How many different / other / additional Camera Systems - Do you use?

[Shawn67]

Even Nikon, with it's large flange-focal distance (that can mount on Canon but not v.v.) won't mount on the Sigma because of the diameter.

I'll refine my previous statement.

My dream camera would be a Sigma (full frame, but I'll take APS-H) that uses the same sort of microlenses used in the Ricoh GXR to make it especially suited to shorter flange-focal distance (steeper angle of incidence), with solid autofocus aids (at least as good as on my Sony), in a Leica M-Mount.

I'm currently using (and loving) M-Mount (and F-Mount) glass on my Sony A7 - small lenses with great quality? I'll take it!

To have the Sony as my "high ISO night time camera" and a Foveon sensor at the heart of my "low ISO daytime camera" - with all the same lenses - would be a dream.

Sigma lenses are undoubtedly great, but to buy a whole new set of *proprietary* lenses for a sensor doesn't make sense to me. I buy for the oldest still viable lens mounts & not the newest.

So I stick to my Merrill "point and shoot" cameras and hope for a Sigma M-Mount....

Or you could open Pandora's box and get into M42 lenses.....

(they would work with the Sigma and the Sony)

Shawn

P.S. Totally agree about wishing the SDQH had a shorter flange focal length and then an adapter to let it use SA mount lenses. Since Sigma makes adapters to go from X to Sony how crazy would it have been to have a Sony mount on it?

 

[MarkWW]

This weekend I'm trying to finish some personal testing trying to condense my three systems (X-Pro2, sd Quattro H, and a7rii) down to two.

M-mount adapters allow sharing some Voigtlander lenses between the Fuji and Sony.

MC-11 for Sigma lenses between the Sigma and Sony.

No lens crossover between the Fuji and Sigma.

The shooting experiences are so very different between the three. We'll see.

I also recently acquired a Sony Nex-6, which is better with manual focus lenses than the X-Pro1. I foolishly thought the X-Pro1 was something like a real rangefinder & would have rangefinder based focusing aids - I was wrong. The Nex-6 is smaller than the Fuji and has better focusing aids, so it'll be my small manual focus camera.

XPro2 is the camera that lets you use the OVF while still manually focusing adapted lenses using its ERF mode. That gives you the optical viewfinder and a tiny live view display in the corner. That display can be the whole liveview or the focus point zoomed in. Any can have focus peaking or split image assists if desired. When using adapted lenses like this I usually set it for red focus peaking, shoot RAW and set the camera to monochrome mode with the zoomed in focus point in the ERF. In monochrome mode the ERF is monochrome except for when peaking is active. Basically I focus by watching for the zoomed in window to turn read then shoot. I don't really even look directly at the ERF.

Yup. I'm aware of the XPro2's manual focusing ads. The other thing I'm aware of with the XPro2 is the propensity for the phase detect sensor (with lots of phase detect pixels) to behave badly when backlit. And shooting backlit is one of my favorite things to do.

Why and How Fuji Cameras Produce a Strange Purple Flare/Grid Artifact

When FujiFilm’s X-Trans III sensor was introduced in the X-Pro2, many users began noticing a strange new artifact in their backlit photographs. Upon

petapixel.com

I hear this is fixed in the newer versions of the latest X-Trans sensor, so I await the XPro3.

I'm not saying that Fuji has bad manual focus aids - just that the XPro1 has bad manual focus aids.

I still await the day when Fuji creates a proper "split image" rangefinder style optical + electronic viewfinder so I can focus in a way similar to my old Pentax and Nikon film cameras.

A Quattro SD H in M Mount would be a dream camera for me, and I sincerely hope one is in the pipeline.

Yes, or some other short flange length with electronic contacts for AE/AF usage. Then offer an adapter for SA mount lenses to be used on it. Would have created a larger potential market for the camera.

Shawn

Seriously. When interchangeable lens systems are going towards catering to a vintage lens buyer, why cripple your interchangeable lens system by only allowing it to mount your own (admittedly awesome) lenses.

 

[ELSELS]

Thanks for the comments and viewpoints thus far.

It seems many users feel the Sony (E mount) cameras with using the Sigma MC-11 (SA-E mount adapter), is a wise choice to allow maintaining the use of their Sigma SA mount lenses - on a camera system which offers the more "useable" High ISO and such.

Sensible decision, I believe.

I guess that the other users seem geared to liking the use of Fuji cameras, which I have not personally experienced or used, but, many here seem to compliment their Sigma cameras with those two selections.

Looking forward to additional contributions to the thread..

Anyone here also shooting the Pentax 645D?

