Upgrade my SD15

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

George,

I love my SD15, great camera for colour and it is fast in use.

The SD1 Merrill is a superior camera having much higher resolution which allows for fairly severe cropping when necessary. The colour is excellent but somewhat different to the SD15, not better or worse just different.

It is slow to write to the card especially when shooting full resolution RAW + Jpeg, but it has the advantage of being able to shoot high, medium and low Res. I often use mine to shoot Jpegs at medium res. and in that way the camera is as fast as any other.

The SD1 M is weather & dust sealed on the buttons and joints which can be an advantage but I would not use it unprotected in heavy rain no more than I would with any other brand no matter how much they claim to be weather sealed. electronics do not like any dampness.

Keep your SD15 which I think you will continue to use even if you get the SD1M and I would get the 35mm 1.4 to go with them.

Good Luck.

S

My advice would be to add a DPxMerrill camera for use with your SD15; they make excellent companion cameras and the DPxMerrill will give you the same sensor as in the SD1M. I've used a DP2Merrill for some years alongside my SD15. Last month I also bought a DP3Merrill. The difference is essentially the mm difference of the lenses (both outstanding); preference between them would basically be whether you prefer the wider DP2Merrill lens or the closer 'macro' /short telephoto of the DP3Merrill 50mm lens. Detail and corners are outstandingly sharp on both cameras.

added: the DP1Merrill of course is also an option, although I understand from others' posts & photos that the corners aren't as excellently crisp as the DP2M and DP3M. I haven't used a DP1M personally.

Best regards, Sandy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann (4 new DP3Merrill photos uploaded today)

Much as I'd like to get a DP M as well, I fear I'd end up a gear junkie and not stick to one system.

Even now I have the old DP1 and DP2 as well as the SD1M. Yes, on a recent trip I did take the DP2 along and is did complement the SD1M in situations where the latter was just too BULKY to wield, difference in resolution of the sensors notwithstanding.

So I reckon what Ceistinne expressed are also my ideas. I don't know what lenses you already have, but I have tried so many on the SD1M (incl some legacy ones) and found them all good. I do not know what "more" you'll get out of the SD15 - capable as that camera is - with an Art lens. That would be something I'd (will one day) attach to an SD1M to "supposedly" get near to what a DP M will produce.

To put my slant on a point that C made: the DP non-Ms I have and SD1M are different.

End of my ideas, FWTW.

atom14.

I've got both the SD15 and SD1m.

Both camera's are keepers in my opinion. If you can afford the SD1m go for it. The only drawback I see is that the memory buffer can't handle more than 6 or 7 photo's shot instantaneously. It backs up when writing to the memory card which uses a Compact Flash card not like the SDHC miniature memory card used in the SD15. Larger compact flash cards are much more expensive compared to the smaller SDHC memory cards.

I am pleased with both camera's and interchange the use of lens for both camera's. I have a 30mm F/1.4 and with a 1.5~1.6 crop factor of the image sensors it gives you close to a 1:1 real world view approx 45mm to 48mm equivalent focal length of a standard 50mm lens, a good combination.

Raw files with the SD1 are huge but worth the effort to process the pictures outside of the camera using SPP 6.2 software. Good luck with you decision. The pictures I take are primarily panorama's and both cameras are exceptional for this type of landscape photography.

Richard

Ceistinne said:

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

George,

I love my SD15, great camera for colour and it is fast in use.

The SD1 Merrill is a superior camera having much higher resolution which allows for fairly severe cropping when necessary. The colour is excellent but somewhat different to the SD15, not better or worse just different.

It is slow to write to the card especially when shooting full resolution RAW + Jpeg, but it has the advantage of being able to shoot high, medium and low Res. I often use mine to shoot Jpegs at medium res. and in that way the camera is as fast as any other.

The SD1 M is weather & dust sealed on the buttons and joints which can be an advantage but I would not use it unprotected in heavy rain no more than I would with any other brand no matter how much they claim to be weather sealed. electronics do not like any dampness.

Keep your SD15 which I think you will continue to use even if you get the SD1M and I would get the 35mm 1.4 to go with them.

