[With Sample Photos] SIGMA fp and NIKKOR-S.C 50mm f1.4 (S Mount) Review | A Tiny Full-Frame Camera and a Showa-Era Classic Lens

Hello.

Digital cameras have evolved remarkably, and we now live in an age when anyone can easily take beautiful photos. Perhaps that is exactly why we sometimes find ourselves wanting some deliberate "extra effort."

What I took out this time was a digital camera that embodies modern minimalism, paired with an old lens that vividly captured Showa-era Japan. This combination, which at first glance seems like it should never meet, turned my familiar streets into a completely new world.

The camera I chose is the SIGMA fp.

"The smallest box with a full-frame sensor." The beauty born of that uncompromising concept captivates me every time I see it. The solid body, stripped of all unnecessary decoration, has the generosity to accept any lens.

And the lens I paired with this companion is the NIKKOR-S.C 50mm f1.4 (S mount).

A historic large-aperture standard lens that once swept the world for Nikon's rangefinder cameras, the "Nikon S series." The letter "C" in the lens name is proof that it has Coating, which was advanced for its time.

Through a mount adapter, old and new philosophies fuse into one. Because the NIKKOR-S.C 5cm F1.4 uses the body-side helicoid system unique to the Nikon S mount, an adapter with a helicoid is indispensable for use on the SIGMA fp.
With this slightly unbalanced yet supremely cool companion hanging from my neck, I set out into the streets of Shinjuku in early summer.

Stepping out of Shinjuku Station, it was as always a space like a mass of pure energy. Right now in particular, the area around the station is about to transform greatly for the future.

Looking up, a large crane pierces straight into the blue sky. Beyond it, I can see the unchanged "LUMINE EST" lettering. The honest color of the SIGMA fp blends with the somehow nostalgic lines of the NIKKOR-S.C. The moment I turn the focus ring, the city's bustle suddenly recedes, and time that is mine alone begins to flow.

Lowering my gaze a little from the dynamism of the large redevelopment, at the foot of the city there was nature quietly yet powerfully living on.

A flower blooming in the shade between buildings. When I opened the aperture and pressed the shutter, the background melted into smooth bokeh. It lacks the crisp sharpness of modern lenses, but the gentleness of the focal plane and the bleeding expression of light are unique to old lenses. It felt as if the moist air of early summer had been sealed into the photograph just as it was.

With this lens attached, my eyes keep turning only to the "details of the city" that I would normally pass by.

The vivid yellow of heavy machinery parked at a construction site, and a siamese connection standing in a back alley with two red traffic cones. An utterly ordinary city scene. Yet the light that passed through the lens carried dramatic shadows, like a scene from a movie. The soft bleed of the highlights and the gentle gradation toward the shadows. You can see that the SIGMA fp's rich dynamic range draws out 100% of the lens's character.

When I stopped walking and glanced over, a row of well-worn capsule toy machines stood there.

Light reflecting off the plastic. The time spent carefully focusing manually resembles the quiet excitement of childhood when choosing a single capsule. Precisely because we live in an age that prizes efficiency, this extra step of "focusing" deepens your attachment to photography.

Before long the sun began to sink, deep shadows started to fall over Shinjuku, and the neon lights came back to life.

A detail of a red neon sign hung on a building. The alluring glow of the red light floating in the darkness is surely the magic of the NIKKOR-S.C's coating. A modern lens might render it more evenly. But the slightly nostalgic and passionate red this old lens shows feels as if memories of the Showa-era night streets this lens once photographed had come back to life.

After the Shoot

SIGMA fp and NIKKOR-S.C 50mm f1.4. Shinjuku, walked with this combination, looked a little gentler and more emotional than usual.

In this modern age of ultra-high image quality and failure-free photos, using an old lens, focusing by hand, and enjoying the lens's own "quirks" is by no means backward-looking nostalgia. It may be the freshest way to luxuriously enjoy the very act of taking pictures.

A full-frame camera small enough to fit in your pocket, paired with a classic lens that has survived through history. Why not wake up an old lens sleeping in your closet and weave new memories of the city?

1. SIGMA fp

Released in 2019, the world's smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera (at the time of launch). It carries a roughly 24.6-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, combining high portability with excellent image quality.

Its refined design with a square aluminum body, a variety of color modes, and a silent, vibration-free full electronic shutter are also appealing. A camera that excels across a wide range, from snapshots to video production.

Width x height x depth: approx. 112.6mm x 69.9mm x 45.3mm

Weight: approx. 422g (including battery and SD memory card) / approx. 370g (body only)

2. NIKKOR-S.C 50mm f/1.4 (S Mount)

An S-mount large-aperture standard lens for the Nikon S series, introduced in the 1950s. With a brightness of F1.4, it was highly regarded for press and snapshot photography at the time.

"C" stands for Coating, and the lens is appealing for its rich color and the soft rendering unique to old lenses. It remains a very popular lens on modern mirrorless cameras.