What are the must-have accessories for a Sigma fp camera?

Question

I finally pulled the trigger on a Sigma fp after months of looking at that tiny sensor and weird boxy shape. Its actually smaller in person than I expected which is great for my street photography here in rainy Seattle but man it is a bit of a nightmare to hold without any extras. I want to start doing some short documentary style videos too so the modularity is what sold me but now im just staring at it like okay where do I even start. I spent most of my savings on the body and the 45mm kit lens so I have maybe 700 or 800 bucks left to really get this thing functional for a full day of shooting.

I spent all night looking at rigs and im honestly more confused than when I started. Everyone says get the SmallRig cage because its the standard but then I saw this really nice wooden handgrip from a company called Dark Power Laboratory and it looks way more comfortable for long walks but I dont know if it will mess with mounting a monitor later. Also the whole SSD thing is stressing me out. I read that the Samsung T5 is the gold standard for recording CinemaDNG but they are getting harder to find and I keep seeing mixed reviews about the T7 Shield. Some people say it works fine and others say the camera just drops frames or doesnt see it at all.

Since im gonna be out in the elements I also need to figure out a way to keep the ports covered while still having an SSD plugged in which seems impossible with most setups ive seen. It feels like every must-have list I find is just an ad for 20 different pieces of metal and I really dont want to build a giant heavy rig if I dont have to. I also saw people talking about the dummy battery setups for longer shoots because the internal battery is tiny but then that means another cable hanging off the side.

What are the absolute essentials that you guys actually use every single day? I need a solid way to grip it, a reliable power or storage solution for video, and maybe something for the screen since it is impossible to see in daylight. Is the LVF-11 viewfinder actually worth the extra bulk or should I just stick to a small external monitor...

WarpWizard · Accepted Answer

Quick reply while I have a minute at my desk. I went through the same technical headache when I got my fp last year. For video, you really have to focus on the sustained write speeds because the 12-bit CinemaDNG data rate is massive, peaking around 2400 Mbps. I've been very satisfied with a DIY storage approach to keep costs down. Instead of hunting for an overpriced T5, I use a high-quality NVMe drive in a solid enclosure. It works well and saved me about a hundred bucks. Here is the exact setup that has been reliable for my long shoots:

SmallRig Camera Cage for SIGMA fp Series 3211 provides the necessary mounting points without adding too much weight.

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD paired with a Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C Enclosure EC-SNVE handles the data flawlessly.

Sigma LVF-11 LCD Viewfinder is essential. People complain about the size, but the optics are crisp and it makes the screen visible in that Seattle gray light.

SmallRig NP-F Battery Plate Adapter for external power using Sony-style batteries. I did some testing on the Samsung T7 Shield 2TB Portable SSD and can confirm that after the recent firmware updates, I have had no complaints with dropped frames at 1080p 60fps or 4K 24fps. If you are worried about the ports in the rain, check out the SmallRig cable clamps. They do a decent job of shielding the USB-C connection if you position them right. Honestly, for your budget, you can definitely get this rig fully functional if you skip the boutique wooden grips for now and focus on the technical essentials.

UploadUnit · Answer

Saw this earlier... r u doing handheld mostly for the docs?Sigma LVF-11 LCD Viewfinder Honestly amazing for daylight and cheaper than monitors tho since it dont need batteries!

EdgeEnforcer · Answer

Just catching up on this thread. Regarding what #2 said about "Saw this earlier... r u doing handheld mostly..."

I am curious if you are planning to use a gimbal for those doc shots or if you are sticking to a neck strap and cage setup? The weight balance really changes based on that. I would suggest being very careful with the storage. Since you are worried about the T7, you might want to consider the Wise Advanced Portable SSD 1TB. It is actually on the officially supported list and doesn't have the weird firmware handshake issues that the Samsung drives sometimes do. Make sure to use the cable that comes with it tho, because the fp is super picky about cable resistance for 12-bit data rates. Quick tip: since you are in rainy Seattle, remember that opening that side door for the SSD basically kills your weather sealing. I would skip the wood grip for now and look at the Sigma Large Hand Grip HG-21 because it is solid metal and fits the body perfectly, but honestly, no accessory really seals the port while in use. Just be really careful out there... maybe keep a small rain cover in your bag for when the mist gets heavy.