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Sigma Foveon Images


blurrist

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Is there a website somewhere that compares a Foveon sensor with a Bayer one, using the exact same scene?

A bit late, but there's Imaging Resource's "Camera Comparometer". Where, in my opinion, the Foveon images don't compare well to almost any Bayer camera. But then neither do those from Fuji's much-loved X-trans sensors.

 

My favourite SOOC colour comes from a 14 year old Kodak compact camera. So I don't know how valid comparing SOOC JPEGs even is.

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A bit late, but there's Imaging Resource's "Camera Comparometer". Where, in my opinion, the Foveon images don't compare well to almost any Bayer camera. But then neither do those from Fuji's much-loved X-trans sensors.

Maybe there's something wrong with my eyes, because I principally shoot with Fovens (sd Quattro, dp1 Merrill, dp2 Merrill) and a Fuji X-T4. :)

 

I was a Canon guy starting 40 years ago, first with an A-1, then F-1n, F1-N, EOS A2e and EOS 3 film cameras, then Rebel XT and 5D Mark II digital. Then, in 2012 I bought a Sigma SD15 with an 18-50mm f/2.8 just to have as a second camera. Loved the color the camera generated and once the sd Quattro was available (2016) I went all-in with Sigma. I sold my digital Canon gear except my Canon G1 X Mk II point-and-shoot (great camera). I also have a Sony a7 that I bought second hand. It's also a good camera but it mostly sits around because of its terrible ergonomics and menu layout.

 

I really use the Fuji XT-4 for low-light situations or as a general out-and-about camera. One great thing is that all my FD lenses work just fine on it, either alone or with a SpeedBooster (mostly used with wide-angle lenses).

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a very quick bit of news. I bought a Sigma SD14 recently. It's old, yes. It's only a 4.4Mpx camera (when you export to JPEG) and it is a bit chunky and in some ways awkward. But, I thought I'd mess around a little bit and compare it to one of my other cameras, an E-M5 II, which has 16Mpx.

 

I'm also trying to even out the comparison, by comparing JPEG exports from Sigma RAW files vs camera JPEGs from the E-M5.

 

Results so far: great colour, and a natural sharpness that is so good that even people who sharpen their images will not want to touch that sharpness slider for Foveon files. Latitude and DR? Not as good as a Bayer filter. Challenging colours, like deep, rich rose petals? I need further testing but so far it's about even.

 

I won't post pictures yet as the tests aren't as precise as they should be. And the camera is too old to make any meaningful comparisons with later Bayer sensors.

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Great news Karim, I'm pleased to hear you took the plunge. I'm looking forward to seeing some results and hearing your opinions.

 

Here are three images shot in the last 24 hours, dodging Autumn rain and sometimes in poor light. The first pic of the golden poppy gives some hint of the odd 3D effect the Foveon sensors can create, though at this size it's not so obvious. These are from a DP3 Merrill.

 

2142025785_Purecopy.thumb.jpg.63f01ef13b7cbe3ceb39f1c2d464e178.jpg

 

530616444_Tapestrycopy.thumb.jpg.f5ca71931edc20efafc421544afd07f8.jpg

 

1856404530_Sunburstcopy.thumb.jpg.ed4ff5f5259f4c3c2db4a810b2d93944.jpg

Edited by rick_drawbridge
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I have a very quick bit of news. I bought a Sigma SD14 recently. It's old, yes. It's only a 4.4Mpx camera (when you export to JPEG) and it is a bit chunky and in some ways awkward. But, I thought I'd mess around a little bit and compare it to one of my other cameras, an E-M5 II, which has 16Mpx.

 

I'm also trying to even out the comparison, by comparing JPEG exports from Sigma RAW files vs camera JPEGs from the E-M5.

 

Results so far: great colour, and a natural sharpness that is so good that even people who sharpen their images will not want to touch that sharpness slider for Foveon files. Latitude and DR? Not as good as a Bayer filter. Challenging colours, like deep, rich rose petals? I need further testing but so far it's about even.

