I Tested The Viral Sigma Bf Camera, And Its Radical Redesign Has Me Hooked

1 month ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Sigma's BF is simply a $2,200, 35mm full-frame, mirrorless integer camera that radically changes nan mode of cognition by replacing nan gaggle of buttons pinch an elegant click-wheel.
It's a awesome first camera but besides has tons of pro features
A early upgrade to a higher-resolution 60-megapixel sensor would beryllium a invited enhancement.

Taking pictures pinch a integer camera hasn't changed overmuch successful 30 years. The electronics person improved, but nan basal enactment of operating a integer camera has remained mostly nan same. Cameras are a gaggle of buttons that are a cryptic statement to anyone but nan initiated.

The existent invention successful nan picture-taking acquisition has been nan smartphone, which has made picture-taking an always-available instrumentality for documenting everything pinch comparative ease.

There is still an audience, however, for invention beyond what smartphones offer. Young consumers support buying integer cameras, and a caller procreation is ever willing to study much astir photography arsenic an art.

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Into nan void steps lens and camera shaper Sigma Corp., based successful Kanagawa, Japan, conscionable extracurricular Tokyo. The institution this outpouring introduced a extremist redesign of nan integer camera's basal mode of use.

The Sigma BF, arsenic it's called, reduces nan wide of buttons to a mini group of touch-sensitive controls. All nan functions of integer photography are still location to beryllium experimented pinch and exploited -- shutter speed, lens aperture, aliases "f-stop," and "ISO," nan level of ray that tin beryllium recovered from a segment -- but they are nether your bid successful a radically simplified personification interface.

I've been testing nan BF for immoderate weeks now, and I'm smitten pinch nan changes. The hardware's creation is beautiful, and nan caller personification interface is very thoughtful. The sanction "BF" stands for "beautiful foolishness," and you could opportunity this benignant of redesign is crazy, but I emotion it.

A camera for a caller property of photographers

Sigma, a sixty-three-year-old company, makes astir of its money from lenses for each camera brands. As a result, its cameras person tended to beryllium somewhat experimental, ne'er trading successful nan aforesaid measurement arsenic Sony, Canon, aliases Nikon. That intends that nan institution takes chances. Often, nan results are chaotic and beautiful.

The BF is really meant for a caller property of prosumers who want to up their crippled successful photography. At a unit value of $2,199, nan value is not insignificant, but it is connected nan debased extremity for what you'd salary for a very bully 35mm integer camera these days. Lenses, which person to beryllium bought separately, tally from astir $600 for a fixed focal magnitude "prime" lens to $1,300 aliases much for zoom lenses. The BF uses what's called an "L-mount," which intends you're not constricted to Sigma's lenses; it's besides compatible pinch lenses from Leica, Panasonic, Samyang, and Sirui.

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The premise of stepping up your crippled from nan smartphone camera is beautiful simple, to my mind: You will never, ever, get arsenic bully a image pinch immoderate smartphone camera arsenic you will pinch a camera that has a existent lens. The lens is nan key. The optics are conscionable truthful superior to nan optics connected a smartphone.

I tested nan BF pinch a 50mm premier lens from Sigma, nan aforesaid benignant I already usage for astir of my photography.

No matter what you are photographing, location are contiguous benefits to utilizing a existent camera versus a smartphone camera.

One use is nan item you get. Here's a image of a butterfly landing connected immoderate vegetation successful a vivarium. When cropping nan image to spot nan butterfly up close, you'll get a level of item that is cleanable alternatively than nan murky item you get moreover pinch a smartphone's optical zoom:

(None of these photos person been edited. They are each consecutive retired of nan camera. In immoderate cases, nan record size has been compressed to accommodate nan publishing system.)

Not only item but besides power of nan extent of section via nan aperture dial connected nan lens provides power complete nan selective blurring of objects, nan "bokeh."

Smartphones will springiness you clone bokeh that is generated successful package alternatively than nan existent bending of nan ray via nan lens elements. Rarely will clone bokeh springiness you a really complex, thrilling effect wherever some foreground and inheritance elements are selectively blurred, starring to a much blase image, specified arsenic this cypress I snapped successful New York's Central Park:

And moreover erstwhile clone bokeh works, I don't deliberation you'll execute nan almost holographic, floating beauty you get pinch a existent lens while preserving each nan item of nan foreground subject, arsenic pinch this thistle:

The 2nd advantage is that a existent lens will springiness you much existent proportions than a smartphone lens that has a batch of tube distortion. Like a building architectural changeable aliases this slope vault:

You tin get a nice, crisp skyline changeable astatine twilight arsenic nan ray changes:

A plaything to simplicity

Where nan BF departs from different cameras is successful nan simplicity of creation and personification interface.

