I think that has to do with the color rendering the sensor can do. MF are 16 bit color. It adds to the sharpness as well.

TaoTeJared said:
I love the Foveon look to the images and do think it is a hell of a sensor. I'm not sure what it all is, but something is different about it. I'm always drawn to the eyes and how it renders them. I keep passing on getting a DP2 just to try it out and compare side by side.
Original size is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isiahonline/5432797344/sizes/o/

Never would change from Nikon but I do like to see technology advance as it will always have some influence to others.

Nice reflection of the photographer and crew in the dogs right eye... It certainly does have that "medium format" picture feel about it.

I love the Foveon look to the images and do think it is a hell of a sensor. I'm not sure what it all is, but something is different about it. I'm always drawn to the eyes and how it renders them. I keep passing on getting a DP2 just to try it out and compare side by side.
Original size is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isiahonline/5432797344/sizes/o/

Never would change from Nikon but I do like to see technology advance as it will always have some influence to others.

heartyfisher said:
Could be interesting seeing a 45MP DX camera this year!

WHAT AN IDEA! Um... Whatever the technical arguments, that thought certainly has my attention.

heartyfisher said:
PS:Just read through the preliminary spec of the SD1. Its almost equivalent to the FM. Ie minimal features but a featuring their 45MP sensor. could be great for DX landscape photographers.

I am sure that some will have a hard time until they learn how to use a more basic camera. A simpler camera is actually not a problem for those who can.

Having written that, I'll run for the hills to avoid the "tech-is-all-you-need" brigade - grin.

Just had a quick read.. so they have a new 15X3=45MP sensor in 1.5crop size. with equivalent resolution to 30MP bayer system. Sounds cool.

re similarity with film layers : Remember that the 3 layers are not colour sensitive like the film. The first layer senses all 3 colours. the second layer 2 colours and the third layer 1 colour. so its no wonder they are taking a lot of time "Image Processing". in effect they need to subtract the values of the lower layers from the upper layers to get the correct colours but I bet there are weird colour shifts across the spectrum and layers depending on the actual frequency of light getting through the silicon. Still that sample looks good and they seem to have it very much in control. Could be interesting seeing a 45MP DX camera this year!

PS:Just read through the preliminary spec of the SD1. Its almost equivalent to the FM. Ie minimal features but a featuring their 45MP sensor. could be great for DX landscape photographers. Makes sense now why sigma has been producing super sharp lenses lately(eg 17-50F2.8).

Don't forget that they aren't known for great quality control either.

I'm hoping that they've spent more time improving the user interface than they have on the sensor and other internals. Judging by everything I hear about Sigma's other cameras, this sounds like one of their weakest points. The other being that they use their own proprietary mount that only 1 company makes lenses for.

I'm not impressed with that photo TaoTeJared. Any of Nikon's current DSLR cameras could have done just as good of a job. It's all in the lighting and subject rather than which sensor was used.

Looks impressive, but I was reading a review on the SD15 and I'm not all that impressed.

And considering the rate at which Sigma is moving, it's practically glacial.

They need to be moving faster if they want to be considered seriously.

Looks like the SD1 is getting closer to being released. Below is the first sample image they have released. Really impressive for sure. I do like the Foveon sensor look for sure but it is a shame the camera lacks everything else.

TaoTeJared said:
Didn't sigma announce the SD15 like two years ago? And it just came out a month ago. The 85mm 1.4 was first announced like 3 years ago but then back to the drawing boards. They have a very odd non standard way of announcing things. Stock price maybe?

The SD1 will be watched closely as Canon and Nikon have both submitted patents on this type of sensor - albeit, almost 4 years ago or something like that. (I'm not sure on the dates but it has been a long time ago.)

Now if they somehow made bodies that accepted Nikon, Canon, or other mounts with AF, metering etc. they would change the market for sure. This sensor in a real camera companies body would be a game changer. Sigma, sadly just doesn't have the resources.

That's exactly why I don't take them seriously at all.

Didn't sigma announce the SD15 like two years ago? And it just came out a month ago. The 85mm 1.4 was first announced like 3 years ago but then back to the drawing boards. They have a very odd non standard way of announcing things. Stock price maybe?

The SD1 will be watched closely as Canon and Nikon have both submitted patents on this type of sensor - albeit, almost 4 years ago or something like that. (I'm not sure on the dates but it has been a long time ago.)

Now if they somehow made bodies that accepted Nikon, Canon, or other mounts with AF, metering etc. they would change the market for sure. This sensor in a real camera companies body would be a game changer. Sigma, sadly just doesn't have the resources.

The X3 Foveon sensor isn't a new design really. Sigma has used the "same" Foveon sensor in other cameras. Everytime a new camera comes out the X3 is always touted as a "game changer" but always fails to stir up anything.

Hopes were high that it would be the "new digital film" back in 2002.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0202/02021103foveonx3preview.asp

Interesting read: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1010/10100504Sigmainterview.asp

I for one am looking forward to our new Sigma overlords.

Could thw Sigma SD1 X3 bethe Kodachrome of Image Sensors? Is the 3 level a game changer in the industry? I guess we will have to wait for a working model to see how it behaves.

adamz said:
yeah, but the question is: when it's going to be on the market - if ever :)

I hear you here - didn't it take the SD15 2 years to be released from the initial announcement?

***For everyone who is not familiar with Sigma Foveon sensors:
3 layers (RGB) - each layer captures the single color then the image from each is compressed to make the final image. (Hence the 46mp - 15x3 ish)

aslightdelay said:
Yeah, and if you did that, I can promise you there'd be 50 people who'd complain that they don't like the control layout and can't possibly wait another day 'til the Hubble Mk. 2 ("I can't do a 100% crop of Andromeda! What is this crap?") so they're jumping ship to Canon. :P

Man, the remote shutter release wires cost so much!

Oh, I see. See, I'm still using my "Lomo" telescope in my backyard, so...

Wel.. see... the hubble really wasnt a "Pro Grade" system, it was more of an Enthusiest, or Amature if you will. It was actually somewhat crippled. It doesent even have MLU. And that is something a "serious" or more "Advanced" astrophotographer demands.

Jack the Ripper said:
not to mention the hassy digital backs run what, $15,000.00 on the low end? Im sure if we are just going to pull out extreme niche cameras i can start touting the virtues of the Hubble.

lol

Yeah, and if you did that, I can promise you there'd be 50 people who'd complain that they don't like the control layout and can't possibly wait another day 'til the Hubble Mk. 2 ("I can't do a 100% crop of Andromeda! What is this crap?") so they're jumping ship to Canon. :P

PB PM said:
More than one or two apparently, since Hasselblad has made 40+ MP cameras for a few years now, with the newest digital back being 80MP IIRC.

yeah, and the sensor is twice the size of a FX sensor, so you can pack that many pixels without worrying about damaging the image quality. Pack 40mp onto a crop sensor and it is going to look like crap above ISO 400. lol...

Those are mainly used in high fasion where huge MP cameras count so they can get the newest flavor of the month model looking perfect on the new cosmo issue. lol

not to mention the hassy digital backs run what, $15,000.00 on the low end? Im sure if we are just going to pull out extreme niche cameras i can start touting the virtues of the Hubble.

lol

The SD15 has been out for a month or so now, and I did see one review on The Photography Blog, and a quick google search found one or two others.

What ever happened to the SD15 anyway? How come we haven't seen any product reviews?

Sure, stand in line guys for the next 10 years or so for this to come out.

More than one or two apparently, since Hasselblad has made 40+ MP cameras for a few years now, with the newest digital back being 80MP IIRC.