Description: Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera
The new SD14, powered by the 14-megapixel Foveon X3 direct-image sensor, can reproduce high definition images rich in gradation and impressive three-dimensional detail. The SD14
digital SLR camera features four
JPEG recording modes, a large and bright pentaprism
viewfinder with 98% coverage, a built-in
flash with a Guide Number of 11, 5-point AF system, a large 2.5-inch, 150,000-pixel resolution
LCD monitor, as well as a new user-friendly design.
The durable
shutter mechanism has over 100,000-cycle life and is ideal for the demands of digital photography.
Development
Sigma introduced its first digital SLR camera, the SD9, to the market in October 2002, and has established strong support from a wide range of
photographers both amateur and professional alike.
The second model, the SD10, released on to the market in November 2003, continued to build on the support of loyal photographers. However, demand for JPEG's greater convenience in image handling has increased and in order to meet this demand the new SD14, powered by Foveon X3 direct-image sensor, now includes
JPEG mode with high image quality, high performance, and versatility.
Features
14-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 20 x 27-inch prints
2.5-inch LCD display; RAW capture plus four JPEG recording modes (includes Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 software for
RAW conversion)
Dust protector, set off from image sensor, protects sensor from effects of dust
Continuous shooting at 3 frames per second
Stores images on CF Type I/II cards; powered by Lithium-ion battery BP-21
Until now, all other image sensors have featured a just single layer of pixels and each pixel captures only one color of light, which has been filtered through a single color filter. Since mosaic-based conventional image sensors capture only one-third of the color, complicated computations are required to interpolate the colors they miss. Interpolation leads to color errors, color artifacts, and a loss of image detail. Low-pass filters must then be used to reduce color artifacts. The use of low-pass filters adversely affect sharpness and resolution of the final image captured.
In-camera JPEG mode offers added convenience
The Sigma SD14 incorporates both RAW and JPEG image recording formats enabling photographers to capture the highest possible picture definition and small file sizes. JPEG recording, also built into the SD14, can be used for the following printing sizes:
Super High (14.15 million pixels: 4608 x 3072 pixels) can be used for 297 x 420-millimeter/11.6 x 16.5-inch (A3) or larger prints.
High (4.64 million pixels: 2640 x 1760 pixels) for 210 x 297-millimeter/8.2 x 11.6-inch (A4) printing.
Medium (2.1 million pixels: 1776 x 1184 pixels) can be used for regular size printing.
Low (1.03 million pixels: 1296 x 864 pixels) can be used for web-page and e-mail transmission.
There is a choice of three JPEG quality settings: Fine, Normal, and Basic.
Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 software is included with the SD14.
Versatile and easy to use Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 exclusive software, supplied with the SD14
The SD14 comes complete with Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 software, a RAW image developer that converts all RAW data quickly and easily. Adjustments can be made in three separate modes. The X3F Mode stores the original settings of the image at the point of capture. In the Auto Adjustment Mode, the software analyzes and automatically makes adjustments to the RAW data. The Custom Mode allows the photographer to make individual adjustments (exposure, contrast, shadow, highlight, saturation, sharpness, and fill-light, for example). The photographer can make subtle or dramatic changes easily and quickly by simply adjusting the slider controls within the software.
The X3F Mode stores the original settings of the image at point of capture. Photographers' personal modifications can be saved to the RAW, X3F file for future use.
Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 supports 8-bit TIFF, 16-bit TIFF, and JPEG file formats and also outputs images in sRGB, Apple RGB, Adobe RGB, and ColorMatch RGB color spaces. The default setting for output resolution is the same as the resolution selected when capturing the image on the camera (High, Medium, or Low). It is also possible to half (for sending via e-mails) or double (for high quality enlargements, maximum 18.58 million pixels: 5,280 x 3,520 pixels) the resolution when processing the image.
A dust protector prevents dust from entering and adhering to the image sensor.
Image Sensor Dust Protector
Most digital SLR cameras are vulnerable to dust entering the body, especially when the
lens is removed for changing. Dust and dirt entering through the lens mount of a digital camera can be seriously detrimental to
image quality. The dust protector of the Sigma SD14 prevents dust from entering and adhering to the image sensor. Even if dust adheres to the dust protector it will not have an adverse influence on image quality as the dust protector is located away from the image sensor and is therefore out of focus.
