Hewn from a single block of aluminium, like Hasselblads from the late 1950s onwards, Sigma has unveiled its latest remarkable, and truly unusual, camera, the BF. This is an L-mount camera, with a 24 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor. After such a long wait, it doesn’t look great for anyone hoping for Sigma’s exclusive Foveon sensor technology to evolve into a full frame part.

Super simplicity

In a nod to Leica, one of the key partners in the L-mount alliance, the BF sacrifices as many distractions from the process of conceiving and making your photograph. The body and its controls are extremely simple. There is no eye-level viewfinder, just a non-articulating 2.1M dot rear display, although it is touch-sensitive. A very small display above a control wheel at the back of the body shows mode selections. There are only three other buttons, apart from the shutter release. However, haptic feedback is featured in a camera for the first time, according to Sigma.

No memory card slot

While you can swap out the lithium ion rechargeable battery, there is no memory card slot. You have to make do with 230GB of permanent internal storage. There is no mechanical shutter, just a sensor (electronic) shutter. One USB-C port is all that connects the camera to the outside world. This handles data at up to 10Gb/sec using USB3.2, and can also be used for external display, audio monitoring, and charging the battery. There is no provision for WiFi or Bluetooth.

An ISO range of 100-102400 is the default, though you can select very low ISO settings between 6 and 50, if required. For video, the BF can record at up to 6K, and supports H.264, H.265, and L-LOG.

The BF or a Lumix S9?

At 446g with the battery fitted, the BF body is very lightweight, and rigid, and it’s undoubtedly small. It’s hard not to draw comparisons with the more conventional Lumix S9, from fellow L-mount collaborator. The S9 has more external controls and the lure of 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, which the BF doesn’t have.

Sigma let it be known that it takes 7 hours to machine the aluminium unibody from a single block of aluminium. One would have thought that this would have limited its production volume and guarantee exclusivity, rarity, and a big price tag. But, if you are inclined, you will be able to buy a BF body for a few cents under $2,000, from April. That said, the Lumix S9 is currently selling for almost half that price.

Check out the Sigma website for more information.