Sigma fp – World's smallest & lightest mirrorless full frame camera

[Alan Friedman]

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I've also been using the Sigma fp quite a lot since acquiring at its introduction. I've used it mainly with an array of manual focus lenses and have enjoyed it immensely. Recently I traveled with it (official photographer for the birth of our first grandchild), bringing the viewfinder magnifier and using that often in out of doors situations. Once I got used to the added footprint, I found it quite pleasurable. 

Recently, though, I've been experimenting with the 45mm 2.8 and the rabbit hole of autofocus. I hadn't purchased it originally as I owned no AF lenses with my SL and figured I would not be using those massive optics on the tiny fp. The 45 is great to use... limited in sharpness wide open at f2.8, but such a good fit size and weight-wise to the fp. There is lots written about its performance but I am curious if anyone can share tips on the autofocus settings you've found give the most reliable results on the fp. From my limited experience, it seems the single area AF is the most accurate.

Images attached - 45 at f2.8 / ISO3200, 45 at f5.6/ ISO3200, lastly, fp + Leica macro-elmarit R 60mm

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[Boojay]

Can't tell you anything about the 45 but congratulations of the birth of your beautiful Grandchild, very special!

[cboy]

9 hours ago, Alan Friedman said:

but I am curious if anyone can share tips on the autofocus settings you've found give the most reliable results on the fp. From my limited experience, it seems the single area AF is the most accurate.

 

 

 

From experience i seem to get faster AF acquisition from as you mentioned SAF and from slightly bigger AF area ( a few steps from its smallest setting). Since its contrast detect based you'll need a slightly wider base for it to distinguish maximal contrast. Also firmware 2.0 helps improve it slightly

[bags27]

I'm curious how the fp performs with wide M glass (21-35). That's always the most important test for compatibility, I think. Someone on Flckr assured me it goes well, but I think that was more impressionistic and based on small files.

There's lots to like (price, size, and and especially rendering, which I really like) about this camera and not like (the EVF is really awkward), and it would be an very interesting 2nd (or 3rd etc.) body to have.

Edited September 1, 2020 by bags27

[chasdfg]

54 minutes ago, bags27 said:

I'm curious how the fp performs with wide M glass (21-35). That's always the most important test for compatibility, I think. Someone on Flckr assured me it goes well, but I think that was more impressionistic and based on small files.

There's lots to like (price, size, and and especially rendering, which I really like) about this camera and not like (the EVF is really awkward), and it would be an very interesting 2nd (or 3rd etc.) body to have.

I find the camera with colour shading correction turned off does suffer from colour cast on a couple of my M lenses, but with it turned on the the max setting/strength, it appears better. Not  perfect but the next best thing to 6bit corrections, I reckon. Apparently the sensor stack is not far off from the thickness of that of the SL (1.3mm vs 1.2mm), though microlenses and other factors come into play anyway so not much point comparing them on that basis.

Its certainly not for a novice (i'd be lost trying to work around "issues") but its perfect for a 2nd body. I'm not sure if I would have it as my only camera (if i only had 1 it'd have to be a rangefinder). I've shot hundreds of pics over the past 2 weeks of ownership and rolling shutter and banding are hardly an issue, if at all and I really enjoy going out with the camera. Camera + grip + adapter + 28Cron v2 is less than the SL weighs alone. The SL is a nicer EVF M, but if I don't bring it out..

[bags27]

31 minutes ago, chasdfg said:

I find the camera with colour shading correction turned off does suffer from colour cast on a couple of my M lenses, but with it turned on the the max setting/strength, it appears better. Not  perfect but the next best thing to 6bit corrections, I reckon. Apparently the sensor stack is not far off from the thickness of that of the SL (1.3mm vs 1.2mm), though microlenses and other factors come into play anyway so not much point comparing them on that basis.

Its certainly not for a novice (i'd be lost trying to work around "issues") but its perfect for a 2nd body. I'm not sure if I would have it as my only camera (if i only had 1 it'd have to be a rangefinder). I've shot hundreds of pics over the past 2 weeks of ownership and rolling shutter and banding are hardly an issue, if at all and I really enjoy going out with the camera. Camera + grip + adapter + 28Cron v2 is less than the SL weighs alone. The SL is a nicer EVF M, but if I don't bring it out..

Thanks for all this helpful information. A lot to think about, and very much appreciated!

[Chris W]

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I haven't seen any colour cast myself. Mostly using an M 35mm F2. I tried my 28mm F2.8 on a few shots, but have mostly been using the 35.

[LocalHero1953]

The absence of an EVF (not counting the add-on viewer) means the camera has to be held at arms' length. With the minimalist, rectilinear body, I find it difficult to hold with small M lenses - just difficult to know how to grip it - too heavy for my fingertips like a phone. I have used it with the 75 and 90 Summicron-L lenses, though, and find it acceptably comfortable with my left hand clutching the lens body.

[Chris W]

I bought the Niceyrig grip. Actually well made, really improves handling the camera and inexpensive:

https://www.niceyrig.com/niceyrig-leather-grip-for-sigma-fp-camera-p0283.html

[Lonescapes]

On 8/21/2020 at 12:42 PM, LocalHero1953 said:

Actually, using a camera in way that makes it look like you're using a smartphone DOES make you less visible in some scenarios. There's nothing so intimidating as pulling out a black traditional-camera-shaped camera to make people take notice. So my 5 year old granddaughter tells me - her mother takes lots of photos of her with a phone, but she hides when I get out my Leica.

I don't shoot off the screen in these situations very often anyway. I keep my camera out from the beginning so people get used to it, then I shoot hyperfocal or guesstimating with the AF half-press off the arm of a chair, or from the hip, et cetera. People don't know they're being photographed, and later on I show them the photos and ask if they like any of them/can I use one. In this situation, a funny little brick like the fp is especially unobtrusive.

Still using the camera pretty much exclusively, almost always with the Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 VM. Would love a compact wide-angle prime with autofocus. I see Panasonic now has a 24mm 1.8 which may not be enormous on their L-mount roadmap, but I absolutely detest Panasonic's corporate ethics (whereas Sigma is a fantastic company), so I may wait for the small lenses that Sigma has promised to develop, even though they're likely to be slower, and subject separation is something I generally want a lot of, for photographing in busy environments.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Lonescapes

[Alan Friedman]

On 9/10/2020 at 11:40 AM, Chris W said:

I bought the Niceyrig grip. Actually well made, really improves handling the camera and inexpensive:

https://www.niceyrig.com/niceyrig-leather-grip-for-sigma-fp-camera-p0283.html

That looks like a nice addition!

[Paolou Pigini]

What bag do you use to carry the camera with the 45mm?

[Alan Friedman]

On 9/28/2020 at 11:13 AM, PaoloPgC said:

What bag do you use to carry the camera with the 45mm?

I expect most of us have a stockpile of camera bags around. I pulled out an Artisan and Artist ACAM 3000 that I once used for my M8. It is a simple and compact bag that holds the fp with 45 lens attached with room for the 85 1.4 and 12-24 zoom stowed to either side.

http://www.artisan-n-artist.com/product_detail.php?id=71

[LocalHero1953]

The fp lives in my Lowepro backpack with either the Summicron-SL 90 or VE-SL 16-35, plus small Gitzo tripod, Rode Go mic, a Samsung T5 2Tb SSD and mains extension lead - my video pack for carrying on a bike.