Large and bright pentaprism
viewfinder
The SD14 is equipped with a newly developed pentaprism viewfinder, which has 98% coverage (vertical and horizontal) with 0.9x magnification, an 18mm eye point, and -3 to +1.5 dpt dioptric adjustment.
Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor
The SD14 camera features a new, large 2.5-inch 150,000-pixel resolution LCD monitor. The LCD monitor displays 100% of the image, allowing the photographer to easily and accurately confirm the image composition. It features playback options including single frame, thumbnail display (9 images), and three types of magnification (which is achieved by use of the 4-way controller). Shutter speed, aperture, and other settings can be seen by pressing the INFO button. The large menu interface makes reviewing images and navigating menu options easy.
Reliable and durable shutter
The durable focal plane shutter mechanism has life cycle of over 100,000 exposures. The shutter is ideally suited to the requirements of digital cameras. This new shutter dramatically reduces the amount of dust and dirt from the shutter mechanism. The photographer can enjoy taking pictures without worrying about dirt and dust adhering to the image sensor either from inside or outside the camera.
The new autofocus sensor features 5 focusing points (center, left, right, up, and down).
Fast and precise focusing with 5-point AF
The new autofocus sensor features 5 focusing points (center, left, right, up, and down) ensuring consistently fast and precise focusing. The AF metering features a cross type sensor in the center of the screen. Selecting the AF point can be done automatically or manually by photographer.
High speed continuous shooting
The SD14 features a continuous shooting speed of 3 frames per second. Continuous shooting can be accomplished in conjunction with the camera's predictive autofocus function when photographing fast-moving subjects. The camera's high-speed image processing circuits are capable of handling large data files generated by the high-resolution 14-megapixel sensor. The number of images that can be captured in continuous shooting mode is dependent upon the resolution setting; High: 6 frames; Medium: 12 frames; Low: 24 frames. These figures apply in either RAW or JPEG mode.
Built-in flash
The Sigma SD14 camera's built-in flash offers an angle of coverage of 17mm lens (equivalent to 28mm with 35mm full size) with a guide number of 11 (ISO 100). Built-in flash can be synchronized to a shutter speed up to 1/180 second. This built-in flash enables automatic S-TTL shooting, which allows simple, easy control of advanced photography techniques.
Easy to use multifunction interface
The new layout of control buttons insures quick identification of the desired functions and easy use of the multifunction interface in operating camera settings. Clearly marked buttons make it easy for the photographer to display and adjust the most important settings, namely ISO, resolution, JPEG quality and file type, and white balance on one screen, using one button. The top LCD panel incorporates a backlight, which enables the camera to be easily controlled in low light or dark conditions.
Mirror lock-up mechanism prevents camera shake
The mirror lock-up mechanism raises the mirror As a result preventing vibration when the shutter is released. This prevents camera shake, and is especially effective for macro photography, using extremely long telephoto lenses, or in scientific work. Use of a remote controller (sold separately) or cable release (sold separately) also reduces the possibility of camera shake.
Three types of metering modes
The Sigma SD14 is equipped with three types of metering mode: 8-segment Evaluative Metering, Center Area Metering, and Center Weighted Average Metering. This enables the photographer to select the metering mode depending on subject and situation. Exposure compensation function allows the photographer to override the exposure value set by the camera's exposure meter.
The Auto Bracketing function allows the exposure to be adjusted by 1/3 EV increments up to +/-3 EV from the exposure automatically set by the camera. In situations where it is difficult to determine proper exposure, the auto bracketing function allows a sequence of pictures to be taken of the same subject at three different exposure levels; Appropriate Exposure, Under Exposure, and Over Exposure.
Power source
The Lithium-ion battery BP-21 (included with the camera) can shoot approximately 500 images on one full charge. It takes about 120 minutes to fully charge with battery charger BC-21 (also included). The optional power grip PG-21 has a vertical shutter release button and can hold two BP-21 batteries, supplying more than enough power for most shoots. The AC adapter SAC-21 (sold separately) enables the Sigma SD14 to obtain power from the main supply.
