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THE WORLD’S BEST-SEL L ING DIGITAL PHOTO MAGA ZINE ISSUE 457 24-30 JUNE

INSPIRATION IDEAS IN-DEPTH REVIEWS

SIGMA FP L

SOLAR POWER WE REVIEW SIGMA’S UPGRADED MODULAR COMPACT

HOW TO CAPTURE STUNNING SUNLIT SUMMER IMAGES

W E L C O M E

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Welcome to the world’s No.1 weekly digital photography magazine.

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essential shooting and editing techniques, and in-depth reviews of the latest camera kit.

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C O N T E N T S FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEWS

MITAKON F/0.95 LENS IS FASTEST YET FOR L-MOUNT

5omm optic arrives for Leica, Panasonic and Sigma shooters FEATURE segami ytteG aiv tnemoM/nilssoG liryC ©

FEATURE PHOTOS

I N S P I R AT I O N

SOLAR POWER

Harness fabulous summer light to capture stunning images PHOTOS

GURUSHOTS

Images from the GuruShots Your Magazine Shot challenge I N S P I R AT I O N

MEET THE NEW ‘BIG 5’

Wildlife lovers choose their top beasts for conservation project CRASH COURSE

EVERYDAY ABSTRACTS

Turn ordinary household objects into striking minimalist subjects PHOTOSHOP

CRASH COURSE

HAVE A GOOD HAIR DAY

Use smart tools to quickly select subjects with complex outlines PHOTOSHOP

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SIGMA FP L

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Sigma upgrades the original fp with more megapixels and a new hybrid AF system – find out how it performs in our in-depth review

SEE THE SUBSCRIPTION PAGE FOR MORE INFO

N E W S

W H AT ’ S H O T THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY F/0.95 MITAKON SPEEDMASTER IS FASTEST L-MOUNT LENS YET New 50mm optic is an affordable option for Panasonic, Leica and Sigma bodies

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ens maker Zhong Yi Optics has released the super-fast, super-affordable Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III natively for L-mount cameras.

L-mount users wanting to shoot with an f/0.95 lens have previously had to adapt oversized lenses from other systems, but now the Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III is available to users of full-frame Panasonic, Leica and Sigma bodies – so whether you want to shoot high-resolution stills on the Panasonic S1R, hybrid street imagery on the Leica SL2-S or fantastic footage on the Sigma fp L, you now have one of the fastest

lenses on the market at your disposal.

The lens is already available in Canon RF, Sony E and Nikon Z mirrorless mounts, along with a DSLR version for Canon EF bodies, but the Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III is officially the first nifty fifty with an f/0.95 aperture to be released for the L-mount.

A fully manually operated lens, it features manual focus (with a long, almost 360-degree focus throw that’s ideal for videography), a manual aperture ring (which is declicked, again making it more suitable for video shooting), and has no electrical contacts, meaning EXIF data won’t be transmitted.

While the information released by Zhong Yi states that the lens has 11 elements in eight groups, it appears that it actually has 10 in seven (including an extra-low dispersion element to control colour fringing and chromatic aberrations), and a 9-blade aperture.

As with other mount versions, it’s a substantial lens that weighs in at 675g and measures 88 x 75mm, with a 67mm filter thread.

The Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III is available now for $799 (approximately £565) directly from the Zhong Yi website, and will also be sold via its Amazon US web store.

F E A T U R E CONTRASTING LIGHT The summer months are incredibly rewarding for shooting golden landscapes and dramatic light

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10 WAYS TO USE SUMMER LIGHT

Make the most of the brilliant summer sun, and step into the great outdoors to add a whole raft of cleverly-lit images to your portfolio

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ummer is an incredible time of year to get outside and add to your photography portfolio. The days are longer, so there’s plenty of time to make use of any glorious summer sunshine, but there are opportunities after sunset and on overcast days, too.

Summer provides an incredibly versatile range of lighting conditions, as the colour and strength of the light changes throughout the day, and by using inexpensive accessories such as diffusers and reflectors you can

manipulate the light further for creative results. In this feature you’ll learn ten ways to make the most of shooting in the summer, from heading out at dusk or dawn for beautiful golden lighting, to pointing your camera towards the sun to fill your images with artistic flare.