Good Luck.

S

Click to expand...

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate you taking the time. I must say I am definitely leaning toward the SD1M. Im not too concerned about the speed issue as most of what I do is considered photography, and for other uses the SD15 keeps up.

Not sure I can stretch to both the 35mm F1:4 and the SD1M, but I will look at the 30mm 1:4. I have the 17-70 mm and 8-16 mm and both seem very sharp on the SD15, hoping they will be on the SD1M. Now I just need to press the button!

SandyF said:

My advice would be to add a DPxMerrill camera for use with your SD15; they make excellent companion cameras and the DPxMerrill will give you the same sensor as in the SD1M. I've used a DP2Merrill for some years alongside my SD15. Last month I also bought a DP3Merrill. The difference is essentially the mm difference of the lenses (both outstanding); preference between them would basically be whether you prefer the wider DP2Merrill lens or the closer 'macro' /short telephoto of the DP3Merrill 50mm lens. Detail and corners are outstandingly sharp on both cameras.

added: the DP1Merrill of course is also an option, although I understand from others' posts & photos that the corners aren't as excellently crisp as the DP2M and DP3M. I haven't used a DP1M personally.

Best regards, Sandy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann (4 new DP3Merrill photos uploaded today)

Click to expand...

Thanks for this Sandy, I agree with you about the DPM series, stunning image quality and sharp lenses. Not that I am making a direct comparison but I have the DP1s. I don't use it very much but Im always pleased with the output when I do. I did consider buying the DPM set as the current prices for all three come in at only a little more than a SD1M body.

What stayed my hand is a concern about having too many cameras. It seems decadent to consider keeping the SD15 but I am so fond of it, its worth more to me that a part ex price. The other issue is the handling. I am of course assuming the DPM series handling is similar to the DP1s albeit with many improvements over the DP1s. I find the SD15 handling is perfect for me and operating the key controls have become second nature to me.

Really appreciate your thought, I will get the SD1M for sure, but a bit of me will wish I could break my personal discipline and buy both the DP2M and DPM3.

Kind regards

George

atom14 said:

Much as I'd like to get a DP M as well, I fear I'd end up a gear junkie and not stick to one system.

Even now I have the old DP1 and DP2 as well as the SD1M. Yes, on a recent trip I did take the DP2 along and is did complement the SD1M in situations where the latter was just too BULKY to wield, difference in resolution of the sensors notwithstanding.

So I reckon what Ceistinne expressed are also my ideas. I don't know what lenses you already have, but I have tried so many on the SD1M (incl some legacy ones) and found them all good. I do not know what "more" you'll get out of the SD15 - capable as that camera is - with an Art lens. That would be something I'd (will one day) attach to an SD1M to "supposedly" get near to what a DP M will produce.

To put my slant on a point that C made: the DP non-Ms I have and SD1M are different.

End of my ideas, FWTW.

atom14.

Click to expand...

Thanks atom14, I'm right there with your gear junkie fears. I have been there before and found it very uncomfortable thinking I am not using them enough to justify the expense and if I'm not using much did I really need them.

Based on the helpful comments I have received I will go down the SD1M route. I have the 17-70 mm and 8-16 mm lenses, and I will see about stretching to the 30mm F1:4, the 35 MM F1:4 is too much of a reach with a new body.

Thanks again.

Kind regards

Richard Carlson said:

I've got both the SD15 and SD1m.

Both camera's are keepers in my opinion. If you can afford the SD1m go for it. The only drawback I see is that the memory buffer can't handle more than 6 or 7 photo's shot instantaneously. It backs up when writing to the memory card which uses a Compact Flash card not like the SDHC miniature memory card used in the SD15. Larger compact flash cards are much more expensive compared to the smaller SDHC memory cards.

I am pleased with both camera's and interchange the use of lens for both camera's. I have a 30mm F/1.4 and with a 1.5~1.6 crop factor of the image sensors it gives you close to a 1:1 real world view approx 45mm to 48mm equivalent focal length of a standard 50mm lens, a good combination.