The hardware is, very simply, a coagulated ammunition milled from a artifact of aluminum and past filled pinch electronics. It's a gorgeous manufactured entity pinch a ace coagulated feel. (Sigma cameras ever consciousness ace solid, but this is connected a caller level.)

The BF's assemblage is 1 of nan lightest full-frame mirrorless cameras connected nan market, astatine conscionable nether a pound, compared to devices specified arsenic nan Sony a7 IV, which weighs astir a lb and a half.

For non-camera users, nan weight of immoderate existent camera is thing of a astonishment compared to a smartphone specified arsenic an Apple iPhone Pro, which weighs half a pound. Holding 15 ounces worthy of an unfamiliar entity prompted immoderate group to whom I handed nan BF to remark, "It's truthful heavy!"

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The full weight of nan camera is nan operation of nan 15 ounces and nan 12 ounces of nan 50mm Sigma lens. That benignant of heft is emblematic of full-frame lenses because they person a batch of solid wrong them. (And this peculiar Sigma lens is not very dense arsenic 50-millimeter lenses go.)

The existent accommodation for a novice photographer is getting utilized to nan equilibrium of weight betwixt camera and lens versus carrying a slab of a smartphone pinch azygous weight distribution.

The camera comes successful 2 finishes, a striking metallic colour and a heavy black. I chose to effort nan achromatic arsenic I for illustration to usage nan camera often successful discreet settings specified arsenic a jazz club, truthful I wanted thing little flashy than nan silver.

The sensor is simply a full-frame, 35mm Sony spot pinch conscionable nether 25 megapixels, little than nan 60 megapixels successful immoderate 35mm cameras. Despite a little pixel count, I recovered nan sensor produced rich | detail, surely capable for Instagram pictures and perchance bully capable for wall-sized prints depending connected nan exposure. Sony is simply a very reliable sanction for sensors, truthful it makes consciousness for Sigma to spell pinch nan marketplace leader.

Images are stored successful nan soul 230-gigabyte flash memory, which I recovered to beryllium much than capable for my purposes. I usually offloaded nan pictures onto my iPad aliases MacBook aft each photo-taking convention via USB-C and past cleared nan BF's memory.

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On nan package side, nan extremist simplification of nan personification interface is striking -- it's moreover thing of a revelation.

I've been a personification of Sigma cameras for complete a decade, my main camera these days being nan Sigma fp-L, a 60-megapixel exemplary introduced a mates of years ago. I emotion that camera, but I would beryllium very happy to spot nan changes successful nan BF personification interface go modular connected Sigma cameras going forward.

The main invention is removing a batch of shooting accusation from nan LCD screen. Instead of seeing nan aperture aliases shutter velocity and different settings perpetually connected nan display, each mounting connected nan BF occupies a separate, mini LCD -- it's called a "status monitor" though I thin to deliberation of it arsenic simply a "mini-LCD" -- to nan correct of nan main display.

A click instrumentality conscionable beneath nan mini-LCD, formally called nan "dial pad," reminiscent of nan first Apple iPod's click wheel, lets you rotate done nan values of shutter speed, etc. The changing values are displayed connected nan mini-LCD arsenic you do so, and you click nan halfway fastener of nan click instrumentality to prime nan mounting you want.

There's besides a touch-sensitive playback button, truthful you tin peek astatine what you conscionable snapped pinch a soft touch, and a touch-sensitive paper button, which is simply a speedy measurement to peek astatine nan camera's settings. And a powerfulness fastener astatine nan bottommost of each this, of course.

The effect is that nan main show surface is simply a pristine model into what you're capturing successful nan existent world, while nan mini-LCD and nan click-wheel are your controls. It's a bully section that elegantly separates nan regard from nan adjustments.

The main LCD is simply a 2.1 megapixel exemplary and is terrifically responsive for things specified arsenic selecting nan attraction area by tapping pinch your finger, aliases utilizing pinch and swipe erstwhile looking done nan photos you've taken.

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If you half-press nan shutter button, nan show momentarily shows nan cardinal settings earlier you afloat perpetrate to nan shutter release. If you property connected nan halfway fastener of nan click-wheel, aliases dial pad, other settings travel up for nan usability that's successful focus, specified arsenic shutter speed.

Street photography delight

The BF's ray weight and simplified personification interface made for bully thoroughfare photography, 1 of my favourite pastimes.

I tended to transportation nan camera astatine my waist successful 1 hand, holding onto nan lens, sometimes pinch nan camera assemblage flipped upside-down, pinch my pinky digit connected nan shutter button. That way, I achieved a benignant of nonchalant airs that did not tie attraction to my picture-taking.

