Sigma SD14 14 Megapixel Camera

In recent weeks, I have been asked by a number of different people about the camera and lenses I use. In particular, I keep getting asked about the SD14 – Sigma’s latest DSLR which I have used almost exclusively since Easter of this year. In that time, I have shot images in Ireland, Morocco, Italy and London as well as the odd wedding. In this time, I have had a chance to get to know the camera well. I also must declare a little bit of bias with this mini review as I have arrived at the SD14 via the Sigma SD9 and then SD10. I also have a range of Sigma EX lenses in the Sigma SA mount.

To begin with, the SD14 is a fairly large step forward from the Sigma SD10. That camera, Sigma claimed was a 10.2 megapixel camera. The SD14 gets its title from the 14 Megapixel images it can produce. The figures can be a little misleading as the camera produces these images from its unique Foveon sensor. Unlike other cameras, the Foveon sensor is arranged with Red, Green and Blue photosites one on top of the other. Typical Bayer cameras have a Red, Green and Blue array placed over there sensors. You can read more about this by googling Foveon or Bayer. For me, in terms of image quality, the camera produces exceptionally sharp images. I was more than happy with the SD10’s quality but the SD14 is even more impressive. The images look superb at A1+ sizes. In order to do this camera justice, EX lenses must be used. These are Sigma’s flagship lenses and allow the camera to produce excellent images.

The camera comes with a JPG conversion engine built in – a feature missing on the SD10. To be honest, I am not particularly impressed by this and shoot exclusively in RAW. Converting from RAW is done by the Sigma Photo Pro software. The windows version of this is bug ridden to say the least but thankfully the Mac version (2.2) works very well indeed. Alternatively, Adobe Lightroom in its latest guise supports SD14 raw files.

The SD14 is also improved in terms of lower light performance. If you are looking to shoot at ISO 1600+, then this camera is probably not for you. However at ISO 200-800, the camera produces images with very little noise. The key thing here is to expose your image correctly. I usually use +0.3 EC as a matter of course as the meter in camera seems to underexpose images somewhat.

The camera’s shot to shot speed is not particularly quick by today’s standards. I think the buffer (6 frames) is the limiting factor. Again, there are other cameras out there that perform better in this area.

In terms of image quality, the camera really excels. In my opinion, with decent EX lenses the images produced are as clear and detailed as any camera I have every used. The new sensor has improved dynamic range and the raw images at times are jaw dropping. The camera does require the user to think about what they are doing and it is probably not the quickest on the market but for me the image quality is the most important thing. Some examples have been posted below. You can find more here:-

www.picturesforwalls.com

More examples are here…    www.picturesforwalls.com

Victoria Harbour view from the Peak, Hong Kong – Long Exposure tutorial

In Hong Kong, I am always drawn to the view from up here on Victoria peak. Getting this shot is not as easy as it looks as Hong Kong can be quite smoggy depending on what time of year you visit. I took a taxi ride up there at around 11.30 p.m. Even at this time, the place was still surprisingly busy. Thankfully, visibility was good so I set up and this was the result. The shot is around 6 seconds exposure time. If you look closely in the harbour you can see the trails of boats captured by the delay.

The technique for doing this is quite straigthforward but I thought people might be interested in how to get this type of shot.

1) Use a tripod (or sturdy place)

If you don’t have a tripod, then try and use something to balance your camera on. A wall is usually as good a place as any.

2) Turn off your flash.

It was funny but the majority of people I saw up at the peak that night were shooting with their flashes on as if you could illuminate the whole of Kowloon with flash. Flash is useless in this situation so it is better off turned off.

3) Watch for glare.

Sometimes a street light just out of the shot that you haven’t noticed might introduce unnecessary glare into your shot. A simple way to avoid this is to shoot well away from overhead light sources. A lens hood is a good idea but if you don’t have one, you could use your hand.

4) Use the timer

If you set the camera up and then press the shutter, you will introduce camera shake. This is not what we want. Use the cameras timer and then stand back to avoid nudging the camera.

5) Set your camera to aperture mode (if you can) – This is the tricky bit

Most modern digital cameras come now with a plethora of presets most of which you do not need. It’s a bit like most washing machines. You don’t really need to bother with most programmes on your washing machine, they are simply included as part of the marketing. Aperture mode is usually indicated on the dial with the letter A. This mode will allow you the user to control the amount of size of the hole allowing light into your camera. The smaller the hole, the less light into the camera so the longer the exposure. In aperture mode, the camera will adjust the shutter speed as you control the size of the hole.

Aperture (or the size of the hole) is indicated by an F Stop number. i.e. F2 , F 2.8, F 4 , F 8 and so on. If you set your aperture to 2.8 say. This means the hole is wider. A wider hole means a faster exposure but it also means less depth of field. Depth of field relates to how much of the photograph we want to have in focus. To ensure most of the photograph is in focus, set your aperture to somewhere between F8 and F11.

The camera will now calculate the shutter speed.

6) Watch for wind/ movement.

Any slight movement to the camera will blur detail. Try to make sure the camera is perfectly still throughout the exposure. The following are images shot with this technique