SIGMA FP L

Dazzling 61MP stills, 4K video capture and full-on cine features. www.sigma-imaging-uk.com £1,999/$2,499

- Rod Lawton

The Sigma fp L is a 61-megapixel version of the original Sigma fp that launched in 2019. From the outside, the two cameras are identical: the Sigma fp L has the same compact, rectangular shape, with a fixed rear screen and a switch on the top for swapping between Cine and Still modes.

The Sigma fp concept is odd, but intriguing. Sigma wanted to make a modular camera that could be adapted to all sorts of uses, and the fp L is basic in the extreme: there’s no built-in viewfinder (although you can clip on an optional EVF unit sold separately or as part of a kit), and the rear screen doesn’t even tilt. The idea is that you get accessories for particular kinds of work, and ‘build’ your working rig accordingly. The fp L body might be basic, but it has standard threaded attachment points on either side of the body for lights, microphones, external monitors or the optional EVF. You can use the fp L as-is, as a fully functioning camera in its own right, but it’s also designed to fit neatly into the heart of a video/ cinema camera shooting rig.

The principal differences between the Sigma fp and the Sigma fp L are that the new model has the aforementioned 61-megapixel sensor and a hybrid contrast/phase detect autofocus system.

1 The Sigma fp L is minimal in the extreme. It’s certainly small, but that means there’s also no grip.

2 This is a tiny camera with a big sensor! Believe it or not, that’s a 61MP full-frame sensor in there.

3 The Sigma fp L uses the new L-Mount, developed with Leica and Panasonic.

4 The fixed rear screen is a little limiting, but the optional EVF-11 does rotate by up to 90 degrees.