Everything you need to know before buying a Sigma FP-L in 2024

2024-12-09

The Sigma FP-L is not only the most unique compact camera on the market, it is the best bang for buck powerhouse you can buy as a hybrid shooter.

This camera is like a vintage car – it requires some extra knowledge to maintain and operate. But the result of hard work is a unique vehicle that stands out from normal traffic. I spent months researching the Sigma FP-L before I bought it, and want to pass on everything I learned. This video/article is a quick introduction to the camera if you are new, and a collection of everything you need to know before buying a Sigma FP-L in 2024 – including lens recommendations and SSD mounting options.

Introduction to the Sigma FP-L

Released in April of 2021: The Sigma FP-L has a 61MP Full Frame Sensor, External RAW video, and is absolutely tiny. I’ve seen a lot of people compare the all metal construction to the FX3 – and most importantly – it is WILDLY inexpensive right now on the used market.

A couple upfront notes if you are starting to research this camera:

1. You need an SSD to shoot external RAW with this camera and access its full potential. However the price of entry is relatively cheap compared to other RAW workflows on similarly priced cameras like the Lumix S5IIX.

2. This camera does not come with a viewfinder, but has one you can buy separately. I bought mine used for $300 on ebay.

3. Photo autofocus is good, but Video Autofocus is unusable. I am accustomed to shooting with Leica’s M-Mount, and manually focusing makes this camera very enjoyable to me personally.

4. This camera does come with a mini HDMI clamp / cold shoe attachment. This attachment has surprised me and has slowly become my favorite way to run the camera.

Most people call the Sigma FP a video-first shooter – which I agree with. Tools like shutter angle and false color makes video shooting excellent on both the original Sigma FP and the newer and slightly more expensive FP-L. However the 61MP, full frame sensor, and discrete size of the FP-L cements this as a photo powerhouse that punches way above its price point, with the next closest comparison of a 61MP camera being the Sony A7CR at around $3,000 USD.

Where to buy a Sigma FP-L?

But before we get into some of the technical items, where can you buy one of these cameras?

You can buy these new off of Sigma’s website or Amazon for peace of mind, or you can buy this used for less money. Map Camera on Ebay and similar resources from Japan are going to be able to get you into an FP-L for really cheap.

I bought mine for ~$1300, and with the release of the Lumix S9 I bet these are going to get even cheaper. Just make sure you read the descriptions completely before buying off ebay. Forums are also an option, and can be a good way to get an FP-L for a low price.

Links:

1. Sigma’s Website: https://www.sigmaphoto.com/price_spider/index/index/id/31183/

2. Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/40CXk1s

3. Ebay Seller Map Camera: https://www.ebay.com/str/mapcamera

4. Forums:

   1. Reddit:

      1. https://www.reddit.com/r/sigmafp/

   2. Facebook:

      1. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2785309368168106/

      2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/657867988066963/

      3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1124721801045663

What are the pros and cons of buying a used Sigma FP-L?

The following is a list of the most important Pros and cons of buying a used FP-L versus a new one. The only con I want to expand upon is the ports: Sigma FP-L users are more likely to be photographers who use SD cards only. This means that used Sigma FP-Ls will likely have better ports than normal Sigma FPs.

Why the FP-L over the FP?

And while we are listing off pros and cons – Why choose an FP-L over the FP?

61 MP Stills

“Is 61MP worth it to me?” is a very important question to ask when considering a Sigma FP-L. 24MP on the normal FP is totally serviceable, but I can’t go back to lower sizes without feeling like there is something missing. The futureproofing, cropping capabilities, and beauty of 61MP is attractive to image quality enjoyers. 

That being said, it is important to note that 61MP adds time to workflows. I routinely have to export additional versions in smaller sizes to be able to use these online or send them in casual applications. My computer is 6 years old at this point and handles the files just fine, but if computer processing and speed is a primary concern – you might want to look at the FP instead of the FP-L.

