The new Sigma fp L is a full-frame mirrorless camera equipped with a Bayer sensor with approximately 61 effective megapixels. It's a lot like the Sigma fp, but with a higher pixel count and a new electronic viewfinder, the EVF-11, which is also being sold separately for Sigma fp users. For videographers, the fp L is capable of shooting three different RAW formats, has better autofocus, and features a compatible director's viewfinder feature.
Credit: Sigma
Sensor/Body
The 61MP sensor has the same 3:2 aspect ratio and RGB color filter as the fp. It also has a low-pass filter to reduce moiré. With the larger megapixel count, resolution and clarity shouldn't be affected much because of the low-pass filter, but the file sizes are going to be larger. Expect about 60 minutes of continuous internal recording for video (70 minutes on the fp) and about 240 still images (280 on the fp).
The fp L body is identical to the fp with the only difference being that it adds 5 grams in weight. All the external buttons, dials, and switches, including the handy STILL/CINE switch, are all in the same spots. This will allow you to use the same accessories and rigs you've been using on the fp like the LCD viewfinder (LVF-11) that attaches to the back of the camera.
Hybrid Autofocus
The fp L features a new hybrid focus that combines a contrast detection autofocus and phase detection autofocus. The hybrid AF is going to provide better AF performance in video or still mode than the fp, which relied on contrast detection only.
Crop Zoom Feature
With the 61MP sensor, the fp L has a new crop zoom feature that works in CINE and STILL modes. This allows you to record full HD up to 5x zoom without losing any image quality. To activate the feature, all you need to do is pinch to zoom on the LCD touchscreen.
It's worth noting when shooting video at 100p or 120p, the maximum zoom is reduced to 1.67x.
Credit: Sigma
The fp L carries over similar video specs as the fp. You can record internally to an SD, externally to an SSD via USB-C, or through an HDMI port to an external recorder. The Sigma fp L supports CinemaDNG, ProRes RAW, and Blackmagic RAW.
The fp L records internally to SD cards supporting up to CinemaDNG 8-bit in 4K UHD and 8-bit, 10-bit, and 12-bit at Full-HD. It also offers MOV H.264 recording in either ALL-I or GOP at 8-bit 4:2:2.
CinemaDNG internal recording to SD:
- 4K UHD 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97fps 8-bit RAW
- FHD, 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94, 12-bit, 10-bit, 8-bit RAW
- FHD, 100, 120fps 8-bit RAW
MOV H.264 internal recording formats to SD:
- ALL-I/GOP 4K UHD, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps 8-bit 4:2:2
- ALL-I/GOP FHD, 120fps, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps 8-bit 4:2:2
CinemaDNG external recording formats to SSD:
- 4K UHD, 23.98fps 12-bit RAW
- 4K UHD, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps 10-bit RAW
- 4K UHD, 29.97fps 8-bit RAW
Unlimited Power Supply/Webcam
The fp L supports USB charging while the camera is on. You can shoot without interruption while charging the camera using a mobile battery. When using it as a webcam, just connect the fp L to a PC via USB, and it works as an audio and video input device while getting its power supply from the PC.
There's no additional software needed, which is great.
Still Mode
While the fp and fp L lean more toward video shooters, they both take exceptional photos. The fp L offers 15 different color modes to choose from, as well as RAW and JPEG formats. Shooting RAW, images can be captured up to 9.5K (9,520 x 6,328) and JPEG supports up to 9.5K, but at a slightly lower height (9,520 x 4,080), which is a 21:9 aspect ratio. 16:9 JPEG is also supported at 9.5K (9,520 x 5,352). So you're going to get some big images to play with using the fp L.
Powder Blue & Duotone
The fp L has two new color mode options: Powder Blue and Duotone. Powder Blue is a color mode "with a bright and clear feel, featuring a refreshing blue color" and Duotone turns the colors of an image into a striking two-color gradient. These two modes will be available on the fp in a future update.
Credit: Sigma
Sigma has come out with an EVF designed to attach to the side of the fp L or fp camera. It's 0.5 inches in width and has an approximate 3.68 M dots OLED panel. The EVF has a magnification of 0.83x and can be tilted upwards to 90° for low-angle shooting.
The eye point set is approximately 21 mm and has a wide diopter adjustment range of −4.0 to +3.0 dpt. It comes with two eyecups of different sizes to suit your preference.
On the side of the EVF-11 is a 3.5mm mini-jack to monitor audio. It is designed to not block the external microphone input. How to best manage the cables of the mic might be another obstacle. There is also a dedicated USB-C connector to allow you to record to an external SSD.
Sigma fp L
- 61 megapixels. The highest resolution presented by SIGMA
- Higher resolution. Greater freedom
- Hybrid Autofocus
Price & Availability
The Sigma fp L has a price tag of $2,499 for the body only. Paired with the EVF-11 electronic viewfinder, it's $2,999. The EVF-11 is also available separately for Sigma fp users for $699. Both are expected to be available in mid-April 2021.
So what do you think of the Sigma fp L? Is it worth the upgrade? Let us know your thoughts.
