IDSworks grip set for SIGMA BF

IDSworks grip set for SIGMA BF

Sigma BF is a camera with no view finder, SD card storage, or hot shoe for flash photography. Its unique design may divide opinions on handling, but it remains intriguing.

It had been requested by a customer that we should create a product for this camera months ago and we decided to work on this fun project.

BF, as an L mount camera, provides a good grip that is essential for some users. While there are alternative grips available in the market at a lower price point than ours, we have chosen to offer this grip as I personally find it enhances my experience with this camera.

 

Design direction for this product

Looks - We aim to create a design where the grip seamlessly integrates with the camera body

Handling - As this is an L mount lens and the camera's UI is optimized for one-handed operation, the grip should facilitate easy one-handed use

 

About the looks...

 

BF is distinct due to its design concept:

-Aluminum block with no visible screws

-Diamond grid cutting on the right

 -Smooth surface finish

-Minimal buttons and anchors.

We have designed based on these criteria

 

Our grip was design with no screws (except to the one that is needed to fix to the camera body)

 

We have crafted the diamond grid using dedicated CNC knives and milling the handle at a slow speed to achieve the same exquisite look. It takes 4 hours of machine time just to create one grip handle, making it the longest process for any product we offer.

Surface finishing is crucial, especially for the silver version, due to machine limitations in our region. Refer to Sigma's launch video for this camera, showcasing the CNC milling of the camera body. The resulting surface finish is nearly mirror-like, free of visible knife marks. 

This type of machine is top-of-the-line and not available in our manufacturing area. Achieving a mirror-like finish before applying fine sandblasting is crucial for achieving a smooth surface finish.

Manufacturers in our region resort to using coarser sand due to the unavailability or high cost of more precise machines, resulting in color discrepancies when compared to camera finishing.

We must adopt a different strategy to address this limitation. Starting with magnetic polishing followed by hand polishing is necessary to remove knife marks before proceeding with fine sandblasting.

 

This is not as ideal as the camera body surface finish, as magnetic polishing can sometimes result in small marks on the parts, leading to a less preferred outcome. A challenging decision must be made between achieving close color matching or opting for a less refined sand blasting surface finish.

 

We opt for the initial approach as we believe it is crucial. All displayed images are unaltered final results.

Camera anchors point

 

This can be controversial as we opted to NOT add another anchor point, impacting the original look significantly. Instead, we devised a different method to accommodate multiple anchor points. Our design features a two directional attachment plate at the bottom for this purpose.

 

 

The attachment complies with the 38mm and 26mm ARCA standards on the long and short sides. Utilize the long side for mounting on a 38mm ARCA tripod, and the short side for a 26mm mini tripod.

This attachment piece also allows your to attach straps to them while not blocking using it as a tripod mounting plate. 

It also alows you to mount it on PD Capture without the need of the PD connecting plate.

Improving handling

 

Sigma's revolutionary BF UI design enables one-handed camera operation at forearm length, eliminating the need to bring the camera up to your face. Our redesigned grip shape ensures a secure hold, especially when shooting vertically.

 

Plugin thumb grip design

 

The Plugin thumb grip ensures it stays securely in place during use, thanks to its snap-on design. With the extended thumb rest, you can achieve a more secure grip. The combination of the thumb and hand grip ensures your camera sits securely even with heavy lenses.

 

Single hand operation video below:

https://youtube.com/shorts/mFrvg83gzR8?si=JY4dwVP9Y5c5RESI