Sigma sd Quattro: Hands-On First Look

The Sigma sd Quattro is the first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera released to feature a Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor. Matching the APS-C format Quattro sensor first seen in the dp Quattro line with a mount that accepts all Sigma SA-mount lenses in the Art, Sports and Contemporary line (along with many older Sigma lenses) is a potent pairing for photographers who demand the utmost in image purity combined with the flexibility to pair the camera with a wide range of Sigma interchangeable lenses.

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Sigma dp2 Quattro: First Look

The very first advance shipment of the Sigma dp2 Quattro camera has just arrived, and as I write, our team is preparing a number of these compact, high-resolution cameras for the dp2 Quattro Test Shoot: Try Before You Buy program. Here’s our exclusive first look at the Sigma dp2 Quattro.

I’ve spent the weekend with the dp2 Quattro, and I can tell you straight-out that this is far and away the best dp camera I’ve had my hands on. And for those keeping score, I’ve been working with these cameras for a long time. In fact, I published one of the very first hands-on reports of the original DP1 back when I was Online Editor of PopPhoto.com.

The Red Mill in Clinton, NJ, as seen through the Sigma dp2 Quattro. 1/20 F8 ISO 100, Sigma 58mm Circular Polarizer. X3F Raw processed through Sigma Photo Pro 6. All photos in this article were captured as X3F Raw, Processed in Sigma Photo Pro, and tuned for final web output in Adobe Camera Raw 8.5.

I have always been a fan of the elegant simplicity of the dp cameras, the uncluttered interface, and the refreshing lack of frills and bloat in the menus and commands. The dp cameras have always been designed with an eye on image-making, and to that end, the functionality trumped any fashion issues for me. Continue reading Sigma dp2 Quattro: First Look

Sigma DP3 Merrill for Amazing Close-up Details

The Sigma DP3 Merrill is the newest member of the DP family, and the fourth camera in the Sigma line built around the amazing Merill Generation Foveon Direct Image Sensor. The DP3 Merrill is fitted with a 50mm F2.8 DP prime lens that equates to 75mm on the APS-C stacked image sensor. And, in a first for the DP lineup, it offers 1:3 macro magnification.

Antique ramhorn handled carving knife and asparagus. Sigma DP3 Merrill. Lit with a softbox strobe. ISO 100 1/400 at F/8. I chose the very high shutter speed to ensure no camera shake.
Here is a 1000×667 pixel view at 100% (Click the photo to fly out to 100% view) Notice the incredible level of detail in the knife, the asparagus, and the wood grain!

The combination of macro focusing combined with the incredible detail captured at every pixel location due to the unique Foveon sensor design adds up to images absolutely loaded with the finest details perfectly captured–every thread and fiber in silk ties and scarves, spots of pigment in watercolor paintings, and  even the tonal fluctuations in the grooves of an LP.

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Accolades for the Sigma DP2 Merrill

SIGMA DP2 Merrill

Editorial reviewers and photographers around the globe have been amazed at the exceptional image quality of the Sigma DP2 Merrill.

Here’s a sampling of recent quotes that have caught our eye about this amazing compact camera.


The Absolute Sounds

“In optical quality, Reichmann claims it plays second fiddle to no other  ‘standard’ lens from any other manufacturer including Leitz and Zeiss.”

“The DP2 Merrill has a unique and extraordinary sensor and an equally extraordinary lens”

“In my experience no other camera, short of a 4×5 or a medium-format digital rig with a high-res back, has outdone it in image quality under the right circumstances.”

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A1 MTF Testing for New Sigma Lenses

On the Sigma Global Vision site, you may read and learn about every aspect of the evolution of Sigma. In this occasional blog series, we discuss aspects of the Global Vision in greater depth.

The Global Vision explains:

There are three requirements for outstanding lenses: fine design, precise manufacturing and inspection that ensures compliance with all specifications. Sigma lenses are born of well-thought-out design concepts and sophisticated, advanced Japanese manufacturing technology: the final clincher is our lens performance evaluation.

