Favorite lens for sd1merrill / sd Quattro?

[da7329]

I’m new to these cameras. What are your favorite lens to use with them? Thanks

DA

 

[richard stone]

I’m new to these cameras. What are your favorite lens to use with them? Thanks

DA

I have the sd Quattro:

I would recommend the 17-50 2.8 OS zoom, or the 17-70 "C" OS zoom, and the 35mm or 30 mm (Art) lens (Not OS).

Are there better zoom lenses? Yes, but not with OS: for example, the 18-35 mm.

There are various factors to consider: If you have a tripod with you, then use it, but it is more likely that you will not have a tripod with you all the time, and the Foveon cameras simply do not do as well as Bayer at higher ISO, and then you have to contend with motion blur at lower ISO, unless you have the OS on the lens to control that factor.

I do have some older Pentax/Takumar M42 lenses, but seriously, as much as I like them, they are simply not up to the standard of the best (modern/recent) Sigma lenses, particularly at larger apertures. They seem to work well with my SD10.

And if the goal of the purchase is to experiment with Sigma/Foveon cameras, you might as well work with the best lenses you can get for the camera. The only practical issue that I know of with the 17-50 mm lens is that it does have a curved field of focus, which can result in surprises later when the center of the image is found not to be in focus...

So, best wishes....

 

[da7329]

Thanks for the info. I was looking for lens that give image quality as similar to the dp’s. The zooms you suggested seem to keep popping up in reviews I have to read. Has anyone tried the 100-400? I have it for Nikon mount and it as good lens for the money.
DA

 

[Human Elements]

Do you have any sample images you've taken with the SD Quattro + 17-70mm "C" + 30mm f/1.4 combination? I've been thinking about picking these two up myself. The 18-35mm is tempting and covers my favorite focal range but it's just so BIG...

--
https://www.human-element.me/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humanelement2/

 

[DavidWright2010]

Vanishing point




Bones




Convict Lake





David

 

[mike earussi]

I have the SD1M and it's very fussy about what lenses can be used with it. So far I've found no non-Sigma lenses that don't create some color artifacts. I've also noticed over the years that the Foveon sensor is very sensitive to the quality of the lens you use, with poor quality glass lacking the distinctive 3D look so favored by users. Consequently I use the best glass I can afford.

I've found the following lenses will produce a high quality image:

1. 50mm f1.4 A

2. 70mm f2.8 macro A

3. 85mm f1.4 A

I find that shooting at f4-f5.6 will produce the best compromise between quality and dof.

Other lenses I've shot are the 8-16, 10-20 f3.5, 18-50 f2.8 macro, 50-150 f2.8 II and OS versions, 1st and 2nd (OS) generation 105 f2.8 macros, 100-300 f4, and 150 f2.8 macro. These are all "decent" lenses but won't produce the IQ of the first three lenses listed above.

Which lens is best for you depends on what you like to shoot. I'm a big macro fan so the 70mm A stays on my body unless I need something different. I've recently acquired the 180 f2.8 OS macro but haven't shot with it enough to have an opinion (except that it's not fun to handhold).

 

[Guctony]

I would strongly recommend Sigma 18-35 f1.8 DC. I have tried many DG lenses. But this multi use lens is my favorite if you don't want to invest into prime lens. I can say is resolution power is better than Sigma 24-35 F2.0 DG lens. Now I use 18-35 DC with SD1M all the time. Also I am using it for video on my Sony A7RII as a bonus.

 

[danski0224]

I’m new to these cameras. What are your favorite lens to use with them? Thanks

DA

Those cameras do not use the same technology to achieve focus.

I have found "proper focus" to be hit and miss with the SD1M. This isn't a slam on Sigma but their AF sensor performance is not on par with other manufacturers of the same time frame (Canon or Nikon). The camera does at least have micro adjustment capability.

The Quattro interchangeable lens cameras require Global Vision series lenses in order to achieve proper auto focus operation. The 105mm macro that works well on the SD1M will not necessarily work well, all of the time, on the sdQ.

That out of the way, the 17-70 Contemporary lens will function properly on your sdQ. It is also light weight and reasonably priced. It also seems to function ok on a SD1M.

I don't know if anyone here has reported any issues with using Global Vision lenses on SD1M and earlier Sigma cameras.

I do know that there is a Sigma produced chart of their older lenses and what to expect as far as auto focus is concerned when using a sdQ camera. I would suggest referencing this if you do not want to buy Global Vision lenses.

