Sigma SD9 3.54MP Digital SLR Camera

The breakthrough Sigma SD9 high-definition, digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera contains the world's first image sensor to feature three layers of photo-detectors. The camera's SLR system can take advantage of over 30 different lenses, from 8mm circular fisheye to 800mm ultra-telephoto, plus two digital flashguns, power pack, and accessories.

Optics and Resolution
The Sigma SD9, powered by the Foveon X3 image sensors, captures red, green, and blue light at each and every pixel in three distinct layers. All other image sensors feature just one layer of photo-detectors, with just one photo-detector per pixel.

The SD9's three layers are embedded in silicon to take advantage of the fact that red, green, and blue light penetrate silicon to different depths, allowing full color to be measured at every pixel. This means that for every pixel on a Foveon X3 image sensor, there's actually a stack of three photo-detectors, forming the first and only full-color capture system.

Storage and Transfer
The SD9 uses CompactFlash memory cards and is compatible with CompactFlash Type I/II cards, which enables you to use IBM Microdrives as well. You can transfer the images from camera to computer with high-speed IEEE 1394 (also known as FireWire) and widely available USB (1.1) interfaces. The camera's video-output system can be switched between the PAL system (used in Europe) and the NTSC system (used in Japan and the U.S.).

Image Format
With the RAW data recording system of the SD9, it is possible to obtain high-picture definition and compact file size. The lossless compression system of RAW data eliminates image deterioration, and provides superior pictures, without sacrificing original image quality.

More Features
The SD9 is equipped with a large 1.8-inch, 130,000-dot low-temperature polysilicon TFT-LCD monitor with a white LED on the back panel, which displays images, menus, and histograms.

The SD9 is equipped with a "sport finder," so you can easily follow the situation outside the picture area. The area that is out of the image sensor's coverage range is marked by transparent light gray, to distinguish it from the active picture-taking area.

Dust and dirt entering through the lens mount of a digital camera can create serious defects in image quality. In order to prevent dust entering and adhering to the image sensor, the body mount of SIGMA SD9 is equipped with an integral dust protector.

Power, Size, and Contents
The SD9 comes equipped with four CR-V3 batteries and an AC adapter; you can also use four optional rechargeable NiMH batteries to power the camera. The SD9 measures 5.9 by 4.7 by 3.1 inches and weighs 28.3 ounces. Other standard accessories are a hand strap, CD-ROM with imaging software, USB cradle and cable, AC adapter for cradle, remote controller with LCD, and stereo headphone.

this isn't a true 3 MP camera. it is more like a 9 MP. but better.... there is no longer a reason to not go digital.

getting 3 colors per pixel means no interpolation. that in turn means sharper, truer color, photos without artifacts. in short, digital photos without the digital look. some of the photos taken with this camera are as good as medium format film images.

digital is not as good as film, it is now better.


Good start by Sigma, but probably better to wait   April 26, 2002
Alan James (Wickwar, South Glos England)
29 out of 101 found this review helpful

The Sigma uses a new kind of light collecting chip which senses R,B,G colours at each of the 3.4 million pixels on its chip. The more common chip used by all other cameras senses only one colour at each pixel. So the Sigma should win hands down! Not necessarily. 3.4Mp isn't many pixels. Sony, Nikon et al. have 6Mp cameras using the standard type sensor. At the end of the day, more pixels give better resolution. So a 6Mp sensor does as well as the Sigma 3Mp sensor for colour and resolution.

Fuji has tweaked the standard sensor format to use hexagonal pixels and get better resolution out of their 6Mp sensor chip. In August 2002 the Fuji S2 pro is due out, and its 6Mp chip will produce 12Mp photos. That's 12 million pixels of info to make a photo. They do this by analysing the data from the 6Mp and modifying it to "fill in" extra detail and colour. The result to Joe bloggs on the street will be photos pretty close to ordinary 35mm quality.

If Sigma produce a camera using their new technology chip but with 6Mp, then it will be a force to reckon with.

Slight problems with Sigma are you have to use their lenses. The Fuji is made to use Nikon lenses. Canon and Nikon have their own equivalents to the Fuji.

Personally I'm waiting for the Fuji S2 Pro as I already have a Nikor AF auto-focus lens which I'm not ready to pass up. The Fuji is going to cost less than its Canon/Nikon counterparts...


This camera is great..   December 27, 2002
16 out of 18 found this review helpful

I got mine last week, and it's image quality is the best of any digital camera.

