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Is Sigma BF worth the hype?
A good friend dragged me out of my apartment for a walk and a chat with a unique bribe — a chance to play with the new Sigma BF camera. I couldn’t resist. So, despite my utter lack of interest in being out and about on a sunny day, I decided to go out.
That is a beautiful camera I wanted to see firsthand. I don’t believe the reviewers, especially camera reviewers. I wanted to see if the hype was for real. I brought my Sigma f2/65mm lens to try out on the new camera.
First, as long as the looks and construction are concerned, the hype is real. It is so well made and so perfectly crafted that you admire the hard work of the team. The minimal user interface is another marvel. However, that is where it ends.
It is ergonomically not designed to be carried around your neck or strapped around your hand for long periods of time. Put a decent-sized lens on it, and the camera loses its balance. Put a biggish lens, and the weight on the camera makes it unusable after a few minutes.
The screen, through which you are supposed to see and compose your photos, is practically unusable in bright light. The battery is skinnier than a supermodel on Ozempic. You get my drift — this is all hat, not enough cattle.
But, does it make good photos? The answer is yes. The focus is fast. Images are crisp. The colors are lively. Again, it makes my Leica SL2-S and Leica SL3 feel a bit middle-aged.
It is one of those cameras you want to own one, but can’t really think of it as a practical everyday camera. In a way, it is very much in keeping with Sigma’s tradition of making quirky, imperfect, and sometimes impractical, yet lovable and coveted cameras.
Should I get one? The fashionista in me says yes. The practical minimalist says no. I am not sure who will win out.
PS: The photos in this set of images have been edited using my custom preset. I wanted to give the set a tonal and color consistency. The preset simply enhances the attributes of the files that came out of the camera. Sigma, after all, does lovely colors.
Captions from top to bottom:
- There is always something weird in San Francisco.
- Racing Ahead! By the way, in case you didn’t notice — those cranes in the background are in Oakland, and fairly sharp if you zoom in.
- Fingers in the sky! Something about these cranes and how they were arranged got my attention.
- I love this photo. It just shows the harmony between the camera, the lens, and my mind’s eye.
June 16, 2025. San Francisco.
Perhaps the overeager autocorrect changed “Sigma BF” to “Sigma BP” in the title and post. Look forward to see if you decide to keep it.
Yup, that is what seemed to happen. Writing on iPhone can be a challenge at times 🙂 Thanks for spotting the error and sharing it back with me.