<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: An Amazing Camera
Review: First off I want to say this is an Amazing Digital SLR.. the picture quality is outstanding.. if your in the market for a pro level digital slr you can't go wrong especially with the 2 lenses that were designed for this camera..On another note.. amazon's features list is wrong.. the camera doesn't accept xd memory and it doesn't come with a 32 meg card.. its a compact flash format camera.. i'd recommend a 512 meg or higher CF card as it fills up quickly at its highest resolution.. my old 64 meg CF card can take about 6 pictures on its highest resolution.. i've ordered a 1 gig card i'm just waiting for it to ship now..
Rating: 
Summary: Almost a perfect digital SLR......one annoying problem.
Review: First, let me begin by saying that I've been a Nikon user since 1990. I have gone thru numerous Nikon bodies and I have a nice stock of Nikkor lenses. But, the Sigma system intrigued me because of the Fovean sensor. I did my research for weeks and then decided to give the SD10 a try. I figured I had a nice safety net due to Amazon's liberal return policy.
The professional reviews on the SD10 are a love/hate affair. You either love it or hate it. Well, I like it....a lot. The photos that come out of the camera are stunning after post processing. I use Photoshop CS and the built in RAW image converter. I then run a batch action on all the images using PhotoGia and the results are impressive. If compared to the output from Canon or Nikon, you can easily see that the Fovean chip produces a strikingly clearer image. So, I'm sold on the SD10. But, what is the problem? Why not 5 stars?
Well, if you shoot sports photography(I don't), you won't like the SD10. The images at 400 or higher speed produce way too much noise. 200 is fine, and 100 is perfect. But, 400+ is just plain bad. Now, this isn't a problem for me since I use f2.8 lenses and use a flash if needed.
Bottom line is this: I love the SD10, so much so that I'm willing to shelve my Nikkor lenses, and go with Sigma.
I can't wait for future releases of the Fovean chip.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best Digital SLR Camera ever !
Review: I first read about Foveon X3 two years ago. Long before reading about the X3, I always wondered why we had to be content with 25% Red, 25% Blue and 50% Green on an Image Sensor -- why not 100% of all colours? However, business was booming for all Digital Camera companies despite the fact that there wasn't really a CCD that could be seriously taken till the X3 arrived on the market. I knew instantly, the SIGMA-Foveon joint venture would break through a newer kind of Digital Photography, so I decided to wait. I skipped SD9 when I realized Foveon was working on a combined 10MP X3 Chip.
The wait was worth every second! I ordered the SIGMA SD10 with the standard twin Lens Kits (18-50mm F3.5-5.6 and 55-200mm F4-5.6) and separately ordered a 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Lens. I wish SIGMA had packaged the kit with at least one F2.8 large aperture Lens. Anyway, I will give my 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 to a friend who just bought a NIKON D70 with a NIKOR 18-70mm Lens.
I have not yet received my shipment from AMAZON, but have had the chance of using my friend's SD10, including the SIGMA Photo Pro software and some sample X3Fs and some of my own. The RAW format of SIGMA has some outstanding advantages over the JPEG type of files. With a RAW file, you will feel like as if you're truly dealing with a "Negative", whereas the JPEGs will feel like "Polaroid" shots -- equivalent to getting prints from a Camera. SIGMA should never revert to traditional file formats and stick to this great RAW format which allows the best possible artistry with digital negatives.
I know why NIKONs, CANONs and other brands won't want to use X3 -- they want to maximize their profits by using their proprietory CCDs no matter how badly they compare to a superior product. I think they are also complacent that their "devoted" customers will not change sides because of their famous names. But I can tell you, there would be a lot of migrations now towards the X3 and SIGMA -- those popular brands have already compromised their quality by not developing something equivalent to X3.
Well, I have used NIKON, CANON, Fuji and the rest --- but to tell you the truth, SIGMA is like a Rolls Royce of a Camera. They have only two Models, but they speak volume of quality and they are also the only sellers of X3 sensors at the moment.
