As many of you know, I love to experiment with different equipment. Though I use dSLR's, digital MF backs and some fixed lens digicams professionally, I like to try different combinations and have found that some work better for me for certain tasks.
Lately, I've been enjoying my Sigma SD10 which is somewhat of a "specialty" camera but produces striking images with a certain "intangible" but intriguing quality which I'm having a difficult time quantifying. When Sigma first released their SD9 digicam I purchased the first one available in Colorado. After a few weeks I decided that I couldn't afford to purchase a whole new lens system (I already had Nikon and Canon) so I passed it on to a friend in Switzerland who still uses it. When the SD10 became available I purchased one but didn't get a decent lens for it so I put it away and didn't really use it for about a year. Finally I decided to buy a few decent lenses and I've become addicted!
The SD10 produces a 3.4 megapixel file from 10.3 million photodiode sampling sites. The Foveon processor directly samples RGB and produces one display pixel from the three primary samples in the three dimensional array. There is no antialiasing filter, and the edge roll-off (border between detail object and adjacent background) is very abrupt producing an incredible true sharpness which just can't be matched by my other six dSLR's (Canon D30, 10D, 1D, 1D Mark II, 1DS, Kodak DCS-760). It resolves to single pixel definition and has about the same black and white resolution as a good six megapixel Canon, Fuji or Nikon but resolves color better than my 11 megapixel 1DS.
The camera has serious limitations. With good lighting it does very well to ISO 800, but is terrible for exposures longer than about 13 seconds. Since it only produces a RAW image which varies from six to ten megabytes in size, the buffer fills rapidly and on about 9 quick successive shots are possible before I have to wait for the buffer to clear before shooting again. Autofocus is relatively slow (compared to Canon or Kodak), and there are not multiple AF sites, but the autofocus accuracy is better than any of my other dSLR's.
There is a 1.7x crop factor, so wide angle is not easy but I rarely need better than the 25.5mm I get with my 15-30 at the wide end. Of course only Sigma lenses can be used unless one is willing to modify a Canon lens by affixing a Sigma mount (it's been done and it does work).
But oh that image quality! It's hard to pin down, but the additional color and extreme clarity possible gives the images a distinct appearance which seems to have a dimensionality I just don't get from my other cameras. Dynamic range is truly excellent with shadow detail being much better than even my 1D Mark II and it's quite rare to blow highlights. The SD10 is a true joy to use in the snow. The ability to pick up detail in the whites is truly amazing compared to my other cameras.
I've become so intrigued with the camera for wildlife I'm considering purchasing the Sigma 300-800. Now if they would only put this sensor in my 1D Mark II body I would truly love it! It's sure never going to be an action camera of let me get great birds in flight shots, but for stills and landscapes it's truly a joy to use. The images interpolate beautifully and for the right subjects poster sized images are a snap. For those looking for alternatives for specialized work it's definitely something to consider.
Stop by my site and click on the Sigma SD10 link. Click on the thumbnails for an 800x600 (aprox) then on the 800x600 for a 1024x683 (aprox)....
Lin
http://www.lin-evans.net