Ed

~ ~ ~

--
Camera Equipment, Computer Gear and more

 

[BayAreaWZ]

I have the sigma SD H shooting alongside the X-T20. I use to be a heavy Sony user, but it just takes a lot of work for me to make Sony files look the way I like. Fuji files are simple with little adjustments needed and of course I’m in love with the Quattro look.

The original A7R sensor though was something special. The 36MP files had a real bite to them that the A7RII and A7 series just never matched.

Over the last three years I started to shoot a lot more film. Probably why I shoot Fuji and Sigma for digital now. They have the closest look to film.

 

[SiFu]

Hello!

... because I have always done that since entering the world of digital in 2000. Always been curious what is going in - I did find the early age of the Megapixel-race more interesting than the current age of the ISO-race, because things were evolving ever so quickly. And also funny to see how much gimmicky stuff was allready in early cameras and is being picked up again/perfected nowadays. The Olympus E100RS comes to my mind (still have a working copy).

Wait, I think I have a Canon 10D somewhere in the attic, so make that all systems (particularily sad that Samsung quit btw).

Best,

Alex

 

[Sjak]

currently, I use:

- Sigma DP2

- Fuji X-T1 + adapted lenses

- Panasonic LX7

- Ricoh GXR + M-mount module

- Pentax 100D (try-out)

Lenses: mostly vintage stuff in LM, M39, M42, Exakta.

I'm often looking at the Quattro-H for some slow-paced outdoors shooting (with M42), but there are other contenders (used Leica M) Since I have the luxury of choice already, there is no rush. Camera bodies are typically not getting more expensive ;-)

 

[D Cox]

Even Nikon, with it's large flange-focal distance (that can mount on Canon but not v.v.) won't mount on the Sigma because of the diameter.

I'll refine my previous statement.

My dream camera would be a Sigma (full frame, but I'll take APS-H) that uses the same sort of microlenses used in the Ricoh GXR to make it especially suited to shorter flange-focal distance (steeper angle of incidence), with solid autofocus aids (at least as good as on my Sony), in a Leica M-Mount.

I'm currently using (and loving) M-Mount (and F-Mount) glass on my Sony A7 - small lenses with great quality? I'll take it!

To have the Sony as my "high ISO night time camera" and a Foveon sensor at the heart of my "low ISO daytime camera" - with all the same lenses - would be a dream.

Sigma lenses are undoubtedly great, but to buy a whole new set of *proprietary* lenses for a sensor doesn't make sense to me. I buy for the oldest still viable lens mounts & not the newest.

So I stick to my Merrill "point and shoot" cameras and hope for a Sigma M-Mount....

Or you could open Pandora's box and get into M42 lenses.....

(they would work with the Sigma and the Sony)

Shawn

P.S. Totally agree about wishing the SDQH had a shorter flange focal length and then an adapter to let it use SA mount lenses. Since Sigma makes adapters to go from X to Sony how crazy would it have been to have a Sony mount on it?

Crazy for a lens manufacturer.

They would have to make a new range of lenses to fit it, and then users would attach all kinds of other lenses instead of buying nice new Art lenses.

 

[absquatulate]

I have the Fuji X100 and a Nikon P7800, I'm selling all my Pentax gear (A not inconsiderable amount) because this year I'm shooting film only but I'll keep my Foveon cameras.

 

[xpatUSA]

Thanks for the comments and viewpoints thus far.

It seems many users feel the Sony (E mount) cameras with using the Sigma MC-11 (SA-E mount adapter), is a wise choice to allow maintaining the use of their Sigma SA mount lenses - on a camera system which offers the more "useable" High ISO and such.

Sensible decision, I believe.

I guess that the other users seem geared to liking the use of Fuji cameras, which I have not personally experienced or used, but, many here seem to compliment their Sigma cameras with those two selections.

Looking forward to additional contributions to the thread.

In addition to my Sigma gear, I have two Panasonic micro four-thirds, G1 and GH1, and the wife has an LX-7.

Like many here, The GH1 and LX-7 go to family gatherings or shoot eBay stuff. The GH1 with a 45-200mm zoom can deal with small stuff, often inconveniently located where no Sigma dare go, but nowadays I would use the G1 and a Leica 45mm Macro for closeup work:

Standing on a wobbly pair of steps in deep shadow . .

For the Sigmas, mainly outside daylight shots, some IR/full spectrum on the SD14.

--
Ted

 

[Shawn67]

Crazy for a lens manufacturer.

They would have to make a new range of lenses to fit it, and then users would attach all kinds of other lenses instead of buying nice new Art lenses.

They are also a camera manufacturer, one who was serious enough about it to purchase a sensor design company.

Clearly, not a lot of people are purchasing their cameras. It is a big jump to change systems, esp. when the camera is know to be limited and some Sigma users actively rally against the current sensor design.