As we write this, Covid-19 restrictions are starting to ease, but even if you are faced with restrictions in your area you should still be able to explore with your camera by yourself as part of your daily exercise, or with photography friends

as long as you keep to social distancing guidelines. It’s even possible to arrange portrait shoots with models, providing you follow the current Covid guidelines and maintain a safe distance.

Over the next few pages we’ll be delving into the best ways to shoot and edit spectacular summer images, showing you how to overcome some of the key challenges you’ll face when the sun and contrast are high, and giving you some inspiration to help you shoot your best summer scenes yet!

F E A T U R E

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01 SHOOT IN THE GOLDEN HOUR

unrise and sunset offer the most popular light for landscape pros, characterised by long shadows and rich colours.

The warm hues of the golden hours are due to a physical phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. Nearer the horizon, sunlight has to travel a longer distance through the atmosphere, and shorter wavelengths of light that are cooler get filtered out by gas molecules, leaving a higher proportion of red light. At these times of day, one easy exposure method is to use aperture priority, increasing the ISO as the sun goes down or decreasing it as it rises. Switch to spot metering, and position the meter point to expose for your main subject.

PLAN SHOOT TIMINGS WITH APPS

Use an app such as PhotoPills to plan out your landscape shoots in advance. PhotoPills, for example, shows you the different phases of the sun on any given date, so you can get to know when the light will be transitioning between daytime, the golden hour, civil twilight, blue hour, nautical twilight and astronomical twilight, and so on. Factor in how long it will take to travel to your destination and find the best spot; this way you can plan to arrive and set up well ahead of the time when the sun begins transitioning.

GOLDEN ‘HOUR’ VARIES IN LENGTH The length of the golden ‘hour’

will vary depending on your distance from the Earth’s equator.

Closer to the equator, the golden hour can last less than an hour, whereas further away it lasts much longer.

02 CAPTURE THE BLUE HOUR T

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he ‘blue’ hour, also often called the ‘magic’ hour, occurs roughly an hour before sunrise and after sunset. At this time you’ll benefit from softer, cooler light as the sun is just below the horizon. At dawn and dusk you’ll be rewarded with soft blue and pink tones that give your images a completely different look and feel to those taken at sunrise of sunset. In urban scenes, include building and street lights to add contrast and drama to your shots.

Images taken in the blue hour may come out looking a little too cool, so when processing your images, boost the colours, adjust the white balance, and fine-tune the overall exposure so they’re not too dark.

F E A T U R E

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03 BACKLIGHT YOUR SUBJECT

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acklighting involves shooting towards the sun, although you can also replicate the effect with a single flashgun positioned behind your subject. Backlighting can be used to transform a model or wild animal subject into a striking silhouette, or to generate a striking rim light around their profile. If you’re shooting with off-camera flash, the effect can be captured during daylight, with the sun as a secondary light source. You’ll generally get better results by shooting in the golden hour, when the sun is still low enough in the sky EXPERIMENT to effectively WITH LIGHTING backlight Pivot around your subject subjects. to see how the directional light changes its appearance.

There’s no right or wrong approach – just find the right direction to match your artistic intention.

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UNDEREXPOSE FOR HIGHLIGHTS

Underexpose your pictures by a stop or two so that you don’t blow out highlight detail – this is easily done when you’re shooting towards the sun as a key part of your composition. Check your image histogram on your camera’s rear LCD to make sure that you’re not clipping tones, and leaving them too dark, either.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S EPHEMERIS APP

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a useful tool for working out where you’ll need to be in order to backlight your subject at a specific location. It’s available as a paid-for app on Android and iOS. It allows you to drop a pin on your map to find out the exact angle of the sun at any given time on a specific date.

USE SPOT METERING

When the light source is behind your subject, you’ll often get a fine ‘halo’ of light around the subject too – what we refer to as rim lighting. To turn your subject into a silhouette in a backlit scene, and keep the rim lighting correctly exposed, switch to spot metering and place the spot on the subject.

WHEN TO INTRODUCE FLASH LIGHTING Backlighting your subject can turn it into a stark silhouette. When you want to see a little more of the subject illuminated, inject light from the front using a flashgun positioned on or off the camera. It’s a good idea to start with the lowest flash power available and then work your way up, boosting the power until you’ve eliminated as much shadow as necessary. Generally, the best results come from using a TTL flash metering mode, which measures a short burst of flash light reflecting back from the subject and takes its reading through the lens (TTL).

