Sigma SD14 review

I am a hard grader YMMV.

The door you have to open and close to access the compact flash is flimsy, but since this is the case for most other dslr bodies I rate construction as average. Compared to the sd10 it is much better.

Compared to most cameras at or well below its price point its features are below average. While the AF, burst rate, and buffer flushing are much better than the Sigma sd10 they are not up to what other cameras offer. Keep in mind that what ever you want to call them the sd14 has to read, write, and store data from 14million detectors (photosites) which is more than any other dslr and this definitely affects burst rate and buffer flushing. The shutter is a vast improvement over the sd10 and is probably equal to what other cameras offer. Mirror slap is also greatly improved from the sd10 and now competitive.

The image quality is on par with some of the best cameras around. Dynamic range is greatly improved. There are significantly more detectors (photosites) than the previous sensor. Rolloff is probably the best of any dslr ever made. Lots of folks say the sensor is the real reason folks by this camera. Here is one of the better pbase galleries to illustrate the sd14 capabilities. You may need to edit the link some to get there

htt p:// www.pbase.com / ovasilkova/sd14

Doing a pbase search will provide lots of other examples. If you have never seen what a Foveon sensor is capable of in the hands of a real photographer it is worth your time to look at some of these images.

Ease of use is always suggestive. The camera is much more responsive than the sd10, but mine is still not responsive as my xti. For me a vertical wheel to adjust shutter speed/fstop is much easier to use than a horrizontal one like the sd14 has. From a physical standpoint most folks are much more sensitive on the pads of their fingers than on the sides so I suspect most folks would also feel this way.

Value for money is always subjective. I tried to guess what others would think instead of limiting the grade to my opinion. And I did get one of the first ones out, so the price was the msrp, not a street price at the end of the product cycle. For a price North of $US1,600 you are getting a great pro level sensor in a very average entry level body.

While the Sigma dust protector is a great feature most folks would not rate it superior to a dust removal feature some entry level cameras at much lower prices have. It is not clear if Sigma is in the IS in the lens (they do make some IS lens) or IS in the body camp. But the sd14 does not have IS in the body which some other entry level bodies do.

On the upside the image quality (which is the reason most folks buy this camera) compares well with the best dslrs out there. Not just entry level dslrs, but the 5ds and the dxs.

Bottom line is if you nail the exposure the sd14 will produce an image that will knock your socks off. Probably an image as good as any dslr around. You really need to pixel peep to see how good the image is.

I mostly used my sd10 for macro work. Here is a link to some of the images it can produce. You may need to edit this link too

http:/ /www.pba se.com/tommy2guns/butterfl y_rainforest_at_university_of_florida&page=all

Given the significant improvements the sd14 has when compared to the sd10 it was a no brainer for me to get the 14. I am sure it will produce better macros than the sd10. I have seen examples from other sd14 owners who do landscape and close ups of flowers who are in a similar position.

This camera is not for everyone, but if you want image quality that can go toe to toe with any dslr around and are willing to deal with a rather average body I recomend this camera.

Problems:

Sigma makes the only RAW converter that really shows the sd14 images at their best. Adobe is suppose to be working on support, but it is not there yet. Unfortunately some folks have had problems with the current Sigma raw converter, spp3, and Sigma is working on a fix. I did have problems with the RAW converter, but am convinced Sigma has the ability to fix these issues. Hopefully they will do it soon.