Digital Camera News and Reviews

Sigma DP1

PopPhoto has reviewed the new interesting compact camera from Sigma called DP1. What is interesting about this camera is that Sigma has put DSLR type sensor in a compact camera.
Some key features for the Sigma DP1:
-Foveon 14 megapixel X3 sensor
-16.6 mm F4.0 lens (28mm equivalent)
-2.5” LCD screen
-Support for RAW files

PopPhoto ends up giving the camera a very good review due to the excellent image quality the DP1 is able to produce, even up to ISO 800. The lens quality is also very good and the design looks stylish.
On the downside the auto focus system could have been faster, there is not image stabilization and a zoom lens would be nice.
All in all this seems like a very good camera for the more professional photographers (the DP1 costs $800) out there looking for a compact camera.

Read the full review of the Sigma DP1 here.

Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro

The Digital Picture has reviewed Sigma’s long macro lens, the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro. This review is really interesting for me as I’ve been thinking of buying this Sigma lens for the Four Thirds format, but the lens is also available for Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The review by The Digital Picture was done with Canon cameras in mind and it also have some nice comparisons with other Canon lens alternatives.

The Digital Picture ends up giving the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens a very good review due to it’s excellent image quality and relatively cheap price. On the downside there is a bit of vignetting and the auto focus is a bit slow so it is not recommend for action photography, but for macro photography it should work fine.

Read the full review of the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro lens here.

Sigma SD14 DSLR

Sigma has released a firmware update for their DSLR camera, the SD14. The firmware update includes an extended bulb mode from 30 seconds to 2 mintues and improved accuracy on the evaluative metering.
The firmware can be downloaded here.


Press release:
Sigma releases firmware update for SD14 DSLR

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce that firmware Ver.1.07 for the SD14 is now available for download.

SIGMA SD14 firmware [Ver.1.07]

Benefits of the firmware update:

* Exposure time of Bulb Mode is increased from 30 seconds to 2 minutes (It is only available when the camera is set for Extended Mode).
* Accuracy of the Evaluative Metering has been improved.

SD14 firmware Ver.1.07 is available for download at the following site:
Sigma SD14 firmware download page

Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM

Sigma has announced a new lens, the 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, for cameras from Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax.

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM will be a very fast standard lens on full-frame cameras and equivalent of 80mm on APS-C cameras.


Press Release:
50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM

Large aperture, standard prime lens for the latest digital cameras

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the new large aperture 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM standard lens. For Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax* and Sony*

* Standard lens with large maximum aperture of F1.4.
* It creates sharp images with high contrast and ensures superior peripheral brightness.
* Incorporates molded glass aspherical lens, perfectly correcting coma aberration and creating superior image quality.
* Super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting.
* Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensuring silent, high-speed AF

This is a large aperture prime lens with a standard focal length of 50mm, ideal for digital cameras. This lens is perfectly suited for a wide range of subjects enabling outstanding, sharply defined images against a nicely blurred background. The fast, F1.4 aperture makes this lens desirable for use with Digital SLR cameras. This lens effectively becomes an 80mm medium telephoto lens on digital cameras with APS-C size image sensors. The optimum optical design and molded glass aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. This lens has superior peripheral brightness and provides sharp, high contrast images even at the maximum aperture. Superior optical performance is also ensured throughout the focusing range. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7”) and has maximum magnification of 1:7.4. It creates a very attractive blur, even when a small aperture is used.

This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as
well as full-time manual focus override.

* If the camera body does not support HSM motor, AF does not work.