F E A T U R E

04 TRY SIDE AND FRONT LIGHTING

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hen the sun is directly behind you and directly illuminating your subject, shadows are headed away from the lens, too. Frontlighting is usually more appropriate for wildlife than people, as bright daylight causes subjects to squint. When your subject is lit from the front by the sun, be careful where you stand to avoid projecting your

own shadow into the frame – this can often be avoided by taking a step to one side or shooting slightly from the side, but for situations where you have little control over where the subject is, like flighty wildlife, you’re better off trying to crouch down to avoid your shadow appearing, or waiting for the animal to move into a better position. dloM naD ©

F E A T U R E

05 SOFTEN WITH A SCRIM TRY DIFFERENT DISTANCES Move the scrim closer and

further away from your subject, and use Live View and Exposure Simulation to see a more accurate indication of the final exposure.

Check that you aren’t clipping any of the subject’s highlight detail.

DIFFUSED NORMAL

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scrim, also called a diffuser, is a white piece of semi-transparent material, such as cloth, that can be used to soften the harsh directional light from the sun. This is suitable for a wide range of photographic disciplines including portraiture, still life and food photography, where harsh lighting can look unflattering. Taking close-up shots of flowers in your garden is a great way to practise using a scrim and seeing how drastic the effect can be. Some 5-in-1 reflectors have a scrim built in when you take off the reflective outer covering, which is ideal for tight portraits and small still life setups and flowers.

F E A T U R E

06 FILL IN SHADOWS

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end natural sunlight to your will and sculpt it into shape with an inexpensive 5-in-1 reflector. Although inexpensive, a reflector will make a big difference to your lighting. Whether you’re using the available natural light or flash, you can position a reflector carefully to fill in shadows and make the lighting look more even. Here we’re using a 5-in-1 reflector which has gold, silver, white and black sides, as well as a diffusing ‘scrim’ layer when no skins are attached to the reflector frame.

NO REFLECTOR

WHITE SIDE

A white reflector reflects the ambient light back towards wherever you aim it. For tight head and shoulders portraits you can even ask your model to hold it in a position that fills in their shadow if they’re standing with their back to the sun.

SILVER SIDE

The silver side of a reflector provides a different quality of light, with skin tones looking cooler in comparison to the white side. We also found it a bit more reflective than the standard white side, so it kicked back more light and filled in more of the shadows.

GOLD SIDE

The gold side of the reflector adds a much warmer light, creating the impression that you’re shooting in the golden hour at sunrise or sunset when you usually get these warmer tones, but it can also be useful for adding a bit of colour to your shots.

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We had our model stand with her back to the sun so that she was backlit – this helped to ensure that she wasn’t squinting and had a natural expression. Without a reflector or any ‘fill’ light, her face is quite dark and in shadow so the lighting looks quite flat.

F E A T U R E

07 EXPAND YOUR DYNAMIC RANGE EXPOSURE -2 .

EXPOSURE 0 .

EXPOSURE +2.

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arsh summer sun can be problematic, as even the best cameras are only capable of capturing a certain dynamic range – the range on tones running from the lightest to the darkest areas in the scene. In high-contrast lighting you’ll usually expose for the darker shaded areas, which results in overexposing

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SET UP ON A TRIPOD

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the highlights and blown-out spots.

You can overcome this issue by shooting a high dynamic range (HDR) image, taking a series of shots of varying exposures to capture a fuller range of tones, from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights, and blending them in-camera or using software. HDR photography is often

BRACKET YOUR EXPOSURES

Set up a tripod. You’ll need Switch on your camera’s Auto the tripod to be rock-solid for all Bracketing. This allows you to of your exposures so that you set how many images to take, can merge them seamlessly and how many f/-stops are in software – you could hang between them. In most cases your camera bag over the tripod, you can take three images each adding extra weight and stability. two f/-stops apart: a standard Attach your camera and achieve exposure, plus images underthe composition you want. and overexposed by two stops.

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TAKE THE PICTURES

frowned upon, because when done badly it can produce an unsightly image with too much contrast.