Raw files with the SD1 are huge but worth the effort to process the pictures outside of the camera using SPP 6.2 software. Good luck with you decision. The pictures I take are primarily panorama's and both cameras are exceptional for this type of landscape photography.

Richard

Click to expand...

Thanks Richard, I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and experience. The responses I have received have been very helpful. I have settled on buying the SD1M and keeping the SD15. I may buy the 30mm F1:4 as I will not be able to stretch to the 35 mm F1:4 right now.

Kind regards

George

I have the same dilemma. I am thinking about getting an SD15 myself. I love my SD14, and frankly I don't know if my prints will be that much better if I get an SD1 Merrill. Besides, the SD1 Merrill will need excellent lenses to really perform much better anyway. As it is, my images show stair stepping when I blow them up a long way. I'm sure that's just a result of resampling, but I'll have to resample (or the printer will) when printing really large with the Merrill files anyway. So do I get an SD15 and a 50mm f1.4 A or an SD1 Merrill? I've decided to get a DP3 Merrill, which gives me both in a less expensive package. Then, in the future, I'll get myself an SD1 Merrill, when they've come down to a lower price. Then I'll have my 28-80mm lens, and it will work o.k. at f8, just like it has on my SD14. For now I'll shoot some multi-shot panoramas with my DP3 Merrill, when the lens isn't wide enough. When the lens isn't long enough, I'll have to crop a little (still probably better than the SD14 or SD15 with the 28-80). For macro stuff I'll get a close-focus lens, because I'm pretty sure that will be superior to the macro function of my 28-80.

But do you print large? (really large?)

I've never printed any of my SD14 shots really large. I'm planning to print my photo of Biltmore mansion at 24x36 inches this week. I'll let you know how it goes, if you like.

Ultimately, I've decided to start shooting with an 8x10 film camera. Nothing in the digital world can compete with what such a camera is capable of doing (long exposures at the beach, making the ocean look like a cloud, while capturing detail similar to what the best BetterLight backs can capture). Large format film is expensive, but I'll only be shooting one or two boxes of film per month, so it won't be THAT bad. I'll still shoot with digital cameras, but hopefully I'll produce two or three really spectacular large format shots each year, so in a couple of years I'll have enough images to print at monster sizes for gallery shows.

Money is tight for me (so much stuff to get), so I probably won't be getting an SD1 Merrill this year. I think the DP3 Merrill will tide me over for a while.

There are some good samples from the DP3 Merrill in this week's photo posts:

For me the SD15 is actually the top in term of color appealing and versatility, if I were to buy another camera would be another SD15 for sure!

Greetings

Good luck shooting the 8x10 film. That will produce great images. Anyway on to the question at hand. The SD1 or lenses. Well for what it's worth here's my 2 cents, if you shoot the SD1 you'll need the Art lenses or the best lenses Sigma makes to get the most out of the camera. If you don't have the best lenses you'll find yourself shooting in the medium Res mode which is the same as the SD15 only the color is different the SD15 is faster and AF is better. The AF on the SD1 can be adjusted but it's touchy.

As for the lenses, if you buy the Art lenses and use them on your SD15 it makes a world of difference they'll give the 15 new life. Just make sure they AF where they should.

Ok, my opinion buy the lenses and a another 15 body or just the lenses. The DPM are very good as are the Q's but I prefer DSLR's. I prefer 2 bodies and 4 lenses or something like that.

Oh ya, how often do you print large? Most people (99%) only look at their images on the monitor they never print and if they do print it's no larger than a 8x10.

Good luck

Roger J.

Good luck Scottley on the 8x10 film. I'd like to see some of your work.

I've been tempted by 8x10 myself. But I like color which means each shutter click is around $15 + processing, a bit spendy for my pocketbook right now. But if you like shooting B&W the price is much less, plus you can process it yourself.