We used to measure lens performance using conventional sensors. However, we’ve now developed our own A1 proprietary MTF (modulation transfer function) measuring system using 46-megapixel Foveon direct image sensors. Even previously undetectable high-frequency details are now within the scope of our quality control inspections. The lenses in our new lines will all be checked using this new system before they are shipped.

Thanks to our new sensors, with their extremely high resolution, you can expect our high-performance lenses to be better than ever.

At the heart of the A1 measurement system is the same Merrill Generation 46 Megapixel Foveon sensor in the Sigma SD1 Merrill, and the Merrill Generation DP cameras. The incredible resolution of this sensor makes it perfectly suited to this advanced scientific purpose. The lenses to be measured are hooked up to the  image capture device, and the special charts are captured and analyzed using new, proprietary algorithms designed to work in conjunction with the high-resolution sensor. This level of detail analysis is critical for creating lenses capable of meeting the demands of the most detailed image sensors in cameras such as the Sigma SD1 Merrill and the Nikon D800.

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Sigma DP2 Merrill Model Shoot with Robert Lopshire

Longtime readers of the Sigma blog will recall that last year we spent a day with photographer Robert Lopshire and the Sigma SD1.

So when the first shipments of the Sigma DP2 Merrill arrived we asked Robert if he’d be interested in doing a follow-up to this story featuring this amazing compact camera and his immediate email reply was simply this: YES! When? And then right after we posted this First Impressions blog post, we started making plans to spend a day with Robert Lopshire and model Abbie Davidson and the Sigma DP2 Merrill. We spent a Tuesday in early September at Robert’s home studio, and he and his team made a series of amazing photos.

Photographer Robert Lopshire swapped out his DSLR for the Sigma DP2 Merrill for a recent model shoot with Abbie Davidson. Sigma DP2 Merrill 1/125 F8.0 ISO 100. (Make-up: Cristin Rose Goldsmith, Hair: Tarissa Gesner) ©2012 Robert Lopshire. Other equipment used: Bowens Gemini 500R monolight (key light) w/ 22" Beauty dish. 2 Impact VSD160 monolights (backdrop lights). MicroSync Wireless Strobe Sync System.

Robert admitted to being just a little nervous about swapping out the DSLR for a compact camera, especially since this was a full-production shoot with a make-up artist and a hair stylist, but that quickly gave way to amazement and excitement as he checked out the images captured by the Sigma DP2 Merrill, first on the LCD, and then on his big computer monitor during a break in the photo session.

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Sigma DP2 Merrill: First Impressions by Jack Howard

The Sigma DP2 Merrill is seriously amazing at capturing even the finest nuances of detail. Check out this super-detailed view of Battery Peck at Sandy Hook, NJ shot at F7.1 for serious depth of field. 1/320 F7.1 ISO 100.

I’ve spent the past few weeks experimenting with the Sigma DP2 Merrill and I am quite honestly blown away by the images this compact prime lens camera produces. The Sigma DP2 Merrill creates amazing photographs with exceptional detail and beautifully smooth color gradations and nuances of tone. The overall image quality of this camera is simply amazing and outstanding.

Click here to view the images in this story in full 4704x 3136 pixels resolution in a Flickr Set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another variation of this scene, shot at F/4 to selectively focus on the greenery popping up from the safety fence. Notice the fine details in the leaf and the gorgeously defocused quality of the background. 1/800 F4 ISO 100

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the feel of the images is stunning both when there is significant depth of field, and also when there is selective focus and a softened background thanks to the F2.8 maximum aperture with rounded blades and that large APS-C sensor for a “big camera” aesthetic to the images that is often lacking from so many small-chipped compact cameras.