However, a subtle approach that still makes use of the HDR technique can gently boost the dynamic range, reveal more detail and not overcrank the contrast. HDR combines in-camera and post-processing skills.

Before shooting, make sure the 2-sec self-timer is active so you don’t knock the camera when pressing the shutter button, to ensure pinsharp shots. Also make sure you’re shooting in raw so that you’re capturing as much tonal information as possible.

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MERGE YOUR RAW FILES

The process here depends on the software you’re using.

In Adobe Camera Raw, select all three raw exposures in your bracketed sequence by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+A. Right-click on one of the thumbnails and choose Merge to HDR. You’ll then end up with a new DNG raw file.

F E A T U R E

08 USE A LENS HOOD TO AVOID FLARE L

ens flare is caused when direct sunlight hits the front element of a lens at an angle. While flare can be used for creative effect, at times you might also need to eliminate it from your summer shots. The two main types of lens hoods for DSLR and mirrorless lenses help to cut down on light entering the lens from an awkward side angle, reducing flare and the resulting loss of clarity in your images.

Use cylindrical lens hoods, a long tube that’s the same depth all the way around the lens, on telephoto lenses where they’re too zoomed in for the lens hood to intrude in the frame.

For wide-angle lenses, a totally cylindrical hood would encroach in the corners of your images, so parts are removed, often resulting in a ‘petal’ shape. This allows you to cut out some of the light coming in from awkward angles, but also makes sure it doesn’t appear in the final images.

Whether you like lens flare or not in your shots is a personal preference, but bear in mind that lens hoods also offer protection against drops.

DELIBERATE LENS FLARE Purposely adding lens flare

to portraits can yield artistic results. Position your subject in front of the sun and shoot towards it. Switch to manual focus if you find the lens hunting, and experiment with the aperture value.

PETAL HOOD

CYLINDRICAL HOOD

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F E A T U R E

09 CAPTURE BIRDS IN FLIGHT CONSIDER THE WIND DIRECTION When birds are flying into the

wind, it’s likely that they’ll be moving more slowly and flapping their wings more rapidly. This allows you to capture some interesting action – even at relatively slow shutter speeds.

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aim to achieve a shutter speed of 1/2,000 sec or faster to eliminate any motion caused by your subject moving through the frame. Use your camera’s continuous autofocusing mode to continually refocus on the moving target, and take a brace of shots in succession to increase your chhances of getting a pin-sharp frame.

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n strong sunlight, your camera can achieve rapid shutter speeds, and using raw natural light is brilliant for wildlife and sports genres. To freeze birds in flight, switch to aperture priority mode and open the aperture all the way up, ideally to around f/2.8 or f/4.

Set the ISO to around 400 or 800, and

AMOUNT OF LIGHT

1/2

1/4

1/8

1/15

1/30

SHUTTER SPEED

1/60

1/125

1/250

1/500

F E A T U R E

10 SHOOTING WHEN THE SUN SETS

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ummer nights are a surprisingly good time of the year to shoot stars, offering the clearest view of the Milky Way if you’re lucky enough to live near, or be able to visit, an area with minimal light pollution. You’ll only have a few hours of optimal darkness, but the payoff is that the Milky Way is in a much better position in the sky over summer. If you’re serious about getting sharp stars, use a fast, ultra-wide-angle lens, a tripod, and a tracker such as the LighTrack II Mount. A star tracker mount works by matching the rotation of the Earth, so that you can get away with longer exposure times and still get sharp Milky Way scenes.

THE STAR WALK 2 APP

It can be difficult to see where the Milky Way is in the sky with the naked eye, so we find it useful to use the Star Walk 2 app, which costs £2.99 for Android/iOS, though there’s also a free version which includes adverts. It’s brilliantly useful for working out where the Milky Way is in the sky, as well as constellations, deep sky nebula and satellites. It also keeps you up to date with astronomical events, such as when meteor showers are happening, so it can be a really useful tool for helping you get the best night-sky shots.

DIM THE LIGHTS

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When you’re shooting at night a glaringly bright LCD screen can ruin your night vision, so turn down the screen brightness.

This will make it possible to check your shots and compose without losing your night vision, which can take a long time to regain. It’s also worth investing in an inexpensive head torch with a red filter setting, as this will allow you to see where you’re going in the dark and what buttons you’re pressing on the camera without ruining your night vision. Cameras with illuminated buttons can be a godsend if astrophotography is your main interest.