Scottelly said:

I have the same dilemma. I am thinking about getting an SD15 myself. I love my SD14, and frankly I don't know if my prints will be that much better if I get an SD1 Merrill. Besides, the SD1 Merrill will need excellent lenses to really perform much better anyway. As it is, my images show stair stepping when I blow them up a long way. I'm sure that's just a result of resampling, but I'll have to resample (or the printer will) when printing really large with the Merrill files anyway. So do I get an SD15 and a 50mm f1.4 A or an SD1 Merrill? I've decided to get a DP3 Merrill, which gives me both in a less expensive package. Then, in the future, I'll get myself an SD1 Merrill, when they've come down to a lower price. Then I'll have my 28-80mm lens, and it will work o.k. at f8, just like it has on my SD14. For now I'll shoot some multi-shot panoramas with my DP3 Merrill, when the lens isn't wide enough. When the lens isn't long enough, I'll have to crop a little (still probably better than the SD14 or SD15 with the 28-80). For macro stuff I'll get a close-focus lens, because I'm pretty sure that will be superior to the macro function of my 28-80.

But do you print large? (really large?)

I've never printed any of my SD14 shots really large. I'm planning to print my photo of Biltmore mansion at 24x36 inches this week. I'll let you know how it goes, if you like.

Ultimately, I've decided to start shooting with an 8x10 film camera. Nothing in the digital world can compete with what such a camera is capable of doing (long exposures at the beach, making the ocean look like a cloud, while capturing detail similar to what the best BetterLight backs can capture). Large format film is expensive, but I'll only be shooting one or two boxes of film per month, so it won't be THAT bad. I'll still shoot with digital cameras, but hopefully I'll produce two or three really spectacular large format shots each year, so in a couple of years I'll have enough images to print at monster sizes for gallery shows.

Money is tight for me (so much stuff to get), so I probably won't be getting an SD1 Merrill this year. I think the DP3 Merrill will tide me over for a while.

There are some good samples from the DP3 Merrill in this week's photo posts:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3791652

Click to expand...

FWIW I just printed 4 photos at 13 x19 inches; 2 are from DP3Merrill and 2 from SD15. They are from the Luray VA photos online at my flickr link below (SD15: last October looking down from Skyline Drive and DP3M: first and last of 'dusk' photos from the house looking towards the Shenandoah Natl. Park mountains).

Couple comments: the DP3Merrill photos' corners are as sharp as the centers. Beautiful detail; much moreso than the SD15. The 17-70mmOS lens on the SD15 is mushy on the lower left. I found FWIW that my old 28-70mmEX, a really nice lens on the SD14 just doesn't work well, especially doesn't focus well, on the SD15.

The Merrill cameras have significantly (IMHO) more resolution than the SD15 generation sensor (SD14, SD15, DP1, DP2.) I can see the difference. The DP3Merrill shots could have been cropped; the SD15 doesn't have the resolution to take much cropping. All photos needed just light editing in SPP; BUT the SD15 also had dust spots I had to remove in another software program. Advantage to the DPx/M cameras; I've never had dust spots on any of the DPx/DPxM cameras I'ved used over the years.

I used a SD1 briefly in Death Valley on one trip with other Sigma shooters. I find the DP2Merrill and DP3Merrill 'easier' to shoot and process for good/correct/pleasing color and shadows and exposure than I found the SD1.

My old original Sigma flash (...500 or something from SD10 days) works well automatically with the DP3Merrill and doesn't look/feel ridiculous with the somewhat larger DP3Merrill as compared with the older DP1 and DP2 on which it was really topheavy.

Best regards, Sandy

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi George,

I appreciate your quandary with the SD15. I must confess I have also had the same thoughts as to whether to 'upgrade to an SD!M' from my current SD15.

Whilst I accept that the SD1M does produce different results, I am unsure that, for my purposes, that I would be any better off ?

I, like probably a lot of people, generally only view my stuff on my monitor (27"NEC) and seldom make prints.

As such, the additional performance of the SD1M is probably academic. That is not to say I might not buy an SD1M if and when the price falls even further, say with a new product release.

For a while my computer set up would have been useless with such large files but this is not now a particular issue having changed my computer although such large files as from the SD!M would probably still take a bit of number crunching.

