Locksley Lennox
- Jul 11, 2023
- 4 min read

The TINY Cinema Camera - Sigma fp

Today, I'd love to introduce you to my modified Sigma FP, a product that has been transformed significantly with the assistance of parts from the Dark Power Labs catalog. For the record, I'm not associated with this company, but I'm a massive fan of their products. One day, while browsing the Sigma FP Facebook groups, I stumbled upon their products.

The utility and quality were so compelling that I immediately invested in them.

These modifications have helped me address many of the issues that the Sigma FP initially had. In my opinion, this is by far the best setup to use when recording to an SSD with the Sigma FP. While there are numerous ways to tailor your camera for different use cases, I believe this setup is the most versatile for capturing high-quality shots for my personal projects.

Allow me to guide you through the details of my camera rig. Note that all the parts I mention here will have links provided in the description should you wish to purchase them. Be aware, some of these may be affiliate links.

The heart of this camera rig is the cage. I'm particularly fond of its design. It's minimalistic, not taking up much space on the camera, and impressively, Dark Power Labs has designed it to integrate seamlessly with their ecosystem and other parts.

The SSD I opted for in this rig is the Samsung 980 Pro. As a fourth-generation NVME, it offers speeds up to 6,000 megabits of read and write. This capacity far exceeds what this camera can output to the USB port. Nevertheless, I believe it's always better to have more power than less. The SSD caddy is equipped with a small fan that automatically switches on to manage the heat emitted from the SSD. Don't worry about noise; the fan operates quietly, barely making a sound.

One of the most noticeable features of this camera rig is the tilting monitor. Initially, the installation process of the tilt screen monitor mod was nerve-wracking. But, with patience and the provided tools, it's achievable and works flawlessly. Frankly, I'm surprised that Sigma didn't design the camera with a tilt screen from the outset. A game-changer for the usability of the Sigma FP has been the battery grip. It enables the use of NPF batteries which significantly increases the camera's runtime while recording 12-bit 4K RAW. Typically, I only need to swap out two to three batteries during a shoot, which is significantly less cumbersome than carrying around five different batteries that these cameras usually require.

On top the camera, I've installed an external monitor. Currently, it's a five-inch PortKeys BM5 monitor. However, I do have plans to upgrade to the SmallHD Indie 5 or the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G in the future. I tend to opt for HDMI and SDI cables from ZILR Pro, an Australian company.

They're of exceptional quality, and I've been using them for years.

The top handle, sourced from SmallRig, is simple and compact. It doesn't make the camera too cumbersome, which I appreciate.

I've also incorporated the SmallRig Air Tag mount, an easy and efficient way to keep track of my gear.

In terms of filtration, I use the Abracam Matte Box, a product by a small French company. I'm fond of this matte box, particularly for its ability to stack a considerable amount of filters and accommodate a large four-inch circular polarizing filter.

As for lenses, I have an assortment that I use. I have the Seven Artisan cine lens set, my Canon 24 to 105 and 17 to 40, and a pair of Mikey Photo lenses (stay tuned for a review on these).

I've taken this camera rig on various projects and even on a trip to Ecuador. It performed superbly. Initially, I was using an alternative SSD setup from Dark Labs.

However, due to the size of the caddy and limited compatible SSDs capable of maintaining consistent performance while shooting RAW on the Sigma FP, I experienced some issues.

Therefore, if you're considering their SSD products, I would highly recommend opting for the larger NVME setup from Dark Power Labs, primarily because it offers more options and guarantees consistent performance.

I hope this breakdown gives you an insight into the possibilities of customizing your Sigma FP. I'm eager to hear your thoughts and any potential improvements I could make to this rig. If you'd like to learn about my favorite feature of the Sigma FP, check out this video where I discuss the importance of El Zone for cinematographers.