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S U B S C R I B E

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SPONSORED CONTENT

WINNING AND COMMENDED IMAGES FROM THE GURUSHOTS ‘YOUR MAGAZINE SHOT’ CHALLENGE GuruShots is ‘The world’s greatest photography game’, showcasing the winning images from a series of photo challenges.

These are the winning and commended images from the Your Magazine Shot challenge. Find out more at www.gurushots.com

JON THORDARSON, ICELAND https://bit.ly/3gbuSvX

SPONSORED CONTENT GURUSHOTS ‘YOUR MAGAZINE SHOT’ CHALLENGE

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SPONSORED CONTENT GURUSHOTS ‘YOUR MAGAZINE SHOT’ CHALLENGE

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IVAN HEIDRICK RABBIT, MOZAMBIQUE Honourable mention https://bit.ly/3gbuSvX

SPONSORED CONTENT GURUSHOTS ‘YOUR MAGAZINE SHOT’ CHALLENGE AJIT DEOKAR, UNITED STATES Honourable mention https://bit.ly/3gbuSvX

ETIENNE RUFF, FRANCE Honourable mention https://bit.ly/3gbuSvX

SPONSORED CONTENT GURUSHOTS ‘YOUR MAGAZINE SHOT’ CHALLENGE

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GUY WILSON, ISRAEL https://bit.ly/3gbuSvX

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GuruShots is a platform for people who love taking photos. GuruShots believes that taking photos is an amazing way to express one’s self, and wanting it to be fun and meaningful they turned the sharing of photos into an exciting game packed with opportunities for photographers to show off their talent. Find out more at www.gurushots.com

I N S P I R A T I O N

ITHET BEST ’ S THING C OWE’VE O LSEEN , TTHISH WEEK AT tcejorP 5 giB weN ysetruoc dna rehpargotohp ehT © segamI

Clockwise from top-left: African elephants by Priyanshi Bachhawat; polar bear in Churchhill, Canada by Dave Sandford; tiger cub by Suzi Eszterhas; baby gorilla by Vladimir Cech Jr. Centre: Lion, by Graeme Green

SHOOT TO THRILL, NOT KILL: MEET WILDLIFE’S NEW BIG 5 Animal lovers pick their new favourites as part of conservation project

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ore than 50,000 votes have been cast by wildlife lovers to pick a new ‘Big 5’ of their favourite animals to photograph and enjoy in photos: the elephant, polar bear, gorilla, tiger and lion.

The New Big 5 project was created by British photographer Graeme Green to raise awareness about the many threats to the world’s wildlife, including habitat loss, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

The original ‘Big 5’ was a term used by

trophy hunters in Africa for the five most prized and dangerous animals to shoot and kill: elephant, leopard, lion, rhino and Cape buffalo. The New Big 5 project turns that definition on its head to create a New Big 5 of wildlife photography.

More than 250 of the world’s leading wildlife photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities have joined together to support the international initiative – click the link to learn more at the New Big 5 website.

SEE MORE IMAGES https://bit.ly/3vuMNC3

S K I L L S

CESSENTIAL R A SPHOTO H CSKILLS O UMADER SEASYE

FORK HANDLES

What on earth is that? Adam Waring shows you how to shoot super-close, super-shallow depth of field abstract images of everyday objects

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Macro lenses are famed for being able to capture HOUR dazzling detail in closeup images, seemingly magnifying insects to the size of elephants or showing the intricate beauty of flowers at incredible magnification, and are usually used at narrow apertures to maximise the notoriously slim depth of field you get when shooting so close. Indeed, tricks like focus-stacking are often used to extend the area of focus to

make your subjects recognisable.

In this project, however, we’re going to do the opposite, and shoot an everyday object up close and with a deliberately shallow depth of field to create an abstract image that leaves the viewer wondering exactly what it is they’re looking at. We’re using a regular fork as our subject – by shooting down its length at a wide aperture we can make the tips of its prongs super-sharp while the handle is blown out of all recognition into an indistinguishable

blur. All kinds of other household items can be photographed in this way, but the longer the item is the more pronounced the effect will be.