Myself, I have decided that at present I will stick with my SD15 and update my lenses. I have just bought an 17-70mm 'C' lens to replace my older 18-200mm lens. The facility to, some day, use the same lenses between SD15 and SD1M would be for me, a bonus and attractive.

It really just depends on what you realistically think your requirements are and how much you are able to spend. Avoiding, of course, the temptation just to get something newer to play with :-D

It's your decision but it is the photographer that is most important.

If Hi-Res is what is wanted then something like PhotoZoom can do things there.

I was going to post the following shots in a separate thread to see what the opinions were amongst the forum on this subject but perhaps for now, hopefully you don't mind, I can include them in your discussion which has received many interesting bits of advice and it might be relevant to your original dilemma ?

It might help make me make my mind up too. ;-)

This shot is a bit of a mix. It was made on my SD15, handheld, with a vintage 1962 135mm f2.8 Tamron M42 lens. The crop has been upped with PhotoZoom and is about 1.1 Mb and around 1/60th of the full image which is around 3.5 Mb so I suppose if it were all at the crop res the image would have become around 60 Mb ?

It poses the question as to just how things have advanced or not with all the improvements and developments ?


Crop section.




Original.

It would be interesting to hear comments on the above relative to the need/ desire to change from SD15/14 to SD1M.

Hope you make the right choice for yourself,

Cheers.

George1958 said:

Richard Carlson said:

I've got both the SD15 and SD1m.

Both camera's are keepers in my opinion. If you can afford the SD1m go for it. The only drawback I see is that the memory buffer can't handle more than 6 or 7 photo's shot instantaneously. It backs up when writing to the memory card which uses a Compact Flash card not like the SDHC miniature memory card used in the SD15. Larger compact flash cards are much more expensive compared to the smaller SDHC memory cards.

I am pleased with both camera's and interchange the use of lens for both camera's. I have a 30mm F/1.4 and with a 1.5~1.6 crop factor of the image sensors it gives you close to a 1:1 real world view approx 45mm to 48mm equivalent focal length of a standard 50mm lens, a good combination.

Raw files with the SD1 are huge but worth the effort to process the pictures outside of the camera using SPP 6.2 software. Good luck with you decision. The pictures I take are primarily panorama's and both cameras are exceptional for this type of landscape photography.

Richard

Click to expand...

Thanks Richard, I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and experience. The responses I have received have been very helpful. I have settled on buying the SD1M and keeping the SD15. I may buy the 30mm F1:4 as I will not be able to stretch to the 35 mm F1:4 right now.

Kind regards

George

Click to expand...

George.

That 30mm/1.4 lens - at least the one I have - shows coma at f/1.4, as tested on star images. It's OK around f/4 and onwards. I'd reconsider it if you want a lens for wide aperture.

atom14.

atom14 said:

George1958 said:

Richard Carlson said:

I've got both the SD15 and SD1m.

Both camera's are keepers in my opinion. If you can afford the SD1m go for it. The only drawback I see is that the memory buffer can't handle more than 6 or 7 photo's shot instantaneously. It backs up when writing to the memory card which uses a Compact Flash card not like the SDHC miniature memory card used in the SD15. Larger compact flash cards are much more expensive compared to the smaller SDHC memory cards.

I am pleased with both camera's and interchange the use of lens for both camera's. I have a 30mm F/1.4 and with a 1.5~1.6 crop factor of the image sensors it gives you close to a 1:1 real world view approx 45mm to 48mm equivalent focal length of a standard 50mm lens, a good combination.

Raw files with the SD1 are huge but worth the effort to process the pictures outside of the camera using SPP 6.2 software. Good luck with you decision. The pictures I take are primarily panorama's and both cameras are exceptional for this type of landscape photography.

Richard

Click to expand...

Thanks Richard, I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and experience. The responses I have received have been very helpful. I have settled on buying the SD1M and keeping the SD15. I may buy the 30mm F1:4 as I will not be able to stretch to the 35 mm F1:4 right now.

Kind regards

George

Click to expand...

George.

That 30mm/1.4 lens - at least the one I have - shows coma at f/1.4, as tested on star images. It's OK around f/4 and onwards. I'd reconsider it if you want a lens for wide aperture.

atom14.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up on the coma issue Richard, looks like I might need to be patient for the 35mm f1:4.

Kind regards

whisky said:

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi George,

I appreciate your quandary with the SD15. I must confess I have also had the same thoughts as to whether to 'upgrade to an SD!M' from my current SD15.

Whilst I accept that the SD1M does produce different results, I am unsure that, for my purposes, that I would be any better off ?

I, like probably a lot of people, generally only view my stuff on my monitor (27"NEC) and seldom make prints.

As such, the additional performance of the SD1M is probably academic. That is not to say I might not buy an SD1M if and when the price falls even further, say with a new product release.

For a while my computer set up would have been useless with such large files but this is not now a particular issue having changed my computer although such large files as from the SD!M would probably still take a bit of number crunching.

Myself, I have decided that at present I will stick with my SD15 and update my lenses. I have just bought an 17-70mm 'C' lens to replace my older 18-200mm lens. The facility to, some day, use the same lenses between SD15 and SD1M would be for me, a bonus and attractive.

It really just depends on what you realistically think your requirements are and how much you are able to spend. Avoiding, of course, the temptation just to get something newer to play with :-D

It's your decision but it is the photographer that is most important.

If Hi-Res is what is wanted then something like PhotoZoom can do things there.

I was going to post the following shots in a separate thread to see what the opinions were amongst the forum on this subject but perhaps for now, hopefully you don't mind, I can include them in your discussion which has received many interesting bits of advice and it might be relevant to your original dilemma ?

It might help make me make my mind up too. ;-)

This shot is a bit of a mix. It was made on my SD15, handheld, with a vintage 1962 135mm f2.8 Tamron M42 lens. The crop has been upped with PhotoZoom and is about 1.1 Mb and around 1/60th of the full image which is around 3.5 Mb so I suppose if it were all at the crop res the image would have become around 60 Mb ?

It poses the question as to just how things have advanced or not with all the improvements and developments ?


Crop section.


Original.

It would be interesting to hear comments on the above relative to the need/ desire to change from SD15/14 to SD1M.

Hope you make the right choice for yourself,

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Thanks for introducing another dimension to this discussion, I think its really relevant and helpful. I began this thread by saying that my SD15 had been rewarding and I was somewhat ambivalent about a new body or higher quality lens.

I have tried upsizing tiffs via SPP and have generally been pleased with the results but SPP is not part of my usual workflow. I use LR 5, the Nik Suite and Alien Skin Exposure 7. I also have a 27 inch Apple monitor but I do print a few images if I am really happy with them.

I have tried Perfect Effects to resize but it does no better than SPP and if i try to go bigger than x 2 I get a lot of unpleasant aliasing artefacts.

The desire to go higher resolution via the SD1M was to remove the need to resize from with my workflow but I admit there are not many situations where this is an actual need. My sole bug bare with the SD15 is the output files do no zoom in much in light room. The benefit of having more resolution would be greater ease in post processing, checking sharpness, making minor edits with the heal brush etc. However if there is a better application for upsizing then I should consider it, I have not yet died photo zoom.



Kind regards

George1958 said:

whisky said:

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi George,

I appreciate your quandary with the SD15. I must confess I have also had the same thoughts as to whether to 'upgrade to an SD!M' from my current SD15.

Whilst I accept that the SD1M does produce different results, I am unsure that, for my purposes, that I would be any better off ?

I, like probably a lot of people, generally only view my stuff on my monitor (27"NEC) and seldom make prints.

As such, the additional performance of the SD1M is probably academic. That is not to say I might not buy an SD1M if and when the price falls even further, say with a new product release.

For a while my computer set up would have been useless with such large files but this is not now a particular issue having changed my computer although such large files as from the SD!M would probably still take a bit of number crunching.

Myself, I have decided that at present I will stick with my SD15 and update my lenses. I have just bought an 17-70mm 'C' lens to replace my older 18-200mm lens. The facility to, some day, use the same lenses between SD15 and SD1M would be for me, a bonus and attractive.

