SIGMA fp Pricing Revealed – A Sub-$2,000 Full Frame Camera With RAW Capabilities

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by Olaf von VossOctober 10^th, 2019

EDIT: Our full SIGMA fp camera review is now online and can be accessed by click here.

Back in July, we reported about the launch of the SIGMA fp full-frame camera. We visited the SIGMA factory in August, we asked questions about it at this years IBC in September and we posted about the official release of highly accurate 3D models of the camera and its available accessories in order to create an even further expanded pool of custom accessories. But one thing remained in the dark and that’s the price of the fp camera. Now the company spilled the beans and here it is: The SIGMA fp will be yours for $1,899 US. Preorders are open as we speak.

The SIGMA fp is not your average pocket-sized point’n’shoot camera. It’s kind of two cameras in one and it sports a full frame sensor. You can choose between a dedicated cine mode as well as a stills mode, accessible via a hardware switch right on the top plate of the camera, no more menu digging! That’s a lot of functionality inside this tiny body and it’s a fresh apporach of tackling all these menu settings and controls for both, stills and cine applications.

The SIGMA fp

With the introduction of the L-Mount Alliance at Photokina 2018 (read all about it here) rumors started to sprout about SIGMAs development of yet another camera, this time fitted with an L-Mount, obviously. Fast forward to July 2019 and here it is, the SIGMA fp. Despite the modular approach, the clean cut between stills and cine applications and the overall look of it, one question remained: The price.

The fp fits the palm of your hand easily.

Fast forward another three months, that question is know being answered: The SIGMA fp is officially a sub-$2,000 full frame camera. And it really needed to be. The competition wasn’t idle and other cameras cost about as much as the fp. So another question surfaces in the aftermath: How does the SIGMA fp compare to the full-frame competition, namely the Sony Alpha a7 III, the Panasonic S1, Canon EOR R or Nikon Z 6? To be honest, I don’t know. The SIGMA fp is not out yet but we will definitely take it for a spin once it is (stay tuned, review is coming soon)! What we do know are some hard facts about the specificatons of the fp:

• 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS Bayer sensor with 6000 x 4000 pixels (25.38 MP / effective: 24.6 MP)
• cine mode _ internal recording: H.264
  UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p
  Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/59.94p/100p/119.88p
• cine mode _ external recording: 4:2:2 12-Bit
  UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p
  Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/120p
  
• external recording to USB SSD is possible
• micro HDMI out for streaming to an external recorder
• 3.15″ fixed LCD touchscreen
• Single Slot SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)
• Size: (W x H x D) 4.43 x 2.75 x 1.78″ / 112.6 x 69.9 x 45.3 mm
• Weight: 14.89 oz / 422 g (Body with Battery and Memory)

Also, SIGMA CEO Yamaki-san told us at IBC that internal CDNG recording will be possible, but only in 8-Bit internally (which is a bit of a strange combination to be honest). The full rundown reads as follows, but keep in mind that these specs are not finalized, yet:

• internal 8-Bit CDNG RAW in UHD 4K at 23.98/24/25p.
• internal 8 / 10 / 12-Bit CDNG RAW in HD up to 60p.
• external 8 / 10 / 12-bit CDNG RAW in UHD 4K/1080 HD at 24p.

More questions sourcing from the filmmakers community circle around the absence of dedicated log profiles for smooth post production. Right now, there is no such option but we may see (hopefully) some kind log profile in a future firmware update. SIGMA is well aware of the demand here! However, there are some picture profiles available but these are more about looks, not so much about being flat for easy grading.

Pricing and Availability

The SIGMA fp is available for preorder as we speak. If you don’t own any L-Mount glass yet, there is also a bundle available which might be pretty interesting: Get the SIGMA fp along with a 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary L-Mount lens with a $250 saving over at B&H. There are L-Mount adapters as well, so you can easily adapt other glass to the fp camera.

the fp is a pretty versatile piece of gear!

Links: SIGMA website

What do you think? Might this little camera be found in your bag in no time? Or do you prefer something bigger? Let us know in the comments below!