Sigma SD10 review

I have been using a Sigma SD10 for over a year now. I was interested in the SD9, but not quite sure. When the SD10 came out I downloaded the SPP 2.1 software and played around with it for a while. It is very impressive, and many folks (including me) think it is the best raw software around. The lightfill feature is like nothing else (even in Photoshot).

What first attracted me to the SD9 and then the SD10 was the image quality. There are a couple of real techinical reasons for this. First the SD9/10 have the best edge rolloff of any digital camera made. If you dont know what this is go to the Sigma forum at dpreview and do a search on rolloff.

The Foveon sensors also perform differently than Bayer sensors at the Nyquist limit. In simple terms Phil tests this by taking an image of a card with nine black lines getting progressively closer to each other on a white card. When Bayer sensors can no longer resolve the nine black lines the image turns to grey mush. The Foveon sensor produces what I call false detail. Instead of nine lines it shows five lines. Not true reality but to me it is much better than grey mush.

Several of the other posters have mentioned dust. I was lucky to have done lots of forum surfing and noticed the only camera that seemed to have dust problems like the Sigmas was the top of the line Canon 1Ds. I also saw a couple of posts which I now think are true along the lines of all DSLRs have dust problems, but it is just the great ones that have sensors that resolve the dust. I also surfed the pro forum and many pros block out time every Sunday nite to clean their sensors and lens before starting the weeks work. I have cleaned my camera a couple of times using instructions from several forums. Just do a search on dust and brush.

Some folks dont like the no jpg option, but I have no problems working with raw files. This is sorta personal, but everyone agrees you get the best results from raw files, and if you are archiving you want to archive the raw, not jpg files.

If you come from a film background the SD10 seems like a well thought out camera. I still need to read the manual from cover to cover, but the camera is so easy to use I take pix instead of doing that.

I use Rayovac 15 minute rechargables. No problems, they are cheap from places like Target or Walmart. I carry a spare set or two, and often go thru 2 1 gig cards on a single set. I normally shoot all morning, then change at lunch time wether I need to or not. The battery tray seems a little flimsy to me, but I have never had a problem.

There are some highly techincal things about aliasing and artifacts problems, and I have seen them both at times. But my understanding is there is somekinda tradeoff between softness and no artifacts or artifacts and sharp images, with Bayer sensors more like the first and Foveon sensors more like the second. Look at Sigma images in pbase and see which you like best.

I would not recomend the Sigma for everyone, but if you want a camera that produces some of the best detailed images possible from a DSLR at a price you can afford this is the camera for you (if you understand you will have to deal with raw files).

Problems:

Because the sensor is so good you have to deal with dust a lesser sensor might not record.

Hi ISO is workable if there is some good light, but this is definitely not one of the Sigmas best features.

I like being able to use AAs off the store shelf, but the battery tray is not inspired. Never had a problem with it.

There is a limited choice of lens compared to Canon or Nikon, and the price of used Canon or Nikon lens seems to be an advantage. It is possible to get a M42 adapter and open up lots more lens but without AF.

After using this camera over a year I can say there is a learning curve. And I am still learning. It is not a camera you will outgrow.