I just tried the one camera I’m most excited to test this year, and yes, it’s the Sigma BF

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)

As a reviews writer, I play with the best mirrorless cameras and put them through their paces to determine whether they're worth the money. Most of these cameras are designed similarly, so it's always special when one that looks out of the ordinary comes along — case in point: the new Sigma BF.

I attended the first two days of The Photography & Video Show in London over the weekend, and when I heard that Sigma was there, I made a beeline for the stand. People crowded around one of the tables, and surely enough, the Sigma BF caught everyone's attention.

I got to try lots of cool tech, such as a film camera with autofocus and a mini drone, but the Sigma BF came out on top as the one camera I'm most excited to test this year. Here's why.

Heavy metal

Sigma had an idea: create a unibody camera with no joints, and it ran with it. The Sigma BF is carved out of a single aluminum ingot, and it takes seven hours to create one unit. In one day, the brand can manufacture a maximum of seven units, which makes the camera all the more special.

The unibody design means there's nowhere you can attach an optional viewfinder. There's no slot for an SD card, but there is a USB-C port for charging (as expected).

Since the camera is made entirely of aluminum, it's heavy enough (15.7oz) that you must use both hands to hold it. I'd be lying if I said the camera didn't feel oh-so-lovely to hold.

As a representative told me, Sigma wants to take the frustration out of photography, so it has implemented a straightforward control scheme consisting of just three buttons and a dial. I tried the shutter button, which had a soft, tactile feel. The menu is straightforward, too, and I love that.

Ergonomics? What ergonomics?

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One of my main concerns about the Sigma BF arises from its design — which I love for the most part. There's no sculpted grip for better handling. On the back, near the navigation buttons, you get a protruding grip to rest your thumb on, and there's a part in the bottom-right corner that has been chopped off so that the camera doesn't poke into your skin.

So, how comfortable would this prove when you're out shooting in the field? When I tried it at the show, I found that you must use both hands to get a comfortable grip on the camera.

While I could hold it with one, it wasn't easy, and even after just 10 minutes or so, it wasn't very comfortable. It felt more like a heavy brick than an everyday camera.

Ergonomics are essential when buying a camera as you want to be the most comfortable while shooting. I get the vision Sigma is going for, but the lack of a sculpted grip makes it feel like a step in the wrong direction.

One hybrid to rule them all

While I could gush over its looks all day, let's talk about the Sigma BF's shooting specs. For starters, you get the ability to shoot 6K video at 30fps, similar to the likes of the cheaper Fujifilm X-M5.

You can also shoot 24.6MP stills in 14-bit RAW — that means it can store 16,384 tonal values for each color. And, as has become familiar with digital cameras today, there are 13 in-camera color profiles to choose from. To me, they look very similar to Fujifilm's film simulations, and I can't wait to test them properly.

There's no viewfinder, so you'll rely on the TFT color LCD touchscreen with a 2.1-million-dot display. My first impressions of it? I found it bright enough indoors, but I couldn't take the camera outside the show halls to see what it was like in sunny conditions — I'll save that for the full review.

Perhaps one of the Sigma BF's most significant selling points — alongside its killer looks — is its internal storage. As I said, it doesn't come with a card slot but has 230GB of internal storage. That's a lot. A representative told me that the camera should be able to store 14,000 JPEGs or 4,300 uncompressed RAW files and 2.5 hours of 6K video.

Despite the ergonomic shortcomings, I can already see myself rallying behind the Sigma BF, and I know many others will be, too. Its good looks and extremely sturdy build are hard to resist, and it has the imaging hardware to compete with Leica and Fujifilm.

The Sigma BF (black or silver model) is currently available to pre-order for $1,999 at Amazon U.S. / £1,969 at Sigma U.K., and it's expected to ship in April.

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Nikita is a Staff Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro.