      Reply
  • Jeremy
    at

    Just read this after leaving a comment on your last Sigma FP post. You answered my query somewhat.

    “As a B camera, I can see it being matched with higher end cinema cameras (notably Alexa & RED) on larger productions, used for specialty shots in tight spaces, and of course rigged up on drones and gimbals”

    I think I still need to see some comparison shots before purchasing. For me it’s down to this and the P4K. Thanks for the post! Hope you have fun with yours in the meantime.

    -Cheers

    Reply
    • Thanks Jeremy. I know this response is late, so you may have already made your decision. But to choose between the two cameras, I would consider form factor as well as image quality. The FP is amazing, but still feels more like a DSLR. For some people, this is an advantage – just depends what you’re working on!

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  • Mark
    at

    Hi Noam,

    I think you are onto something here! You have convinced me. I am going to take the plunge as well.

    Thanks for your valuable insights.

    Reply
  • Dean
    at

    Nice footage and good write up!

    I love the size of this thing and having USB output is great as I can always plug and record to an SSD. I have a Samsung T5. I only ever shoot 4K 8 bit raw and offload with Slimraw, the same way I do with the Bolex D16. Slimraw shrinks file sizes from the fp down almost 3 times, which is much easier to manage in post, and since it is lossless there is no quality loss.

    Reply
    • Thanks a lot, Dean! The size of the camera is definitely a huge selling point for me too. Great to learn about Slimraw as well, I hadn’t heard of it before but will definitely check it out.

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    • Maria Collins
      at

      Wonderful review Noam, thank you so much.

      I have a Sigma FP myself and truly feel its a breakthrough product. The build quality is better than a Leica and the courage and originality to put together a product like this is admirable to say the least.

      This said, I know this is a first generation product and lots needs be forgiven. My actual list of negatives is long, but for the most part I can live with all of them. All except 3 that Sigma absolutely needs to address urgently with firmware updates and seems they ain’t in the mood to do so:

      First, the continuing autofocus (or actually the lack of). Its not bad or abysmal.. no. It’s unusable. Just forget that its there. 15 years ago video cameras already had better AF than this one, simply not acceptable. And I feel it’s particularly not acceptable because of AF MARKETING HYPE THAT SIGMA DID (AND STILL DOES) ON THEIR WEBSITE ABOUT ITS (“world-class continuous AF with face and eye detention..”). It’s pure deception and I like things called and sold for what they are. Disable AF in video alltogether or don’t talk about it.. done.

      The second issue for me is one that Naom’s review mentions as the opposite. Realistically I am yet to use any Pro grade video camera that clips highlights like this one does. First you need to manually expose everything (which is fine to me) because this thing over-exposes permanently all no matter where you point it at. Next, even at 1 stop above, everything is already clipped, washed out and burned to hell. At 2 stops?.. there is nothing else to work with whatsoever. And then add to it that highlight roll-off is among the worse I have ever seen, not on just my own experience but also on all the footage I’ve seen online from this camera.

      Now, possibly Noam has found a particular way to better work with the camera and it’s files.. surely the samples posted here look great. But I feel that Sigma needs to re-write the code on how this camera is exposing and what it does when the highlights reaches 100% of it’s capabilities. Day or night, anything I shoot that is bright, will instantly become just a white blob.. and not an over-exposed white point, but an overgrown amoeba like structure. Every single time, everywhere. I rate the dynamic range of this camera at around 9 or 9.5 at best from all my testing. Not anywhere near the advertised 12. No way, no deal. And YES this camera is actually very good on shadows (it’s real strength) so I usually shoot 2 stops under to protect my highlights and the color profile as flat as I can make it on camera since it still doesn’t have log but ultimately under-exposing helps little to nothing as soon as anything is even just a little too bright.

      And talking about log, brings me to the third point which is for Sigma to release a “cinema camera” that doesn’t shoot a flat profile, is suicidal to call it mildly. Maybe some folks at Sigma love Ferraris without wheels.. a video camera for professionals that doesn’t have the most basic of image output features, is a no go. And the fact at this point STILL there is no update that gives log to this camera not seems to be included in the next 2 updates already roadmaped, is shocking.

      Other than that, nothing to worry about, haha. I enjoy using it.. it’s a pleasure to handle (I have a cage that is an absolute most) and stills are actually really good and with excellent low-light capabilities. But personally, I’m nearing the decision to finally sell it. Between unusable basic AF, highlight clipping that I can’t control and the lack of true flat profile, I’m always fighting against the hardware instead of it actually working for me, OR WORKING WITH ME.

      Thanks again for the review.

      Reply
      • Thank you so much for this, Maria. I’m sure your experience will help others make a purchase decision – much appreciated!

        Reply
      • Hello Maria. Did any of those negatives get solved or improved in firmware 2?

        Reply

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