Should Sigma make a 30 MP per layer full-frame Foveon instead of 20 MP per layer?

richard stone wrote:

I think I understand what you are saying in your post, that the SD15 is as good as it got before, and the best ever, probably, and the Q is trash. Or useless.

I am a relatively happy user of the sdQ. I remember seeing posted images from your sdQ, (or at least I think it was one of your images) particularly one with canoes in the woods, and seriously, the low res image looked indistinguishable from the full/hi res shot, at least at normal size of image. I can only imagine that if one wanted to make a really big image that the high res one would work out slightly better. Is it enough "better" to make it important to shoot everything at high res? For me, maybe not.

And I have seen plenty of my own images from the SD10, and sdQ, both high and low resolution, and the winner is? Well, it kind of depends. The sdQ is a slightly better camera, a slightly better product, in the end. And the "detail" in the images from the cameras is slightly better in the sdQ, at any resolution. Does it even matter? Particularly if you cannot even see the difference?

The question is whether a FF Foveon at 20-30 MP is worth doing. I would say yes, at 20MP or 30MP, and with or without the Qx4 top layer.

The issue for me is that manufacturing and production knowledge and design has changed and improved a lot in the last few years, leading me to figure that an actual 20-30MP FF Foveon camera now should work out reasonably well. Secondly, there is no more big market for the SD15 (size) sensor.

So I have to to take issue with your statement that "Fewer pixels means better image quality."

No, fewer pixels sometimes produces a more appealing, or nicer, image... sometimes, not always. And it's nice to have the choice. Really, a 20 MP FF Foveon ought to compete reasonably well with Bayer FF.

I just wish I still had my SD15.  Half of my sentiment is simply longing for the taste of those images.  And, that taste might have been embellished in my memories.

However, I see SD15 sales occasionally in this forum and have never taken the bait.  This ought to tell me something.

The comparisons I did with earlier Foveon sensors are still available in my DPR gallery, and I do remember saying that I could not tell the difference between sd Quattro hi-res and sd Quattro lo-res image quality.

And the differences between sd Quattro lo-res and earlier Foveon images might not be visible either.  But there is still a reason why I like the SD15 images best of all; I just can't put it to words.  And, for me, this counts for something, too.

I'm glad you agree that 20mp FF Foveon would be OK.