Before the BF, there was the T – my first mirrorless camera 🖤
⭐️ a blog post
An all aluminum body, milled from a single block, and polished for hours. With a minimal UI + big screen, people say it’s the camera for those who love their smartphone.
Yes, that was the Leica T.
A couple years ago I wanted to get into photography and get a real camera, so I got an old, original T. And I couldn’t be happier with it. Its design was ahead of its time.
Aside: used-photo.de is great. If you are looking for a used Leica, check them out. They were very helpful and even helped me get both the T body and my first lens, the 23mm Summicron. I couldn’t recommend them enough.
Aside 2: I sent the T to Wetzlar to clean and just check over everything. You can ship any camera back to Leica and they will do their best. And they were great. They replaced the motherboard in the camera, which did fix some problems and made it operate faster. And they completely replaced my lens because the electronics didn’t fully pass their tests. My original 23mm lens was “T mount” as it was initially called. This new one is “L mount” as they call it now. The cost was incredibly low for this service. I have been impressed by Leica as a company.
And now, Sigma have announced the BF. And it definitely feels like the spiritual successor to the T. The design from Leica was ahead of its time.
(Leica made a TL and then a TL2, but the vibe and design was unchanged + I own the original so that’s what I know best. They recently stopped making the TL2, so there definitely is a gap in the market for this type of camera now.)
The new Sigma BF is both extremely similar in vibe + better in every way. It even uses the same L mount! My lenses would work on it, and the new Sigma lenses would work on my T.
| T | BF |
|---|---|
| APSC | Full frame |
| Bad autofocus | Good autofocus |
| 18MP | 24MP |
| L mount | L mount |
| Hot shoe | No shoe |
🤔
I have been thinking for a while that I should get one of the last TL2 bodies so I could get the improved auto-focus, focus peeking zebras, and 24MP… and now I’m thinking I should save up a little longer and end up with a T and a BF on my shelf 💸
My T takes great photos. I mostly do black and white, but any old Leica can take great photos of any kind of scene. From detailed architecture, to soft morning light in the green forest, to the soft coastal blues, and really anything else.
I’ve learned the basics of the exposure triangle with it. It taught me photography.
I mostly shoot with manual focus and I lock to a specific ISO, so I am adjusting aperture and shutter speed with the two wheels on top of the T. (I mostly do this because the autofocus is not good on the old T. But I also do it to build up the muscle memory to intuit the exposure of different scenes for when in shoot with my antique film cameras.)
The BF only has one wheel, on the back, but the sigma lenses have an aperture ring. So it really has the same two wheels I am used to using.
(Leica L mount lenses don’t have an aperture ring, it’s driven electronically.)
So, the Sigma BF is very appealing to me. The upgraded video capabilities would be great, keeping the L mount is great, and moving up to a full frame sensor would make a difference to me.
Both lack a view finder. And a lot of people seem to think they could never take photos without one. I can say confidently that using the screen can be a great experience. Having the camera out in front like a phone or a compact like the Ricoh GR III brings less attention while out on the street. Pulling a camera up to my eye can sometimes turn heads when I only meant to observe.
And that is one advantage the T (or TL2) has: an EVF can be affixed to the hot shoe. The BF doesn’t have a hot shoe, so it’s screen for life.
Watching/reading the reviews: the BF almost seems like it was made for me. I love my T, but I wish it had great autofocus, higher MP, etc.
Shooting with a minimal camera like the T is really freeing. The simplicity of the UI keeps me from getting distracted or diving into menus or any of that. I set it up how I want, then I go out and enjoy shooting. And I would wager the BF will be the same.
If you’ve never shot with a minimal, stripped down camera like these then I recommend you borrow one. Having almost no buttons forces one to focus on the composition. There is nothing available to waste time with 😅
It’s excited to see more “weird” cameras come out. So much of what’s available all look and operate the same, with very minute details. Let’s see how long it takes me to save up for a BF.