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

Product Information

The sd Quattro H has all the standard shooting modes you’d expect: Manual, Program (with program shift), Aperture Priority and Shutter Speed Priority. Lossless compression RAW data (14-bit), DNG (No compression RAW Data 12-bit), JPEG (Exif2.3), RAW+JPEG

In summary, the Sigma sd Quattro H ports the 3-layer Foveon technology from the fixed lens, compact camera design of the DP-series to a more adaptable mirrorless design, which should broaden its appeal. Compared to the cheaper Sigma sd Quattro camera, the H version increases the megapixel count thanks to the larger sensor, and additionally offers Adobe DNG support, although the resulting file sizes are huge. It's still something of a hard sell when compared to its direct competition, but no other camera delivers quite the same image quality as the Sigma sd Quattro H (except the Sigma sd Quattro)... One feature not often touted in Sigma’s literature or sales documents is its infrared capabilities. This will undoubtedly appeal to various landscape photographers because of its ease of use.As well as the innovative sensor which I’ll get to in a moment, the SD Quattro maintains the Sigma DSLR tradition of having a removable IR cut filter. You simply take it out with tweezers.

Blame DxO Optics Pro. That product has never opened any DNG file created by Adobe DNG Converter or LR, no matter what camera raw file is used, so the Adobe-compatible Sigma DNG file was never going to be any different. Along with the 50-100mm F1.8 APS-C lens and 20mm F1.4, the sd-Quattro H gives us a clue to where Sigma are at as a company in 2017. Very advanced and very innovative. Effective Pixels: Approx. 38.6MP T(Top): 6,200×4,152 / M(Middle): 3,100×2,076 / B(Bottom): 3,100×2,076 Total Pixels: Approx. 44.7MP The camera allow you shooting in various aspect ratio apart from the native 3:2 format. The most interesting one is the 21:9 super widescreen format as I love super wide aspect ratio photos! isn't cheap but it's far from unreasonable. The larger-than-typical APS-H sensor helps maximise the camera's image quality and the solid construction makes it immediately apparent where your money's going.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 following were shot with the Hoya Infrared (R72) visible light cut filter on the Sigma 18-35mm lens. This cuts visible light and only allows through infrared.

ABOVE: The window at Foto-Braune in Berlin, one of my favourite photographic haunts Quattro improvements Before we get to the downsides of the Sigma sd Quattro H, let’s cover what it does so very, very well; details. But having said that, the SD Quattro’s high ISO performance is still not very good. Below are samples took at various ISO. Left is the full image, and right is the 100% cropped

While the SD Quattro’s dynamic range appears to be not as good as the latest Nikon or Sony cameras, the camera has a Super-Fine Detail (SFD) exposure mode which basically shoot seven photos each at different exposure and the results are combined together as a huge X3I format file. (7 x normal raw file size) This mode is used to improve the dynamic range and also minimise the image noise. Downside of the SFD mode is that you pretty much have to use a tripod and you might also end up having some weird results when shooting a scene with moving objects. In keeping with Sigma's history of idiosyncratic innovation, there are two things that set it apart from the majority of mirrorless cameras: the use of a full-depth DSLR mount (the company's own SA mount) and the use of a Foveon X3 Quattro sensor, which captures light and perceives color very differently from other cameras. Full depth SA mount It’s the exact film look Sigma has achieved with the latest Foveon X3 Quattro sensor, albeit in a digital stills camera that should not be pushed past base ISO. The viewfinder is off to the side to allow space for the hotshoe directly over the lens. This tripped me up more than a dozen times as I grabbed the camera, with its DSLR-like feel, and brought it up to my eye in the wrong location. Not a big deal, but it felt a little off at times. Those without a lot of DSLR experience will not notice anything amiss. The main menu system on the Sigma sd Quattro, 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.

When you do get things spot on, then at ISO 100 the Foveon sensor delivers remarkable results, with stunning detail and subtle colour gradation. Unfortunately, you don’t have to raise the sensitivity very much for all this to go wrong, and by ISO 800 blotchy green and purple shadow noise becomes a real problem. Above this the JPEG resolution takes a nosedive, with the camera apparently processing at the 4.9MP resolution of the two lower sensor layers, then upscaling to 19.6MP. There’s little in the way of shadow detail, too. Sigma sd Quattro review: Dynamic range, noise and resolution However, and this gets into the technical side of things, the DNG file has already had some processing done to it in its creation. There is evidence that the color balance of the original X3F file is easier to accomplish using Sigma’s PhotoPro software than working with the DNG file. This is because of the camera’s need to convert the information it collects from the sensor and craft a DNG file.The grip is comfortable and makes all-day use easy. While not cupped in like some DSLR cameras, it has enough surface for a solid grip.