A tripod is essential for this project, not only to counter camera shake, but also because the teeniest movement of the camera will throw your image out of focus. Using a tripod also frees up your hands to nudge your subject into the right position, and to experiment with using an additional light source or reflector to fill in shadows.

S K I L L S STEP BY STEP CAPTURE A SUPER-SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD 1 TO INFINITY… A plain, uncluttered background is best for

this project, and it needs to be gently curved to form a cornerless transition from the background to the surface that your subject rests on (an infinity curve); we used a studio table, but a bent sheet of card will work just as well. We used a blob of putty to elevate the fork handle so that we were shooting down its entire length.

2 ENGAGE MANUAL FOCUS Pop your camera on a tripod and set manual

focus mode via the switch on the lens barrel.

It’s best to switch Vibration Reduction/IS off too. Move your camera as close to the subject as possible, while still enabling the lens to achieve focus, to minimise your DoF, and pshoot in Live View.

3 CAMERA SETTINGS We shot in Aperture Priority mode, setting

our camera’s base ISO64 for optimum image quality, and opened up our aperture as wide as it would go to achieve the shallow depth of field – although our f/2.8 macro lens had stopped down to f/4.8 wide open – see Quick Tip for why this happens.

QUICK TIP

A macro lens’s elements move in such a way that less light reaches the sensor when focusing close, making exposures darker; this is known as the bellows effect, and it reduces light by up to two stops at 1:1 magnification.

Some cameras, including our Nikon, display this effective rather than the true aperture, hence our 105mm f/2.8 macro displaying f/4.8 when shooting wide open.

S K I L L S STEP BY STEP CAPTURE A SUPER-SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD 4 TIME TO FOCUS Twist the focus ring until the very front of

the subject springs into sharp focus, then zoom in to a 10x view to fine-tune the focus. In the case of our fork, we gently adjusted its position so that all four prongs were flat-on to the camera to ensure all were pin-sharp.

5 NO JOGGING When shooting at slow shutter speeds and at

close distances where your depth of field is a fraction of a millimetre, it’s imperative that you don’t jog the camera when firing the shutter.

Use a remote shutter release or, alternatively, set the 2-sec self-timer to enable the camera to settle before the shutter is fired.

6 SHED SOME LIGHT As we were shooting using natural window

light, the underside of our subject was rather dark, so we used an LED panel to throw some additional light on it. Alternatively, you could use a reflector to fill in these shadows – a piece of white card will do it. Moving the light panel (or reflector) just a fraction can have a dramatic effect on how your subject is lit.

E D I T I N G

PHOTOSHOP

LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!

WATCH THE VIDEO

HOW TO...

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CUT OUT HAIR LIKE A PRO

James Paterson shows you how to make quick, precise edits in Photoshop CC to isolate tricky subjects and replace a backdrop

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hile Lightroom, Camera Raw and other raw editors have seen huge improvements over the past few years, they still can’t compete with Photoshop in terms of selection tools. Photoshop blows away the competition with an array of hugely powerful tools and options that make it easy to cut out complicated subjects, like our model here. Imagine trying to remove her original background by

hand – it would take hours to get rid of all the bits of background showing through her curly hair, but, as you’ll discover in this video tutorial, it takes just minutes using Photoshop’s advanced selection tools.

We’ll begin by employing a bit of machine learning. Photoshop’s Select Subject command uses artificial intelligence to analyse image content and ascertain what your subject is, then

DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT FILES

https://bit.ly/3iPdgYz ON A PC OR MAC

attempts to select it. It won’t always be perfect, but it gives you a starting point from which to refine the selection. This brings us to the second stage, where you can eradicate all of those pesky gaps between the hairs using the helpful Select And Mask command.

Once your cutout is perfect, you can drop in a new background – we’re adding a fairly conventional backdrop, but the possibilities are endless.

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MIRRORLESS TEST

EXPERT OPINION ON THE LATEST KIT

SIGMA FP L

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

T

he 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.

MIRRORLESS TEST SIGMA FP L 1 The Sigma fp L is minimal in the extreme.

It’s certainly small, but that means there’s also no grip.

03

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.

02

01

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

5 The back of the fp L looks simple, but Sigma has sneaked in a row of buttons below the screen.

6 There’s a big control dial on the top, and this second control dial on the back.

7 The fp L works as either a stills-oriented camera or a cinema-oriented camera via this simple switch. Even the screen interface style can change in an instant.

