The Unexpected Joy of Street Photography with the Sigma BF

I recently took to the bustling streets of New York City with Sigma’s revolutionary new BF camera, putting this innovative device through its paces in one of the world’s most iconic and photogenic urban environments. The Sigma BF, with its philosophy of “Radical Simplicity,” proved to be an intriguing tool for capturing the essence of New York’s vibrant street life.

The compact and simple Sigma BF enables you to react to a split-second moment.

The Sigma BF: A New Era of Simplicity

The Sigma BF, launched in February 2025, represents a paradigm shift in camera design. With its sleek unibody aluminum construction and minimalist interface, the BF stands out as a testament to Sigma’s commitment to simplicity and style.

Stylish yet understated, the Sigma BF camera is a beautiful piece of equipment.

Unibody Construction: A Solid Foundation

The Sigma BF’s unibody construction immediately caught my attention. Carved from a single aluminum block over seven hours, the camera boasts unprecedented rigidity and durability. This seamless, all-metal body harmonized perfectly with the attached I series lenses, providing a reliable and comfortable weight that I found ideal for long days of street photography.

From right to left, solid aluminum block to final BF camera body.

Single Finger Operation: Streamlined Shooting

One of Sigma BF’s standout features is its emphasis on single-finger operation, which was designed to offer the easiest and simplest user interface for daily use. I appreciated this streamlined approach, allowing me to focus more on capturing fleeting moments rather than fiddling with complex controls.

Just a few controls are required, and the most common operations are handled with the thumb wheel alone.

Dual Layer Menu System: Intuitive Control

The Sigma BF’s dual-layer menu system impressed me with its intuitive design. All essential settings are organized into two screens: the Main Menu and the Optional Menu. This configuration allowed me to quickly access critical shooting parameters without diving into convoluted menu structures.

The Sigma BF was designed to be easy to use, even on a busy NYC street (pictured, my friend and Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki)

Street Photography Performance

The Sigma BF’s 24.6MP full-frame, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor delivered excellent image quality, particularly considering street photography’s challenging lighting conditions. The camera’s wide dynamic range and native ISO sensitivity of 100-102400 proved valuable in capturing the nuances of New York’s diverse urban scenes.

The hybrid phase detection and contrast detection autofocus system ensured quick and accurate focusing, crucial for my style of capturing spontaneous moments. The ability to shoot continuously at up to 8 fps allowed me to easily capture fast-moving subjects.

Aesthetic Appeal and Practicality

The Sigma BF’s striking design didn’t go unnoticed on the streets of New York. I noticed numerous curious glances and pointed fingers from passersby, intrigued by the camera’s unique appearance. However, the Sigma BF proved to be more than just a pretty face, offering practical features like 230GB of internal storage, eliminating the need for memory cards, and providing ample space for a full day of shooting.

Color Profiles and Creative Options

I was particularly impressed with the Sigma BF’s color profiles, including the new “Calm” and “Rich” modes. These options allowed me to experiment with different looks, from muted and low-contrast to vibrant and dramatic, directly in-camera. Monochrome mode, with its various toning options, also proved to be a valuable tool for creating striking black-and-white street images.

My favorite color mode is “Teal & Orange” which yields a nostalgic feel.

I believe that black and white is the “color” of street photography, so the easily-accessible Monochrome mode was especially useful.

“Rich” mode provides saturated colors, ideal for photographing in a city with diverse cultures.

Final thoughts on the Sigma BF

This camera’s unique philosophy of “Radical Simplicity” resonated with my approach to street photography. The camera’s intuitive operation, distinctive visual style, and seamless integration with modern lifestyles made it an excellent companion for capturing the essence of New York City’s streets.

The Sigma BF and the accompanying I series lenses (35mm F2 & 50mm F2) also turned out to be excellent low-light performers.

I found that the purposeful limitations of the Sigma BF encouraged creativity, leading me to focus on composition and timing rather than relying on complex features. As a tool for the discerning street photographer who values simplicity and style, the Sigma BF proved to be a compelling option in my hand.