Sigma SD1 46 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body with 3 inch TFT Color LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio, X3 Direct Image Sensor

2011-09-20T21:00:00

Sigma has created a lot of controversy by claiming this camera is 46 mp. The chip is actually a 15 mp chip with 3 layers. Signs claims this makes it a 46 mp camera. By that logic a bayer array chip has 4 pixels in each location and a 15 mp camera would be called a 60 Mp camera. Both of those claims would be nonsence an no one but sigma would make such a claim. Most unbiased critics agree that although this is actually a 15 mp camera ( it only produces a 15 mp file ) the quality of the image is about a third better. This makes the image comperable to a current 21 or 24 mp high end camera. It is definitely not comperable to a real 40 mp camera like a hasselblad. In my opinion sigma should truthfully advertise that this is a 15 mp camera that performs like a 21 to 24 mp camera. If they said this I would rate this camera five stars. I HATE being lied to. For this reason and no other reason I give this camera one star. Sigma... change your advertising so we can debate your cameras quality instead of your honesty. .

Honest A.

2011-09-13T21:00:00

The previous poster obviously have absolutely no knowledge about full color image sensors. This is the industry standard for counting Megapixels: A "pixel" on the image sensor of a digital camera is a light absorbing element (photodetector) that converts light (photons) into electrons. A pixel is also referred to as a pixel sensor when there is a need to distinguish the pixel from its location. A "pixel location" is the X,Y coordinate on the two-dimensional grid of an image sensor at which the pixel is located. Before the Foveon X3 Direct Image sensor came along, no one had to worry about this because there was always a 1:1 relationship between the number of pixels (photodetectors) and the number of pixel locations for a traditional CCD and CMOS image sensor. Given this relationship, the generic term "pixel" has been commonly used to reference both the pixel (photodetector) and the pixel location. Of course, that was prior to Foveon's creation of an image sensor that incorporates three pixels (photodetectors) at every pixel location on the image sensor. The SD1's 46 megapixel (4,800×3,200×3 layers) 24×16mm APS-C X3 Direct Image sensor captures all primary RGB colors at each and every pixel location, ensuring the capture of full and complete color. Using three silicon-embedded layers of photo detectors, stacked vertically to take advantage of silicon's ability to absorb red, green and blue light at different respective depths, it efficiently reproduces color more accurately, and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional image sensor. Yes, it is a 15MP sensor, but it generates 46MP image quality. With the right lenses, it simply blows away my 1Ds Mark III (which costed me about the same)- it captures an awfull lot of detail. But the real test is printing in large format - I just have not seen any prints which are comparable. And we all should know by now that MP = Mega Nonsense! In my carry-about camera range, my very old 4MP Olympus C765 UZ captures images which are far superior to my Panasonic FZ28's. Never judge a camera on it's MP but only on ultimate results, especially large prints.

Bartel