So, if you want to experience something quite special and differnt than the rest, then SIGMA is the only option currently available --- I suggest, you give it a try to judge for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: sd10 + 24-70mm lens+memory card reader + battery set =>1523$
Review: like title
sd10 + 24-70mm lens + memory card reader + battery set =>1523$
in korea
if you are going to korea ..^^
2004.02
Rating:
Summary: A great camera with a few drawbacks
Review: Perhaps the most annoying thing about using the SD10 is that there is no straightforward answer to the seemingly simple question, "How many megapixels?" Purists claim that it has only 3.4, and Sigma claims 10.2, counting all three colors at each of the 3.4M locations. When people ask (and when they see my prints, they DO ask), I sometimes just say 3.4, leaving them to wonder how I do it. The way I figure, when you save the file at double size, you're getting 13.7 megapixels with the same amount of interpolation on the red and blue channels as a normal camera, and more interpolation on the green channel. However you figure, the resolution is stunning, and with a little care you can make 12" by 18" prints that are as sharp as most eyes can tell. Pros: 1. The software, especially the "fill light" function will let you quickly massage even your badly exposed pictures. 2. The great resolution. Cons (I'm spending more space on these because Sigma's text waxes eloquent on most the pros (and they're not lying)): 1. The software. The SD10's only format is a proprietary RAW format, so you need to run everything through their raw converter before you do anything else with it. 2. The kit lenses are OK, but not great. The 18-50 in particular is vulnerable to a lot of chromatic aberration. If you're going to shoot with EX-series lenses (and you really should), you might as well just buy the body. 3. Low light performance is not stellar. ISO 800 is practically unusable, and ISO 400 is dicey. 4. The buffer is not huge, and the write speed is slow. The camera will take only 6 high-resolution shots in burst mode, and after that it can take more than a minute for the camera to recover. All in all, however, this is a great camera, and if you get it you're likely to one-up all those folks buying digital rebels.
Rating:
Summary: A great camera with a few drawbacks
Review: Perhaps the most annoying thing about using the SD10 is that there is no straightforward answer to the seemingly simple question, "How many megapixels?" Purists claim that it has only 3.4, and Sigma claims 10.2, counting all three colors at each of the 3.4M locations. When people ask (and when they see my prints, they DO ask), I sometimes just say 3.4, leaving them to wonder how I do it. The way I figure, when you save the file at double size, you're getting 13.7 megapixels with the same amount of interpolation on the red and blue channels as a normal camera, and more interpolation on the green channel. However you figure, the resolution is stunning, and with a little care you can make 12" by 18" prints that are as sharp as most eyes can tell. Pros: 1. The software, especially the "fill light" function will let you quickly massage even your badly exposed pictures. 2. The great resolution. Cons (I'm spending more space on these because Sigma's text waxes eloquent on most the pros (and they're not lying)): 1. The software. The SD10's only format is a proprietary RAW format, so you need to run everything through their raw converter before you do anything else with it. 2. The kit lenses are OK, but not great. The 18-50 in particular is vulnerable to a lot of chromatic aberration. If you're going to shoot with EX-series lenses (and you really should), you might as well just buy the body. 3. Low light performance is not stellar. ISO 800 is practically unusable, and ISO 400 is dicey. 4. The buffer is not huge, and the write speed is slow. The camera will take only 6 high-resolution shots in burst mode, and after that it can take more than a minute for the camera to recover. All in all, however, this is a great camera, and if you get it you're likely to one-up all those folks buying digital rebels.
Rating:
Summary: Great quality and easy to use controls
Review: Sigma has a winner with the Foveon chip. Excellent images and far superior to ordinary chip cameras. The best feature of the camera itself, in my opinion, is the ease to which to operate the controls. The controls are very intuitive compared to the other 4 or 5 digitals I have owned or operated. Simplicity is the secret, not a lot of "junk" that will never or rarely be used. I was a professional photographer in the 80's and 90's and always found other digitals too complex even for someone with a comfortable knowledge of photography. The only negative I have found in the month and half I have owned the SD-10 is battery usage. You have the option of using rechargable AA or the CRV-3 batteries. With the AA, I get intermittent operation, something Sigma stated was characteristic of Metal Hydride batteries, especially if new. I'm a little skeptical of that assessment. I did just purchase the CRV batteries to try them. The only other issue I have is that I try to use the camera in a professional setting and there is not a way to get the flash off the camera. I purchase the Sigma DG 500 Super, which is a great flash if you don't need it off the camera. I bought the pc adapter and use it with a Metz 60ct2 flash. It would be nice if they (or someone) would produce a TTL cable or compatable flash. Overall I'm very happy with the camera and hope that more compatable accessories follow.
<< 1 >>
| 
