Can Anyone Find a Flaw with the Foveon?

[lachou]

<p>But I got even more information, then I asked for. Thanks to everybody I am now much more enlightened. Foveon is not an achievement.<br>

I am OK with it. Sigma lost. Nikon and Canon win. I am going home.</p>

<p> </p>

[tholte]

<p>Don't go home Oleg, buy the new Merrill Sigma DSLR and post some images. </p>

[randy_cooprider1]

Have been looking at Sigma since it was first marketed. Images look good but the camera quirks and pricing have eliminated it from me buying it. There is a review at this site that shows why I keep watching it.

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sigma_dp2m_review.shtml

 

Good luck

[dan_south]

<p>The Foveon sounds like a great idea on paper, but I'm not sure why they aren't more widely produced. Did the technology suffer from restrictive licensing? Is it expensive to manufacture? Unreliable? Do the leading software products not support it?</p>

<p>I'm happy shooting my Nikons and Canons, but something new might be worth a try.</p>

[unangelino]

<p>Not that anyone is asking, but I'll expand on my previous post: A DP1 (orginal an s or an x) is a great landscape camera for those times when I don't have larger camera on hand. Whether it's the Foveon sensor or simply the size of the sensor and how well suited the lens is to the sensor is unknown to me. The fact is that I can get some really fine images from my DP1x and it fits in my Mini Cooper's glove box. The DPs are not really quirky just slow and somewhat idiosyncratic. Both qualities make for deliberate shooting; never a bad thing when it comes to landscape, imho.<br>

<strong>@ Oleg if you're still here:</strong><br>

Why not pick up a used DP1 or 2 and <em>try</em> it? Now that the Ms are out the originals are very soft on the used market. You'll get the feel for the Foveon (assuming there <em>is</em> one) and you won't be out much cake.<br>

Me? I'm a tad turned off by the DPM's huge raw file size and their lack of flash.<br>

You never know; you might actually like shooting with a Foveon even more than you like wondering about it.</p>

[philip_wilson]

CCD sensors are really only used in Medium Format and Leica these days but you can find them in older used DSLRs.

They are not without limitations as they do not shoot video, can only shoot at a few frames per seconds (limitations of

how the sensor is read) and are only good at low ISO. The other camera you may want to explore is the Nikon D800E.

While not I Nikon shooter I was very impressed with the images from this camera. It is a version of the D800 without the

AA filter

[charlie_novice]

<p>The Merrill generation of Sigma Foveon cameras really is exceptional. The accutance (roughly, a fancy word for resolution) is stunning. Yes, it makes a difference in prints. They are not literally 3-D of course, but they have a palpable quality.<br /><br /></p>

[andylynn]

<p>If you want a sharp crop-sensor camera, I'd hold out a bit. I bet the D7100 ends up being much better than the Sigma, while costing $1000 less and using more than one brand of lens.</p>

[norman_head]

<p>Well, the verdict is certainly in on tis particular discussion , certainly for me. Foveon 14.5 MP images compare quite favourably with D800e images when printed, and are considered equal to the D600 in terms of resolution with higher pattern extinction points, this in a 14 MP sensor.... the results of my DP2 Merril are simply astounding compared to any bayer images I've ever seen. CCD, or CMOS, they are still Bayer arrays, and quite simply, the Foveon sensors leave them in the dust in terms of IQ. It takes at least 10 seconds to process a file, the high ISO is useless, too noisy... but used at it's base ISO of 200 or 100 ISO, it performs well in low light situations with long exposures. It''s more like using an MF camera than a tiny little point and shoot. Based on my own tests, you simply cannot match this output with a bayer sensor. To me, my DP2 is the secret weapon in my camera bag, allowing me to hit way over my head in terms of IQ for cost outlay. This camera will try your patience... but you can produce images that are simply better than anything out there, except maybe a D800e. And it will cost you $$3500 on a D800 to do what you can do with a DP1M, DP2M or DP3M for $1000. I'm keeping my APS_c for telephoto work, but the DP1M and DP2M are top shelf landscape set ups.</p>

<p>http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m579/Norm_Head/Pentax_forum/Sample_by_lens_name/DP2-30mm-Foveon/pano-road-to-BB-pixel-peep_zps5205fbaa.jpg</p>