Camera Test | SLR and System Cameras
High-end SLR with ultra-high-resolution,
moiré-free APS-C Foveon sensor, modest feature
set and massively reduced price.
Good:Three-layer sensor with no Bayer pattern
microfilters or low pass filter, resulting in
extremely high resolution for 14 (nominal)
megapixels. Robust, dust-protected magnesium
body with highly ergonomic battery grip. Many
clearly arranged dedicated controls. Very good
viewfinder image for an APS-C camera. Bright
3-inch monitor with wide angle of view. Clear
main menu with scroll-free system of tabs and
sub-tabs. ‘Quick Set’ button for fast access to
major functions. ‘Func’ button for direct access
to the Function Display. AF works well in low
light. Quiet mirror, fast sequences, usable
built-in flash with very short recycle time. Mains
adapter with standard connector.
Not so good:Poor internal JPEG processing
forces the use of RAW mode and PC-based
image conversion, making photography a
long-winded process. No live view, no control
panel, no white balance fine-tuning, no HDMI
connector and no video mode. Eight-image
sequences and long data save times that block
other camera functions. Two main dials
with many redundant features. Many settings
only possible via inconvenient button/dial
combinations. Relatively slow AF. AF assist
lamp partially vignetted by lens barrel. Monitor
resolution low for its 3-inch size. Dramatic
price reduction of more than US$6,000(!)
compared with the technically almost
identical ‘non-Merrill’ SD1. Original SD1 owners
understandably upset!Test results:Very good maximum contrast at
ISO 400 and 800, with massive fall-off at ISO- Average ColorChecker color rendition.
Signal-to-noise ratio very high at ISO 400,
falling off rapidly at ISO 1600 and above. Very
poor visual noise performance at this level
too. Exceptional resolution for a (nominally)
14-megapixel sensor, producing results that are
off our normal test scale. Slow startup, slow AF
and short sequences in continuous shooting
mode.
Image quality:Poor JPEG color rendition
under lab conditions in daylight. Pale images
with obvious red color cast. Test sticker and
marker pen orange-colored with color artifacts
in red areas. General overexposure. Sharpness
and detail rendition only really good between
f8 and f11, otherwise with obvious blur. Hardly
any moirés, except for a couple of double lines
in our line chart. Little fringing. Little image
noise at ISO 100, increasing slightly for
monotone colors at ISO 200 (the limit for 100%
viewing). Obvious color artifacts at ISO 400
(limit for full-screen viewing). Significant color
noise artifacts at ISO 800, even in gray tones.
Obvious color marbling at ISO 1600 and above.
Practically unusable at ISO 3200 and above,
with additional color noise and horizontal
banding.Outdoor images similar to lab tests with respect
to color rendition and noise characteristics, but
with excellent sharpness and detail rendition,
even at wide apertures. Occasional chromatic
aberrations.Sigma SD1 Merrill
ISO 100 ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO 6400