8 This narrow slatted grille behind the LCD display is part of the Sigma fp L’s cooling system, helping excess heat escape.

Key features Its 61MP sensor makes the fp L the joint highest-resolution full-frame camera you can buy, alongside the Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sigma has decided to buck the trend and include a low-pass filter. In theory, this may lead to a slight softening of fine detail, but it should prevent any moiré interference effects.

The 61MP resolution has no direct impact on the video specifications.

Both the fp and the fp L capture fullwidth 4K video at up to 30p, although the extra resolution of the fp L ushers in a new concept: a Digital Crop Zoom feature. Essentially, you can zoom digitally without losing resolution, because you’re already starting with a surplus of megapixels. If you shoot 4K, you can get a zoom ratio of up to 2.5x, and in Full HD it can go to 5x.

There’s no in-body stabilisation, and many L-Mount lenses don’t have optical stabilisers – but the fp L does

06 04

05

07 have electronic image stabilisation, which brings a 1.24x crop factor.

The contrast-based autofocus in the original Sigma fp proved pretty plodding, so the new hybrid phasedetect capability in the fp L is very welcome, and comes with automatic face and eye detection and subject tracking modes.

There’s a new EVF-11 electronic

08 viewfinder to use with this camera – you can either buy this separately, or save money by buying it with the camera as a kit. The EVF-11 has a 2.68m-dot 0.5-inch screen, and tilts upwards by up to 90 degrees. You’ll be able to use the EVF-11 with the older Sigma fp, too, but only via a firmware update which is yet to come.

Sigma is keen that the fp L is seen

MIRRORLESS TEST SIGMA FP L

The fp L does have a 10fps burst mode, but it has an electronic shutter only, so it’s not cut out for fast-moving subjects. This tame squirrel stayed still for long enough to get a sharp shot, but any fast movement can cause blur

The video autofocus system is pretty poor, but the fp L’s phase-detect AF delivers snappy AF for stills, with easy focus point selection, too

equally as a stills and a cine camera.

The video capture may top out at 4K 30p, but the fp L can capture 8-bit CinemaDNG format internally, and up to 12-bit CinemaDNG to an external SSD connected by USB. You can also hook up a Ninja V for ProRes Raw or a Blackmagic Video Assist 12G for Blackmagic Raw capture.

Build and handling Sigma has done a remarkable job of designing the smallest full-frame digital camera ever, but that’s not quite the end of the story. It’s also created a camera with no built-in viewfinder, no in-body stabilisation, no grip and a fixed rear screen.

The fp L is tiny, but Sigma’s L-Mount lenses are not. We tried the fp L with the Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary prime lens, which is as big as we would probably like to go with this camera handheld. If you want to use the fp L as a regular handheld

camera, smaller Sigma Contemporary primes like the 45mm f/2.8 DG DN C seem to fit it best.

There are ways around this issue.

Sigma is selling two optional grips for the fp L to make it a bit more manageable with bigger lenses: the Hand Grip HG-11, which screws to the side, and the Large Hand Grip HG-21, which fixes to the base.

The fp L has three standard screwthread attachment points – one in the base, which is a regular tripod socket, and one in either side of the body for attaching accessories. You can use these for detachable camera strap eyelets, but the one on the left side is also used for attaching the EVF-11 electronic viewfinder.

Fixing this to the camera is a little like fixing a battery grip to the base of a camera – but here you have to remove the HDMI port cover, fold back the USB port cover and line up two connectors and the attachment

MIRRORLESS TEST SIGMA FP L

The fp L’s metering system is good at preserving highlights, and its wide dynamic range is obvious even in its JPEGs, which have a rich, film-like quality.

screw. It’s not difficult once you’ve got the knack, but it’s not something you’d want to do too many times during a shoot.

You might have to, though. One issue is that although the EVF has a pass-through USB port, it’s not clear that this supports charging. One reason it’s not clear is that the EVF unit covers up the charging lamp at the side of the camera, so we’d be inclined to think not. Having to detach the EVF to charge or power the camera could be a real nuisance.

The fp L’s user interface is a masterpiece of simplicity and clarity.

