SIGMA SD1....What the HECK....!!!!

[jnicklin]

Curious marketing

So they list the body at $9,700 and kits for around $3,000 less. Some would see that as an indication that Sigma thinks their lenses are worth less than nothing. Buy a new SD-1 and they will pay you handsomely to take a lens off their inventory.

Are they smoking something strange in corporate HQ?

 

[tc95]

Are they smoking something strange in corporate HQ?

What ever it is I want some... :z04_nic_0075: ....

 

[ambaker]

What ever it is I want some... :z04_nic_0075: ....

Not me! Whatever it is, it appears to rot the brain...

 

[jeff tchaderjian]

The price is insane

The original price of 9,700$ was (is?) totally insane. But even at 6899$ for body only, as advertised by B&H, SD1 will stay out of reach for 90% of Sigma's customers.

At a fair price of around 2K, SD1 would have generated many sales for Sigma, but now I think Sigma's customers will make the same decision as mine:

SD1 being prohibitive, I have to consider again the SD15. But there are so few differences between the SD15 and my SD14, does it worth putting more money in a camera that takes almost the same photos???

I am quite sure my ansmer will stay NO.

In short, SD1 will not, as it should have, give Sigma new sales. Too bad for them... and for us.

 

[afshalders]

Not insane, but surreal...

Hi,

Besides the crazy price tag there are many other major issues concerning the SD1:

1) Size matters

Good sensor, true, but still not full frame and this makes a LOT of difference, specially if you use wide angle lenses. More than US$ 2K in an APS-C sized camera ? Sounds not correct to me.

2) Sigma is not Leica

Okay, good sensor BUT lacks of really awesome optics. Yes, I said amesome because what else would you put in a $7000 camera ?

Besides the 70/2.8 and 105/2.8 Macros, all the other ones are so-so, including the 30/1.4 and the 20/1.8. They sucks. Honestly.

I paid a good ammount for a Vario-Elmar 35-70 F4 ROM lens, very gladly. It's awesome glass and delivers exceptional performance. It's made by Kyocera in Japan under Leica's specs.

3) Sigma is not even Canon or Nikon

Camera body is not even close than Canon's or Nikon's APS-C top end series. Not counting about optics.

4) Quality control

I had many Sigma lenses for Canon. Every single one gave me some sort of focus problem, Usually frontfocusing.


So, IMHO it doesn't matters if it has the best sensor ever made. It's overpriced and there aren't optics to match the price tag.

Don't take me wrong. I love the SD15 and the DP2. I have both. For the SD15 I still have the 70/2.8 macro (great lens) and a crappy and expensive (for the performance) 17-50/2.8 EX DC.

When I need good optics, I simply use my old good M42 lenses on it, like some good Mamiya and Fujinons-EBC.

It's something like having a Porsche engine in a Yugo. Would you pay $40.000 for the Super-Yugo ?

 

[tc95]

afshalders - your right about the QC for the new lenses...what I do is send them back to Sigma for Spec'ing out....when I get them back the focus issues and and any-other little nuances are gone....if you have a problem with your 17-50...you might want to do that...also only buy EX lenses...otherwise...there like the kit lenses for both nikon/canon...

Just my two cents...:z04_cowboy:

 

[afshalders]

afshalders - your right about the QC for the new lenses...what I do is send them back to Sigma for Spec'ing out....when I get them back the focus issues and and any-other little nuances are gone....if you have a problem with your 17-50...you might want to do that...also only buy EX lenses...otherwise...there like the kit lenses for both nikon/canon...

Just my two cents...:z04_cowboy:

The problem with the 17-50 2.8 EX DC are the very bad borders for the price range. I got three samples and all had the same bad performance. The center is fantastic, but the borders awful. Even at f5.6 the borders at 50mm are very poor. I'm using this lens just for fun, not for anything serious anymore. In my opinion it was a total waste of money, and that's the reason I started to use manual focus lenses on the SD15. Just put a Haoda split/microprism screen and I'm happy again.

Some Sigma glass are great. Most are so-so.

But the 70/2.8 Macro EX DC is a great lens in all aspects. Sometimes Sigma does the job quite well.

 

[nathlas]

I am really interested how Sigma face all this rage of their fans allover the world for the SD1 price matter.

Do they care ?