The sdQ does not achieve focus as quickly as the SD1M, but it does so more accurately and repeatedly. I find the SD1M auto focus to be just fine for macro or close work. I am unable to judge focus through the viewfinder on anything other than close/macro.

 

[Still Life]

I’m not a scientific guy but I have a DP 2 Merrill and purchased an SD 1 with the 30mm 1.4 art. Images coming out of the DP beat the SD hands down, much sharper from the DP. I sold the SD and the plan now instead of collecting glass for the SD is to just buy the rest of the DP Merrill cameras.

 

[Notomb]

For SDQ/H all round use

First 18-35mm ( cover 80% of my photo)

Second 50-100mm (alternative is rare 50-150mm f2.8 OS)

Third 8-16mm for effect photo.

For landscape photo primary 12-24mm or 14-24mm

I had 17-70 C and 17-50mm f2.8 ex , good lens but for better IQ with SDQ need Art lens.

 

[danski0224]

I’m not a scientific guy but I have a DP 2 Merrill and purchased an SD 1 with the 30mm 1.4 art. Images coming out of the DP beat the SD hands down, much sharper from the DP. I sold the SD and the plan now instead of collecting glass for the SD is to just buy the rest of the DP Merrill cameras.

The dp/DP series cameras and the sdQ/H use the image sensor to focus and the SD1M uses a separate AF sensor module that is out of the direct image path (like many/most DSLR cameras with a mirror).

Sigma may have an excellent (or just different) sensor, but in my opinion, they lack the capability to make the discrete AF sensor module and supporting electronics and software to work reliably and consistently and accurately together.

The mirrorless cameras (dp/DP and sdQ) all focus on the image sensor, therefore the image should always be in focus.

 

[da7329]

I read an article that tested the DP2 and the sd1 with a 30mm and came to the conclusion the the DP2 was a little better IQ but not by much. That’s why I’m asking what lens mate best with the sd’s

DA

 

[da7329]

Nice results from the wide zoom from what I can see on my phone

DA

 

[da7329]

Looks like you have come to the conclusion that good primes work best on the sd’s. Any suggestion for a wide angle prime? How does the 70mm workout for macro with no stabilization?



DA

 

[DavidWright2010]

Nice results from the wide zoom from what I can see on my phone

DA

I was thinking about posting the full-rez images, but didn't. Doubt if you'd want to look at those on your phone. That last one is a little over 18MB as a Q12 jpg.

The nice thing about this FL, I just set focus at infinity and that works for almost all situations.

David

 

[mike earussi]

Looks like you have come to the conclusion that good primes work best on the sd’s. Any suggestion for a wide angle prime?

The best is the 28mm, but Sigma makes some good quality WA zooms as well. The 14-24 and the 24-35 are very good.

How does the 70mm workout for macro with no stabilization?

DA

The IQ at f2.8 is razor sharp so it can be used wide open, so it's not a problem in bright light as you can have a high shutter speed.

 

[da7329]

Thanks for your insight on the m and q.

DA

 

[da7329]

Do you think arts are better for the Merrill also?

DA

 

[Scottelly]

I recently got a couple of Art lenses for my SD Quattro H, which I chose because of the larger sensor - 14-24mm f2.8 Art and 24-70mm f2.8 OS Art. I love them both. The image quality is really good all-around. I would recommend the 24-70mm f2.8 OS Art, but I have not tried it on my SD1 Merrill yet. I do already know that 24mm is wide enough for me in most situations with a 1.5x crop factor APS-C sensor though, because I used to shoot with a Sony A65 and a 24-105mm lens, which I found quite acceptable most of the time (but I did have a 10-24 for that camera too). I don't know if a 14-24mm f2.8 Art would be wide enough for you on the SD1 Merrill, but I have an 8-16 for situations where 14mm is not wide enough. I guess that makes me a lucky guy. I can tell you the 14-24mm f2.8 Art offers significantly better image quality from center to the corners vs. the 8-16, but the 8-16 offers that super-wide vew that would require a full-frame sensor to get with the 14-24. Unfortunately this means I have to carry two wide-angle lenses, and that's a lot of weight. I'm o.k. with that most of the time, but sometimes I wish I just had an SD Quattro with an 8-16 and a 17-70 OS. My two Art lenses are very heavy, so if weight is an issue you consider to be very important, then you might want to get the lighter lenses. They just are not as good though.

 

[da7329]

I checked out your website, some nice work there! Sounds like the art series are the way to go if the function well on the body. From what I’m hearing and read these sensors need the best possible glass to deliver there full potential.

DA