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First shots with the SD9
- Thread starter jesito
- Start date
jesito
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Uwe!.
I started with the Sigmas recently, now I'm a believer
.Kind regards,
Jes.
jesito
Well-Known Member
Hi Klaus,
I'm afraid I converted from RAW to JPG instead of exporting it elsewhere. It's my only picture in the folder that is named xxxx.X3F.jpg, all the other are plain X3F...
From Sigma Photo Pro I get this picture info:
File Name: IMG02586.X3F.jpg
File Type: JPEG
Image Dimensions: 3.4 MP (2267 x 1513)
File Size: 567 KB
Location: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Pictures\2008_12_11
Capture Date: 11/12/2008 13:36:23
Exposure Mode:
Exposure Compensation: Unavailable
ISO Setting: 100
White Balance Setting: Unavailable
Color Setting: Normal
Flash: Unavailable
Shutter Speed: 1/51s
Aperture Value: F5.7
Metering Mode: Unavailable
Focus Setting: Unavailable
Focal Length: 50 mm
Resolution: Unavailable
Drive Mode: Unavailable
Camera: SIGMA SD9
Firmware Version: Unavailable
Image Unique ID: f37a7ce21bf465c3640c7a7421788f80
As far as I recall, WB was sunlight, metering was "center", resolution "high", exposure compensation "+1 EV", shot handheld, and firmware is the latest.
I'm from sunny Spain, l live in a small village near Barcelona called Sitges, 100 meters far from the beach. Good for the enjoyment but not so good for the equipment, I've to take special care of the lenses and cameras.
Kind regards,
Jes.
LUIS A GUEVARA
Well-Known Member
Very nice , Jes. And you started with the hardest color , Red , and with the worst lens the 18-50.
Just think what you can do with better lenses.
SD9 with Leica 500 f8 MR Telyt , hand held .
Luis
jesito
Well-Known Member
Hi Luis!.
Thanks for your comment. Nice shot really!. You're right, the 18-50 lens is not super. But I own a bunch of old M42, Exakta and Tamron lenses that I'm mad to try with the SD9... I received a few days ago the M42 adapter, and I've been able to try just a couple of them, (the Jupiter-11 and the Pancolar 50mm 1.8) with not very successful results yet. I've seen your site and your nice works on replacing mounts and I'm really impressed by both of you and Uwe high tech work!.
I'm quite limited on mechanical dexterity to do such complex projects, but I'll be trying adapters and lenses, to see if I can improve the current quality of my pictures.
Thanks again for commenting!.
Keep up the high tech works going on
!Jes.
LUIS A GUEVARA
Well-Known Member
Hi Jes. Merry Christmas !!
First I would like to be fair to Sigma lenses , they are not the best that you can put in front of your camera but they are way , way, ahead of those Jupiter and old Zeiss from Democratic Germany . Some Sigma lenses are indeed very good . The 50 Macro is very good and so is the longer one , the 105 , I believe, and probably better than any old Japanese lenses of older generations.
Having said that , Leica lenses are in a different category that no other lens manufacturer even approaches , because Leica design philosophy of Sharpness and Resolution first, is in line with the old German tradition of fine engraving and printing ,and this is very different than the Japanese tradition of Drama and high Color Contrasts , that permeates Japan's lenses and Saturated Film emulsions , as it does their Stage Histrionics.
Zeiss design philosophy got stack in the 1950 in an obsession for Chromatic Aberration corrections , via the endless addition of glass elements ,to correct other glass elements . This is in line with the German Stubbornness that typically starts with the wrong approach , ( Like rear Air Cooled engines in VW cars ) and optimizing to perfection, before pursuing the right approach ( Front water cooled engines VW). ,This produced well corrected lenses that , consequently , exhibit an untamable Blue coloration , since blue being the highest energy component of light , is the only color that survives after going trough Dozens of energy robbing glass elements.
Leica sees light as a Flow of Energy through the lens and makes all efforts possible not to disturb that flow . No changes in direction , minimal amount of lens elements , perfect centering , making the Glass for the Design needs ,rather than accommodating the design to available glasses. Leica aims for even Spectral Transmission and Full corrections at FULL APERTURE.
The SD9 sensor is very much in line with Leica Philosophy , since it also thrives on Sharpness and even Colors , so putting the two together is like I said before , a match made in Camera Heaven.
The SD9 is the easiest mount to install and I am restarting production of this mounts soon after the Holidays.
Sigma SD9 with Leica 100 Apo Macro Elmarit and 2X Apo Converter
MERRY CHRISTMAS'S EVERYBODY !!
jesito
Well-Known Member
¡Hola Luis!.
Thanks for your long and illustrated answer, also Merry Christmas to everybody!.
I somewhat agree with you. To me, my best lens is the german Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm 1.7, that I own in Contax/Yashica mount. Unfortunately not being mountable on the SD9. I've seen some kind of conversions of this lens to M42 screw, that would allow mounting it on the SD9, but I don't dare to do the conversion. I'm afraid of damaging the lens. Lenses are precision tools that should be handled with lots of knowledge and the precise tools.
