Sigma SD1M ... any users out there?

thegman said:
Respectfully, I disagree with everything you're saying. My Zeiss Super Ikonta has no live view, write speeds are fast, but moving to the next frame is slow by digital standards, and the AF is rubbish.

Sigma lenses are easy to get, you just order them, same as anything else.

If you compare specifications (other than image resolution at low ISO), Sigmas are not so hot, but comparing specifications would reflect poorly on pretty much any camera that is popular on RFF.
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we aren't talking about folding medium format cameras or leicas or 20x24 polaroid cameras. we've accepted here that a DSLR is a format for consideration. the bottom line for me is whether or not the SD1M is worth $1800. i think it would be foolish not to compare specifications no matter how much you spend. in this case even more so for a what is a limited camera, especially when cameras of similar price offer much more functionality and the image quality outside of ISO 100-200 is much higher.

i have a DP2M i think it's great. but i think it's also sucks that even in nice lighting and low iso i have to worry about things like color fringing and sensor flare with bright light sources. even in the ISO 100-200 range it can't shoot everything correctly.

i think sigma has done a fantastic job with the p&s merrills. it's like those mini cereal boxes where you can try a small box without getting a big one but the price of all the small boxes is equal to a big box. it is tempting enough to make people consider the SD1M especially as an alternative to 3 DP cameras. but as a total package i don't think the SD1M makes enough sense.
 
FA Limited,
I can't argue with any of your points about the SD1. All very fair.
Just don't try the SD1 - you will be hooked!
 
I'd definitely be a candidate for an SD1M in the future but there are some issues for me to go that route. When I decided the DP2M was the camera I wanted I initially looked around here in Oz only to discover that bugger all places actually stocked the camera and those that did wanted over a grand for one. It was only when I noticed the deal that B&H was offering that I went ahead and got one because I knew it would come in under the $1000 threshold we have here for taxes and duties etc.

Update to this post ... I have just discovered that Sigma have a web shop here in Oz and the SD1M is the same price as B&H. The thing that really caught my eye was the DP cameras ... all three Merrils are $748.00 AUD including the new DP3M! 😱

Sigma are obviously in a position here in Oz where because so few retailers are prepared to stock their niche product they chose to sell it online themselves.

Sigma Web Shop
 
For me, once you've seen a Foveon image at 100%, nothing else looks right, it's just a fuzzy mess. I'm not really a resolution fiend, but there is something about the clarity of the images that just looks great. In a print, the difference is probably near non-existent of course.

The fact of the matter is none of us would be on this forum if we didn't care about the stupid details, or the process of getting an image. Hell, how many people spend $$$ on a Summilux then shoot a roll of grainy Tri-X...
 
mugent said:
For me, once you've seen a Foveon image at 100%, nothing else looks right, it's just a fuzzy mess. I'm not really a resolution fiend, but there is something about the clarity of the images that just looks great. In a print, the difference is probably near non-existent of course.

The fact of the matter is none of us would be on this forum if we didn't care about the stupid details, or the process of getting an image. Hell, how many people spend $$$ on a Summilux then shoot a roll of grainy Tri-X...
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As good as a foveon image is at 100% or more I'm really fascinated by the way the sensor captures light in certain conditions ... and it tends to show more when you convert the images to monochrome.

It's had me mesmerized since I got the DP2M and the bizarre thing is it doesn't always seem to happen!
 
there's was a sub 1800.-$ SD-1 body (below 5000 actuations) including the 17-50 2.8 sigma in a local fs ad, kind of tempting..
 
Sigma outlet store

Sigma outlet store

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/sigma-outlet

In my searching, I discovered this outlet store run by sigma.. I has the sd1m body and the 18-200 kit as refurb if don't mind used. Otherwise for new, the instant discounts which end June 30th look like a good bet.

They have refurb's on their lenses there as well, includes non-SA mounts.

Gary
 
If I end I getting it, I think I will go for the 30f1.4 first.. It is one of the heavier discounted lenses in terms of the instant refund offer. I love the 40 pov and this comes closest. Will decide what next after I decide how well I like it.

What is interesting is that all the kit lenses (3 that I double checked) are all about 3.5 inches in length, from the 17-50 to the 18-200..

Gary
 
Interesting review of original sd1

Interesting review of original sd1

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sigma_sd1_review.shtml

Back before they renamed it the sd1 Merrill, it was just the sd1 and msrp was over 6k. Because of this price tag, Luminous Landscape decided to compare some shots fro it w/ Leica m9, Pentax 645D, Sony A99 and A900..

An interesting read.

One of the things that does bother me a bit is that unlike Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.. They is no automatic or user initiated dust shake off mechanism, just the dust cap/ir filer to clean...

Gary
 
Now there's something I didn't know ... when setting the camera to shoot normal, vivid or monochrome etc etc, all your doing is adding metadata to the file for SPP. Very little point in setting the camera on monochrome at higher ISOs in that case because enabling the monochrome setting when converting the files to 16 bit tifs for export to something sensible is the same thing!
 
