Sigma SD1 pricing announced today and they took many folks by surprise. Why?

Because many months ago a Sigma executive when asked about SD1 pricing indicated it would be in the “Canon 7D” price range.  So many Sigma enthusiasts were counting on $1600-$1800 for the SD1.

Today sigma announced the SD1 is priced at $9700.  (that’s not a typo)

$9700 dollars for a crop sensor that only takes sigma SA mount lenses.  Hmmmm…

Now I am a huge sigma fan.  An X3F lover and I’ve yapped about it many times.  I’m disappointed that Sigma priced the SD1 so high, especially after they indicated it would be in line with the cost of a Canon 7D.

Seems Sigma is trying to pitch the SD1 as a viable medium format competitor.  What I don’t know is if the medium format folks will dig the following:

• 460K LCD screen.  That’s right.  Low resolution LCD to review your shots
• Tiny viewfinder to frame your shots (compared to Full Frame or MF)
• Sigma lens quality control

Those three issues are the biggest downsides to the SD1 as a medium format competitor.  Several sigma SA mount lenses have shipped to me with massive back focus issues and despite being sent to sigma repair in NY several times, they still can only be used as manual focus lenses (sigma quality control is notoriously worse than Canon/Nikon).

There are other gotchas like amazingly crappy battery life (200 shots per charge), etc…, but I’ll stop here given Sigma priced it far enough out of my range to consider the SD1 as a purchase.  Had they priced it around $2000 to $2500 I’d have probably have bought two and then start shooting real estate with it over my current Nikon D3.  Steady as she goes for now given this pricing.

Camera, Lens, Tripod …. and very limited time to shoot right at high noon (high contrast).

Click to View Larger Version

It’s what I first began shooting myself and later got used to coping with.  Basically,…

• No formal knowledge of the property
• No prior prep time or staging time alotted
• No time to bring in external lighting
• No time to waste…  basically… HDR to the rescue

Here’s some typical “Camera + Lens + Tripod” shoots.  Some new, some relatively recent…

VRBO Listing for new client wanting to stand out above the rest

Sandestin Burnt Pine MLS Listing

VRBO Shoot for existing client that values (through bookings) high end photos

MLS Shoot for Existing Client (has sold 90% of listings I shot in 60 days or less)

Click image to view LARGER version

Canon T3 / 1100D sample image.  Created with the trusty Promote Control to bracket much larger than a Canon can do natively.  Shot with the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (at 8mm). (O.K. so I forgot to move the hand soap directly ahead which fills the doorway…. sue me!)

Once again the promote control turns an entry level DSLR into a HDRI capture device.  Brilliant.

I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything on the blog or on Twitter.  I’ve been dealing with terrible health challenges.  I’ve spent more time getting treatments, tests, blood work, chelation therapy, detox programs and on and on.  It has consumed my time the last couple of months.  Hope to be back soon, but the docs can’t pin point the exact issue aside from high levels of toxins and metals in my blood (hence detox and chelation therapy).  I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.  I have about 4-6 hours of energy a day… sometimes less.  Dizzy spells keep me off the computer too.  Geez.  When your grandmom tells you that you’ve got nothing if you don’t have your health.  She ain’t jokin’.

The only reason I have the T3 is a real estate photographer wanted into my HDR Training for Real Estate Photography beta even though it is still not finished.  So I told her if she drop shipped a new T3 kit so I could test it, I’d let her in.  I didn’t actually expect her to do it!!!  So here’s my first use with it and a few comments.

This is NOT a full Canon T3 review, just my quick take.

• Dynamic Range seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
• Image Quality seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
• Video and higher ISO abilities make it a great upgrade to the XS / 1000D
• Body is made of a smooth plastic and reminds me of a child’s toy (hate it)

I’m very excited about this lens.  Moreso to use on the coming Sigma SD1, but I have been very pleased with the results on my Canon 60D.  A few samples here on this link:

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/sigma/8-16mm/index.html

The new FD glass sigma implemented deals with glare quite well.  Perfect for bracketing for HDR in difficult lighting environments.

Previously I had discussed using the 60D with the new 8-16mm:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma7TUysv7l8[/youtube]

If you are trying to follow someone’s HDR tutorial, you will DEFINITELY get different results than they got if you are not shooting with the exact same sensor.

A single shot on a D3x is like taking two separate shots with an older Canon Rebel about 1 EV stops apart and then blending them in post.  So if a D3x shooter says you only need 3aeb with frames at +/-2EV, you actually need 6aeb at +/-1EV with your older Canon Rebel to get the same gorgeous post production results.  How do I know this?  I’ve shot with both!!!