The top LCD panel
The top LCD panel allows the photographer to quickly and accurately confirm information such as resolution setting, metering mode, battery status, and the number of images that can be recorded on the CF card. It also incorporates an orange backlight, which enables the camera to be easily controlled in low light or dark conditions.
Lenses and focusing
The Sigma SA lens protocol is a clone of the Canon EF protocol which provides a not so obvious but very interesting option that most
Canon EF lenses will work seamlessly after exchanging the mount plate with the Sigma DSLRs, but without image
stabilization. Physically, the SA-mount is identical to the
PK-mount rotated by 90° clockwise with a reduced back-focus of 44.0mm (equals
Canon EOS) as opposed to the 45.5mm of Pentax PK and M42.
PK-lenses fit, but should only be mounted when the rear protrusions have been dismantled. Such lenses will then
focus beyond infinity and may contact the protective filter. A spacer ring (made e.g. of decopperized FR3 1.5mm circuit board) can be added between the PK lens body and its bayonet plate.
Prime, as opposed to
zoom-lenses often permit a simple resetting of the position of the
focusing ring on helical inside. Zoom lenses converted this way will become vari-focals by losing the focus-setting as they are zoomed.
The spring that opens or closes the lens iris may have to be reset to work in the opposite direction. All M42 lenses work as is without problems with the SA/M42 converter. Although the Nikon F back-focus at 46.5mm is well above the 44mm of the SD14, there is no adapter for the infinity focusing possible as, unlike with Canon EOS, the Nikon bayonet of roughly the same diameter will not fit inside the SA=PK bayonet. The M42 thread does, as taken care of by Asahi when introducing PK in the 70's. Lenses with equal or shorter back-focus (pre-EOS Canon, Minolta, Konica, Miranda) can only be adapted by discarding the old bayonet, milling off extra metal from the lens barrel and adding an SA = PK bayonet flange. Due to the (for a crop-DSLR) excellent viewfinder of the SD14 the missing auto-iris is not the problem it might seem to be, as primes from 45mm up focus comfortably on the screen down to f/5.6. The camera meters automatically via the AV setting with anything mounted on it or being mounted on, such a microscope. For this, the camera is always set to a virtual aperture of 1.0. The SD14's solid construction and decent size make it a desirable platform for laboratory and technical photography.
Reviews
Loved everything but the image quality, May 27, 2009
I was very, very excited about this camera when I ordered it. An underdog, it seemed to be getting great reviews here, and it's backed by a good name in lenses. Excitement turned to disappointment once I started reviewing the images it captured. I sent it back after less than a week, dissatisfied.
I shot everything at the 4.7MP setting, using Sigma's 17-70mm lens (the same lens that turns out great photos on friends' Canon and Nikon bodies). This was the first DSLR I've owned, but I'm comfortable with manual film SLRs and I've spent time with borrowed Canon Rebel XT and XTis. This camera was to be an upgrade to my Fuji S602 Zoom, a nice but outdated SLR-ish point-and-shoot with a 3MP sensor.
The no-frills controls were great--two dials is definitely the way to go. The camera is heavy in hand, but not unmanageable. Great orange-backlit LCD on top of the camera for reviewing settings, though the backlight sometimes wouldn't engage.
Autofocus was slower than the Canon system, but fast enough for me. The delay between the shutter release and the LCD image review was too long, sometimes a few seconds.
As for image quality, I was never able to capture a sharp image with this camera. I took around 100 photos, most indoors and a few outside in the rain, and every one of them lacked the detail I've seen in other samples online. Soft edges everywhere.
In addition, the camera's auto white balance was terrible. I could shoot at a white sheet of paper under incandescent lighting and wind up with a strong yellow cast. Not even a calibrated custom white balance setting could compensate for this fault. Even my Epson digicam from 2000 had better on-camera white balance.