My only complaint is that for the price they skimped on the little things... Specifically one of the battery doors is poorly made (I broke it after inserting the batteries :-( )

But after shooting pictures almost continuously over the holidays, I have to say that the Sony 717 doesn't compare.

Lance


Great pictures, hefty price   May 9, 2003
14 out of 19 found this review helpful

I'm basically a point and shoot kinda guy. Before this I owned a run of the mill Olympus D-490.
Wow, what a difference. I've been snapping away for over 2 weeks with this little gem and am shocked at the picture quality. It's amazing what a little jump in technology can do. This X3 chip produces great color, fantastic detail and it's easy enough to have running in minutes, providing you have all the batteries, and it takes alot.

The downsides are that it's heavy, like a couple of pounds w/ the lens and flash (sold separately). It's expensive, try shelling out 1.5k USD and telling your wife it's for a camera. Ouch.
It requires Sigma software - I think if your going to charge an arm and a leg for a camera, it should take images in a standardized format. I appreciate the fact that the images in "sigma" format are infinitely manipulatable, but geesh. At least give us a choice if we want all that control in every shot.
The pics cant be blown up very much. Now as an aside, I'm no master with the software yet, but on Hi quality with autofocus on the darn thing makes great pics, but viewing at anything over 2:1 magnification in Paint Shop produces pixelated images. It's a quirk, but it matters to me.

Other than that, like I said, images are great. It's fun to run because it's so much like a pro-shot camera, but still easy enough for the average PHD to run it. (PHD= Push Here Dummy ;)
...


The best camera I ever used! Period!   December 7, 2003
Alex Vox (Winnetka, IL)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful

Well, this camera is something special and I have been compelled write this review because of couple of reasons. For the first, here the reasons. I read many bad , negative reviews of this camera and in the same time all those people who actually used it told how much they have being amazed by the picture quality it produces. So I've decided to try. The camera's images are not amazed they are stunned. The image quality is so high that it left me speechless for the first.
I'm just wandering about those who left negative reviews about it? The CNET review, that named it "mediocre SLR camera" is just a plain lie. In my opinion they giving point for those who gives more money, it's it. Another interesting "review", I read from Ken Rockwell (really gifted photo artist!, no questions!), who reviewed this camera without even try it!
So let start. First of all, it is NOT 3.5M camera. It is AT LEAST 10M camera, but megapixels in the traditional meaning just are not applicable here. This camera produces NEGATIVES. This negative is result of 10M photo elements. In the same time any of 6M cameras has HALF OF THEM GREEN and ONLY 25% red and another 25% blue. If we speak about "image quality" using this kind of "resolution" , this camera produces 14M images. In the same time the "real" resolution of those "6M" cameras stand about 1.5M, the everything else is a pure deceiving interpolation. I see that Cannon and NIkon, aren't happy to see this Sigma on the market, since it MUCH SUPERIOR to any camera they make they started to discredit it.
I do not say it is an ideal, but it close. Much closer than everything else that feels like SLR.
This Sigma produces PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES. I mean it. There's full range of amazing continuos beautiful halftones as you can see on the best reversible films. The pictures are spectacular.
Since it is real photographic tool, you come back to the true that photography and it is about light. Your raw pictures will normally produce 3000 by 4500 huge images that is not interpolating, they just "enlargements" from digital negative. It reviles as many details that ANY other camera can't produce. There are 14M cameras on the market, but they DO NOT MUCH this SIgma in the meaning of photography. I can blow my raw image 4 times more and it still looking better than those from 14M Canon. By the way, those image from Cannon show horrible color reproduction, especially in the red. For example two closely colored redish colors coming out the same!
This Sigma saves colors! It saves the real colors, not the estimations, not the interpolations but the real thing. Camera has just the everything that it has to have, including the high speed synchronization up to 1/6000 !!!
The lens from Sigma just as good(or better) as any other lenses from Nikon , Cannon or Minolta. Even cheap $100 tag slow glass is of very good optical quality. Yes/ for $100 you're getting slow lenses, but it almost distortion free and high contrast! But fro $300 you can get perfectly fast, noticeably bright zoom that at least as good as any lens from "leading companies".
Camera is very well constructed, it handles as it should be, the focusing system is fast, the screen is bright and clear, all controls location are very clever and logical. I like this camera and you're going to like it too. No boundaries anymore. You can print image as large as you need, no questions. In two, three years Foveon will overcome. I