First day impressions of SD9

[Cecil Greek]

I received my SD9 on Monday from Hong Kong. My serial number ends in 1132.

I have the wrong flash unit for the camera. It overexposes all shots, even when bouncing light off ceiling. The new DG models are the only ones that work. I have the Super model on order but the retailer does not have it yet.

I shot some photos inside the house, in the neighborhood, and at a local Christmas display set up in a park. Images are up at:

http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_01.htm

Images were saved as 16 bit TIFF Adobe RGB, then some compressed as jpg at 50% size and all saved at 60% compression.

Outdoor photos are great as long as you hold the camera steady, or on tripod or monopod.

Indoor shots without flash could only be taken on tripod, as long shutter speeds required needs steady camera. I've never worked with a heavy camera like this before.

Photographing Christmas lights produced images with some blow outs, but not as many as I had come to expect from reading earlier posts. It was 50 degrees. The camera locked up at one point while taking a shot, but I'm not sure why. I had the Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX Macro Lens on at the time.

The couch where cat is sitting is green, not gray!

I can not notice dust or other artifacts on the images myself. Please let me know if you spot it.

I don't like the feel of the shutter button and release (too mechanical to suit my taste) and the half way down position "slips" with slight pressure change. Maybe its just a matter of getting adjusted to it.

My previous cameras were Canon G1 and G2, so digital SLR is a learning experience. This is certainly not a snapshot camera, but would be great for portrait work, weddings and formal occasions, wildlife, and landscape.

 

[Cecil Greek]

To further clarify the couch color issue, the couch has both gray and green in it. The darker areas are the green.

 

[Cecil Greek]

Just added moon shot taken last night.



I used 70/200mm f/2.8 APO EX HSM with 2X extender attached.

It was pretty hazy night.

 

[Rytterfalk]

Did you crop the center or do you have a larger version?!

Just added moon shot taken last night.



I used 70/200mm f/2.8 APO EX HSM with 2X extender attached.

It was pretty hazy night.

--
Carl Rytterfalk
http://www.pbase.com/rytterfalk
Today Epson 850z - tomorrow Foveon!

 

[Cecil Greek]

This a center crop saved the same size as large size original.

Did you crop the center or do you have a larger version?!

 

[Cecil Greek]

I was able to get out to a local state park today in Tallahassee.
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_02.htm

It was late afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

Spanish moss I have always found impossible to photograph, but was able to get some decent images.

I was using a monopod; would have better focus with tripod. I have ordered both the remote control and wired shutter release.

Birds were on the other side of the lake. Image 008 shows range of 70-200 lens with 2X extender.

 

[rick decker]

I think your colors look great! Sharpness is an issue. I bought a monpod to put some binocs on and my wife didn't like it so I tried it on my camera. I think they are more or less a waste of time. All you have is a long rod which becomes very hard to keep from moving laterally. What lens did you shoot? Are you shooting AF? In the shot with the gate it looks like your focus is in fronot of the gate if you look at the bricks on the path. If you have the 50-500, spend the bucks on a heavy tripod and head; it is worth it. I don't think focus will be an issue once you get a tripod. Also you may want to use MF on some shots and compare. It is also hard to judge focus given the shots are not at full size and the conditions are unknown, and long distance stuff like you shot (and some of mine), will not be as sharp as closeup given crud in the air.

Keep up the posts. Could you post about battery life - both .

Thanks

Rick Decker

I was able to get out to a local state park today in Tallahassee.
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_02.htm

It was late afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

Spanish moss I have always found impossible to photograph, but was
able to get some decent images.

I was using a monopod; would have better focus with tripod. I have
ordered both the remote control and wired shutter release.

Birds were on the other side of the lake. Image 008 shows range of
70-200 lens with 2X extender.

--
http://www.lightreflection.com

 

[Cecil Greek]

I have 3 lenses:
Sigma 20mm F1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL RF
Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX Macro Lens
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX HSM plus 2X extender

Yesterday I shot with monopod on all auto settings, including AF, to see how camera does on its own. Yes, I had trouble steadying the monopod.

I have a good tripod, and will use it in the future.

I've been switching out the rechargeable AA batteries frequently, so don't know how long they last. As LCD panel is never on while composing (or I can't figure out how to turn it on), that saves battery life greatly.

I wish I had a working flash unit.

I think your colors look great! Sharpness is an issue. I bought a
monpod to put some binocs on and my wife didn't like it so I tried
it on my camera. I think they are more or less a waste of time.
All you have is a long rod which becomes very hard to keep from
moving laterally. What lens did you shoot? Are you shooting AF?
In the shot with the gate it looks like your focus is in fronot of
the gate if you look at the bricks on the path. If you have the
50-500, spend the bucks on a heavy tripod and head; it is worth it.
I don't think focus will be an issue once you get a tripod. Also
you may want to use MF on some shots and compare. It is also hard
to judge focus given the shots are not at full size and the
conditions are unknown, and long distance stuff like you shot (and
some of mine), will not be as sharp as closeup given crud in the
air.

Keep up the posts. Could you post about battery life - both .

Thanks

 

[DavidMillier]

(Anyone spot the Howard Devoto reference in the subject line! ;-)

When using a monopod, don't just stand it upright. You need need to make a tripod with your own body acting as two of the legs and the monopod as the third leg. It will be miuch more stable in this configuation.

