Two New Cameras From Sigma

[Mike Farley]

Sigma has just announced the successors to its Merrill SD1 interchageable lens camera, the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H. After the rather different design of the DP Quattro range, these look normal. By Sigma's standards, at least.



Taking a small part put of the top plate to avoid an entirely flat surface is a design feature employed by Fuji and Leica, but a large chunk missing from the bottom?

More information is available at Amateur Photographer.

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/la ... Cbz56lB.99

[Mike Farley]

Apparently this is a pre-launch development announcement by Sigma, so although the specs look quite detailed it might be a while before the cameras are available to buy. The Sigma website has more information.

http://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/sd-series/

[Mike Farley]

Thom Hogan's view, which includes the first view I have seen of the rear of the camera. The layout seemingly continues the Sigma tradition of being idiosyncratic.

http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/sig ... rless.html

[Mike Farley]

I have just seen that Thom Hogan's article includes a top down view of the camera. That protusion in front of the camera on the left is due to the continued use of the SA mount, which was designed for Sigma's DSLRs and is where the non existent mirror would go. In some ways, that is the worst of both worlds. The size and weight penalty of DSLR lenses, the inefficiencies of mirrorless when it comes to AF unless Sigma has found a way to compensate.



It looks as though the camera will be around the same size as the Leica SL. This link shows both cameras with 50 f/1.4 lenses.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#669.402,639.497,ha,t

[Mike Farley]

Mike Johnston's love letter to the Foveon sensor.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... l#comments

[Mike Farley]

DPReview looks at the new sd Quattros and the other recently announced products from Sigma.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/266198 ... and-lenses

[davidc]

Are you interesting in getting one? I know you have a love affair with them

I'm not sure what protrusion you mean in your above post though? The camera is quite knobbly, there are a fair few protrusions

[davidc]

That online photographer blog guy is curious. Although I was impressed/surprised by the quattro image quality, it's nothing that the 5DSR/A7RII doesn't produce. Granted those cameras are "newer" but also arguably much, much better. He's very gushing about image quality of the Foveon sensor to the extent where I think I must have missed something. In other words, images are nice but not transcendatally gorgeous like suggests! Or am I missing something? Can't help but feel there's a tinge of buyer's justification creeping into his prose...

He is right in one aspect, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

[Mike Farley]

Are you interesting in getting one?

It's unlikely as it would mean yet another set of lenses, there being no way to adapt third party lenses to the SA mount so far as I am aware. I also have concerns about the latest Foveon sensor, which is said to be prone to blown highlights. Take into account other known limitations such as restricted ISO and likely AF performance, it would not be capable of fully replacing my other equipment.

I'm not sure what protrusion you mean in your above post though? The camera is quite knobbly, there are a fair few protrusions

I am referring to the lens mount, where the use of DSLR lenses means a greater lens flange to sensor distance than if the entire system had been designed for mirrorless. It's a niche product and I doubt Sigma had the budget to redesign everything. Maybe that will come with the next generation?

[Mike Farley]

That online photographer blog guy is curious. Although I was impressed/surprised by the quattro image quality, it's nothing that the 5DSR/A7RII doesn't produce. Granted those cameras are "newer" but also arguably much, much better. He's very gushing about image quality of the Foveon sensor to the extent where I think I must have missed something. In other words, images are nice but not transcendatally gorgeous like suggests! Or am I missing something? Can't help but feel there's a tinge of buyer's justification creeping into his prose...

He is right in one aspect, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

I cannot comment on the comparison with the higher res full frame cameras, but there is definitely something a bit different about the images from a Foveon sensor. Arguably similar results could be obtained from Bayer or X-Trans sensors with some tweaking in post. Ultimately it's the image which counts, not how the photographer got there.

If you want to see some good examples of Foveon images, head over to the Getdpi forum and look for shots by a guy called Quentin Bargate. He has produced some excellent work.

As for Mike Johnston at TOP, I know he bought a used DP2M to test a theory that it is possible to get better mono images from the Foveon sensor but, as is quite usual for him, he never followed up. I doubt he still has the camera and I do not believe that he has acquired any others. His main camera these days seems to be the Fuji X-T1.

With the sd Quattros, I see some maturity in the Foveon line-up but I think Johnston is right, Sigma does not have the resources to develop the technology and Bayer sensors, despite being something of a kludge, are good enough. There have long been rumours of multi-layered sensors coming from other manufacturers and they certainly have some relevant patents, but I am not expecting any significant announcements in the short term. Foveon remains a technology which has an interest, which is why I am tracking it here, but is unlikely to become mainstream.