Sigma SD9Sigma's digital SLR uses Foveon's "X3" sensor technology to deliver more detail per pixel!<<Executive Overview :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:DesignReview First Posted: 11/09/2002 |
Design
With an exterior that closely resembles a mid-sized 35mm film-based SLR, Sigma's SD9 digital SLR is an exciting new contender in the prosumer digicam marketplace. Its body panels appear to be made of plastic, but the camera seems pretty substantial nonetheless, apart from a slightly "tinny" feel to the panels on its face. Equipped with a 3.43-megapixel Foveon X3 CMOS sensor, the SD9 is the first in its class (actually, the first anywhere) to offer a sensor capable of capturing red, blue, and green light with each pixel. Another innovation on the SD9 is its Sports Finder viewfinder display, which lets you see an extended area outside of the actual frame, unlike any other digital SLR viewfinder I've seen. An SA-type, bayonet lens mount accommodates a wide range of Sigma lenses, and an optional full manual exposure mode provides total user control. The SD9's somewhat bulky body requires a two-handed grip in most cases, and measures 6.0 x 4.7 x 3.1 inches (152 x 120 x 79 millimeters). Excluding the lens, batteries, and memory card, the SD9 weighs a substantial 28.4 ounces (805 grams), but somehow still manages to feel fairly light in the hand.
The front of the SD9 features the lens mount and only two control buttons. On the bottom, left side of the lens mount is the lens release button, which unlocks the lens so it can be rotated to remove it from the mount. A Depth of Field Preview button is on the upper right side of the lens mount (difficult to see in this view), while the remote control sensor in the upper right-hand corner of the body. The large hand grip provides a secure hold on the camera, with a rubbery coating that provides good friction against your fingers as they wrap around the camera.
The memory card compartment is on the right side of the SD9 (as viewed from the rear), protected by a hinged, plastic door. A latch on the back panel flips the door open, revealing the CompactFlash (Type I and II) / IBM MicroDrive slot. Just above the card slot is one of the eyelets for attaching the neck strap. A minor ergonomic note: The neck strap eyelets are positioned so the camera body will hang level by itself, but attaching a lens of any sort unbalances the camera, leaving it tilted down at a significant angle. While there's no way camera-mounted eyelets could possible balance even moderately long lenses, moving the eyelets as far forward as possible would let the camera hang nearly level with modest primes and short zooms attached. At bottom right of the memory card compartment is a cable release socket, protected by a tiny, plastic cap. My only concern here is that the tiny cap removes completely from the camera body, and thus could easily be lost.
The opposite side of the camera houses the connector compartment, which includes the Video Out, DC In, USB, and IEEE-1394 connector terminals. Just below the connectors is the battery compartment, which locks into place with a metal latch. Once unlocked, a tray pulls out completely from the compartment. (I really appreciate side battery access like this, especially on SLR cameras, as it lets you quickly change camera batteries without dismounting from a tripod. Many digicams provide battery access on the bottom panel, and put the battery compartment too close to the tripod mount.) The second neck strap attachment eyelet is also on this side of the camera, just above the connector compartment.
The majority of the SD9's external controls are on the rear panel, sharing space with the LCD monitor and optical viewfinder. The optical viewfinder eyepiece features a diopter adjustment control, just on top of the eyepiece. A Four Way Arrow pad on the rear panel navigates through the SD9's LCD-based menu system and scrolls through captured images on the memory card while in review mode. (Initially, the arrow pad on my evaluation sample was a little finicky about moving up and down in the menu system, but that seemed to diminish over time - or I simply became accustomed to pressing it in just the right way.) The Menu, View, Info, Modify, and Delete buttons lines the left side of the LCD monitor, while the Resolution, ISO, AE Lock, and Exposure Compensation buttons line the top of the rear panel. Two enlargement (+/-) buttons control image enlargement while in image review mode. Just beside the top right corner of the LCD monitor, a small LED flashes whenever the camera is accessing the memory card.
The SD9's top panel has no shortage of controls, including the Shutter, Metering, Function, and AF buttons, and Command, Mode, Shutter, and Drive dials. Also on the top panel is the external flash hot shoe and small status display panel. I generally really liked the SD9's control layout, as it was very clear what each control did, and very easy to select various camera functions. I appreciated having the major camera functions spread around on separate control buttons, rather than being ganged up on a control dial or actuated through combinations of two buttons at once.
The SD9's bottom panel is smooth and fairly flat, with a metal tripod mount close to dead center. - It's located under the centerline of the lens, and positioned fairly far forward on the camera body. While it's impossible to position the tripod mount on an SLR under the lens' nodal point, having the mount located fairly far forward like this minimizes the amount of parallax distortion in panoramic shots. I also appreciated that there was a fair bit of flat area around the socket, making for a secure, stable attachment to tripod mounting plates. Also on the bottom panel are the CR123A battery compartment and a power pack connection terminal (hidden beneath a rubber flap) that I assume is for an optional accessory handgrip.
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