Sigma Unveils the Beautiful Foolishness BF Camera
Sigma has launched the BF, a compact 24.6-megapixel full-frame interchangeable lens camera with a radically minimalist design that has only three buttons, a dial, and a shutter release to capture the essence of photography. The company claims it is the first in the world to create a camera with a true unibody design carved from a single block of metal, a seven-hour procedure. As a result, Sigma promises exceptional stiffness and weight that is consistent with any mounted lens.
“BF stands for beautiful foolishness,” Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki says. “This is a phrase taken from the book, the very old book — I think probably over a hundred years old — called The Book of Tea by Okakura Tenshin, the Japanese researcher. At that time, he wanted to tell the spirit of the Japanese culture and we have the tea ceremony. And through the tea ceremony, he tried to tell what is the essence of Japanese culture. “In the book he said, let’s enjoy the time and the beautiful foolishness with a cup of tea. So this camera is for daily use. Daily life is full of joy and nice relaxing time which he calls it the beautiful foolishness.”
Yamaki created the camera with the goal of making it as simple to use as possible without feeling restricted by previous design components that, Sigma claims, are unnecessary and too convoluted.
“I hope this camera will have a kind of timeless value,” he adds.
The L-mount Sigma BF, which measures 129.5 by 73.7 by 35.6 millimeters and weighs only 388 grams, is intended to focus on the joy of photography by removing distractions and simplifying the experience to its absolute minimum. Sigma claims to have designed a simple, straightforward, and completely new user interface that differs greatly from other current cameras. The live view screen has the main photography-related options, the secondary settings are in an optional menu, and the system menu contains management functions as well as more extensive settings.
Sigma claims that photographers will be able to effortlessly modify essential parameters such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, EV correction, and color mode with the touch of a finger.
The Sigma BF is also the first mirrorless camera to feature haptic feedback on its dial, center button, selection button, and playback button, which Sigma claims are always precise and comfortable to press.
The default panel on the back display (with a resolution of around 2.1 million dots) promises to provide only the most essential information, and Sigma has even designed a means to eliminate those as well, so nothing stands between the photographer and the image. A secondary status monitor displays the current active settings, keeping the live view panel uncluttered.
The BF includes digital storage due to its unibody architecture. The camera includes a built-in 230GB SSD that Sigma claims can store more than 14,000 JPEG files, 4,300 uncompressed RAW photos, or 2.5 hours of video at the maximum quality level. USB-C connects to a computer and allows you to transfer photographs and videos.
The 24.6-megapixel sensor has a native ISO range of 100 to 102,400 and is extendable down to 6, 12, 25, and 50.
The camera boasts a hybrid autofocus technology that combines phase detection and contrast detection, as well as cutting-edge algorithms for precise and speedy subject focus. It can quickly focus on people, dogs, and cats using its subject detection mode.
The Sigma BF can record video in up to 6K resolution and L-Log in H.264 and H.265 at up to 29.97 frames per second (fps) in 6K and 4K, and up to 119.88 fps in 1080p Full HD.
The small camera also includes 13 color settings, which allow for new levels of creativity. Options include Standard, Rich, Calm, Powder Blue, Warm Gold, Teal, Orange, FOV Classic Blue, FOV Classic Yellow, Forest Green, Sunset Red, Cinema, 709 Look, and Monochrome.
Here are some sample pictures:
The Sigma BF will be available in black or silver and will ship by April 2025. Both models will sell for $1,999.
Sigma is also revising its I Series small prime lenses. It will introduce silver as a color option for the L-mount lenses to match the BF’s silver finish, and the laser engraving on the body and product line logo will be updated for all nine black Sigma I models for both L-mount and Sony E-mount lenses. The 45mm f/2.8 DG will also receive an upgrade to support the magnetic metal lens cap. The optical formulae and performance will be unaltered. These adjustments will take effect for L-mount in April and E-mount in May.
