SIGMA fp L Camera and EVF-11 Viewfinder Announced – 61MP and Hybrid AF

Camera News

by Jakub HanMarch 25^th, 2021

The newly announced SIGMA fp L camera features a 61MP full-frame Bayer sensor, crop zoom function, hybrid autofocus system, USB-C power delivery, and some new useful functions such as true 24p. The body form factor with the L-Mount stayed the same as with the SIGMA fp which will get some of the new functions with a future firmware update. The newly announced optional viewfinder EVF-11 features 0.5” high-resolution OLED display with 90° tilt and USB-C output as well as a 3.5mm jack for headphones. The EVF-11 is compatible with both SIGMA fp and fp L. Make sure to also check Johnnie’s short documentary and review of the SIGMA fp L as well as Gunther’s fp L Lab Test to get a full picture of the camera.

Back in July 2019, SIGMA surprised the industry by announcing a very compact full-frame mirrorless camera that was capable of recording 12-bit CinemaDNG 4K video to an external USB-C SSD. The SIGMA fp featured a Leica L lens mount and a fixed LCD screen. There was no viewfinder, but SIGMA offered a loupe accessory for the fp. Make sure to check Johnnie’s SIGMA fp review to see what the camera is all about.

Today, SIGMA announced a new camera from the fp series: meet the SIGMA fp L. Along with the camera, the Japanese company also announced a tiltable electronic viewfinder – SIGMA EVF-11. Johnnie got the chance to play with the new camera for a few days, so make sure to check his article including a hands-on video. Now let’s take a look at the features and specs of the SIGMA fp L.

SIGMA fp L – New 61MP Sensor

The new fp L still retains the STILL / CINE physical switch and much of the controls known from the fp. In fact, the whole camera body looks very similar to the original fp. Keeping the compact size was very important to SIGMA – although Sony came close with the a7C, the SIGMA fp series currently holds the title for the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera. As SIGMA stated, the new fp L is meant to coexist with the fp rather than being its successor.

So what is new? There are few new features with the fp L, so let’s start with the most obvious one – the image sensor. The fp L features a back-illuminated 35mm Bayer sensor with approximately 61MP resolution (SIGMA fp has 24.6MP). The camera also boasts a low-pass filter to reduce moiré to minimum levels.

Crop Zoom Function

Thanks to the high resolution, the camera features a crop zoom function in both STILL and CINE modes. The fp L can record in Full HD quality up to its maximum 5x zoom with no digital enhancement – 1:1 pixel. It will be possible to pinch to zoom on the LCD touch screen to access the crop zoom function.

Hybrid Autofocus

Another notable improvement over the original fp lies in the autofocus system. The fp L features a hybrid AF system that combines contrast- and phase-detection (SIGMA fp is contrast-based only) with Touch AF function. According to SIGMA, the autofocus should be smooth, fast, and accurate in both STILL and CINE modes even when tracking a moving subject.

USB Power Supply and More

The fp L supports USB charging over the USB-C connection while the camera is on. When using the fp L as a webcam, it only requires an USB connection with the computer for both audio/video communication and power delivery.

It will be possible to save custom settings for the fp L as QR code image data that can be easily shared with anyone and loaded into another fp L camera. There are two new color modes on the fp L – Powder Blue and Duotone, that complement the 13 available color modes from the fp to a total of 15.

On top of the internal 23.976p mode, the fp L will also support true 24p mode. SIGMA further improved the image quality of “Color mode OFF” picture profile and added 50K each adjustment for white balance. Other than that, there are no differences in available resolutions, framerates and codecs in video mode when compared with the SIGMA fp.

The SIGMA fp L will also bring a director’s viewfinder essential tools such as simulation of shooting ranges of popular cinema cameras, new frame guides with custom frame lines, and screenshot function (by pushing the Disp. and the OK button at the same time).

If you are interested, here is the full list of new functions and improvements:

New functions:

• Crop Zoom
• True 24p
• Custom frame line
• Save / Load Settings via QR code
• Screen shot (Push Disp. & OK button)
• Touch AF
• LCD Off
• Time Zone Setting
• Quick Focus Frame shift
• New color mode : Duotone
• New color mode : Powder Blue

Improvements:

• Added QS options
• Improved Image Quality of Color mode OFF
• Added New camera and mode of Director’s viewfinder
• Added Center mark
• Added Iris preview (Still mode)
• Added Custom button options
• Added Focus Frame adjustment while magnification
• Added Focus Frame reset to center
• Added Diagonal Guidelines
• Added 50K each adjustment for WB
• Added new camera control commands
• Improved File format

SIGMA fp Future Update

If you own the SIGMA fp, the good news is that some of the new features from the fp L wil be available on the fp via future firmware update. The timeframe for the update has not been specified yet, but the functions will include the true 24p mode, the two new color modes, save/load settings feature, and the director’s viewfinder features.

SIGMA EVF-11

Another new product that SIGMA announced today, is the EVF-11. It is an accessory electronic viewfinder for both SIGMA fp and fp L that connects to the side of the camera via a 1/4” screw. The EVF-11 connects to both USB-C and Micro HDMI ports of the camera for power and image delivery. The HDMI port gets blocked by the viewfinder, but the USB-C out is retained as the EVF-11 features a USB-C output. Recording to an external SSD is still possible with the EVF-11 on.

The EVF-11 features a 0.5-inch OLED panel with approximately 3.68M dots of resolution and 0.83x magnification. The tilting mechanism of the EVF-11 allows to position it upwards up to 90°. It has an eyepoint set to approximately 21mm to ensure a full field-of-view without a dark vignette around the viewfinder. The EVF-11 has a wide diopter adjustment range of -4.0 to +3.0 and it comes with two eyecups of different sizes.

Aside from the USB-C output, the EVF-11 also features a 3.5mm stereo mini jack for monitoring the recorded audio using headphones. It does not block the camera’s microphone input, so it is possible to use an external mic and headphones at the same time. The EVF-11 weighs 114g (4oz) and its dimensions are 44.6 x 91.7 x 56.1mm (1.8 x 3.6 x 2.2”) including the EC-31 eyecup.

The LVF-11 loupe that was launched in 2019 along with the SIGMA fp is also compatible with the new fp L so it continues to co-exist and offer a more affordable and different way to monitor the image.

Price and Availability

The SIGMA fp L is available for $2500 and the SIGMA EVF-11 will cost $699.

Do you use the SIGMA fp for your filmmaking work? What do you think about the new SIGMA fp L and the SIGMA EVF-11? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.