So you can’t follow tutorials of someone shooting with a D3x if you only have an older Canon Rebel.  Here’s a chart showing some recent DSLRs and their sensor rankings.

What is extremely important to understand is that these numbers show ONLY the absolutes.  Even though a camera may have light show up for 10+ stops does not mean the data is clean throughout the entire histogram.  There is noise in shadows on all of these models.  And the noise print is dramatically different.

If you are shooting with even a brand new APS-C sensor, it more than likely will not have shadows as clean as even a 3yr old model with a full frame sensor.  Even at 100 ISO on both models.  Its just physics.

You can yank FILL LIGHT up to 70 on a Nikon D3 shot and the same scene shot with a Canon 60D might only be able to have FILL LIGHT pulled up to 30 or 35 before breaking down badly.  So the 60D shot never gets to be lightened up as much as the D3 shot.  Again, its mostly physics.  An APS-C sensor is simply much smaller in size than a full frame sensor.

For example, my Canon 60D is a 2010 camera, but its APS-C sensor can not hang at all even at 100 ISO with my 4 year old full frame Nikon D3 sensor shooting at 200 ISO.  And my old and crusty full frame 5D from many years back has better shadow data than the 60D as well (100 ISO on both).

When bracketing you only get extremely clean data in the center/sweet spot of each capture. A camera like a Nikon D3x gives you more clean data in the middle part of the histogram than even a Canon 5D Mark II. So if you have to bracket a huge dynamic range scene with 11 frames spaced 1EV apart with a D3x, you might want to consider bracketing only 2/3rds steps between frames with a 5D Mark II (and increase the number of shots to cover the same dynamic range).  With an APS-C sensor you will often need to go down to 1/3rd EV jumps between frames and take far more shots to cover the same dynamic range in order to caputure the same clean data throughout that range. Basically, the sliver of perfect data of each sensor (per capture) decreases as you move down the scale of the chart provided.

I know this because I’ve delivered nearly 15,000 commercial images that were originally fully bracketed series of 7-15 shots per image.  And I’ve used dozens of cameras from various brands like Pentax, Nikon, Sigma and the worst of dynamic range brands… Canon.  So I’ve done a ridiculous amount testing to try and find the holy grail of HDR capture.  In the end, there is no one camera sensor or system that is perfect, but what I’ve found are general rules that allow you to make sure you get the entire dynamic range of a scene nailed with what system you are currently using.

I’ve seen the full sized fashion shoot photos done with the 46mp SD1, and the details are stunning.  One of the top master printers in the USA who did the printing for Sigma has stated that the SD1 out resolves every single pro DSLR available today (think Nikon D3x or Canon 1Ds Mark III), but he said it falls shy of medium format.

Before you poo-poo the camera, consider this… the target price for body only is $1600-$1700 US.

• X3F RAW file sizes range from 45-50MB
• The JPEG in RAW+JPEG mode are around 7MB
• There is little to no difference between write times for RAW+JPEG and plain RAW
• One RAW file takes about 10 seconds to write to card
• At present the camera is verified to utilize UDMA Mode 6 cards
• They (Sigma?) is currently verifying UDMA Mode 7 cards and these should be faster than Mode 6 cards.

• A new version of SPP will be needed to process SD1 RAW files. (You get an error if you try to open SD1 files in the current version of SPP.)
• The RAW processing algorithms are completely different.
• SPP for the SD1 is currently under development (It will support RAW files from current cameras.)
• [ed: hmm...] An additional “Adjustment RAW mode” will be added due to the increased complexity of the RAW data coming from the SD1
• In “Adjustment Mode” you won’t be able to use the loupe or magnify the image, however, processing speed will be increased ten-fold.
• You will be able to use this mode with current RAW files, but there won’t be an equivalent speed increase
• The workflow will be where you modify a RAW image in “Adjustment mode” then you convert it to a Full RAW file.
• Sigma is looking into a Kelvin-based white-balance adjustment, but they are finding it difficult to achieve. This is mainly because with Bayer sensors you deal with a two-axis adjustment, but with Foveon it is a three-axis adjustment.
• High sensitivity is an algorithm with a goal to keep as much color information as possible. So with the current Foveon sensors (in current cameras) produce a large amount of noise as sensitivity increases. With the new Foveon sensor there is barely any noise.

