“We can make around 200-400 camera bodies per month,” Sigma CEO talks complex Sigma BF manufacturing

Following news that Sigma is struggling to meet demand for the upcoming Sigma BF, a very interesting interview with Sigma CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, has highlighted the time-intensive process required to build a camera like no other. In the article from Imaging Resource, Yamaki revealed, “we can make around 200-400 bodies per month. Based on the exciting response from customers, we may need to build another production line system.”

He also confirmed that it takes a whopping seven hours to machine a single BF body, although that doesn’t mean a single BF is made every seven hours. The company turned to a bespoke automated system so it could work on multiple bodies simultaneously during many stages of production.

It turns out that one of the Sigma BF’s most luxurious selling points – the fact each body is a single piece of machined aluminum – complicates the production process. Yamaki told Imaging Resource, “[the one-piece body] means we have a very narrow opening to insert components during assembly (...) So the BF is expensive both for machining and for the labor involved in assembly.”

I think it’s great to hear Sigma being so transparent about the BF. After all, we know it’s new ground for the industry, but it’s easy to forget that it’s new ground for Sigma, too. And while some have questioned the price of this unique camera, Yamaki’s insights help to shed light on exactly where that money is going.

All of this fits nicely into the Sigma BF’s luxury tech mantra. I was quite taken with the camera when I saw it at the Photography & Video Show, and I personally think this narrative surrounding its production makes it even more appealing. After all, isn’t rarity and exclusivity part of the appeal of a luxury item? Would you really want a Leica or Hasselblad – or Rolex or Ferrari for that matter – to fly off the production line in minutes?

If you’re considering preordering the camera dubbed ‘Beautiful Foolishness’, you can read Digital Camera World editor in chief, James Artaius’, hands-on Sigma BF first impressions right now. And if you’re still on the fence, stick around for the full review in due course.

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Want more Sigma BF goodness? Most cameras are butt ugly, so will the Sigma BF’s minimalist aesthetic set a new design precedent? In other Sigma news, I think the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports is a mythological BEAST of a lens. And if you'd like to check out Sigma's other camera wears, here's the Sigma fp L review.