Don't know a thing about this camera, but sure looks interesting, with 46 MP and a $2000 price!
Let's see if anyone can offer some personal experience.
Sandy
It is around a 15MP sensor x 3. For some reason the Foveon sensor is different than the typical Bayer sensor found on most DSLR's. They actually take the 3 layers of the sensor and multiply it by the mega pixels of each layer.
15.3MPx3 1.5x crop Foveon X3 sensor (4800 x 3200 x 3 layers)
Posted by Keith Bauer on August 27, 2012 at 10:24 PM
I can't answer any specifics on the Sigma SD1 as I know very little about the Foveon sensor. Reading some of your other posts, it sounds like you are fairly new to photography. I would encourage you to look very carefully at the system that any of the manufacturers offer. Buying a camera body is one very small component of the overall system. Only you can decide what is right for you, but I'd be very cautious heading down that path.
Posted by David Bostedo on August 27, 2012 at 10:29 PM
Now that's from Foveon itself, so they leave out some of the drawbacks, in that the upper pixels rob light from reaching the lower ones. But in general, Foveon sensors DO out-resolve a Bayer sensor of the same resolution (i.e. a 15MP Foveon will do better than a 15 MP Bayer). But it's not a 3X multiplier as they claim. I've seen testing that seems to indicate it's more like 1.5X to 2X better - which is still very good, and to some the color and accuracy of the Foveon is great.
Heading down the right path? Now that is interesting. I am thinking that the rumored Sony NEX full frame and this foveon might be the ultimate camera system together. One advantage of the NEX is that you can cherry-pick all of the systems including Sigma's.
Posted by Dan Roberts on August 28, 2012 at 5:58 PM
I've been intrigued by the Foveon technology for years but am pretty highly invested in lenses already and unless something has changed, Sigma DSLRs like the others have their own mounting system. Frankly with advances by the other camera manufacturers, it seems like the Foveon sensor is an idea whose time will never fully come for the consumer market. It has been around for years now and there just isn't a compelling reason to switch. For someone just beginning to invest in equipment, maybe it's a good idea.
Discussion
6 repliesI have been reading great things, about the Foveon Sensor and am wondering if anyone has used it?
Thanks in advance :)
Let's see if anyone can offer some personal experience.
Sandy
It is around a 15MP sensor x 3. For some reason the Foveon sensor is different than the typical Bayer sensor found on most DSLR's. They actually take the 3 layers of the sensor and multiply it by the mega pixels of each layer.
15.3MPx3 1.5x crop Foveon X3 sensor (4800 x 3200 x 3 layers)
Not sure I fully understand it.
http://www.dpreview.com/products/sigma/slrs/sigma_sd1m
Now that's from Foveon itself, so they leave out some of the drawbacks, in that the upper pixels rob light from reaching the lower ones. But in general, Foveon sensors DO out-resolve a Bayer sensor of the same resolution (i.e. a 15MP Foveon will do better than a 15 MP Bayer). But it's not a 3X multiplier as they claim. I've seen testing that seems to indicate it's more like 1.5X to 2X better - which is still very good, and to some the color and accuracy of the Foveon is great.