Sigma BF (2026) review: Eccentric but strangely lovable

Then there’s the missing removable storage. Yes, I prefer the card; It is easier to switch the card on the field. But the BF has 256GB of built-in storage. I can’t remember the last time I took enough photos to fill this much space before returning to my laptop to download them. This means that the 256GB storage capacity is sufficient for a non-professional photographer.

Photo: Scott Gilbertson

The main deal breaker for me is the lack of a viewfinder. I still prefer shooting through the viewfinder. It’s just muscle memory, give me a camera and I’ll bring it to my eye. If you also like the viewfinder, this is not the camera for you.

Another issue with the lack of a viewfinder is that the rear screen is almost unusable in bright sunlight. It’s too dark to be accurately composed. The rear screen also doesn’t tilt or move at all, which means that if you want to shoot from the hip, you won’t be able to use it at all. If you want to get an unusual angle, say from the ground, be prepared to lie down to frame it.

You can turn the screen brightness up all the way, which helps a bit when you’re in the sun, but it’s still difficult to use in bright daylight. Having the screen brightness all the way up also chews up the already meager battery life. Sigma claims the BF can take around 260 images on a single charge, but this drops significantly if you have to hold the screen up in bright daylight. I found that in full sun, I rarely got more than two to three hours of shooting time on a single charge.

Should you buy it?

It may seem like the Sigma BF has some serious limitations, and it does, especially when you compare the specifications to other cameras in the BF’s $2,200 price range. However, restrictions can be a good thing. Without restrictions, you have nothing to build on. This is not a camera for the “spray and pray” style of photography. This camera requires some thought to use well. It requires taking into account its limits and working within them. If you do this, BF is able to make great photos.

Although I wouldn’t recommend the Sigma BF to most people, there are undoubtedly photographers who will love it not despite the strange design choices, but because of them. I fully expect this to be one of those cameras that develops a cult following 20 years later.

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