Interesting new Sigma with single focal length and Foveon ?

[terry_rory]

http://www.sigma-foto.de/cms/front_content.php?client=1&lang=1&parent=14&idcat=115&idart=242

 

28mm (equivalent) f/4 lens

 

14 Megapixel Foveon X3 sensor (2652ױ768׳ pixels) and the sensor is 20.7mm x

13.7mm which is only slightly smaller than APS.

[terry_rory]

....<div></div>

[basscheffers]

"16.6mm" lens, so yes: there is an APS-C size sensor in there. Too bad they didn't make the

lens a 22mm (35mm in equiv terms); 28mm is a little too wide for my taste.

 

Interesting product, though. I for one will be very interested in seeing how it performs.

[phule]

If I remember correctly this would be only the second non-DSLR offering with a Foveon sensor.

 

I hope it does better than the Polaroid camera did.

[troyammons]

It would be nice if it had a viewfinder

[._._z]

Or an external viewfinder that snaps on the hotshoe, a la Ricoh.

[roger_smith4]

Why do they keep making these type of cameras with a 28mm equivalent? I'd be much more interested in a 40mm (or 35 as a compromise).

[byronlawrence]

I think it looks really fun,, when will it be marketed in the US? and for how much?

[troyammons]

Dont see a hot shoe. 28mm is perfect for me and I have been looking for a quality 28mm P+S.

 

The lack of a viewfinder is a downer for me. My brother in law had one of the early sonys with the flip screen and no viewfinder and while it worked it was difficult in bright light.

 

Maybe I can figure out a way to attach my cambo viewfinder. Of course the image would be upside down and portability goes out the window.

[francois_gauthier]

For people coming from film RF, the lens is a little wide and slow . As said, it also lacks a viewer.

 

Now, if optical quality is great and price low enough, it will still be apealing.

[digitalirony]

Why a '28mm (equivalent) f/4 lens'?

 

As it is a fixed focal length surely they could have managed a f/2.8 or even a f/2.0 lens.

 

Lack of a viewfinder is a real shame, even if it wasn't a particularly good one, it would have been worth including it.

[byronlawrence]

maybe it is just supposed to be the digital holga incarnate? it is a box with a fovean sensor,, it may be real fun even with the slow lens and no veiw finder.

[herve_laurent]

from the specs, I probably would have bought one as a carry-one everywhere camera ... IF IT

HAD A VIEWFINDER, Sigma should think about people who could buy this camera

[keith_van_hulle1]

Only the geeks around here will worry about viewfinders. 99% of the buying public composes/chimps at the same time. They could care less. IF it's cheap, it might sell well. Looks like modes and control are limited. Basic consumer fare, especially with the stupid f/4 with that big honkin' barrel in front and popup flash.

[ilkka]

Yes, the chimps do not need a viewfinder, but this does not seem like a camera for chimps. It looks like a serious instrument. I would most likely buy it if it had a viewfinder, even a Ricoh type. I will certainly not buy it without a viewfinder.

[roger krueger]

Well at least someone's thinking about a big-sensor single-focal length P&S. Pity it's

Sigma.

 

But f4 is ridiculously slow for a fixed lens, and if a viewfinder costs too much at least give

us a cold shoe. I'd rather have my nice external Voigtlander 28mm finder over a lets-save-

every-penny finder anyway.

 

I also have zero patience with Foveon's blatently misleading MP calculations--even if the

technology was decent I still wouldn't buy something from someone trying to pull the wool

over my eyes like that.

 

But this does show it's possible, someone else has to try it sooner or later. Pity Konica's

gone--A digital Hexar AF would be so sweet.

[tommyinca]

No built-in flash and no hot shoe...Interesting!

[derek_linney]

Ref: "Only the geeks around here will worry about viewfinders. 99% of the buying public composes/chimps at the same time."

<p>

This camera is not aimed at the mass market - they want zooms not a fixed focal length 28mm equivalent camera. So what is the market - it has to be enthusiasts for whom a viewfinder is highly desirable.

<p>

And I do take exception to your arrogance that "only geeks worry about viewfinders"; I am not a geek, but I am over 50 and like the majority of people over 50 have to wear reading glasses. So I cannot easily use a camera without a viewfinder - I end up having to swap my glasses on/off and carry them when I wouldn't otherwise need them.

[byronlawrence]

I am with Roger on the mp thing. it has somthing closer to 4.7 mp not 14. But while no view finder is sad, think about what you ARE getting, a sensor (an interesting one at that) and a lens in a box. it has minimal controls, and while a sensor would have made this camera something that a lot of people would go out a buy, I think i still may be worth while,, think of it as a fancy camera phone :)

[phule]

<<No built-in flash and no hot shoe...Interesting!>>

 

It has a built-in flash. It's a pop-up located in the upper-right corner as you face the front of the camera.

[mr._smith]

"I also have zero patience with Foveon's blatently misleading MP calculations--even if the technology was decent I still wouldn't buy something from someone trying to pull the wool over my eyes like that."

 

I could'nt care less about anybody's calculation as per the above. Just show me the results, that's all I care about.

 

As for the misleading label, give it a rest and wait for the tests. Then you'll know if you were right or not.

[mark u]

There are printed images from the new SD14 Sigma SLR that uses the same sensor being exhibited at Photokina in A0 size - or 841 x 1189mm - or about 47 x 33 inches that are apparently fairly stunning. The effective resolution that the sensor is capable of producing should be close to the current crop of 10MP DSLRs. It will be the results that matter, and it will be interesting to see how much the new sensor has improved on its predecessor in handling higher ISOs and long exposures. I agree with others that the camera should have (provision for) an optical viewfinder. Since it seems that the camera is still under development, perhaps there is time for a revision of the design to allow this.

[Spearhead]

I really don't understand the slow lens. I don't even understand the GR Digital (which I use) having a f2.4 lens instead of something faster. As someone who shoots a lot at night, I shoot wide open a lot. And f4 is not very wide open.

 

I would agree on the viewfinder too, the cost of a hot shoe is low, even a cold shoe. I use finder on the GR Digital most of the time and prefer it. If it had a flip out finder, that would be nice, as it allows waist level shooting, but this way, it's only arm's length or blind.

 

On the focal length, that's been pretty common for small fixed lens cameras, even with film.

[mr._smith]

Jeff,

 

To quote Yogi B., it's deja vu all over again!

 

Why a F4.0 lens, no viewfinder, no hotshoe, no flip out finder? To me, if looks like the same crippling of camera features that japanese mfg's have been practising lately.

 

Why, I don't really know. My guess is that there mfg's have a fixation that somehow a good p&s might impact their sales volumes. But I hear more and more dslr owners wanting a full feature carry anywhere p&s.

[._._z]

<small><i><blockquote>

 

I really don't understand the slow lens. I don't even understand the GR Digital (which I use) having a f2.4 lens instead of something faster. As someone who shoots a lot at night, I shoot wide open a lot. And f4 is not very wide open.

 

</blockquote> </i> </small><p>

 

If Ricoh or Sigma popped an APS sensor and a faster lens into a fast p&s (at a reasonable price) I bet they'd have a small-scale hit on their hands. A lot of tyros and pros would love the digital equivalent of an Olympus Stylus Epic or Yashica T-4, at least as a second carry-anywhere camera.