It really just depends on what you realistically think your requirements are and how much you are able to spend. Avoiding, of course, the temptation just to get something newer to play with :-D

It's your decision but it is the photographer that is most important.

If Hi-Res is what is wanted then something like PhotoZoom can do things there.

I was going to post the following shots in a separate thread to see what the opinions were amongst the forum on this subject but perhaps for now, hopefully you don't mind, I can include them in your discussion which has received many interesting bits of advice and it might be relevant to your original dilemma ?

It might help make me make my mind up too. ;-)

This shot is a bit of a mix. It was made on my SD15, handheld, with a vintage 1962 135mm f2.8 Tamron M42 lens. The crop has been upped with PhotoZoom and is about 1.1 Mb and around 1/60th of the full image which is around 3.5 Mb so I suppose if it were all at the crop res the image would have become around 60 Mb ?

It poses the question as to just how things have advanced or not with all the improvements and developments ?


Crop section.


Original.

It would be interesting to hear comments on the above relative to the need/ desire to change from SD15/14 to SD1M.

Hope you make the right choice for yourself,

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Thanks for introducing another dimension to this discussion, I think its really relevant and helpful. I began this thread by saying that my SD15 had been rewarding and I was somewhat ambivalent about a new body or higher quality lens.

I have tried upsizing tiffs via SPP and have generally been pleased with the results but SPP is not part of my usual workflow. I use LR 5, the Nik Suite and Alien Skin Exposure 7. I also have a 27 inch Apple monitor but I do print a few images if I am really happy with them.

I have tried Perfect Effects to resize but it does no better than SPP and if i try to go bigger than x 2 I get a lot of unpleasant aliasing artefacts.

The desire to go higher resolution via the SD1M was to remove the need to resize from with my workflow but I admit there are not many situations where this is an actual need. My sole bug bare with the SD15 is the output files do no zoom in much in light room. The benefit of having more resolution would be greater ease in post processing, checking sharpness, making minor edits with the heal brush etc. However if there is a better application for upsizing then I should consider it, I have not yet died photo zoom.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi again George,

Apologies if I appear to have killed off your thread on the SD15. I was hoping to see if your discussion could be enlarged a bit to make some validation and benefit for the need or expense of upgrading to the SD1M over and above the means to increase the resolution already available.

The 'Tech Savvy' people do not appear to be much interested it seems. :-(

I was expecting them to possibly 'rubbish' my example print for whatever reasons and, not being a 'techy', was prepared for this. It might have been interesting.

It is maybe easier to continuously buy the latest kit but with the Quatro, this seems to have brought mixed opinions to date.

I see you use a variety of PP applications. My own stuff I do mainly on SPP6 with a little bit on PSE12 and NIK and occasionally up res via BenVista PhotozoomPro6.

The example shot was done with PhotoZoomPro6 just as an illustration of the point you were making.

As you might have noticed, it was taken with a fifty year old lens hand held so it does make me at least question how much things, electronics aside, have really advanced ?

Cheers and regards,

Stuart.

whisky said:

George1958 said:

whisky said:

George1958 said:

Hi, I have been using the SD15 for the past two years and it remains a very rewarding experience. I have largely been immune to spec list jury about what is a good camera until now when I find that I am finically able to consider an SD1M.

My dilemma is am I better buying a nice prime such as the 35mm F1:4 A or the 50 mm F1.4 and getting more out of my SD15. My interest in the sigma platform is with fine art and landscape.

I would appreciate any views you are kind enough to offer.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi George,

I appreciate your quandary with the SD15. I must confess I have also had the same thoughts as to whether to 'upgrade to an SD!M' from my current SD15.

Whilst I accept that the SD1M does produce different results, I am unsure that, for my purposes, that I would be any better off ?

I, like probably a lot of people, generally only view my stuff on my monitor (27"NEC) and seldom make prints.

As such, the additional performance of the SD1M is probably academic. That is not to say I might not buy an SD1M if and when the price falls even further, say with a new product release.

For a while my computer set up would have been useless with such large files but this is not now a particular issue having changed my computer although such large files as from the SD!M would probably still take a bit of number crunching.