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The Vision and Passion of Dick Merrill

Today, Sigma officially launches three new digital cameras, the Sigma SD1 Merill, the DP1 Merill, and the DP2 Merrill.  Each of these cameras wears the name “Merrill” in honor and recognition of the passion, drive and vision of Richard “Dick” Merrill, a founding father of the Foveon sensor that is at the heart of Sigma’s Digital cameras.

Prior to being a member of Foveon’s team at its founding  with Carver Mead and Dick Lyon among others in 1997, Merrill worked on semiconductor research and design at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center, as well as National Semiconductor. Foveon colleagues talk warmly about Merrill as a prolific inventor, explorer, and problem-solver who owned an oscilloscope at the age of ten.  His genius for tackling challenges in design and function is evidenced in the many patents awarded Merrill, and it is here, fueled by Merrill’s passion and brilliance, where so much of the story of Foveon and Sigma Digital Imaging truly unfolds.

Dick Merrill of Foveon, photographed by Dick Lyon, made with the Sigma SD14 DSLR.

Foveon’s first full-color digital imaging system, introduced in 1999, involved three image sensors aligned to the three exit planes for red, blue, and green light from a prism. This first device was capable of producing high-quality color images that recorded all primary colors at each pixel, but the prism manufacturing and assembly process was very complex. Guided by that singular focus–the creation of images in one shot that are comprised of three complete color image planes–was to be Foveon’s driving force throughout its evolution.

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Sigma SD1: It’s All About the Image

by Jack Howard

I’ve been lucky enough to spend a little bit of time with a prototype Sigma SD1 over the past week, and I have got to tell you: I am very excited about spending more time making photos with this new flagship Foveon-chipped SLR.

This rock-solid camera feels like a classic film-based 35mm SLR, with a gloriously uncluttered mode dial that lets you shoot in full Program, Aperture and Shutter Priority Program, and Manual mode. That’s it. This is a purist’s camera. On the LCD side of things, the menus and interfaces are clean, uncluttered, and intuitive on that 3-inch 460K LCD. This is a camera focused on making images, not navigating submenus.

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FAQs: The Sigma Camera and its Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor

Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor

 

 1. What image sensor is in Sigma cameras?  
 Sigma DSLR cameras contain a Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor. A general background that highlights the unique differences between the X3 image sensor technology and the technology behind the commercial color image sensors found in other DSLRs can be found on this page that discusses Sigma’s current DSLR offering, the SD15. 

2.    The SD15 will have the following image sensor’s specifications:

Description Specification
Effective Pixels 14.45MP 2688×1792 x 3layers
Effective Pixel Locations  2688×1792
Effective Pixel Area 20.7mm x 13.8mm
Optical Format 1.7x Focal Length Multiplier
Aspect Ratio 3:2
Optical Low-Pass Filter Required No

3.    Who designed this image sensor?  
The image sensor was designed by Foveon, Inc. of Santa Clara, California, USA. 

 4.    Who owns Foveon? 
Foveon, Inc. is a subsidiary of Sigma Corporation. Sigma purchased Foveon and all the intellectual property involved in fabricating the X3 Direct Image Sensor and processing X3 images in November, 2008. 

 5. What does the “X3” in “X3 Direct Image Sensor” stand for?  
“X3” stands for the three-layer structure used in Sigma’s Foveon sensors. Foveon X3 Direct Image sensors use three layers of pixels embedded in silicon to capture the color that other image sensors miss. The layers are positioned to take advantage of the fact that silicon absorbs different wavelengths of light to different depths. The bottom layer records red, the middle layer records green, and the top layer records blue. Each stack of pixels directly records all of the light at each point in the image. Other image sensors have featured just one layer of pixels, capturing just one color per point the image. To capture color, the pixel sensors in CCD and CMOS image sensors are organized in a grid, or mosaic, resembling a three-color checkerboard. Each pixel is covered with a filter and records just one color—red, green, or blue. 