It’s a bit to easy to confuse the power switch with the Cine/Still switch initially, but the quick and simple separation of these two functions is brilliant. The Cine mode even has a choice of interfaces: ‘still-style’ menu options for crossover content creators still learning the ropes, and a cine display for pro film-makers.

MIRRORLESS TEST SIGMA FP L flash sync speed of 1/15 sec (1/10 sec for 14-bit raw files) is a clue that this sensor’s readout speed is not that fast. So while it does offer fast shutter speeds, its overall ‘scan time’ is a lot longer, increasing the risk of distortion with fast-moving subjects.

Its internal CinemaDNG capture and the option to output 12-bit CinemaDNG to an SSD or ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW to a You can use the fp L with the rear screen alone, HDMI recorder means but it’s handy to have the clip-on EVF – if only it compatible that the video quality you get from clipped on a bit more easily! this camera can be as good as you want to make it.

The fixed rear screen puts the But we have to talk about Sigma fp L at something of a autofocus. For stills photography, disadvantage compared to nearly all the phase-detect AF works just its rivals, but the design does include fine, but in our tests, the fp L’s a passive heat-dissipation system continuous video AF proved slow sandwiched between the screen and and unreliable. One problem is the camera body. that in Cine mode you have no AF indicators to give you any Performance confidence that the camera is Getting still image files this big focusing in the right place – all you from a camera that is so physically have is focus peaking, if you enable small is quite something, and those it. Technically the camera offers images are sharp, clear and detailed. face/eye EF and automatic multiThanks to the new hybrid phase-AF zone AF point selection; in use, technology, the autofocus feels as it was hard to see any evidence snappy, positive and reliable as the these were working properly. systems in rival cameras, and the What we found most effective face/eye detection and subject was to use a single AF point, then tracking work well. get into the rhythm of the camera’s The shutter is electronic, refocusing speed and not rush it – however – there’s no mechanical though it’s not ideal to have to adapt shutter – and the slow maximum your filming technique to the camera.

Rod Lawton

SENSOR: 61MP FULL-FRAME BACKILLUMINATED BAYER CMOS LENS TYPE: L-MOUNT IMAGE PROCESSOR: NOT QUOTED AF POINTS: 49 SELECTABLE AF POINTS ISO RANGE: 100-25,600 (EXP 6-102,400) MAX IMAGE SIZE: 9,520 X 6,328PX VIDEO: 4K UHD UP TO 30P VIEWFINDER: OPTIONAL EVF-11, 0.5IN, 3.68M DOTS MEMORY CARD: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) LCD: 3.15IN FIXED TOUCHSCREEN, 2.1M DOTS SHUTTER SPEEDS: 30-1/8,000 SEC, BULB UP TO 300 SEC MAX BURST: 10FPS FOR 12 FRAMES CONNECTIVITY: WI-FI/BLUETOOTH NOT SUPPORTED SIZE: 113 X 70 X 45MM WEIGHT: 427G BODY ONLY, INCLUDING BATTERY AND MEMORY CARD

VERDICT

The Sigma fp L’s tiny body brings some handling issues, and places a lot of reliance on external accessories – not least its optional clip-on EVF; and while the new phase-detect AF system is great for stills, the video AF remains slow and unreliable.

But what this camera can do, with both stills and video, is remarkable at this price.

LAB TESTS RESOLUTION (LINE WIDTHS/PICTURE HEIGHT) 50 40 30 20 10 0 100

200

400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600 Sigma fp L Leica SL2 Nikon Z 7II Sony Alpha 7R IV

We tested the Sigma fp L against the Sony A7R IV, the Leica SL2 and the Nikon Z 7II. Although the Sigma fp L matches the Sony A7R IV in terms of sensor megapixels, the latter manages to resolve slightly more fine detail than the Sigma.

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (DECIBELS) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 100

200

400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600 Sigma fp L Leica SL2 Nikon Z 7II Sony Alpha 7R IV

All four comparison cameras are closely matched.

The fp L is marginally noisier at lower sensitivities, but noise is very hard to see at low ISOs.

DYNAMIC RANGE (EV) 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 100

200

400 800 Sigma fp L

1600 3200 6400 12800 25600 Leica SL2 Nikon Z 7II

The fp L captures class-leading dynamic range throughout its sensitivity range, and it’s particularly good when shooting at higher ISOs.

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