• ISO sensitivities from 100 to 6400
• ISO800 produces almost no noise and ISO1600 is very usable
• ISO6400 is available in “Extended Mode”
• The SD1s shown at CP+ had a Firmware version of 0.5. It looks like there are quite a number of incomplete functions and a number of bugs remain.
• The back-side AF button was on the camera, but it currently doesn’t function.
• Autofocus on the demo units was clearly faster than the SD15 and will only improve over time.
• All 11 AF points are twin-cross sensors and every sensor is equally sensitive.
• The AF sensor was announced to be sensitive from -EV2 to 18, but the final unit will be sensitive from -1EV. [ed: there was perhaps a typo here. I couldn't tell if the announced sensitivity was -2EV or just 2EV...]
• AF Micro-Adjustments will be available on a per-lens basis, but it’s not clear how many lenses worth of storage the final unit will support.
• The top LCD was removed from the SD1, but each button will display information on the LCD screen when pressed.
• The SD1 specs show the rear LCD to be the same specs as the unit on the SD15, but the LCD on the units at the show seem to be different and much better.
• All of the SD cameras have been easy to hold, but the SD1 is even more so.
• There is a mysterious menu item selection that seems to indicate that you will be able to change the lens information (this is unknown and may not even end up in the final product)
• Even though the camera might record the lens information, Sigma does not and will not apply and lens corrections to the files in-camera.
• There is a “Cleaning Mode” in the menu system (The feature was in previous SD cameras, but it was never easy to remember how to do it.)
• The shutter sound is even quieter in the SD1
• Mirror-shock is smaller (even though it was small enough even in the SD15)
• The viewfinder looks even brighter now that the crop-factor is 1.5x instead of the 1.7x in other SD cameras.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma7TUysv7l8[/youtube]

Topics discussed:

• Canon 60D
• Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM
• Nikon D3
• Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G
• Promote Control
• 1D / 1Ds AEB functions
• 3aeb sucks

Sigma just announced their new flagship DSLR the Sigma SD1. They have a microsite showing the history of the company and foveon as it relates to Sigma DSLRs.

46 megapixel 24×16mm APS-C X3 Full-colour image sensor
The 46 megapixel (4,800×3,200×3 layers) 24×16mm APS-C X3 direct image sensor featured in the Sigma SD1 captures all primary RGB colours at each and every pixel location, ensuring the capture of full and complete colour. 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 colour more accurately, and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional image sensor. Since colour moiré is not generated, the use of a low-pass filter is not required, meaning light and colour, generated by the 46 megapixel APS-C X3 direct image sensor, is captured with a three-dimensional feel.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again… the foveon sensor has amazing dynamic range. That used in conjunction with their proprietary raw processing software (included free with their cameras) gives you access to a unique slider unlike any other raw processing app which acts like a tonemapper on the raw data.  This makes the SD14 an amazing tool even today in 2010 (I shoot with both a Nikon D3 and Sigma SD14).  I can’t wait to see the images off the Sigma SD1.

Specs aren’t out yet, but if they at least match the AEB capabilities of the SD15 which shoots 5aeb, I’ll be thrilled.

LARGER SIZED VERSION LINKED HERE:
http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/vegas/sd14-hdr.html

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The Sigma SD15 will be shipping within  a month.  I’m very excited about this new release. The Sigma SD15 is basically a Sigma SD14 with a new processor that has a much larger buffer and a new 5 AEB capture mode which makes the SD15 a serious contender for HDR capture given it is retailing at $895. I have not yet tested the SD15 and don’t know if the new processor makes it better shooting in certain shooting conditions, but for daylight shooting the SD14 is an amazing tool with a very large dynamic range (sensor).  Also, the SD14 – SD15 is a non-bayer pattern sensor which records RGB on every pixel.  It makes an AMAZING camera for those who like to convert to Black and White.  Lastly, the software that comes with the camera has a slider in it that acts like none-other application I’ve used. It is essentially a built in tone mapper of sorts which makes editing single shots extremely useful for utilizing the sensor’s capabilities. (warning: Apple has no support for processing sigma raw files through iPhoto or Aperture 3)

I’ll review the SD15 once I get mine (I pre-ordered mine when it was first available for pre-order).

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Another quick HDR capture I chose to tonemap via Photomatix Pro
(Those two images will likely be the last I run through Photomatix Pro for some time. I’m just not thrilled with the way it handles color and has more than subtle hue shifts that cause saturation/hue issues)
http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/vegas/test-50mm.html

.

I had previously discussed the new Sigma SD15 and its new 5 AEB feature.  What I just learned is that the SD15 has the following AEB capabilities:

With 3 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±3EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.0, 0, +3.0 ]

With 5 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±1.7EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.3, -1.7, 0, +1.7, +3.3 ]

I would have loved to have seen jumps of at least 2.0EV between each shot on the 5 AEB capture mode for some wide dynamic range scenes, but the new 5 AEB setting is a welcome one.  At the price point the Sigma SD15 is set at ($859 through Amazon Pre-Orders), it is the widest bracket you can get for the money.  Nothing even comes close for that price point.