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Sigma SD 1 Merrill
Jul 10, 2015 11:11:27   #
ssymeono Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
 
B@H lists in its catalogs from Summer and Winter 2014 this Sigma SD 1 Merrill camera as a 46-megapixel. DP Review says it was first released in February 2012 and that it has basically a 15 MP sensor. I understand that this Foveon sensor captures full color data in each of its 15 million pixels and for this reason is listed as 46 MP. I wonder if photographers on this list have any experience with this camera and its innovative sensor.

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Jul 10, 2015 11:16:12   #
WAL
 
You are in Canon and Nikon land.
I think the megapixel count that Sigma clames is not generally accepted.

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Jul 10, 2015 11:26:09   #
Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga
 
I had (and sold) the Sigma DP2s (model before the Merrill). The Foveon sensor, unlike standard CCD & CMOS sensors, has 3 layers in it's sensor as opposed to one. Thus it captures different colors on each layer. It captures truer colors than standard sensors. Each layer is 15 mp (roughly) and that times 3 layers is how they come up with the 45mp (46MP)... I sold mine as it had a fixed 24mp lens with an APC sized sensor. Now, if it had been an interchangable lens model, I would have kept it.

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Jul 10, 2015 11:27:20   #
Trentc Loc: Denver, CO
 
WAL wrote:
You are in Canon and Nikon land.
I think the megapixel count that Sigma clames is not generally accepted.

I agree, but I have seen images from a DP1 Merrill, and they are spectacular in their level of detail. Even though it is really just a 15mp sensor, the technology works to create amazing images. Pretty cool little camera IMHO.

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Jul 10, 2015 11:43:02   #
Kuzano
 
ssymeono wrote:
B@H lists in its catalogs from Summer and Winter 2014 this Sigma SD 1 Merrill camera as a 46-megapixel. DP Review says it was first released in February 2012 and that it has basically a 15 MP sensor. I understand that this Foveon sensor captures full color data in each of its 15 million pixels and for this reason is listed as 46 MP. I wonder if photographers on this list have any experience with this camera and its innovative sensor.


There are often threads and apparently a group of Sigma users on the web site www.rangefinderforum.com. I was quite interested in the Foveon sensor technology used in the Sigma DSLR's... the SD14 and 15. I waited a bit for the SD16, but Sigma went the fixed lens route.

In any event, you can probably search RRF and get a lot of good info. The posts I see there on the Merrill versions are quite interesting and seem well liked by the users.

The Foveon sensors raise quite a fuss on their technology and how it equates out to megapixels, but the resulting images are really where the quality shows. It's too bad that the Mp count became such an issue. Foveon is a very interesting departure from the "run of the mill" Bayer sensors.

Fuji has enjoyed great success with their X-trans and prior unusual sensor technology. The strong suit in both Fuji's endeavors and the Foveon sensors appear to be color and dynamic range.

Here is just one post at RFF. There are many more on the Sigma Merrill and older Foveon:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146068

Again, the raves on the PLUS side seem to be all about Image Quality, with words like "spectacular" and "awesome" being often used on Foveon.

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Jul 10, 2015 12:00:08   #
Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga
 
Here are a couple of images from the Sigma DPs I had...


(Download)


(Download)

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Jul 10, 2015 14:03:58   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
ssymeono wrote:
B@H lists in its catalogs from Summer and Winter 2014 this Sigma SD 1 Merrill camera as a 46-megapixel. DP Review says it was first released in February 2012 and that it has basically a 15 MP sensor. I understand that this Foveon sensor captures full color data in each of its 15 million pixels and for this reason is listed as 46 MP. I wonder if photographers on this list have any experience with this camera and its innovative sensor.

I've taken some images with that camera quite a while back (it belongs to a friend), but I didn't like it (not the handling and not the pictures). It may compare to a 16mp camera. In 2005, Foveon had its own camera on the market, it was a 50mp camera that looked like a laptop with a lens.

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Jul 10, 2015 17:44:06   #
ssymeono Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
 
Screamin Scott wrote:
Here are a couple of images from the Sigma DPs I had...


Scott, I love your photos and your flickr site. You are a Nikon Man, so am I. I was simply curious about the SD 1 Merrill but so far no owner of it has replied. Is it a ghost camera?
Sarantis

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Jul 10, 2015 19:54:27   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Kuzano wrote:
There are often threads and apparently a group of Sigma users on the web site www.rangefinderforum.com. I was quite interested in the Foveon sensor technology used in the Sigma DSLR's... the SD14 and 15. I waited a bit for the SD16, but Sigma went the fixed lens route.

In any event, you can probably search RRF and get a lot of good info. The posts I see there on the Merrill versions are quite interesting and seem well liked by the users.

The Foveon sensors raise quite a fuss on their technology and how it equates out to megapixels, but the resulting images are really where the quality shows. It's too bad that the Mp count became such an issue. Foveon is a very interesting departure from the "run of the mill" Bayer sensors.

Fuji has enjoyed great success with their X-trans and prior unusual sensor technology. The strong suit in both Fuji's endeavors and the Foveon sensors appear to be color and dynamic range.

Here is just one post at RFF. There are many more on the Sigma Merrill and older Foveon:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146068

Again, the raves on the PLUS side seem to be all about Image Quality, with words like "spectacular" and "awesome" being often used on Foveon.
There are often threads and apparently a group of ... (show quote)


There was the SD9 and SD10 before the SD14 & SD15. Then came the SD1 and SD1 Merrill (lower cost version) I have an SD10 (my first DSLR) and SD14 plus 8 lenses on the shelf 3 feet from me. I still use them from time to time. My only macro lens is a Sigma SA mount and I have a ring flash, still haven't learned how to use them well enough to get worth while images. (I went to Canon for compatability with my daughter's gear about 1 1/2 years ago.)

Go to these sites to see what is being done with the Sigma bodies adapted to use other lenses, esp Leica. There are more links to other things on these pages. Esp look at Luis A Guevara's pictures. I really like his Luscious Light collection.

http://www.sigmacumlaude.com/
http://www.sigmacumlaude.com/Leica-R%20Pro/sd14mount.aspx

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Jul 11, 2015 09:45:53   #
GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan
 
If you do alot of post processing, be careful. Many pp packaged don't read the foveon format. That means you first need to use Sigma factory program to convert it to something more standard.

As for the photo itself, it's hard to beat a good Foveon photo!

Pentax has come out with a new photo ability that takes still shots only and rotates the sensor to get max amount of color using the Bayer sensor Before your purchase, check it out. (The model is K3 Mark 2)

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Jul 11, 2015 12:58:09   #
dlwhawaii Loc: Sunny Wailuku, Hawaii
 
Have the SD9 and 2 SD14s (1 is multi-spectral UV/VIS/IR) with about 10 lenses. Love them. Would love to get the SD1, but for now out of my price range (home remodel). :)

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