Where to find a Sigma SD14/15

[t_p_n]

Unfortunately, my old Sigma DP2 has some dust on the sensor that I can't remove. As I am very happy with the image quality, I am instead considering buying a Sigma SD14 or SD15. Where can I find such a camera, is there anything I should be aware of, what is a reasonable price, and which lens would you recommend?

 

[applemax]

Hello,

there are plenty on eBay (Germany) and kleinanzeigen.de But for my taste, the prices are a little on the high side. They used to be a lot cheaper not long ago.

Good luck with finding one

Max

 

[xpatUSA2]

Where can I find such a camera, is there anything I should be aware of, what is a reasonable price, and which lens would you recommend?

There are 42 results for sigma SD15 on ebay(dot)com.

The main board has an Analog Front End (amplification before the ADCs) which can clip, even at high ISO when the sensor has lots of headroom.

About 450 USD.

17-50 mm constant f/2.8.

Can't recommend SD14, I don't like the LCD - too small.

 

[Ceistinne]

Unfortunately, my old Sigma DP2 has some dust on the sensor that I can't remove. As I am very happy with the image quality, I am instead considering buying a Sigma SD14 or SD15. Where can I find such a camera, is there anything I should be aware of, what is a reasonable price, and which lens would you recommend?

t_p_n,

I'd go with the SD15 with either the 17-50mm f2.8 or the 17-70mm f2.8-4.

https://www.ebay.de/ should be a good source from time to time.

S

 

[Scottelly]

Unfortunately, my old Sigma DP2 has some dust on the sensor that I can't remove. As I am very happy with the image quality, I am instead considering buying a Sigma SD14 or SD15. Where can I find such a camera, is there anything I should be aware of, what is a reasonable price, and which lens would you recommend?

I would buy these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3065421536...pYw4lM3yn3xV+Ig==|tkp:Bk9SR4rgpKO_Zg&LH_BIN=1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3064923549...jVeMuXDey75bftgo=|tkp:Bk9SR7jBvaO_Zg&LH_BIN=1

The reasons I would pick the SD15 vs the SD14 are as follows:

The SD15 has a bigger, better rear screen, which is essential when reviewing your photos to check if focus on your shot was perfect.

The SD15 operates more quickly than the SD14.

The SD15 records in RAW+JPG mode, which the SD14 does not. I find that I use out-of-camera jpegs a lot, and only go to the raw files on occasion, when necessary. Therefore it is essential to have jpegs, and having to pull the jpegs out of the raw files is a pain/hassle.

The SD15 operates more quickly than the SD14, and the SD14 operates very slowly, clearing the buffer slowly, reviewing photos slowly, etc. That is a big deal to me. You might not care about having to wait around, but I don't like to wait. Still, I dealt with my SD14 for years, and still loved that camera.

The SD15 has a massive raw shooting buffer, which can make or break you (about three times the capacity of the SD14 raw buffer, which is bout six shots), when you're shooting something like models or wildlife. For example, you might shoot a series of photos, and then run into the camera's buffer, and be unable to shoot for a while, while the camera clears the buffer. While you're waiting a shot might present itself, but you can't take it, because you're waiting for your slow camera to clear the buffer. The SD15 has the advantage in this instance.

Things to remember:

The SD14 and SD15 are not weather sealed, like the SD1.

The SD14 and SD15 make 4.7 MP images (though they are equivalent to the images my 12 MP full-frame Canon 5D could make). I had a Canon 5D first, and did not miss it when I was shooting with my SD14. In fact, the SD14 offered more dynamic range than my Canon 5D, so I actually liked the image quality from my Sigma better. I also had a 10 MP Sony and a 12 MP Nikon before I got the Sigma SD14.

My preference today is the SD Quattro H. It is the best Sigma camera I have ever owned.

I also like this lens, which offers more reach:

Pardon Our Interruption...

I had one of those lenses for my Canon 20 D, which was the first SDLR that I ever owned. That lens was great, though it doesn't have OS, which is why I would get the 17-70 instead. It is nice to have the extra reach though. I always wished Sigma would make a really great replacement for their 24-135, which would have OS, but they never did. If they had, I would have bought it. I think an 18-135 or 24-135 would be a perfect all-around zoom lens. The 18-125 on APS-C is a really great range, and doesn't suffer from the image quality limitations that the newer 18-200 OS suffers from, unless I'm mistaken.

 

[Ceistinne]

Scott,

I have this 18-125mm DC HSM lens on my old SD14 used for IR photography only. The lens is ideal because it does not suffer from the hot spot problem for IR.