Myself, I have decided that at present I will stick with my SD15 and update my lenses. I have just bought an 17-70mm 'C' lens to replace my older 18-200mm lens. The facility to, some day, use the same lenses between SD15 and SD1M would be for me, a bonus and attractive.

It really just depends on what you realistically think your requirements are and how much you are able to spend. Avoiding, of course, the temptation just to get something newer to play with :-D

It's your decision but it is the photographer that is most important.

If Hi-Res is what is wanted then something like PhotoZoom can do things there.

I was going to post the following shots in a separate thread to see what the opinions were amongst the forum on this subject but perhaps for now, hopefully you don't mind, I can include them in your discussion which has received many interesting bits of advice and it might be relevant to your original dilemma ?

It might help make me make my mind up too. ;-)

This shot is a bit of a mix. It was made on my SD15, handheld, with a vintage 1962 135mm f2.8 Tamron M42 lens. The crop has been upped with PhotoZoom and is about 1.1 Mb and around 1/60th of the full image which is around 3.5 Mb so I suppose if it were all at the crop res the image would have become around 60 Mb ?

It poses the question as to just how things have advanced or not with all the improvements and developments ?


Crop section.


Original.

It would be interesting to hear comments on the above relative to the need/ desire to change from SD15/14 to SD1M.

Hope you make the right choice for yourself,

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Thanks for introducing another dimension to this discussion, I think its really relevant and helpful. I began this thread by saying that my SD15 had been rewarding and I was somewhat ambivalent about a new body or higher quality lens.

I have tried upsizing tiffs via SPP and have generally been pleased with the results but SPP is not part of my usual workflow. I use LR 5, the Nik Suite and Alien Skin Exposure 7. I also have a 27 inch Apple monitor but I do print a few images if I am really happy with them.

I have tried Perfect Effects to resize but it does no better than SPP and if i try to go bigger than x 2 I get a lot of unpleasant aliasing artefacts.

The desire to go higher resolution via the SD1M was to remove the need to resize from with my workflow but I admit there are not many situations where this is an actual need. My sole bug bare with the SD15 is the output files do no zoom in much in light room. The benefit of having more resolution would be greater ease in post processing, checking sharpness, making minor edits with the heal brush etc. However if there is a better application for upsizing then I should consider it, I have not yet died photo zoom.

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Hi again George,

Apologies if I appear to have killed off your thread on the SD15. I was hoping to see if your discussion could be enlarged a bit to make some validation and benefit for the need or expense of upgrading to the SD1M over and above the means to increase the resolution already available.

The 'Tech Savvy' people do not appear to be much interested it seems. :-(

I was expecting them to possibly 'rubbish' my example print for whatever reasons and, not being a 'techy', was prepared for this. It might have been interesting.

It is maybe easier to continuously buy the latest kit but with the Quatro, this seems to have brought mixed opinions to date.

I see you use a variety of PP applications. My own stuff I do mainly on SPP6 with a little bit on PSE12 and NIK and occasionally up res via BenVista PhotozoomPro6.

The example shot was done with PhotoZoomPro6 just as an illustration of the point you were making.

As you might have noticed, it was taken with a fifty year old lens hand held so it does make me at least question how much things, electronics aside, have really advanced ?

Cheers and regards,

Stuart.

Click to expand...

Hi Stuart, from a personal point of view I think I have got what I needed, and a much as further input is welcome, I am able to move forward . I will certainly keep and open mind about resizing but I am going to go with the SD1M and keep my SD15. I can hold off on the lens front a while, my 17-70 is a cool copy and razor sharp, as is my 8-16 mm..

PI have a holiday plane for Northern Scotland in May so I have got some time to spend getting used to and getting the best out of the SD1M . The SD15 will be going as supporting camera for sure.

i wonder if the SD1M will be superseded by the quatro sensor. I do like the SD1M and particularly the SD15 look more than the Quattro so far. it's unlikely that I will look to upgrade any time in the next couple of years if sIgma release a Quattro based DSLR.



kind regards

George