Keep up the posts. Could you post about battery life - both .

Thanks

Rick Decker

I was able to get out to a local state park today in Tallahassee.
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_02.htm

It was late afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

Spanish moss I have always found impossible to photograph, but was
able to get some decent images.

I was using a monopod; would have better focus with tripod. I have
ordered both the remote control and wired shutter release.

Birds were on the other side of the lake. Image 008 shows range of
70-200 lens with 2X extender.

--
http://www.lightreflection.com

 

[Charles Shahar]

Cecil, some really nice shots. I was just wondering about the dull greens in the images. I know the SD9 has problems with getting a vivid rendition of green, but I wasn't sure if it was related to the late afternoon light, or to the sensor itself? I was also wondering whether a polarizer might help put some snap in the pictures? Do people use polarizers with digital cameras? Or is saturation generally bumped up in post-processing?

Thanks,

-Charles

I was able to get out to a local state park today in Tallahassee.
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_02.htm

It was late afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

Spanish moss I have always found impossible to photograph, but was
able to get some decent images.

I was using a monopod; would have better focus with tripod. I have
ordered both the remote control and wired shutter release.

Birds were on the other side of the lake. Image 008 shows range of
70-200 lens with 2X extender.

 

[rick decker]

Charles: Is the "dull green" a universal problem (IYHO) in the SD9 images you have looked at or just in certain situations? Are you referring to the palms?

Rick

Thanks,

-Charles

I was able to get out to a local state park today in Tallahassee.
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/faculty/greek/SD9/page_02.htm

It was late afternoon, about an hour before sunset.

Spanish moss I have always found impossible to photograph, but was
able to get some decent images.

I was using a monopod; would have better focus with tripod. I have
ordered both the remote control and wired shutter release.

Birds were on the other side of the lake. Image 008 shows range of
70-200 lens with 2X extender.

--
http://www.lightreflection.com

 

[Charles Shahar]

Rick, I remember Phil's review in which the SD9 had a rather flat response to green. Since I do a lot of landscape work this concerned me. Some of the foliage in Cecil's shots looked a bit flat, and I just wondered if this was due more to hazy or low light conditions than the SD9 itself.

-Charles

Charles: Is the "dull green" a universal problem (IYHO) in the
SD9 images you have looked at or just in certain situations? Are
you referring to the palms?

 

[rick decker]

My initial impression reviewing some of the shots I took is that with some of them the green is flat. Look at my first shot, the Bird Of Paradise. The green is on the flat side. In this picture, which I have decided to label a "problem" picture, the orange flower turned more yellow and the blue may be more saturated (and darker) than it actually is (not sure yet on the blue). Another picture with yellow and green that I have not posted has a flat green. Another with a little blue and the rest green looks fine. I don’t know if the color yellow in any intensity causes the problem or not. I need to do a lot of green shots under varying conditions and post them. I had planned to do that today but didn't get around to it. I will do it in the next day or so. I am going to start a "problem" gallery on pbase in the next few days and post shots with "problems" (mainly color shifts). I do think Sigma (or Foveon) needs to address color and are probably doing so or trying to do so. I know we haven't heard much but what can they say but "we are working on it" or "we are trying to fix it", which they may have admitted. BTW: I haven't been able to saturate the flat greens to any degree via photoshop in my initial attempts!

-Charles

Charles: Is the "dull green" a universal problem (IYHO) in the
SD9 images you have looked at or just in certain situations? Are
you referring to the palms?

--
http://www.lightreflection.com

 

[Victor Engel]

I think your colors look great! Sharpness is an issue.

I own a Sigma SA-5 camera and use the same lens on it. I was going to purchase a 2x teleconverter from B&H Photo but was told it was not appropriate for that lens. Perhaps that is what is causing the sharpness issue you notice.

 

[Victor Engel]

I think your colors look great! Sharpness is an issue.

I realize now you said sharpness but you meant to say that the image was blurred. These are two separate things. You can have a blurred picture that is sharp.

 

[Victor Engel]

I can not notice dust or other artifacts on the images myself.
Please let me know if you spot it.

On the picture at



look at the very upper-right hand corner of the image. There are some leaves sillouhetted against the bright sky in the background. The leaves have a very bad discoloration. I think this image is enough to keep me from getting this camera despite the fact I own a Sigma already. The other issue for me is operating at low light situations. I do a lot of stage photography since my daughter is in many musicals. I generally shoot these with Kodak Supra-800 pushed to 3200 (or sometimes not pushed). I'd hate to sacrifice another stop.

 

[rick decker]

Well, one thing in the camera's favor, except for "record" or "sample" shots, you probably won't shoot a shot like this. Of course the problem is still there.

I can not notice dust or other artifacts on the images myself.
Please let me know if you spot it.

On the picture at



look
at the very upper-right hand corner of the image. There are some
leaves sillouhetted against the bright sky in the background. The
leaves have a very bad discoloration. I think this image is enough
to keep me from getting this camera despite the fact I own a Sigma
already. The other issue for me is operating at low light
situations. I do a lot of stage photography since my daughter is in
many musicals. I generally shoot these with Kodak Supra-800 pushed
to 3200 (or sometimes not pushed). I'd hate to sacrifice another
stop.

--
http://www.lightreflection.com