Sigma SD10 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-50mm & 55-200mm Lenses

by Sigma

Product Details

Data Sheet [658kb PDF]

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Product Manual [4.10mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 17.7 x 11.4 x 5.5 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000YWJGY
• Item model number: JV900
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,928 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 13, 2003

Product Description

The Sigma SD10 10MP Digital SLR Camera captures 3layers (RGB) of color at a maximum resolution of 2268x1512, compared to the usual one layer of color per pixel which completely blocks out the other two. Features 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 zoom and 55-200mm F4-5.6 telephoto zoom lenses; 1.8" TFT LCD screen; Microdrive or CompactFlash memory card (memory card sold separately) for storing images; FireWire and USB ports and more. Adapter included.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great camera with a few drawbacks, February 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sigma SD10 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-50mm & 55-200mm Lenses (Electronics)

Perhaps the most annoying thing about using the SD10 is that there is no straightforward answer to the seemingly simple question, "How many megapixels?" Purists claim that it has only 3.4, and Sigma claims 10.2, counting all three colors at each of the 3.4M locations. When people ask (and when they see my prints, they DO ask), I sometimes just say 3.4, leaving them to wonder how I do it. The way I figure, when you save the file at double size, you're getting 13.7 megapixels with the same amount of interpolation on the red and blue channels as a normal camera, and more interpolation on the green channel. However you figure, the resolution is stunning, and with a little care you can make 12" by 18" prints that are as sharp as most eyes can tell.

Pros:

1. The software, especially the "fill light" function will let you quickly massage even your badly exposed pictures.

2. The great resolution.

Cons (I'm spending more space on these because Sigma's text waxes eloquent on most the pros (and they're not lying)):

1. The software. The SD10's only format is a proprietary RAW format, so you need to run everything through their raw converter before you do anything else with it.

2. The kit lenses are OK, but not great. The 18-50 in particular is vulnerable to a lot of chromatic aberration. If you're going to shoot with EX-series lenses (and you really should), you might as well just buy the body.

3. Low light performance is not stellar. ISO 800 is practically unusable, and ISO 400 is dicey.

4. The buffer is not huge, and the write speed is slow. The camera will take only 6 high-resolution shots in burst mode, and after that it can take more than a minute for the camera to recover.

All in all, however, this is a great camera, and if you get it you're likely to one-up all those folks buying digital rebels.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best Digital SLR Camera ever !, December 25, 2004

By 

MM TAUHIDUR RASHID "Tauhidur Rashid" (Ethiopia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sigma SD10 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-50mm & 55-200mm Lenses (Electronics)

I first read about Foveon X3 two years ago. Long before reading about the X3, I always wondered why we had to be content with 25% Red, 25% Blue and 50% Green on an Image Sensor -- why not 100% of all colours? However, business was booming for all Digital Camera companies despite the fact that there wasn't really a CCD that could be seriously taken till the X3 arrived on the market. I knew instantly, the SIGMA-Foveon joint venture would break through a newer kind of Digital Photography, so I decided to wait. I skipped SD9 when I realized Foveon was working on a combined 10MP X3 Chip.

The wait was worth every second! I ordered the SIGMA SD10 with the standard twin Lens Kits (18-50mm F3.5-5.6 and 55-200mm F4-5.6) and separately ordered a 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Lens. I wish SIGMA had packaged the kit with at least one F2.8 large aperture Lens. Anyway, I will give my 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 to a friend who just bought a NIKON D70 with a NIKOR 18-70mm Lens.

I have not yet received my shipment from AMAZON, but have had the chance of using my friend's SD10, including the SIGMA Photo Pro software and some sample X3Fs and some of my own. The RAW format of SIGMA has some outstanding advantages over the JPEG type of files. With a RAW file, you will feel like as if you're truly dealing with a "Negative", whereas the JPEGs will feel like "Polaroid" shots -- equivalent to getting prints from a Camera. SIGMA should never revert to traditional file formats and stick to this great RAW format which allows the best possible artistry with digital negatives.

I know why NIKONs, CANONs and other brands won't want to use X3 -- they want to maximize their profits by using their proprietory CCDs no matter how badly they compare to a superior product. I think they are also complacent that their "devoted" customers will not change sides because of their famous names. But I can tell you, there would be a lot of migrations now towards the X3 and SIGMA -- those popular brands have already compromised their quality by not developing something equivalent to X3.

Well, I have used NIKON, CANON, Fuji and the rest --- but to tell you the truth, SIGMA is like a Rolls Royce of a Camera. They have only two Models, but they speak volume of quality and they are also the only sellers of X3 sensors at the moment.

So, if you want to experience something quite special and differnt than the rest, then SIGMA is the only option currently available --- I suggest, you give it a try to judge for yourself.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Camera, January 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sigma SD10 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-50mm & 55-200mm Lenses (Electronics)

First off I want to say this is an Amazing Digital SLR.. the picture quality is outstanding.. if your in the market for a pro level digital slr you can't go wrong especially with the 2 lenses that were designed for this camera..

On another note.. amazon's features list is wrong.. the camera doesn't accept xd memory and it doesn't come with a 32 meg card.. its a compact flash format camera.. i'd recommend a 512 meg or higher CF card as it fills up quickly at its highest resolution.. my old 64 meg CF card can take about 6 pictures on its highest resolution.. i've ordered a 1 gig card i'm just waiting for it to ship now..

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