SIGMA announces the new fp L, a new member of the SIGMA fp series of the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame digital single-lens mirrorless cameras, equipped with a full-frame Bayer sensor with approximately 61 effective megapixels.

And thanks to this 61MP image sensor, the SIGMA fp L boasts outstanding resolving power while remaining true to the SIGMA fp development concepts, namely the “world’s smallest and lightest pocketable full-frame camera,” “seamless STILL / CINE switch,” and “excellent customizability and scalability.” With an excellent crop zoom that capitalizes on its ample megapixels, it offers users levels of image quality and creative range that are only possible with an ultra-high pixel camera.

It also comes with an array of new features and accessories, which will make shooting more user-friendly, including hybrid autofocus (AF) that combines contrast- and phase-detection, and USB charging while the camera is on. A new optional external electronic viewfinder EVF-11 will be available with the camera’s introduction.

Key features of the fp L:

The SIGMA fp L features a Bayer sensor with approximately 61 effective megapixels, higher than any other SIGMA camera before it. In addition to images with fine details, the fp L is capable of creating images that are high-definition and rich in color, thanks to its ultra-high pixel count and SIGMA’s experience in developing cameras with a Foveon sensor, are renowned for both the exceptional resolving power and nuanced color gradients due to the unique nature of the X3 sensor. Furthermore, for its image quality that are in principle free of color artifacts, the Foveon sensor legacy was also behind the decision that the fp L should have a low-pass filter to reduce moiré to minimum levels. The use of a low-pass filter was a choice that made sense for a camera with an ample megapixel such as the SIGMA fp L.

A high pixel count means that images can stand extreme zooming or cropping. This was one aspect of an ultra-high pixel camera that led SIGMA to give the fp L a crop zoom feature that works in both the STILL and CINE modes. Thanks to its ample (approximately 61 effective) megapixels, the fp L can record in full HD quality even at its maximum 5x zoom; because this is accomplished simply by cropping with no digital enhancement, the image quality will not suffer. To use it in a more intuitive way, you can pinch to zoom on the LCD touch screen.

In addition to high-precision contrast AF, the SIGMA fp L features fast image-plane phase-detection AF. This hybrid AF allows users to enjoy smooth autofocus that is high-precision, fast, and excellent at tracking a moving subject, whether they are shooting stills or video.

The SIGMA fp L supports USB charging while the camera is on. You can shoot without interruption while charging the camera using a mobile battery, even outdoors or where you have no access to a power outlet. 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. This means that you can use it for long hours without having to worry about the battery dying on you.

The fp L can capture UHD 4K 30p video internally and can output 12-bit Cinema DNG Raw to an external SSD. It can also output a Raw video feed over HDMI that can be encoded as ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW, depending on what type of recorder you attach. High-speed Full HD recording at up to 120 fps is supported, though with a crop.

The SIGMA fp L will be available in mid-April for $2499 body-only, or $2999 with the EVF. The EVF-11, as it is officially known, will be sold on its own for $699, and is compatible with the original fp.

More info on SIGMA’s website.