46-megapixel Sigma DSLR

[blessingx]

Sigmas has always been a little loose on Foveon pixel count, but anyone else excited about their new SD1? Now to find which neighborhood bank has the weakest security.

[Dreadhead]

Nope. I'd take a d3x over it any day of the week. Though I will be interested to see how their DxOMark ends up. Pentax 645D is the win in the same price range.

Edited May 20, 2011 by Dreadhead

[Cankin]

a post from dpreview forum:

...they state: "By embracing the SD1, serious photographers will also be able to take advantage of Sigma’s extensive lineup of affordable lenses..."I think it's hilarious to appeal to users on the basis of cost while asking nearly US$10K for a cropped-sensor camera not even quite up to current professional standards in most other regards.

[aerius]

So let me get this straight, Sigma is selling a crop sensor camera that cost more than a Leica M9 with Summicron lens? You can't be serious.

[kevin gilmore]

i'm much more interested in the soon to be released D4.

[blessingx]

Well, to be fair, it's street versus MSRP. We'll see how it plays out.

[Jon L]

I wish Sigma would stop this nonsense and start working harder on their Sony NEX aufofocus lenses which they announced in past. At this rate, I expect a next gen NEX camera body before Sigma NEX lenses..

[Cankin]

Sony NEX C-3 and A77

A77 is probably the first camera with APS-C 24 megapix sensor, that will probably be used in the D300s replacement

Edited May 21, 2011 by Cankin

[Salt Peanuts]

Sony NEX C-3 and A77

A77 is probably the first camera with APS-C 24 megapix sensor, that will probably be used in the D300s replacement

Why in the hell would anyone want 24 MP in a cropped sensor?

[Cankin]

People still believe more pixels equal better image quality??

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-sony-a77-and-nex-7-coming-on-july-7-for-1099-including-the-kit-lens/

[Cankin]

or I should say more pixels equal more sales to camera manufacturer?

[Salt Peanuts]

I'd agree at least for P&S cameras, but I'd hope folks who are dropping decent chunks of money isn't making decision solely on pixel count.

[Synchro Belt Drive]

In the car industry you have the horsepower race. 46-megapixel? There might be a 50 + megapixel camera in the works...

[revolink24]

In the car industry you have the horsepower race. 46-megapixel? There might be a 50 + megapixel camera in the works...

Erm, the Hasselblad H4D-60 is already 60MP. Sure, it's $40k, but....

Edited May 28, 2011 by revolink24

[Salt Peanuts]

Erm, the Hasselblad H4D-60 is already 60MP. Sure, it's $40k, but....

Apples and oranges. The Hasselblad has a medium-format sensor.

[revolink24]

Yep, you're right. I keep forgetting, given the specs, that that Sigma is a crop sensor, especially at that price point. As mentioned previously, the Pentax 645d is a 40MP medium format body for around the same price. The sensor size difference is significant: 24mm x 16mm vs. 44mm x 33mm (Yes, if we want to be nitpicky, the 645d is still a "crop" sensor in that it has a crop factor of .787).

I'm not sure how, with that pixel pitch, this camera will have any decent low-light performance whatsoever.

Edited May 28, 2011 by revolink24

[limp]

It's supposed to have a Foveon sensor, right?

In press-statements they often count the sub-pixels, but as these are stacked three in height the effective pixel count will be a 3rd of this.

Chances are then that the functional pixel count in this case will be 15.3, which isn't all that ridiculous.

But the price is.

I can easily believe that this will be a wonderful camera, maybe 5DII good, but certainly not $10,000 good.

Edited May 28, 2011 by limp

[revolink24]

Interesting point, I hadn't even considered that. That Foveon sensor, if you are correct, could still be amazing. At $9700 though, well, it's a hard sell.

Edited May 28, 2011 by revolink24

[Salt Peanuts]

Supposedly, the street price will be ~$6900. A lot less than the msrp, but still more expensive than just about all of its competition.

[Knuckledragger]

Foveon sensors are a really neat idea that will never see a proper implementation in to a real world product as long as Sigma owns the patent to the technology and doesn't license it. Mike Johnson, who runs the excellent photography blog The Online Photographer, had a great article last year about foveon technology. He compared the Foevon sensor to Lincoln Walsh's speaker drivers, which are the only used in Ohm brand speakers. The article is a good read for photo nerds, audio snobs or those of us who happen to be both.

[limp]

I think it's sort of nice that Sigma keep their sensor for themselves. It gives us techno/photo geeks something to relish over, kept clean from the dirty hands of the common people.

Edited May 29, 2011 by limp

[Knuckledragger]

The "common people" using Canon's 1 series digital bodies? Or Nikon's D3X/D3S? Not to mention the comparative price of Canon and Nikon glass to Sigma's self-described "low cost" line of lenses.

Youse trollin' bro.

[limp]

Far from trolling.

I'm talking about the DP series. They're still competitive within their segment, in their own quirky way.

As for full format DSLRs there are nothing that touches Canon and Nikon, the real question is wether Sigma ever will be a real competitor.

The SD1 could be interpreted as that this is at least their intention. Will they succeed? I kind of doubt it, but in the same time it isn't completely impossible.

[Salt Peanuts]

It's hard for SD1 to succeed when it's more expensive than Canon and Nikon's top offerings (save for 1Ds Mk III) on top of the fact its features/peripheral functions are inferior to its intended competition.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Salt Peanuts