Sigma SD14

Latest Camera Reviews
DSLR Point & Shoot Samsung NX10 Panasonic DMC-TS2 Olympus E-P1 Casio EX-G1 Nikon D300S Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Pentax K-X Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 Nikon D3000 Samsung TL500

Recently Viewed Products
Nikon D60 $350 Canon A1100 IS $126 Nikon D5000 $649 Olympus Stylus TOUGH-8000 $285

Top Point & Shoot Cameras
Max Price: $1050 $0 $262.5 $525 $787.5 $1050 Filters All Canon Casio Fuji Kodak Nikon Olympus Panasonic Pentax Samsung Sony All Compact High-End Pocket Ultra-Zoom 1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 Ultra-Zoom $420 2. Canon SX1 IS Ultra-Zoom $499 3. Panasonic DMC-ZS3 Compact $260 4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Ultra-Zoom $400 5. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Compact $350

SD14 Prices

External Reviews
Popular Photography Camera Test: Sigma SD14 CNET - Cameras Sigma SD14 Photography Review Sigma SD14 Good Gear Guide Sigma SD14 Review Pocket-lint Sigma SD14 Review More

Sigma promises great image quality from the SD14, and unfortunately, we can't judge that in a First Impressions review, particularly when we weren't allowed to save any of our own images. It looked as though the prototypes had a serious noise problem at higher ISOs, and the sample images Sigma showed were shot at ISO 100, according to their captions.However, this may or may not represent the final production model's capabilities.

 

If the SD14 really produces superior color, it may well command the premium price Sigma is asking – just as Fujifilm has done well with its FinePix S3, with its extended dynamic range. The problem is, the mechanical aspect of the camera, including interface, burst capacity and auto focus performance, do not justify its price.

 

Point and Shooters - Casual users won't like the SD14's lack of scene modes and full automation. They'll be happier, and spend less, get an entry-level camera

 

Budget Consumers  - The SD14 charges a premium for its unique sensor, and reputed higher image quality. Not many budget users will seek out those attributes.

 

Gadget Freaks - The SD14's prime gadget, the Foveon X3 sensor, is buried deep inside a pedestrian camera. Most freaks want their cool features to show a little more.

 

Manual  Control Freaks - The SD14 is a manual camera, and it promises the image quality that this group demands. If the image quality is really there, this group might be interested. We wish the controls made more sense, though.

 

Pros/Serious Hobbyists - Again, we expect this group to adopt the SD14 only if its image quality is something special – but most of these users will regard the camera's body as something to put up with, not an asset.