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Sigma SD14

First Impressions Review

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Introduction

Next: Page 2

Components
September 28, 2006 By Patrick Singleton
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Front
The Sigma SD14 has a thick grip for the user's right hand, with an indentation for the middle finger. The grip is covered with comfortable black rubber. A white-light auto focus assist light sits between the grip and the lens mount. The self timer light is to the right of the lens mount, and the lens lock button at the lower left of the mount. The viewfinder hump juts out over the mount, in part to accommodate the pop-up flash, and in part to hold the pentaprism, a generally superior optical system to the pentamirror system common in entry-level cameras. The hump is labeled "Sigma." The upper right side has a small, gold "SD14" and the bottom right sports a large "X3 Foveon" logo.
 
 
Back
A vertical column of buttons runs down the left side of the LCD. The controls are: Menu, Playback, Info, "Star," which accesses playback options, and delete. A function button to the left of the viewfinder allows the user to access meter pattern, auto focus mode, flash sync mode, and extended ISO. The viewfinder itself has a wide, soft rubber eyecup. There are three buttons to the right of the viewfinder. Starting from the left, they control exposure lock, exposure compensation, and auto focus point selection. Just below the auto focus selector button are two buttons that control the magnification of images in playback.
 
 
The 4-way controller is a collection of 5 separate buttons, a mechanism we find slower and less graceful than a single disk that can rock in various directions. The SD14's controller buttons are widely-spaced, which slows down their use. Above the 4-way controller, there is a button marked ISO, quality and White Balance, which brings up those adjustments on the LCD. Another button at the bottom right of the LCD turns off the display.
 
The contours on the right side of the back form a comfortable and secure thumb rest, which is covered in the same resilient material as the front grip.
 
Right Side
The strap lug is inset into the right side of the Sigma SD14, so it's out of the way for users who might hold the camera with a finger along the top edge. The sliding door covering the Compact Flash media slot takes up the back half of the side. The door has no latch, so it might slip open accidentally, particularly after a period of wear. The door is heavily textured, which makes it easy to open, and adds to the SD14's gripping surface. It doesn't seal well against the environment, though.
 
 
Left Side
The strap lug on the left side of the SD14 sticks out, perhaps because most users will put their left hands under the lens to brace the camera. A rubber door covers jacks for USB connection, analog video output, and a DC power supply. The rubber door seems durable, and seals the vulnerable electronics well.
 
 
 
Top
It looks as if the SD14 has two mode dials on top. The one on the left is the power switch, which also set the camera to burst or single frame, or engages the self-timer or the mirror lockup. The one to the right of the viewfinder is a typical mode dial, which offers program, aperture-priority, shutter priority and manual exposure modes in about 90 degrees of rotation. A small, nearly square monochrome LCD is to the right of the mode dial. It shows exposure data, frame count, exposure mode, metering pattern, battery status, flash sync exposure compensation, and an icon to indicate if the camera will beep as its controls are used.

Just forward of the LCD is a button to illuminate the display. The shutter release is forward of that, on top of the grip. The control dial surrounds it.
 
 
Bottom
The Sigma SD14 has a hearty metal tripod bushing centered under the lens axis. That provides good balance, and in some cases makes it easier to align the camera using a tripod's pivots. The battery compartment is under the hand grip, and its door is not a robust item – it fell off the prototype camera we examined at Photokina after we opened the compartment. It snapped right back on, much to the relief of the booth attendant.
 
 
 

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Sigma SD14
First Impressions Review
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Introduction

Previous: Page 2

Components