Sigma SD15 review

Sigma SD15 Review

Better known for its third party lenses and accessories Sigma likes its DSLRs big and chunky, and at 680g without accessories the blocky SD15 continues that trend. The hefty 24-70mm f/2.8 DG Macro and 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS (optically stabilised) test lenses that came with our sample further the impression that here is a serious, semi pro proposition, despite the DSLR being only the manufacturer’s fourth in eight years. It’s fair to say that its SD9, SD10 and SD14 predecessors have enjoyed a mixed critical reception; the concept has always been a difficult sell.

Every manufacturer would have us believe that their DSLR system is like no other. And in this respect Sigma’s ace-in-the-hand, or Achilles’ heel depending on your viewpoint, is a triple-layered 14 megapixel Foveon CMOS sensor. Measuring 20.7x13.8mm, it works in a different way to conventional chips, capturing red, green and blue primary colours at each and every pixel location. The result, claims Sigma, is a more accurate array of tones that help to give its images a more rounded life-like, three-dimensional feel, with no need for funny spectacles. The sales pitch is that while conventional sensors are good at detecting the intensity of light, they miss a lot of colour information.

Most of us are happy enough with the performance of those self same conventional sensors, our images looking sharp, and our colours realistic. So has Sigma come up with a solution to a problem that, for the vast majority of DSLR users, doesn’t really exist? In this respect the eccentricities of the SD15 perhaps hold more appeal for the fine art photographer, working with still life set ups and portraits. Indeed many of our test shots displayed a soft, almost painterly look that admittedly can be attractive and sympathetic, given the correct subject.

Apart from the look of its photographs, the Sigma’s sensor array gives rise to another quirk. Though the headline resolution is 14 megapixels, open up one of its JPEGs (Fine, Normal and Basic compression levels selectable) and you’ll find pixel count is closer to 4.6 megapixels each – that maximum figure divided by three. No coincidence given the three layers of its chip. OK, so its manufacturer would argue that the detail captured by its magical sensor is the visual equivalent of an 8MP or 10MP shot from a DSLR with conventional CMOS or CCD, and we’d be kind enough to give them that. But anyone shelling out £900 and on paper receiving a 4.6MP shot may feel short changed. Better then to stick with shooting Raw, the other alternative, and preserve as much detail as possible.

When it comes to actually shooting images, other omissions become apparent, most glaringly the lack of Live View via the 3-inch, 460k-dot resolution fixed LCD. Luckily then the optical viewfinder is large, offering 98% coverage, if it could do with being a little brighter. Given this lack of concession to modernity, it’s unsurprising there’s no video capture either. As we’ve noted, this is a DSLR for the more artistic of mind who would almost rather tease an image out of the camera than have perfection handed on a plate. For action shooters there is a continuous capacity of up to 3 frames per second (fps); modest perhaps, but delivering up to 21 sequential Raw files. Seemingly more at home on an entry-level DSLR meanwhile is 5-point AF, when we’re used to seeing 9-point or 11-point as standard in this price bracket. Use of auto focus leads to the lens hunting around if confronted with busier subjects. Best then switch to manual.

Processing this large amount of data – writing a Fine quality JPEG captured in single shot mode in around three seconds, a Raw file in five – is a ‘True II’ imaging engine, and, in terms of future proofing, Sigma claims its shutter mechanism is ‘durable’, good for over 100,000 uses. So plenty of opportunity to experiment and capture that winning shot. A dust protected mount protects the sensor from undesirables intruding when swapping lenses, with said protection removable should the system fail and the sensor requires swabbing or air dusting nonetheless. Sigma Photo Pro 4.1 software for Raw file conversion is supplied on a pair of CD ROMs in the box: one each for Windows and Mac users.

With best results achievable when utilising manual focus and shooting Raw, this isn’t a camera for the quick fix, point and shoot brigade. Proffered light sensitivity stretches from ISO100 up to ISO1600, which on paper appears nothing to write home about. But by delving into the camera’s bright and legible menu screens an ‘Extended’ mode can be activated, boosting speed to an equivalent ISO3200 at the top end, and ISO50 at the lowest. You may not want to bother however, as above ISO800 pictures appear noticeably rough, noise distinctly gritty in appearance. We expected better from a DSLR in this class; given its potential high end amateur, semi pro audience, utilising the SD15 in natural light without flash is surely one of the chief uses it will be put to.

Sigma has here adopted SD and SDHC media for image storage rather than the CompactFlash more commonly found in DSLRs at this level. A sound move, giving the SD15 the common touch and making the DSLR seem at once more approachable. Sigma has also revamped the user interface to make it more friendly, though the 14 small buttons adorning the backplate will initially appear daunting to less experienced users, and quizzically labelled to more seasoned photographers. To get to key shooting settings there’s a choice of ‘Func’ (Function), QS (Quick Set) or main Menu buttons, and a few exploratory prods are required to differentiate their offerings. The ‘QS’ button provides the short cut here, calling up on screen creative choices ranging from pre-optimised portrait and landscape settings to sepia and black and white, neutral, standard or vivid colour.

The same setting also offers the ability to swap between Fine, Normal, Basic JPEG or Raw shooting options in a thrice, and between auto and manual white balance. Changes are effected to all of the above by selecting the corresponding button on the four-way control pad, bottom right of the camera back, and scrolling through the options presented at the four points on screen.

The SD15’s break from convention is more obvious on the top plate with two chunky mode dials offered – the sparsely labelled one at the right hand side containing program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual shooting options – no frivolous auto or scene modes here – and the one to the left the ‘drive’ mode control. This is where users can switch from single shot capture to continuous shooting with a twist and satisfying click, as well as select self timer, mirror up and auto bracketing capture options. This second dial is also the means by which the camera is turned on and off, in the manner of a radio dial, in the absence of a dedicated power button, taking a couple of seconds to power up for the first shot.

The doubling up continues in that the shutter release button, to be found on the forward slope of the chunky handgrip (500-shot battery inserted in its base), is encircled by the DSLR-regular of a command dial, the latter for racing through key settings and functions and altogether speeding up operation. We also get a square top-mounted LCD window usefully displaying battery life, shots remaining, capture and metering modes, shutter speed and aperture values at a glance. A press of a button alongside illuminates its display so the photographer can cope in dimmer light.

In terms of handling and performance, we enjoyed using the 70-200mm telephoto zoom to pull subjects closer and throw the background out of focus, imbuing images with a little more drama than the 24-70mm can manage. That too however has its uses, especially for extreme close ups with very narrow depth of filed to concentrate both the eye and mind. Unadulterated images have a look that is quite silky in appearance, and while they may not be the sharpest we’ve ever seen, have an ethereal quality that those seeking out a point of difference from the competition may find interesting and pleasing. Appalling noise in low light shots and in shadow areas is a little less easy to find kind words about.

Whilst £900 for a body only DSLR can be considered cheap, the SD15 is at least less expensive than the £1,100 demanded for its SD14 predecessor on launch. It also stacks up favourably against higher end DSLRs from market leaders Canon and Nikon in their 7D and D300s, which can each now be tracked down for around £1,100 with a spot of web surfing. Especially so when a spot of the same can bring down spend on the Sigma to around £780. That said, at times the SD15 comes across as a puzzle to be unravelled. Its rather noisy, low-ish resolution output will prompt a sharp in take of breath from anyone rightly expecting an all round good egg at this price point.