Clear Image Zoom

Optical Low Pass Filter

New Dials and Buttons

Age, Wear and Tear

How does the Sigma FP-L perform in lowlight?

Everyone seems to be worried about this on the forums. This camera is right in line with any sony camera’s photo performance in low light, and the video lowlight is similar to my old A7III. 

The Sigma FP-L has two stops – ISO 100 and 1250 – where its image is the cleanest. (Dual native ISO.) You can’t see in the dark like an FX3, but for real life application 1250 with a fast aperture lens is sufficient. For photo I know that if I am not in control of the environment I can push to 3200 to gain enough shutter speed wiggle room to produce a sharp and in focus image. In my experience, having a sharp image is more important than whether or not there is grain. Anything past 3200 starts to get unusable.

The real monster in the dark:

Now – while the lowlight is great, the biggest problem with shooting in the evening is the banding that comes from having an electronic shutter. The Sigma FP and FP-L both don’t have a shutter, which can lead to these lines appearing in photos when shooting around certain artificial lights.

I hate this problem because it sometimes feels like I can’t compensate for this problem with skill. If it is dark out or I am indoors around bad lights – I have 1 rule for myself: Park the camera on 1/50th of a second, and check the playback often to see if I need to try like 1/40th or 1/60th. However sometimes I just can't avoid getting that flicker, and hitting sharp images at 1/50 is very difficult with human subjects or shaky hands.

Thankfully this is almost never an issue with video because you’re often already at a shutter speed that negates this problem. But photo…phew…it can be tough.

How is the rolling shutter?

Adding to the list of things you have to be aware of with the Sigma FP-L is the rolling shutter. This is a real issue with this camera – but it only occasionally affects real life use.

To me this is easy to compensate for: If I am doing a movement based photo I just send the models back for an extra round or two to make sure I have something usable. Using sticks for video or shooting with a gimbal helps negate this issue in most situations.

However with the FP-L it is inevitable that you WILL see some wildly distorted images if you are shooting on a longer lens or shooting fast moving subjects. Thankfully this camera is digital – so in fast paced situations I just click the shutter a couple more times than usual and end up with a usable image. Just be aware of it!

7 Must-Have Recommendations for Accessories & Storage

The following are 7 must-have accessories, hard drives, or pieces of software that drastically improve life with the Sigma FP-L.

TLDR: Carry a spare battery, mount a SSD using the 52 Weeks Arca-Swiss SSD Bracket, use 2TB Samsung EVOs 980s in Orico NVME housing, and most importantly: Buy SlimRAW. This is a ~$65 program that compresses your footage into much smaller sizes.

Accessories Conclusion and Rig Breakdown

And honestly – the customizability of this camera is what makes it so incredible and fun. Every Sigma FP owner has a different camera, and the community is SO fun because of it. It never tires me to see a new FP pop up on the feed because there is new ideas. I recommend checking out Soichi and Takuma if you want to see some examples of unique FPs.

Shoichi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGYfWtlqMk

Takuma: https://x.com/takuma3_

1. https://www.ebay.com/itm/325300900176

2. https://amzn.to/3BjkS0M

3. https://amzn.to/3CWTbLU

   1. https://amzn.to/3CWoTJb

4. https://www.ebay.com/itm/294401384993

5. https://myfunleader.com/products/contax-g45-f2-to-leica-m-conversion?variant=40931390849185

6. https://amzn.to/3BbxtTK

7. (Comes with camera)

8. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804551526693.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

9. https://www.52weeks.com/product-page/sigma-fp-arca-swiss-ssd-bottom-plate-1-0

Lenses for the Sigma FP-L

While we are on gear, lets tackle lenses real quick:

Poor video autofocus leads many Sigma FP-L users down the path of vintage lens adapting. Many Sigma FP users are cinematographers and enjoy pulling manual focus, but there are still a ton of people enjoying photography with autofocus lenses! This is especially useful if you also own another L Mount camera like the Lumix S5IIX.