I was checking the lens selection available at B&H ... interestingly the supplier in Oz I mentioned the other day has no lenses listed at all! Why sell the camera body if you don't stock lenses ... not one! Totally mystified by that.
 
FA Limited said:
we aren't talking about folding medium format cameras or leicas or 20x24 polaroid cameras. we've accepted here that a DSLR is a format for consideration. the bottom line for me is whether or not the SD1M is worth $1800. i think it would be foolish not to compare specifications no matter how much you spend. in this case even more so for a what is a limited camera, especially when cameras of similar price offer much more functionality and the image quality outside of ISO 100-200 is much higher.

i have a DP2M i think it's great. but i think it's also sucks that even in nice lighting and low iso i have to worry about things like color fringing and sensor flare with bright light sources. even in the ISO 100-200 range it can't shoot everything correctly.

i think sigma has done a fantastic job with the p&s merrills. it's like those mini cereal boxes where you can try a small box without getting a big one but the price of all the small boxes is equal to a big box. it is tempting enough to make people consider the SD1M especially as an alternative to 3 DP cameras. but as a total package i don't think the SD1M makes enough sense.
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I see what you're saying, and respect your points, but I don't really agree with comparing specifications. The only specifications are that matter are the ones that matter to the user. It does not matter to me that my PC has better graphics chips than my Mac, as I don't play games, and any difference it make to the desktop is invisible to me.

If I cared about write speeds, live views, video, lens availability etc. then certainly, the Sigma is weaker than other DSLRs, but I don't, so those specs are of no concern to me.

I also don't agree that you can't compare cameras of different types, if I want to go out and take a landscape picture, why would I concern myself with differentiation like SLR/RF, medium format/35mm, or even film vs. digital. I just take the camera I want to use, and feel is best.

A lot of the comparisons we see on DPReview etc. seem just artificial comparisons of numbers (generally higher is better) and it just does not make any difference to the end user.

Anyway, I accept what you're saying, we just differ a bit.
 
As much as the SD1M tempts me I really like the form factor of the little DPM. It's a bit hard to judge the size of the DSLR because I haven't seen one along side anything I'm familiar with.
 
thegman said:
I also don't agree that you can't compare cameras of different types, if I want to go out and take a landscape picture, why would I concern myself with differentiation like SLR/RF, medium format/35mm, or even film vs. digital. I just take the camera I want to use, and feel is best.

A lot of the comparisons we see on DPReview etc. seem just artificial comparisons of numbers (generally higher is better) and it just does not make any difference to the end user.

Anyway, I accept what you're saying, we just differ a bit.
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yeah i see where you're coming from ... bottom line is though would you buy the SD1M 😛
for me i really want to get a DP1M to go with the DP2M but i can't get myself to that place to push the buy button at this point and my X100 is a competent machine
 
FA Limited said:
yeah i see where you're coming from ... bottom line is though would you buy the SD1M 😛
for me i really want to get a DP1M to go with the DP2M but i can't get myself to that place to push the buy button at this point and my X100 is a competent machine
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I only use film at the moment, but if I was looking for a digital option, my first choice would be the Sigma compacts, if I wanted interchangeable lenses, it would likely be a toss up between SD-1 and one of the new cheaper FF options out at the moment.

I like the Sigma gear a lot, but the temptation of FF would be pretty strong too.
 
Keith said:
As much as the SD1M tempts me I really like the form factor of the little DPM. It's a bit hard to judge the size of the DSLR because I haven't seen one along side anything I'm familiar with.
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Smaller than a d700, about same size as d600, but d600 is slightly thicker and weighs a bit more.

Gary
 

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thegman said:
I only use film at the moment, but if I was looking for a digital option, my first choice would be the Sigma compacts, if I wanted interchangeable lenses, it would likely be a toss up between SD-1 and one of the new cheaper FF options out at the moment.

I like the Sigma gear a lot, but the temptation of FF would be pretty strong too.
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I know how u feel.. I had that itch in the past. These days, I am happy enough w/ APS-c. If ff camera body ever comes along in csc from Fuji xtran or Sigma foveon in the under 2500 range I may change my mind.. Since I still have a lot of legacy lenses around..

Bayer based ff sensors, not currently interested. There was a time in the past I would have been tempted by the d600, but that was before Fuji and Sigma caught my attention. If i go back to dslrs, it has to be based on one of these sensor type. The rumor is that Sony is going to be the first csc ff, but Sony Nex, I don't like the UI. I keep a Sony nex5n as a universal digital back, but certain aspects of the UI just drive me crazy. I have heard the nex7 is better, but still the base UI is still there.

These days I mainly use medium format when I shoot film and it is always b&w. I still shoot some 35mm, but not very often.

Gary
 
So the SD1 is about the size of the D600 but lighter because of the magnesium chassis!

Hmmm .... 😀
 
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