GeorgeHudetz
Well-Known Member
It is very interesting. As a UX professional, I envy those who got to reinvent the experience of using a camera. Hopefully it works as good as it looks.
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News Sigma BF
- Thread starter GeorgeHudetz
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Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
Well, it's... interesting...
I'm going to reserve judgment until I see more about the user interface, but even if it's the most intuitive thing ever, I have a hard time seeing the people it's targeted at (simple no-fuss shooters?) spending that much on a camera.
It certainly looks cool; I like the unibody; the haptic controls could be cool or could be awful. (Apple's done good haptic controls, like the trackpad for their last 10 years of laptops. Dell tried making the function key row all-haptic on an XPS laptop a couple of years ago, and from what I heard it didn't work very well.) Unless the rear screen is a quantum leap over every other rear screen-only camera I've ever used, it's still going to suffer badly from the lack of an EVF.
Other than the screen, it seems like a camera I could have fun shooting with, especially after my time with the fp... but it's very much in 'fun second or third camera' territory; not a daily driver. And you really need a good pancake lens to go with it, which Sigma doesn't have right now.
Showed the announcement to a non-photographer friend of mine, and his reaction was "Well that price makes my hair turn grey. But the point is to be a low profile, simple camera?... Yeah, I think that mostly fits with people who prize form above all. I could see a lot of influencers get it. At a lower price point, I'd think that's a really nice idea for people who don't want a bulky camera, but want something a little more familiar than their smartphone."
I'm going to reserve judgment until I see more about the user interface, but even if it's the most intuitive thing ever, I have a hard time seeing the people it's targeted at (simple no-fuss shooters?) spending that much on a camera.
It certainly looks cool; I like the unibody; the haptic controls could be cool or could be awful. (Apple's done good haptic controls, like the trackpad for their last 10 years of laptops. Dell tried making the function key row all-haptic on an XPS laptop a couple of years ago, and from what I heard it didn't work very well.) Unless the rear screen is a quantum leap over every other rear screen-only camera I've ever used, it's still going to suffer badly from the lack of an EVF.
Other than the screen, it seems like a camera I could have fun shooting with, especially after my time with the fp... but it's very much in 'fun second or third camera' territory; not a daily driver. And you really need a good pancake lens to go with it, which Sigma doesn't have right now.
Showed the announcement to a non-photographer friend of mine, and his reaction was "Well that price makes my hair turn grey. But the point is to be a low profile, simple camera?... Yeah, I think that mostly fits with people who prize form above all. I could see a lot of influencers get it. At a lower price point, I'd think that's a really nice idea for people who don't want a bulky camera, but want something a little more familiar than their smartphone."
Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
I'll be interested in seeing what the imaging pipeline looks like; 24 MP suggests the same sensor as the fp, and the electronic shutter also sounds like the fp. Did they make any changes or improvements?
Conversely I don't, phones are not trendy any longer and there is a market in compact cameras again... Producing a luxury Apple style product like this could be very clever.
Plus now they've got to make a range of proper miniature L-mount pancakes to suit it which is good for us.
I've given up speculating on the future but my immediate gut responsewas this is good, much better than the S9.
Still to this day everyone copying Apple... Put this next to a Mac Mini or iMac and you'll see what I mean.
Great week for L-mount all around
It has PDAF and what seems to be similar video specs as S9 without IBIS so why wouldn't they use that as it already exists, tried and tested? Basically a much sleeker S9 without the off-putting menu complications which for casual people is a nightmare.
It's very clever doing a Leica style menu and built-in 320GB also very nice. I only have 128GB card in S5ii and it's loads.
Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
I dunno; some more people chimed in after the guy I mentioned in the post above, and the reaction was universally 'This could be cool, but no way I or anyone I know is spending $2K on a camera unless they seriously want to get into photography.'
IOW, it seems to be designed for a market - casual not-quite-photographers wanting a simple elegant camera, and also willing to spend $2000 on a camera - that I'm not sure exists.
This is true.
I generally like Apple stuff a lot - typing this on an M2 MacBook Air - and it certainly shares the engineering style and attempts a similar simple elegance. I'd have to sit down and spend some time with one to see if they manage to capture that in actual operation; that's a lot harder than it looks. (As I noted above, haptics are tricky to get right.)
Travis Butler
Well-Known Member
Did it say PDAF? I thought I heard 'contrast detect autofocus' in the video.
(Yeah, just checked, at 2:00 it says 'contrast autofocus system.')
I'm certainly very happy with the IQ of the fp - it's by far my most-used camera - but it would be nice to see some reduction in the electronic shutter artifacts. And autofocus on the fp is not really speedy.
Richard Wong
Well-Known Member
What a great looking camera! I don’t care about the specs for this kind of cameras
I just love it
I just love it
I read in dpreview PDAF. Who would release a non PDAF camera in 2025? It states both CDAF/PDAF
Exactly my sentiments so if it even appeals to some of us nerdy photographers it'll surely appeal to the intended market.
Lets face it, it's a better implementation of the S9 for people who previously bought phones which just can't be as trendy any longer.
There is zero excitement in latest iPhones/Pixels etc. just the same old thing.
JohnnyMauser
Member
It says it has both, PDAF and contrast..Did it say PDAF? I thought I heard 'contrast detect autofocus' in the video.
(Yeah, just checked, at 2:00 it says 'contrast autofocus system.')
I'm certainly very happy with the IQ of the fp - it's by far my most-used camera - but it would be nice to see some reduction in the electronic shutter artifacts. And autofocus on the fp is not really speedy.
I missed that announcenent.
I am in a hurry and will move the BF related posts later in an extra thread.
The Sigma BF is for me a revolution!!!
A lot more than you might think. And in my view, the Sigma BF will have more positive consequences to non-BF users than you you might think.
More about this later...
I am in a hurry and will move the BF related posts later in an extra thread.
The Sigma BF is for me a revolution!!!
A lot more than you might think. And in my view, the Sigma BF will have more positive consequences to non-BF users than you you might think.
More about this later...
Lovely machine indeed, they are no doubt the kings of this stuff, I recently got a magic keyboard and trackpad to replace a horrible Logitech mouse and keyboard with my base M1 mini and after 4 years owning the M1 it feels like the complete product. I'm hoping Sigma did a good job with what should be simple enough haptics after stating it takes 7 hours of CNC milling to create the camera body.
If the menu system is as good as what the CEO suggests (along with much needed top notch haptics as you suggest) this is a big factor.
Integration with social is another big factor but no info on such yet, this is where phones reign supreme. Lumix Lab is good but still way off the simplicity of say a Pixel/iPhone.
Most definitely not you, me and others are not the intended market. Maybe in 5 years a cheap used one and definitely this above a S9 especially for the menu system for casual photography.
This has got to be more popular than the Sigma fp cameras which wouldn't be difficult.
Nope