 

I won't post pictures yet as the tests aren't as precise as they should be. And the camera is too old to make any meaningful comparisons with later Bayer sensors.

Congrats Karim. Many people like this old school foveon sensor more than latest one.

Get familiarized and pop it up.

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Okay, so here are my first results that are close to being good enough for a comparison.

 

berries_outside_K3302838.thumb.JPEG.b8d77c4fde1d1064122515f0f6d16e56.JPEG

 

berries_outside_SDIM1405.thumb.jpeg.dbe7dbf64b68e260f018f65fc1b44a87.jpeg

 

berries_outside_corrected_SDIM1405.thumb.jpeg.7715e7e8a6fb94236347740b437ca227.jpeg

 

The first one is the E-M5 II, camera JPEG. The second one is the SD14 RAW file without exposure corrections. The third one is the SD14 RAW file with -1.0 exposure and -1.0 highlights. All sRGB colour space, and WB is set to daylight. Matching exposure is not so simple when you have sensors and meters with different characteristics. So nothing here is up to lab standards.

 

When funds allow I'll look at getting a Quattro. For now, I am impressed enough with the Olympus to stay with the system for the time being. The Sigma system would be a great complement, though, for any critical commercial work. OTOH, so would the Fuji GFX system.

 

There will be more comparisons between these two cameras. I am planning daylight and nighttime cityscapes.

 

Thanks to the moderator for allowing DSLR images in this forum. ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here are a few macro shots from the SD14, taken with a Pentax 645 75/2.8. It's attached to a Pentax 645 Adapter K, which is attached to a Pentax Helicoid Extension Tube K. All frames are JPEG exports from RAW, and wide-open.

 

I will eventually do a direct comparison with the E-M5 II.

 

SDIM1416.thumb.JPEG.781214cd98a691241df30270c76e92d3.JPEG

 

SDIM1421.thumb.JPEG.e36774fd625b9ab12bdeb948929e8614.JPEG

 

SDIM1424.thumb.JPEG.f5c6fc6387f47a41b1081d3721c64acc.JPEG

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Now let's compare some night scenes.

 

First shot is from the Sigma SD14 with the Pentax 300/4 M42 at f/8. Time is 30", ISO 100 (base). Exported JPEG.

 

SDIM1426.thumb.JPEG.abfc68e68e870fedcc07d1344dfcc86e.JPEG

 

The next shot is from the EM-5 II with the Olympus 75-300 at f/8. Time is 0:15 ISO 200 (base). Camera JPEG. This shot shows just how differently two cameras can be even with the same exposure.

 

K4072842.thumb.JPEG.1ba74b8822db9acc2b66df2ee0ea1994.JPEG

 

The final shot is the same as the above, except the time is 1:00.

 

K4072847.thumb.JPEG.4f817317df4ef37e7228204725c842cc.JPEG

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
These are all wonderful - if it weren't for Raw and all of the hoops to jump through to get output I'd be sorely tempted. Sometimes even great ideas fail!

 

What hoops? I understand some people don’t enjoy post processing, but Sigma has a fairly straightforward RAW converter that works well.

 

I still have my DP1 from shortly after they came out, and while it’s not my main camera, it’s fun to break out once in awhile. The images are great for such a small camera and as has been said, b&w conversions are excellent, actually some of the best I’ve gotten from a digital camera.

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As Ray . said:

What hoops? I understand some people don’t enjoy post processing, but Sigma has a fairly straightforward RAW converter that works well
.

 

Additionally, I use the excellent free FastStone Image Viewer 7.6 to download and convert the Sigma .X3F Raw files. It displays the files as it would any other more conventional format, allows manipulation and saves as either .TIF or .JPG. Sigma Photo Pro is very fully featured and I use it for some of the more complex tasks.

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