Sigma SD Quattro Digital Camera with 30mm F1.4 DC HSM

Product Information

Like the dp Quattro compacts we’ve already tested, the sd Quattro’s Foveon X3 sensor offers a decidedly Jekyll and Hyde approach to image quality. At low-sensitivity settings of ISO 100-400 it’s excellent, with astonishing pixel-level detail. But at high ISOs it’s awful, lagging far behind conventional Bayer sensors. In what appears to be a tacit admission of this, Sigma Photo Pro 6.4, by default, now drops the output resolution to 4.9MP at ISO 800 (2,712×1,808 pixels), 2.2MP at ISOs 1,600 and 3,200 (1,808×1,205 pixels), and just 1.2MP at ISO 6,400 (1,356×904 pixels). It’s still possible to extract full-size images if you prefer, but they’re not great. Dynamic range With all of that said, the camera's considerable image quality in good light means it shouldn't be completely ruled-out. Its weight, bulk and limitation to working in good light would mean it came a long way down on my list of cameras to carry as a 'take the trip as it comes' camera but its unique image quality would make it worth considering if I was taking a trip solely hinging around photography. Even if that meant lugging a laptop with me, too. Sports The main menu system on the Sigma sd Quattro H, accessed by pressing the Menu button above the navigation pad, is rather rudimentary but simple to use. There are three tabs along the top, Camera, Play and Settings, subdivided into 6, 2 and 5 screens of options respectively. Due to the large LCD screen and restricting the number of on-screen choices to 5, the various options and icons are quite clear and legible, and each option uses a combination of text and helpful small icon.

While there are only nine focus points, arranged in a standard 3×3 grid, Sigma does give you the capability to change the size of the focus points in three steps, with the larger size covering a decent 60% of the viewing area. You can also select individual points instead of using all nine. This combination allows for a fair amount of control for wide-open scenes down to a need to focus on an individual stamen on a flower. The adoption of the DNG format does wonders for broadening the system's appeal. Sigma Photo Pro isn't unworkable but it's yet another hurdle standing in the way of the system's adoption, so it's nice to see it circumvented. It's still likely that you'll find yourself having to work a little harder to get the best-possible image results but at least you're more likely to be able to do so in a familiar piece of software. The sd Quattro uses SIGMA SA mount, instantly making it compatible with all of the SIGMA GLOBAL VISION lenses in the Contemporary, Art and Sports lines. Our review sample came with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art lens, which felt well-balanced on the sd Quattro and provides a 45mm effective focal range and a very fast f/1.4 maximum aperture.

Sigma sd Quattro review: Build and handling

There are two important technologies around today which could completely revolutionise the image sensor market. Quantom Dot (InVisage Quantum Film) is one. Foveon is the other.

The Sigma SD Quattro is the first camera from the brand new Sigma mirrorless camera system. The main selling point is probably it’s 20MP APS-C (1.5x crop factor) Foveon sensor which Sigma claims to have a resolution “equivalent” to 39MP. It's fair to say that movies aren't exactly the Sigma sd Quattro's strong point, in that Sigma have completely ommitted video recording. The battery life is also poor, with a CIPA quoted life of 200 shots - we managed 180 images before needing to recharge. Sigma have decided to only supply one battery in the box, so you'll need to budget for a few spares to get through a days shooting. However, in favourable situations SFD mode can bring clear benefits; in the example above I used it to record detail in a bright sky and dark foreground that the sensor simply couldn’t capture in
a single exposure. But like other multi-shot modes, it’s not very convenient to shoot or process. Sigma sd Quattro review: Verdict I would give a slight edge to the Hasselblad H3DII-39 over the 42MP Sony, which is amazing considering there’s a 10 year difference in technology between the two.That's how long it's been since the release of the SD9, Sigma's first digital camera, which was also the first camera to use the layered Foveon sensor design. From then on, for better or for worse, Sigma has continued to refine its unique layered sensors. While no one will argue that their cameras are capable of insanely sharp output, you still have to put up with an awful lot of shortcomings.

Sigma do a higher-end model now with an APS-H size sensor (1.3x crop over full frame). This doesn’t have much of a low-light boost but the EVF is larger, the rendering from the larger sensor is closer to full frame for Sigma ART lenses and it has a resolution bump over the standard APS-C SD Quattro. Does APS-H make a difference over APS-C? Yes it does, very noticeable. See for instance the Canon 1D C 4K mode vs only Super 35mm. The “SD Quattro H” camera with the 18-35mm is pushing the corner sharpness down a bit but it doesn’t vignette much especially at 35mm. On the full frame lenses like the 35mm F1.4 it will give you close to medium format performance for resolution at F2.8. ISO is selectable between 100-6400, not quite the range we’re accustomed to with modern DSLR bodies. Further, noise becomes quite notable around ISO 800, making it difficult to get used to the higher ISO limits. It does have the ability to use Auto ISO and to limit the range, which I find useful. As with all Foveon chips, the sensor interprets color based on the fact that different colors of light have different amounts of energy and so can penetrate the sensor to different depths. This is radically different from conventional designs that place filters in front of the sensor, throwing away around half of all the light so that each pixel only 'sees' light of a predetermined color. With this filter removed, light in the entire infrared spectrum falls on the sensor and with a visible light cut filter on the lens you get infrared-only light on the sensor. Setting the camera to monochrome gives you monochromatic infrared photos on a very high resolution mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses. The Sigma sd Quattro H offers a full range of advanced exposure controls via the Mode button on the rear of the camera, including aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual and manual focusing, with three Custom modes so that you can save and recall your preferred settings. There are no auto-everything or scene modes on this camera, which is a veritable breath of fresh air at a time when most manufacturers are stuffing their cameras full of clever technologies that take control away from the user. The aperture or shutter speed are set by using the forefinger-operated control dial on top of the camera which encircles the shutter button, with a smaller rear control dial setting the aperture in the Manual shooting mode and exposure compensation in the other modes.

The fun factor

Film makes you think more therefore you actually learn more shooting it. You have to live with the consequences as they are tactile. I shoot digital with the same discipline as film and I am a better photographer for it. I don't see any benefits of digital beside ISO and colour balance over film. It might not be competitive against the latest technology and it might not be the most flexible option available, but that doesn't mean it doesn't possess a certain appeal. Sigma sd Quattro H w/120-300mm Sigma lens – ISO 100, 171mm, f/4.5, 1/800 Hidden option: Easy Infrared As it stands, you have to take the double risk of investing in an unusual sensor technology and that of buying into a less widely adopted lens system. Sigma offers a program to change the lens mount on its latest 'Global Vision' lenses, which means you could salvage some of your investment if you ever moved away from SA mount, but that's not the same as being able to use your lenses across multiple cameras (for those people who don't solely shoot in good light). The Final Word