For anyone to purchase those SA mount ART lenses they have to have a camera to use it on. With relatively small camera sales (and only a fraction of those being ILCs) therefor few are purchasing their art lenses in the SA mount. Out of 200 used ART lenses on ebay there are currently only 6 in SA mount and 3-4 of those are the 30mm.

Every other camera/lens company changed mounts when they went mirrorless and some offered adapters for their longer flange mount lenses to work on them. Sigma makes lenses in mirrorless mounts already. If they wanted to keep their camera mount proprietary they could use those lenses as the base and play around with the mount and/or pinout, just like they did for the SA mount. And then offer something like the MC-11 to allow SA mount lenses on the camera. They could even offer an adapter to allow Sigma made Nikon or Canon mount lenses on the camera. Would be additional incentive for a Canikon user to try their camera as well as purchase their lenses.

Shawn

 

[danski0224]

Given the reported difficulties with using non-Sigma lenses on Foveon sensors, I do not forsee a short register distance Foveon sensor camera ever being released. Even though the Quattro sensor allegedly handles M42 lenses "ok".

Over on Fred Miranda's site, there is a long thread about Sony cameras being modified with a thinner sensor glass stack to prevent color smearing with certain wide angle lenses. I could just imagine what would happen on a Foveon sensor.

In my opinion, a short register distance Foveon camera would be a disaster for Sigma. Unless or until there is a major technology breakthrough for Foveon sensors.

 

[danski0224]

I have a 645D.

Love the ccd colors.

Extremely limited AF point layout. No live view.

Current digital lenses (DA) are obscenely expensive new and just really expensive used. And they do not cover the full 645 frame.

The older AF lenses reportedly are the same as the even older full manual lenses.

Even if Pentax came out with more new lenses, I couldn't afford them.

The one trick that Pentax has, is the capability to release a full 645 sensor camera and have a decent base of existing lenses that will work.

Whether or not they will do it remains to be seen. And I probably couldn't afford that one, either.

 

[Shawn67]

Given the reported difficulties with using non-Sigma lenses on Foveon sensors, I do not forsee a short register distance Foveon sensor camera ever being released. Even though the Quattro sensor allegedly handles M42 lenses "ok".

Every DP camera ever released is a short register distance Foveon sensor camera.

The non-Sigma lens issues seemed to be worse on the SD1 than they are on the SDQs. Color tinting/splotching in general seems to be worse on the Merrill cameras (all of them) compared to the Quattro cameras. I saw more of it on my old DP2M then I have with the SDQH and multiple Sigma (but not ART) lenses. Only adapted lens I've really used so far is a telephoto macro but it also worked fine.

In my opinion, a short register distance Foveon camera would be a disaster for Sigma. Unless or until there is a major technology breakthrough for Foveon sensors.

Sigma's most popular cameras are short register distance Foveon cameras.

Shawn

 

[Scottelly]

Hello:

Just curious - How many different camera systems, do you use, along with “including” Sigma products, both and/or either: Foveon Merrill based sensors or Quattro sensors cameras?

Nex 5N with 3 lenses and S5 Pro & D810 with 3 or 4 kilos of Nikon Glass . Nowadays I am trying to stop a X-T20 to enter in my Bag...

Thanks for commenting,

Have a nice day -

You too

Ed

~ ~ ~

 

[furtle]

I have a DP2M, a dp3Q and a dp0Q. Outside of the Sigma cameras' comfort zones, I use a Sony A7S with manual focus M mount lenses. I do have a Pentax Asahi Takuma 1.8/85 which is an M42 which is a beast and also works very well on the Sony. The A7S is 12 mp and produces really nice images, especially in low light. I think that sensor is a bit special and although there are much newer A7 models, I'm keeping the A7S until it dies.

I have a Ricoh GRII which is a 28mm fixed lens camera and a brilliant all round pocket travel camera. It's not as good as the Sony A7S with the M lenses but its a lot more convenient and quick to use.

For the type of photos I generally take, I feel I have all bases covered with the above.


Best, Steve

 

[xpatUSA]

Hello:

Just curious - How many different camera systems, do you use, along with “including” Sigma products, both and/or either: Foveon Merrill based sensors or Quattro sensors cameras?

Nex 5N with 3 lenses and S5 Pro & D810 with 3 or 4 kilos of Nikon Glass . Nowadays I am trying to stop a X-T20 to enter in my Bag...

Thanks for commenting,

Have a nice day -

You too

Ed

~ ~ ~

--
Camera Equipment, Computer Gear and more

J.