 6. How do you respond to people who debate the number of megapixels in Sigma cameras? 
The number of megapixels in the X3 Direct Image Sensor is simple math: Using the anticipated SD1 as an example, the sensor’s pixels are arranged in three layers throughout 15.3 million spatial (or pixel) locations. Multiply those numbers and you get 45.9, or 46 megapixels. 

The real debate stems from the definition of “pixel” versus “pixel location.” The following definitions are consistent with standard industry conventions as applied to CCD image sensors, CMOS image sensors, and the Foveon X3 direct image sensor:
A “pixel” on the image sensor of a digital camera is a light absorbing element (photodetector) that converts light (photons) into electrons. A pixel is also referred to as a pixel sensor when there is a need to distinguish the pixel from its location. 

A “pixel location” is the X,Y coordinate on the two-dimensional grid of an image sensor at which the pixel is located. Before the Foveon X3 Direct Image sensor came along, no one had to worry about this because there was always a 1:1 relationship between the number of pixels (photodetectors) and the number of pixel locations for a traditional CCD and CMOS image sensor. Given this relationship, the generic term “pixel” has been commonly used to reference both the pixel (photodetector) and the pixel location. 

Of course, that was prior to Foveon’s creation of an image sensor that incorporates three pixels (photodetectors) at every pixel location on the image sensor. The SD1’s 46 megapixel (4,800×3,200×3 layers) 24×16mm APS-C X3 Direct Image sensor captures all primary RGB colors at each and every pixel location, ensuring the capture of full and complete color. Using three silicon-embedded layers of photo detectors, stacked vertically to take advantage of silicon’s ability to absorb red, green and blue light at different respective depths, it efficiently reproduces color more accurately, and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional image sensor. Since color moire is not generated, the use of a low-pass filter is not required, meaning light and color, generated by the 46 megapixel APS-C X3 direct image sensor is captured with a three-dimensional feel. 

7.    The SD1 will boast new image sensor’s specifications.  They are as follows:

Description Specification
Effective Pixels 46MP15.3 MP per layer x 3 layers 4800 x 3200 x 3 
Effective Pixel Locations  4800 x 3200
Effective Pixel Area 24.0mm x 16.0mm
Optical Format APS-C, 1.5x Focal Length Multiplier
Aspect Ratio 3:2
Optical Low-Pass Filter Required No

  

8.    What other features will the SD1 have? 

  • Dual TRUE II image processing engine: The SD1 incorporates a dual “TRUE (Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine) II” image processing engine which improves the processing speed and overall quality of the final image. The unique image-processing algorithm provides high-resolution power and reproduces high-definition images with richly graduated tones.
  • CF card: The SD1 adopts the TYPE I CF Card. This camera is compatible with the UDMA enabling fast processing of large amounts of data.* It is not possible to use Microdrives and TYPE II CF cards.
  • 11 point twin cross sensor: The autofocus system features an 11 point twin cross sensor. The shifted twin cross type sensor improves AF accuracy.
  • Magnesium body: The Sigma SD1 adopts a lightweight yet solid magnesium alloy body designed to withstand rough use and shocks in harsh conditions.
  • Weather-resistant design: Buttons and connections benefit from O-ring sealing connections to prevent dust and water getting inside the camera body.
  • Large, highly visible 3.0” TFT color LCD Monitor: The SD1 camera features a 3.0 inch TFT color monitor. This 460,000 pixel resolution LCD monitor benefits from a wide viewing angle, making it easy to check focusing and composition.
  • Optional lenses: The SD1 can be used with over 40 Sigma lenses such as ultra-wide, ultra-telephoto, macro and fisheyes which adopt the latest technology such as the FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass elements, which have the performance equal to fluorite glass, SLD glass, Aspherical lenses, Sigma’s own unique Optical Stabilizer function, Hyper Sonic Motor and Sigma’s Super Multi Layer Coating. They meet the various and demanding requirements of all types of photographers.
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