S

 

[mike earussi]

Scott is correct about the operational advantages of the SD15 over the SD14 except in one area--image quality. Here the SD14, without the analog front end, has better DR and if shot at iso 50 has no noise in either the shadows or sky, something no other Sigma Foveon body (or Bayer) has ever duplicated:

sd14_iso_50 by mike earussi

pbase.com

The drawback to both cameras is that neither autofocuses accurately (unless you luck out and get a lens that will AF accurately with the body) so you always take the chance of all your shots being slightly out of focus (the screen is not accurate either so you can't use that either). This is why I sold them and bought the SD1 since you can calibrate the AF, which is a PITA but it works.

As for lenses, the Foveon sensor is VERY sensitive to lens quality so I would recommend a fixed lens for best results. I used the original 70mm f2.8 macro and got excellent results.

 

[DavidMillier]

Scott is correct about the operational advantages of the SD15 over the SD14 except in one area--image quality. Here the SD14, without the analog front end, has better DR and if shot at iso 50 has no noise in either the shadows or sky, something no other Sigma Foveon body (or Bayer) has ever duplicated:

https://pbase.com/mikeearussi/sd14_iso_50

The drawback to both cameras is that neither autofocuses accurately (unless you luck out and get a lens that will AF accurately with the body) so you always take the chance of all your shots being slightly out of focus (the screen is not accurate either so you can't use that either). This is why I sold them and bought the SD1 since you can calibrate the AF, which is a PITA but it works.

As for lenses, the Foveon sensor is VERY sensitive to lens quality so I would recommend a fixed lens for best results. I used the original 70mm f2.8 macro and got excellent results.

I have a 18-125mm superzoom with my SD15. The OS doesn't seem to work but it focuses fine. I've even been using it with jpgs!

Operationally, it's the first Sigma model I have that works pretty much like a normal camera without any Sigma/Foveon weirdnesses (perhaps it's the only model..).

Because I'm now used to medium format and 60MP FF, i find myself a bit shocked by the tiny filesize. When I view images in my editor at "Fit to screen" (ie fit the middle of the screen, not including the toolbars at the sides), then click 1:1, the image shrinks. It's too small to fit to screen without upsizing!

I also find the jpgs a little crunchy and brittle looking, I'll have to look in the menus, see if it is possible to reduce contrast and sharpening a bit. Colour, though, is fine, as reliable as any mainstream Bayer image, very much a contrast to my hopeless and long retired to the attic museum SD14.

It's funny using a DSLR again after so long with mirrorless. The OVF is tiny and dim and there is no preview live histogram - you have to guess exposure

--
2024: Awarded Royal Photographic Society LRPS Distinction
Photo of the day: https://www.whisperingcat.co.uk/wp/photo-of-the-day-2025/
Website: https://www.whisperingcat.co.uk/wp/
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Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmillier/ (very old!)

 

[Abbazz]

Scott is correct about the operational advantages of the SD15 over the SD14 except in one area--image quality. Here the SD14, without the analog front end, has better DR and if shot at iso 50 has no noise in either the shadows or sky, something no other Sigma Foveon body (or Bayer) has ever duplicated:

https://pbase.com/mikeearussi/sd14_iso_50

This is true. The SD14 at ISO50 is amazingly free of noise. I love my SD14 for this precise reason.

The drawback to both cameras is that neither autofocuses accurately (unless you luck out and get a lens that will AF accurately with the body) so you always take the chance of all your shots being slightly out of focus (the screen is not accurate either so you can't use that either). This is why I sold them and bought the SD1 since you can calibrate the AF, which is a PITA but it works.

Focusing is a hit-and-miss game with the SD14 (or the SD15 for that matter). It's always better to close down the aperture to be safe. But closed-down aperture and ISO50 require lots of light...

As for lenses, the Foveon sensor is VERY sensitive to lens quality so I would recommend a fixed lens for best results. I used the original 70mm f2.8 macro and got excellent results.

The 70mm f/2.8 Macro is a great lens but I have the old sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro and it is quite versatile while delivering superb results on both of my SD14 cameras. This is an excerpt from the test of the newer 17-70mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS on Imaging Resource's website :

While the older version of Sigma’s 17-70mm doesn’t have the same aperture capability of the new version or optical stabilization, it produced markedly sharper images

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[xpatUSA2]

This is an excerpt from the test of the newer 17-70mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS on Imaging Resource's website :

While the older version of Sigma’s 17-70mm doesn’t have the same aperture capability of the new version or optical stabilization, it produced markedly sharper images.

I had both at one time and that was my experience.