Now, white balance isn't so important if you're shooting in RAW. Sigma's own Photo Pro software doesn't work on my platform (Linux), nor did I expect it to. I tried RAW a few times, but the dcraw and ufraw processing tools that work well for Canon's RAWs have a bug that adds green banding to Sigma images. Ordinarily, this would be fine; I don't mind shooting in JPEG most of the time. But, coupled with the camera's white balance problems that aren't easily correctable in JPEG, I couldn't produce usable photos without full-spectrum lighting.
Thinking the softness might be in my head, I tried the SD14 side-by-side with the Canon XTi (with the 18-35mm kit lens) and the Fuji S602 Zoom. I photographed a photo calendar on a wall about 3' away under bright soft white lighting at 100 ISO (160 on the Fuji, its lowest setting), shooting handheld. The Canon and Fuji turned out acceptable images, and the Sigma's were soft and yellow.
To stack the odds in the Sigma's favor, I even tried shooting RAW (colors be damned), putting the camera on a tripod, using mirror lockup, and focus bracketing (!!) in case the autofocus was miscalibrated or something. It didn't seem to make much of a difference. Even with all those additional precautions, I got better image definition from the handheld 3MP Fuji and better overall image quality from the XTi. I can believe and accept that the XTi might be capable of creating better images, but I couldn't believe the SD14 had trouble matching my rusty trusty Fuji.
I started with really high hopes and an open mind, but this camera just couldn't perform for me.
Clunky, but amazing images, May 22, 2009
The Sigma Sd14 is a digital single-lens-reflex with interchangeable lenses. On first impression the Sigma SD14 is a big clunky camera; wider and taller than the Canon XTi, and XSi, and much much bigger than the Panasonic G1. However, it doesn't feel extremely heavy which makes me think that it's mostly plastic. It does give the overall feeling that it was designed for people with big hands, but in practice, while a fist-full, the controls fell nicely under my fingers--a comfortable grip that balances well. The 2.5 inch LCD screen, 150,000 pixels, is coarse and barely adequate for seeing the histogram and exposure info. The stop-down preview button is excellent, as is the QS (quick-set) button which makes it easy and fast to alter ISO, Format, and White Balance. The viewfinder is very clear and bright, and I really like Sigma's choice of placement for the Drive and Mode Dials at top. I was surprised at how well-dampened the camera was for vibration and noise.
Image quality: Highly detailed, rich, nuanced color. Usually amazingly beautiful. Even stunning at times. I find myself wowed by its quality, depending on the lens. The Foveon sensor loves light and I found a big difference in the midtone tonalities just by adjusting from ISO 200 to 100. In sunlight at ISO 100 midtones are silky-smooth; but shooting at ISO 200 on an overcast day produced big, ugly, blotchy noise patterns in the midtones and shadows. (Here the Sigma DP1 is superior at ISO 200 and even 400.) Limiting oneself to shooting at ISO 100 especially when the camera lacks image-stabilization (only available in certain Sigma lenses) is annoying. Hopefully noise issues will be fixed with the new TRUE II processor in the Sigma SD15.
My gripes: Autofocus isn't always accurate; the "C" Dial (command Dial) collar surrounding the shutter release is WAY too stiff for single-finger pressure to change aperture/shutter speed/exposure-override combinations which require pressure from thumb-at-the-back and turning the dial at front. It felt awkward. (The design of the Canon Rebel series or the Panasonic G1 is superior in this respect.) The SD14 dial seems like it was designed for someone wearing gloves, which is strange because the camera is not weather-sealed for extreme temperatures. And processing shots is VERY slow. About 5-to-7 seconds (!) to save a RAW file, and if you shoot a burst of six-shots in RAW it takes a whopping 40 seconds to process all of them (30 seconds for JPEG burst). And while it's processing the camera is disabled. If you shoot one, then another, as "single-shots" you may not feel the pinch until you exceed the sixth shot. This is NOT the camera for sports or photo-journalism.
All in all, the Sigma is the "only game in town" if you want the Foveon sensor quality. (I find the Sigma DP1 to be faster at processing RAW files than the SD14.) Would I buy it again? Yes. The quality of its stunning images is unsurpassed (IMHO) but I'm definitely looking forward to improvements in the SD15.
