Throwback Thursday: Sigma SD1
The Sigma SD1 was an APS-C DSLR that featured the then-new 15MP (times three) Foveon X3 sensor. Previous models, such as the SD15, had 4.7x3MP sensors with a 1.7x crop, so this was a pretty big jump in resolution as well as a move to a more common sensor size. Foveon sensors capture color in a completely different way than Bayer sensors, with each 15MP layer capturing different color information. Thus, 45MP of total data is captured at 15 million locations, to give what the company claimed was equivalent to a 30MP Bayer sensor.
Other features on this SA-mount camera include an 11-point 'twin-cross' AF system, 3" 460k-dot LCD and a weather-sealed body. The SD1 was originally announced in 2010 with an MSRP of $9,700 but the company then emphasized that it expected it to have a 'street price' nearer $7,000 by the time it hit the market in mid 2011. Early the following year, the camera was renamed the SD1 Merrill and relaunched for a more down-to-earth $2,300.
As with all Foveon 'X3' sensors, while the SD1's low ISO resolution was great, image quality fell apart quickly as the sensitivity climbed.
For those who wanted to carry around something a bit more 'classy,' Sigma released a model with a burl wood veneer, which was priced at €10,000, at least in Germany, where it was announced. The body was described as 'emphasizing the camera's premium appeal by adding a casing made from Amboyna Burl, an expensive and decorative veneer taken from complex growths on a Southeast Asian tree. The case takes around 60 hours to cut, mill and polish.' Wow.
Sample Gallery
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Nikon has updated the firmware of its D4 professional SLR to version 1.02, allowing more-vivid display of images shot in the Adobe RGB colour space, improving the stability of FTP upload connections and fixing various other minor issues. Meanwhile Sigma has released firmware updates for its SD1 and SD1 Merrill SLRs (versions 1.07 and 1.02 respectively), both of which promise to improve startup times, allow a dedicated flash to be used in manual mode with mirror lockup, and fix various bugs. Click through for links to download the updates.
Sigma Germany has announced a wood-veneered version of its SD1 high-end DSLR. The 'Wood Edition' emphasizes the camera's premium appeal by adding a casing made from Amboyna Burl, an expensive and decorative veneer taken from complex growths on a Southeast Asian tree. The case takes around 60 hours to cut, mill and polish. Ten examples of the special edition will be available, body-only, for a recommended selling price of €9,999. (From PhotoScala)
Just posted: JPEG and Raw samples from the Sigma SD1. We've been using a production Sigma SD1 for a little while now, and although we have only just started our studio testing, we want to share some of our early 'real world' samples with you. In this gallery you will find images of a broad variety of subjects, shot at different ISO settings, in both raw and JPEG mode (albeit using, for now, a very limited range of lenses). We have converted the raw files using Sigma's Photo Pro 5.0 software 'to taste', and performed some minor tweaking of the resultant TIFF files in Adobe Camera Raw.
Sigma has stressed the differences between recommended selling prices (MSRPs) and the 'street' price that most consumers will be expected to pay. In the light of the dissatisfaction expressed about the SD1's recommended price, the company has pointed out that the camera's body-only street price will be around $6,899. The company also announced that its DP2x large-sensor compact is now available for a street price of $699.
Photokina 2010: Sigma has announced the SD1 digital SLR, which uses a brand new 46Mp 1.5x crop Foveon X3 sensor (4800 x 3200 x 3 layers). Designed as the company's flagship camera, the SD1 has a weatherproof magnesium alloy body, 3" 460k dot LCD, and new 11-point twin-cross AF system. Image processing is in the hands of a 'Dual True II' engine that promises improved speed and image quality, and the camera is compatible with the full range of Sigma lenses.
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