Hey J, I find it interesting that you have the S5 Pro and a D810. Which do you think is more capable for ultimate dynamic range in a single shot? (meaning a single press of the shutter for a scene that is in motion, such as a plane taking off, an action shot of birds, or something like a backlit crown of people) I'm guessing the D810, because of its HDR mode, but that isn't technically for use in a single shot situation, right?

The reason I ask that question, is because I once saw a comparison of a D800 vs Fuji S5 Pro, which made the Fuji look more capable than that full-frame Nikon dynamic range "king" (at least that's what most people seem to think of the Nikon). I really like Fuji's old sensor technology and wish they had continued to develop it and introduce a full-frame DSLR. I wish they had used it in their GFX-50s.

--
Scott Barton Kennelly
http://www.bigprintphotos.com

"Welcome to the Sigma Camera Talk Forum, the place to discuss Sigma digital cameras (and Foveon X3 technology)." ;-)

But seriously Scott - movement in a scene does not affect the camera's DR, does it?

If it does, please explain how that works.

--
Ted

 

[MarkWW]

Given the reported difficulties with using non-Sigma lenses on Foveon sensors, I do not forsee a short register distance Foveon sensor camera ever being released. Even though the Quattro sensor allegedly handles M42 lenses "ok".

Over on Fred Miranda's site, there is a long thread about Sony cameras being modified with a thinner sensor glass stack to prevent color smearing with certain wide angle lenses. I could just imagine what would happen on a Foveon sensor.

In my opinion, a short register distance Foveon camera would be a disaster for Sigma. Unless or until there is a major technology breakthrough for Foveon sensors.

 

[MarkWW]

currently, I use:

- Sigma DP2

- Fuji X-T1 + adapted lenses

- Panasonic LX7

- Ricoh GXR + M-mount module

- Pentax 100D (try-out)

Lenses: mostly vintage stuff in LM, M39, M42, Exakta.

I'm often looking at the Quattro-H for some slow-paced outdoors shooting (with M42), but there are other contenders (used Leica M) Since I have the luxury of choice already, there is no rush. Camera bodies are typically not getting more expensive ;-)

How's your GXR working out?

I ran into a photographer (with a Canon SLR & fast 50) and he said he wanted to get into Medium format because it would slow him down - I told him to look at Sigmas instead. LOL.

 

[MarkWW]

I have the sigma SD H shooting alongside the X-T20. I use to be a heavy Sony user, but it just takes a lot of work for me to make Sony files look the way I like. Fuji files are simple with little adjustments needed and of course I’m in love with the Quattro look.

The original A7R sensor though was something special. The 36MP files had a real bite to them that the A7RII and A7 series just never matched.

Over the last three years I started to shoot a lot more film. Probably why I shoot Fuji and Sigma for digital now. They have the closest look to film.

Interesting to hear about the A7R. I'm considering upgrading to it from my A7.

Files from my A7 are very saturated. It's a different look than I'm used to for sure (coming from Film and then Nikon). Though some of the earlier CCD Nikon sensors were very saturated as well.

The Panasonic A7 has a similar saturated look.

I haven't had much chance to play with my Fuji yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing its colors.

I love my Sigma, but it does disappoint sometimes, and it was a bit of a journey getting to know it. For now it just lives in my studio & doesn't come outside.

 

[MarkWW]

Even Nikon, with it's large flange-focal distance (that can mount on Canon but not v.v.) won't mount on the Sigma because of the diameter.

I'll refine my previous statement.

My dream camera would be a Sigma (full frame, but I'll take APS-H) that uses the same sort of microlenses used in the Ricoh GXR to make it especially suited to shorter flange-focal distance (steeper angle of incidence), with solid autofocus aids (at least as good as on my Sony), in a Leica M-Mount.

I'm currently using (and loving) M-Mount (and F-Mount) glass on my Sony A7 - small lenses with great quality? I'll take it!

To have the Sony as my "high ISO night time camera" and a Foveon sensor at the heart of my "low ISO daytime camera" - with all the same lenses - would be a dream.

Sigma lenses are undoubtedly great, but to buy a whole new set of *proprietary* lenses for a sensor doesn't make sense to me. I buy for the oldest still viable lens mounts & not the newest.

So I stick to my Merrill "point and shoot" cameras and hope for a Sigma M-Mount....

Or you could open Pandora's box and get into M42 lenses.....

(they would work with the Sigma and the Sony)

Shawn

P.S. Totally agree about wishing the SDQH had a shorter flange focal length and then an adapter to let it use SA mount lenses. Since Sigma makes adapters to go from X to Sony how crazy would it have been to have a Sony mount on it?

It still represents a large investment in lenses I don't already own, and I'm already considering selling off a significant portion of my Nikon gear in favor of M-Mount gear because the adapters are huge & it really unbalances the camera & is just that much more to carry around.