Product Review
 

Sigma SD10 Digital SLR with 10 MegaPixel Foveon CMOS Sensor

Part III - On the Bench and Conclusions

February, 2004

John E. Johnson, Jr.

 

On the Bench

The Putora Sharpness Chart test showed remarkable clarity.

The sharpness bar is shown in the following figures, without reduction. The sharpness falls off in the 9 range, which is very good. The test was a bit sharper than the previous SLRs I have tested. This is consistent with having 10 megapixels.

Gray levels (on the Putora Chart) were consistent with what I have seen in other digital cameras. There is a tendency to be a bit soft.

The Macbeth Color Checker test results are shown below. Like the other cameras I have tested, it is low contrast, and a bit under-saturated.

The second photo (below) is a scanned version of the Color Checker where I made adjustments to have it look as close to the original (on my calibrated Sony computer monitor) as possible.

The dedicated Gray Scale Chart showed good results. A bit low in contrast.

The Q-60 Color Target result is shown below. It is cooler in color and with less saturation than the scanned version, in the second photo. However, these differences can be adjusted in a photo editor, and all of the detail is there, which is the most important thing.

Conclusions

The Sigma SD10 camera is a great product. For $1,600 you get the camera, two nice lenses, more than 10 megapixels of resolution, and macro capabilities that surpass just about anything out there. I think the other camera companies would be wise to consider the Foveon technology or other vertically stacked pixel sensor technology. Otherwise, they may be left in the dust.

 

- John E. Johnson, Jr. -

Click on selection below to go to other parts of this review.

Part I - Introduction, Design, and Features

Part II - The Performance

Part III - On the Bench and Conclusions

 

© Copyright 2004 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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