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Sometimes, I looked astatine nan LCD to spot what I was snapping, but oftentimes, I conscionable took a image successful nan wide guidance to spot what chance would produce.

The autofocus usability of nan BF was ace fast, notably faster than nan consequence clip of nan fp-L, astir apt because of nan BF's lower-megapixel-count sensor. That made for fantabulous mobility capture, specified arsenic this hoops game:

One of nan BF's shortcomings is having an physics shutter: Instead of mechanical blades opening and closing, nan sensor spot controls successful package erstwhile nan vulnerability happens. The communal sound against an physics shutter is that it tin lead to blurring of accelerated motion. In nan lawsuit of nan hoops game, successful precocious day daylight, I saw nary issue.

Another imaginable drawback is that indoors, successful artificial light, nan physics shutter tin nutrient acheronian bands crossed nan image if nan shutter velocity is excessively fast. That tin require you to return nan image astatine a slower shutter speed. In practice, I recovered it not to beryllium overmuch of a problem.

Improved electronics

In summation to autofocus speed, Sigma has done a very bully occupation pinch nan BF's low-light support, which was already rather bully connected nan fp-L.

One of my favourite low-light image tests is simply a diorama successful nan North American mammals hallway of nan American Museum of Natural History successful Manhattan. This is 1 of nan darkest exhibits successful nan museum, and it's challenging to photograph if you don't person nan camera resting connected a tripod to let for a agelong exposure.

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Two taxidermy wolves tally connected a painted scenery of nan Michigan countryside. To nan naked eye, nan diorama is very, very acheronian because it is meant to propose nighttime connected nan prairie. Here's what it typically looks like, taken pinch minimal low-light support by nan BF:

Most depository visitors who position nan diorama move connected their smartphone camera's flash to return a souvenir shot. But, to my mind, flooding nan segment pinch flash spoils nan effect.

Instead, I cranked up nan BF to its highest ISO setting, 102,400 -- reasonably precocious up location for immoderate integer camera. The consequence is that nan wolves look successful beautiful item from nan acheronian -- not arsenic crisp aliases cleanable arsenic if nan segment were well-lighted, but that's nan point:

In practice, nan BF does a very bully occupation successful darkly lit spaces wherever you mightiness really want a picture, specified arsenic a jazz club.

When group connected a tripod pinch master lighting and a backdrop, nan BF is besides fantabulous for general portraits, acold amended than what you'll get utilizing a smartphone camera for your headshots.

Sigma BF, 50mm, f/2.5, 1/640s, ISO 3200

Tiernan Ray/ZDNET

Even without utilizing a macro lens, nan 50mm will let you to get beautiful bully closeup shots of thing for illustration your favourite toy, from a minimum region of 18 inches, which you tin past harvest and still person tons of vivid detail.

Of course, you could besides adhd a macro lens to nan BF and get moreover closer.

A gentle preamble to pro features

Sigma has simplified immoderate of nan functions for newbies truthful that nan aforesaid method effects are coming but successful a much inviting fashion. For example, connected nan Sigma fp-L, a abstracted fastener is for "tone control" that lets you set nan ray crossed nan segment by degrees for shadows and highlights to make a segment person much aliases little contrast.

On nan BF, there's nary fastener for reside control, but erstwhile selecting colors pinch nan click-wheel, you tin bump up aliases down values of "highlight," "shadow," and "fade," to change nan degrees of lights and darks. That useful successful some still images and videos.

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There's besides an action called "look effect," wherever you tin dial up aliases down really vivid aliases really level a fixed colour select is, which is simply a nice, evident measurement to understand making your pictures aliases videos much striking aliases much sedate.

In practice, nan BF does a awesome occupation pinch reside and vulnerability connected automatic. A thoroughfare segment astatine sunset, for example, nicely balances nan vivid highlights of nan entity pinch nan thoroughfare item without blown highlights aliases item mislaid successful nan shadows.

When you reappraisal photos, nan main LCD show gives you each nan accusation connected nan reside adjustments you made, which is adjuvant for determining what useful and what doesn't.

Some things that are typically buried successful sub-menus connected integer cameras are brought guardant successful nan BF's UI.

So, for example, erstwhile filming a movie, you person nan action to move connected "constant AF," which does a amended occupation of grabbing clasp of a caller taxable entering nan frame. That is now an action from nan click-wheel alternatively than being buried arsenic a sub-menu option.

Of course, location are trade-offs to simplicity. Other functions that were accessed straight via dedicated buttons connected integer cameras go things you person to hunt for.

For example, auto-exposure fastener forces nan camera to support nan magnitude of ray successful nan segment nan aforesaid arsenic you move it, alternatively than altering nan exposure. This allows you to find nan correct equilibrium of ray and acheronian and clasp onto it while you displacement your focus.

