Sigma’s New FP2 Hybrid Camera
Seven years after introducing its original fp camera, Sigma is back with the new FP2, keeping the same compact, box-shaped design but making a few changes on the inside. The camera still uses a 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor, although this time it is a partially stacked CMOS sensor with faster readout speeds, which should help reduce rolling shutter compared to the original fp. Interestingly, Sigma has once again decided to leave out both a mechanical shutter and in-body image stabilisation, so those are two things worth keeping in mind. The FP2 measures 112.8 × 69.9 × 41.8mm and weighs 460g with its battery and memory card. There is also a new 3.15-inch tilting touchscreen with 2.1 million dots, replacing the fixed display on the original model. The camera remains modular, with an optional EVF-21 electronic viewfinder featuring a 5.76-million-dot OLED display and 0.88x magnification. There is no built-in hot shoe either, although Sigma offers an optional attachment for that.
On the photography side, the FP2 comes with a new hybrid autofocus system that supports AI-assisted subject detection for people, dogs, cats and birds, including eye tracking. It can shoot at up to 20 frames per second in RAW or JPEG, with a buffer of up to 180 DNG files. The native ISO range runs from 100 to 102,400, while the electronic shutter offers speeds up to 1/25,600s. Flash synchronisation is limited to 1/50s without cropping, which is another compromise worth mentioning. Video is where Sigma has made some of the bigger changes. The camera now supports 6K open-gate recording at up to 60p, full-width 4K at 60p and cropped 4K at 120p. There is also Log recording and internal ProRes RAW, including 6K at up to 29.97p and 4K at up to 48p. With the optional HU-21 Hot Shoe Unit, the FP2 can also record 32-bit float audio.
As for the rest of the camera, Sigma included 70GB of internal storage, alongside a UHS-II SD card slot. There are also two USB-C ports, a full-size HDMI connection and a timecode terminal that doubles as an external microphone input. The body has a slightly different finish this time, replacing the original leatherette covering with a textured, diamond-knurled surface. Battery life has apparently improved by around 30%, with Sigma quoting approximately 370 photos or 130 minutes of video recording. The Sigma FP2 will be available starting November 11, priced at $2,199 for the body or $2,749 with the EVF-21 viewfinder.
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