mansio
Established
have a thought about this after the excellent dpxm cameras came out.
apparently the sensor is capable in producing industry leading images with one set back: ISO.
i supposed passing any light through 3 layers of colors as compared to the conventional methods is one of the issue besides having less to spend on R&D. however, medium format cameras are never known for low light anyways, this might be a match made in heaven.
maybe a FF 20mp with usable 800/1600iso could put even film user convinced to go digital only?
apparently the sensor is capable in producing industry leading images with one set back: ISO.
i supposed passing any light through 3 layers of colors as compared to the conventional methods is one of the issue besides having less to spend on R&D. however, medium format cameras are never known for low light anyways, this might be a match made in heaven.
maybe a FF 20mp with usable 800/1600iso could put even film user convinced to go digital only?
tsiklonaut
Well-known
The ISO's never been an issue for me, hell, I'm use to shoot ASA25 film or infrared rated down to ASA1.5 ...and never had a problem 
The X3 is my favourite digital sensor by far and I was quite enthusiastic about it in the beginning. In fact still I probably wouldn't buy any other digital camera than the ones with a Foveon chip. I wet-dreamed a lot about having MF X3 camera. But after a lot of use I somehow grow bored with the digital, it wasn't about the Foveon or the sensor size - it's just the images look too alike with noticable digital "feel" and you need to do a lot of, if not radical post-processing to be unique in the digital world (that's my B&W/IR-film shooter's thinking). Foveon gave this much needed "differece" in the digital world, but it still didn't enter that "nirvana" for me.
I've shot film parallel and in time I've started to apreciate the film so much that even a MF Foveon wouldn't replace my MF or LF gear for artistic work, especially since I run a high-end drum scanner for my own work so I know what the film is capable of - the tonality of b&w or C41 film, the artistic effect of IR-films, analog grain, colors of E6 Velvia etc analog nuances that are still very hard, or even impossible to simulate and even if you simulate something very good it's almost never as good in digital as the "real thing" IMHO.
However I'd probably take any Foveon camera over 35mm film. I use my Foveon for documenting and it's superb for this. Would be nice to have MF X3, and I'd continue to use it for documenting if the price is right. But I plan to keep MF and LF film for my artistic work, that's the true photographic "nirvana" for me.
Just my 2c.
The X3 is my favourite digital sensor by far and I was quite enthusiastic about it in the beginning. In fact still I probably wouldn't buy any other digital camera than the ones with a Foveon chip. I wet-dreamed a lot about having MF X3 camera. But after a lot of use I somehow grow bored with the digital, it wasn't about the Foveon or the sensor size - it's just the images look too alike with noticable digital "feel" and you need to do a lot of, if not radical post-processing to be unique in the digital world (that's my B&W/IR-film shooter's thinking). Foveon gave this much needed "differece" in the digital world, but it still didn't enter that "nirvana" for me.
I've shot film parallel and in time I've started to apreciate the film so much that even a MF Foveon wouldn't replace my MF or LF gear for artistic work, especially since I run a high-end drum scanner for my own work so I know what the film is capable of - the tonality of b&w or C41 film, the artistic effect of IR-films, analog grain, colors of E6 Velvia etc analog nuances that are still very hard, or even impossible to simulate and even if you simulate something very good it's almost never as good in digital as the "real thing" IMHO.
However I'd probably take any Foveon camera over 35mm film. I use my Foveon for documenting and it's superb for this. Would be nice to have MF X3, and I'd continue to use it for documenting if the price is right. But I plan to keep MF and LF film for my artistic work, that's the true photographic "nirvana" for me.
Just my 2c.
LOOP
maraboutflash
I really appreciate Foveon and have a DP2, SD14 and SD15 but I do not like the so bad white balance for this sensor . When shooting at 50 ASA it seems not that big problem but it is annoying. When I have time Voigtlander Vitessa with film or Contax IIa are old cameras but much more pleasure !!
Markus
Established
I have seen some shots taken with the Sigma DP2 Merrill. I have never seen so many details and resolution power before. In my eyes, Foveon is the next technology and if one of the major camera manufactures starts using them, no one wants to have a Bayer-Pattern-Sensor anymore. Interestingly the principle behind Foveon is the layer system similar to what we know from film. The comparatively weak high-ISO performance is a problem, but the resolution and IQ is more important for me.
Still dreaming of a Mamiya 7 II D with 6x7 (Or Zeiss Ikon ZM) Foveon Sensor at reasonable price
Still dreaming of a Mamiya 7 II D with 6x7 (Or Zeiss Ikon ZM) Foveon Sensor at reasonable price
mansio
Established
from dpreview, this looks like the physical constrain that foveon faces, the layers of color filters reduces the amount of light getting in.