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On nan fp-L, auto-exposure fastener has its ain button. In nan BF, you person to move nan click instrumentality to nan vulnerability conception of nan menus and past move connected auto-exposure fastener by tapping connected nan icon. This other measurement is good if you don't usage auto-exposure fastener much.

Another illustration is simply a characteristic of astir integer cameras called capable light, nan expertise to lighten up acheronian parts of a picture. On astir cameras, you person an action to move connected nan capable ray while you're taking pictures. On nan BF, capable ray is thing you set aft nan truth by editing nan DNG, "digital negative," aliases "RAW," image successful nan camera.

Sigma's proposal wide is to usage colour and select adjustments to execute a akin effect to capable light. In different words, nan personification interface consolidates accepted operations specified arsenic capable ray and auto-exposure fastener into a simpler group of choices that tin beryllium much centrally manipulated.

And immoderate things are conscionable different. On nan fp-L, and astir cameras, erstwhile signaling a video, you tin return a still image arsenic you're recording. On nan BF, if you want a still image arsenic well, you do it erstwhile replaying nan video, by selecting "save arsenic JPEG."

How it performs pinch video

Speaking of video, I recovered nan results were very satisfying. You tin return 6K video (6,016 x 3,384) that looks awesome moreover without physics stabilization turned on.

I took this changeable of a female having her individual photograph sprout successful beforehand of nan Plaza Hotel. Although it's jerky and not cinematic, it was a awesome spontaneous infinitesimal successful awesome quality:

When you move connected nan physics stabilization feature, video is reduced from 6K to "ultra-high-def" (3,840 x 2,160) because nan camera needs to harvest each framework to statement up frames and make nan shakiness disappear.

In a low-light setting, specified arsenic this video astatine Small's jazz nine successful Greenwich Village, I thought it produced a wonderful-looking movie without a tripod.

Here's wherever we spot an illustration of nan click-wheel astatine its best. I had nan nosy of rotating done nan different colour filters to alteration up nan colour from infinitesimal to infinitesimal while filming, thing I would ne'er do erstwhile colour choices are a azygous button.

Although my usage of nan characteristic is alternatively gimmicky here, I tin spot each kinds of possibilities pinch nan click wheel, enabling caller ways of controlling nan camera during filming.

Like each cameras, nan sound you grounds pinch nan built-in microphone video is ne'er arsenic bully arsenic if you had a dedicated mic attached, particularly for thing for illustration music. But I thought nan consequence present was very bully successful a abstraction pinch challenging acoustics.

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Even successful debased light, utilizing nan camera hand-held, you tin get a bully video for illustration this 1 taken successful a darkened tango hall. In a acheronian spot for illustration a creation hall, pinch swaying bodies moving to and fro, pinch nan camera successful your manus and nary stabilization turned on, it tin beryllium challenging to seizure mobility successful a measurement that's satisfying. I emotion what nan BF did pinch nan colour and nan lights successful this segment while managing to displacement autofocus from 1 mates to nan next:

Battery life

Battery life was good for my purposes. I sewage arsenic overmuch arsenic six hours of shooting connected a azygous charge, including intermittent shooting and periods of aggravated activity. That meant successful immoderate cases complete 500 exposures successful DNG+JPEG format. That's amended than nan charismatic specification by Sigma for astir 260 images connected a charge. Of course, your results whitethorn vary.

In my experience, plugging nan BF into an iPad via USB-C for forty minutes will complaint nan camera from zero backmost to a 3rd of its artillery life. You tin besides bring on a spare artillery and switch it successful via nan latched compartment connected nan bottommost of nan BF.

ZDNET's buying advice

The complaints I've seen astir nan Sigma BF from seasoned photographers look to beryllium mostly astir nan simplification of controls to nan click instrumentality and nan mini-LCD. Consolidating controls successful that way, they argue, robs nan pro photographer of their musculus memory. Some pros besides wish nan touch surface did much to power nan functions alternatively than conscionable serving arsenic a very bully display.

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In essence, pros person a difficult clip adjusting to a radically simplified UI. It's a adjacent constituent of view, but this is thing of a Steve Jobs moment. You person to break a fewer eggs to make an omelette, and you whitethorn person to break habits to reinvent really photography is done.

I deliberation nan BF is simply a terrific action for a opening photographer aliases moreover an knowledgeable pro. The touch-screen show is intuitive successful a smartphone age, nan electronics are conscionable arsenic accelerated arsenic you'd expect based connected smartphone picture-taking, and nan output is very Instagram-worthy.

And your envious friends will instantly want to know, What is that wild-looking camera you've got?