Sigma finally cops to a release date for its SD14 DSLR

Well it'll have been over six months between the time we first heard about it and when it actually hits store shelves, but we finally have a solid release date for the somewhat-anticipated, Foveon-packing Sigma SD14 DSLR. If it's possible for you to remember back that far, you may recall that Sigma attempted to drum up some interest in this 14 megapixel shooter with a teaser campaign in late August of last year, just before it was officially announced at Photokina 2006. The disappointment came a few months later when Sigma pushed back the SD14's street launch to March, citing some hardware issue that the company wouldn't disclose. And according to a press release on Sigma's website, the problem has indeed been addressed, with the camera scheduled to ship starting on the 6th of next month. Keep in mind, though, that this model isn't for the thrifty -- it's gonna cost you over $2,000 to get in on this action.

[tekdroid @ Feb 20th 2007 7:57PM]

on paper, the Foveon technology sure sounds nice.

[tchiseen @ Feb 20th 2007 8:17PM]

undisclosed hardware problems.... $2000....

what's wrong with a Nikon now?

[Josh Freeman @ Feb 20th 2007 9:15PM]

Note, the files you'll get from this camera are actually around 4.7 megapixels, it's just that each pixel has 3 sensors. So while the images you get are relatively small (especially for a $2000 camera) they will be sharper and more detailed than an equivilent resolution bayer pattern sensor.

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Feb 20th 2007 9:38PM]

Sadly, Sigma's cameras leave much to be desired, and the Foveon technology is still riddled with problems like unacceptable noise in the blue channel. In a controlled environment like a portrait studio you can get some stunning results, but they're just not all-purpose SLR cameras. Other problems: the body technology lags years behind the competition (electronics, weight, battery life, focusing speed, automation...) and the proprietary mount severely limits the lens choices. And the mandatory raw format is not supported by Apple's Aperture.

[john @ Feb 21st 2007 1:56AM]

Aperture update version 1.5.1 actually supports RAW format.

[Twist @ Feb 20th 2007 11:19PM]

I would love to see a a true 8+ megapixel Foveon sensor (or another similarly designed sensor) in a Canon or Nikon body. I almost got a Sigma instead of a Canon Rebel XT. The Sigma was cheaper and came with two lens but the Canon won out for features and lens selection.

[David Schloss @ Feb 21st 2007 9:01AM]

What an utterly ridiculous price for what is essentially a middle-of the road five-megapixel consumer SLR with mediocre lenses to boot. Here's the problem, at the same resolution as another camera, this sensor will, on paper have a more color accurate and sharper image because each pixel area records each color.

But take something like a 16MP Canon with your typical digital Bayer pattern and suddenly you're throwing a lot more pixels into the mix. At what megapixel resoution does the color accuracy of the Bayer sensor overake the Foveon sensor simply because you're throwing more, smaller sample points at it.

I can think of so many things that a photographer could do with $2000, wasting it on a technology that never lived up to its promise just isn't one of them.