The Sigma SD9 - A Foveon First (Also my first video ever!)

My overview/loose review of the Sigma SD9 OLD DSLR camera. Is it still a viable photographer's tool? Why in 2020? More info below!

Today we look at the Sigma SD9, a camera with almost zero YouTube coverage. A super-heavy 18 year-old camera with a now dead lens system (with only one brand of lenses available), a dated interface, and a difficult sensor.
Spoiler: It is awesome.

---Technical with links:----------------------------
Video and photos of the SD9 shot with a Sony a65, using a Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM and old Sigma 24mm f2.8 Macro.
The CF card used in the video is by Hoodman; very high quality stuff.

Video was put together and rendered in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve. If you can use Capture One or Lightroom, you can use Resolve. It's super easy to do the basics and super powerful.

---Featured in Photos--------------------------------
Cat in the video - Brian
Weaboo Figures in the video:
Characters from Namco's Tales series of RPGs
Sekirara Izumi Shizuno, Figma brand, sculpted by Max Factory
Bridge/Dock is at Belden's Landing, in Suisun City, Solano County, CA

---My Social Media--------------------------------

---Music Credits------------------------------------

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

[olommentes]

you are the Joe Pera of camera reviews - please don't stop

[FirestrikeZeppelin]

Talk about forgotten cameras! A video on a SD9 shot on a Sony a65?! Living up to your name here! Keep the videos coming!

[pwood]

Olympus E1. 5MP I bought mine new back in the day, all photos i print off are converted to black and white in lap top as there is no feature in the camera for this. All are shot in raw on to cf card. I still use this as every day camera and it has never missed a beat and nothing has broken on the camera. I also think in my personal opinion that the 5 mp is enough for me

[saphry]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the sharpness. Awesome pictures. Hope to see more reviews soon.

[karimk]

Sigma knows how to make unconventional good cameras, I have a Sigma Dp2 myself and it's a master piece of a camera

[stevieb]

Thanks for this video. great work. I've been reviewing my back catalogue of Sigma photos and realise I'm still in love with the Foveon sensor (even though I no longer have a Sigma camera!). One day I'll be back using Sigma....

[martinmuldoon]

Well done, I enjoyed your review of the Sigma sd9, I have one but I don't use it, I know I should because I think it is the best of all Sigma camera's, I have sd14, sd1m, dp1 and dp2. the sd9 has enough pixels for on screen use no need to move around scrolling to see all the picture, it is sharp with great colour. The sd14 and other 14mp have green cast issues, the latest range of merrill cameras need too much computing power to edit because of massive file sizes, I only have core i3 6gig ram laptop its not up to the job. Just my view but I plan on dusting off and powering up my old sd9, it was a great camera though very power hungry so would need to be powered from a power pack.

[willriggs]

Nice video, bud! It's funny that your review of this popped up right about the same time that this camera came back in my mind. I remember looking at it when it came out, but never could take the dive. My dad owned a photoshop and was fully invested in Canon cameras and lenses. I'm thinking about picking one of these up though, the foveon really does do some lovely things. Hope you keep up the good work!

[Ivlodded]

The Sigma camera line is a very special one. Maybe you can show us some more lenses? Or adapters? Or sources for spare parts.

[abstraconcept]

I have been fascinated with Foveon ever since I came across its Wikipedia article, and thought, "that's how I would want to make an image sensor". At least in theory, each pixel in your resulting PNG/TIFF/JPG can have a direct 1:1 mapping to a pixel on your X3 image sensor, with each RGB subpixel mapping directly to a subpixel layer.

Quatro is a bit of a shame since it compromises that original idea, with one quarter of the red channel resolution, but my hope for it, and Sigma's new bayer-sensor camera, fp 1, is that it can bring in enough money to keep the Foveon technology alive.

Though now indefinitely (in the literal sense) delayed, the upcoming full-frame Foveon camera was going to be a return to a full 1:1:1 subpixel resolution sensor; so it is reassuring to hear that Sigma does seem to have an interest in returning to that full subpixel sensor design.

[hologramjones]

Great seeing this tremendously underrated image maker having a fresh look in 2020. However, as far as I know the SD9 does not have a removable IR filter, it's only a dust protector. It only doubles as an IR filter from the SD10 and up.

[OlaruM]

First of all, hi!
I was looking for this kind of video description for so long.
Your voice tone and speed fits well with the theme.
Currently using a DP2 Merrill. Thinking of upgrading to quattro or the H version.
That IR filter coming off so easy would add to my reason for buying it.

Cheers from Romania.
p.s. I'm getting close to 30k count with it and already the camera has a few error shots.

[kokompolis]

Nice to see a video for these cameras, i have the similar sd10 and yes it has many difficulties in use if we speak in modern camera terms but the picture quality sharpness and colors are by far superior than bayern sensors, if you learn to use this camera the results will be outstanding!good work wait for your next video.

[privat]

Nice video! Also a very interesting camera! Keep up the great work!

[rocheuro]

and this was my first dslr that i had. - and I fall in love with (almost married) than SD14, Dp1, Dp2m, SD1m.. all foveons. standard cmos are no match for X3 in my opinion in aspect of color fidelity micro-contrast and amount of "per pixel " detail.

[anthonydavis]

You're ready for prime time. Good video review. "Hi"

[kevinski]

Hello. Great first video!! I have the Sigma SD10. Very nice camera too. In your description you mention the f1.4 DG HSM lens. Is this the lens you had attache d to your SD9 or did you use another SA mount lens for the SD9?

[anthonydavis]

Good video and great shots. Knowledge takes photos, not equipment.

[steverocky]

I have a DP3 Merril that is my go to camera... simply because of the quality of the images... Nothing comes close at the price I paid especially portrait's

[fellowcitizen]

Just what I was looking for; thank you! Subbed :)
Can't wait for your take on the Quattro