What do I need to know about Davinci Resolve & RAW Video?

Important note: You must use Davinci Resolve to read the Sigma FP video RAW Cinema DNG files. 

The ingest workflow is much more intensive than most consumer cameras. However it is easy to learn by following this 10-min video by Dylan Coleman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j41JRy1tEkk

RAW video is wonderful, and is one of the main reasons to consider buying this camera. I still grade 10-bit footage with a subtle hand because even if 90% of the footage I shoot can handle the grade – the remaining 10% that artifacts is a real pain in the neck to fix. That is definitely a skill issue on my end when it comes to both exposure and grading. But I am just telling you the truth – RAW makes for peace of mind and flexibility. This is mostly important to me because the majority of clips with this camera are of my personal life where I have less time and control to achieve good exposures.

I expected to buy a blackmagic camera to get a Davinci code within a couple months of purchasing this camera, but I have been surprised to see that the free license has not significantly hindered my work yet. (My Sigma FP-L video was edited entirely in the free version, and it was NOT a light timeline.) You will know who you are if you need the full version – but for beginners to the RAW workflow the free version is more than serviceable.

Who is this camera for?

1. Still life and every-day-carry enthusiasts. Those who want the best possible camera to carry with them out the door every single day.

2. Professional cinematographers that want RAW Video in a tiny package.

3. Non-professionals that want to practice the RAW workflow without spending significant money. (BMPCC is the other best option for this.)

4. This is for people on a budget. It really is a true budget option when purchased from the used market.

5. This is for the people who obsess with low profile power: Achieving the highest quality footage with the least intimidating form factor in order to capture authentic moments. 

(That’s me. The size of your camera affects how those around you act on the street. Family and Friends don’t react the same to this camera as they do to bigger camera packages. That is the power of the Leica cameras to me and why so many famous documentary shooters still prefer those packages. Small, unassuming, with the BEST possible image quality. This Sigma FP-L 100% accomplishes that for me.)

Who is this camera NOT for?

1. This camera is not for sports shooters, action sport shooters, or people that like to wiggle. Wiggle meaning those that rely on autofocus, whip pans, and excessive movement to capture authentic imagery. I was 110% this person when I started, and I still think I need to bring some of that energy back into my work – but if that is your SHTICK – this isn’t the camera for you.

2. Those that prefer reliability above all other features. This is a rugged camera – but it definitely can be finicky.

   
   

Conclusion:

At 52 Weeks we believe that buying more Tech doesn’t make you happier, but you should choose the best tools that help you consistently make good work. 

When buying cameras I try to understand myself and what I want/need to do my job well. Once I actually understand myself I can choose to accept the tradeoffs of what I bought, because it was a conscious decision. This helps me become more satisfied with my physical possessions and less jealous of other gear.

I have learned to accept trade-offs with this camera. Sony’s impeccable reliability and features still comes with the tradeoff of not having a very fun or unique camera. Nor does it shoot RAW as cheaply as this camera! It was scary to sell my A7III for this but it really is the best camera for the money in my opinion. I wouldn’t own anything else right now. The quality of image you can get out of here is incredible.

My biggest note is as follows: Just like a vintage car, the Sigma FP-L works best as a second camera. A daily-carry companion to a more production-focused work horse. I am proof that you can run this as an only camera, but the electronic shutter and external RAW requirements (Cords, ingesting, etc.) can make professional photo and video gigs difficult.

NOBODY has this in the US. It’s so cool. The rigging and personalization of this camera is unbelievably fun and the community is full of talented individuals. I love how the Sigma FP-L makes my creation process more deliberate, and I love that I am getting RAW video and 61MP stills for just over a thousand bucks. The Sigma FP-L is a joy to use, even if it can be a little finicky.

For examples of my photos with the Sigma FP-L, check out either my 2023 or 2024 collection here:

https://www.52weeks.com/snapshot