Japanese camera company Sigma has announced the Sigma BF, a 24-megapixel compact with a full-frame sensor whose body is carved from a solid block of aluminum. Designed with simplification in mind, the BF features interchangeable lens and 6K video capture at up to 30p and full high definition at up to 120p. There is 230GB of internal storage but no memory card slot, and the I/O interface is reduced to a single USB-C port. “By simplifying and stripping away all excess elements, this full-frame mirrorless camera redefines the process of taking a photograph as a natural act,” the company says.

“The Sigma BF spec list may not be leading-class, but it’s still quite impressive, especially considering the compact body,” is the verdict from CineD, adding that the mirrorless camera is built around a 24-megapixel BSI CMOS and “will have HEVC support and Sigma’s L-Log on board.”

It also has PDAF sensors, which “should provide decent autofocus for both stills and video capture,” CineD posits, noting that “the sensor has no mechanical stabilization, but the camera does have electronic stabilization for video.”

The primary settings are positioned on the live view screen, with secondary settings on an optional menu and more detailed settings in the system menu.

“The user interface has a completely new information structure compared to conventional digital cameras,” notes Sigma in an announcement. “Users can easily operate the shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, EV compensation and color mode, along with other important shooting-related elements at the touch of a finger.”

“Sigma says it created a simple, clear, and completely new user interface that deviates significantly from other modern cameras,” packaging it in a tight, 5.1 by 2.9 by 1.4 inches body that weighs just 13.7 ounces, reports PetaPixel.

In a separate interview with PetaPixel, Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki said the BF in the camera’s name stands for “beautiful foolishness,” a phrase from a favorite book.

“The company says it is the first in the world to make a camera with a true unibody design,” with a body that takes 7 hours to carve, according to PetaPixel.

“It lacks a hot shoe, an electronic viewfinder, a majority of the buttons and control dials enthusiast photographers are used to,” PetaPixel points out, calling those “bold, polarizing choices.”

“As with its most direct predecessor, the Sigma fp,” the new BF “occupies a segment of its own,” concludes CineD.