I also own a Canon EOS 350D (my first digital SLR) and a Pentax *istDS. Even not being able to cope with the sharpness and colours of the SD9, they do an acceptable work for an amateur photographer like myself. I'm convinced that having better photographic outfit won't turn me into a better photographer.
My current equipment overpasses a lot my limited capabilities. Even knowing it, I love to experiment. That's why I started getting old lenses and cameras. And I feel the older lenses are not so bad. Maybe the japanese manufacturers have a trend to pastel colouring, but there are fine japanese lenses that I like a lot. Tamron SP series (the 90mm SP is one of them), but there are many others, like the 70-210 long zoom, etc. Also many of the Democratic Republic lenses were made based on the german models (the 58mm Helios 44-2, the Industar, etc.), those clones being very cheap nowadays and fine lenses to me, taking into account the cost/performance ratio.
I must admit that the Leicas are out of this world, but they are also out of this world in price. As an amateur, I've set a limit on the price I'd pay for a lens, so I'm not ready to pay $3000 for a Summicron 90 leica lens, just to improve my limited pictures. Not my way. I'll try to learn what I can with my current set, and try to squeeze the maximum from them. Even the humble Sigma 18-50 can take decent pictures, so I'll be using it as far as I cannot surpass its abilities. (My Summicron 90 equivalent is my Jupiter-9 ).
Having said so, I'm sure that many of you with excellent photographic abilities will take profit of such wonderful lenses. And I admire the high tech work you are doing to improve these consumer cameras to take them to a professional level, so I must congratulate you for it.
Kind regards,
Jes.
Thanks for your long and illustrated answer, also Merry Christmas to everybody!.
I somewhat agree with you. To me, my best lens is the german Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm 1.7, that I own in Contax/Yashica mount. Unfortunately not being mountable on the SD9. I've seen some kind of conversions of this lens to M42 screw, that would allow mounting it on the SD9, but I don't dare to do the conversion. I'm afraid of damaging the lens. Lenses are precision tools that should be handled with lots of knowledge and the precise tools.
I also own a Canon EOS 350D (my first digital SLR) and a Pentax *istDS. Even not being able to cope with the sharpness and colours of the SD9, they do an acceptable work for an amateur photographer like myself. I'm convinced that having better photographic outfit won't turn me into a better photographer.
My current equipment overpasses a lot my limited capabilities. Even knowing it, I love to experiment. That's why I started getting old lenses and cameras. And I feel the older lenses are not so bad. Maybe the japanese manufacturers have a trend to pastel colouring, but there are fine japanese lenses that I like a lot. Tamron SP series (the 90mm SP is one of them), but there are many others, like the 70-210 long zoom, etc. Also many of the Democratic Republic lenses were made based on the german models (the 58mm Helios 44-2, the Industar, etc.), those clones being very cheap nowadays and fine lenses to me, taking into account the cost/performance ratio.
I must admit that the Leicas are out of this world, but they are also out of this world in price. As an amateur, I've set a limit on the price I'd pay for a lens, so I'm not ready to pay $3000 for a Summicron 90 leica lens, just to improve my limited pictures. Not my way. I'll try to learn what I can with my current set, and try to squeeze the maximum from them. Even the humble Sigma 18-50 can take decent pictures, so I'll be using it as far as I cannot surpass its abilities. (My Summicron 90 equivalent is my Jupiter-9
).Having said so, I'm sure that many of you with excellent photographic abilities will take profit of such wonderful lenses. And I admire the high tech work you are doing to improve these consumer cameras to take them to a professional level, so I must congratulate you for it.
Kind regards,
Jes.
Hi Jes,
I have just returned back from Spain (holliday at the Costa del Sol)!
Well, Leica lenses are very fine things to have ... no doubt! I unfortunately do not have them ... simply cannot afford .....
Well, there are alternatives (IMHO)!
Have a look!
Original SD14 ............. / .................. CROP
Colours?! Sharp?! Which lens?! Any idea?!
See you with nice pictures
Klaus
I have just returned back from Spain (holliday at the Costa del Sol)!
Well, Leica lenses are very fine things to have ... no doubt! I unfortunately do not have them ... simply cannot afford .....
Well, there are alternatives (IMHO)!
Have a look!
Original SD14 ............. / .................. CROP
Colours?! Sharp?! Which lens?! Any idea?!
See you with nice pictures
Klaus
Well let me clear up the mystery! I took SIGMA's "I can do everything" hyperzoom 18-200mm DC OS and just did it!
In 2005 I first bought the 18-200mm DC (NON-OS), which was just released by SIGMA as an extension to the 18-125mm.
I really never had thaught about going for a megazoom. Former experiences with wide-range-zooms all were very disappointing.
Then I was heavily persuaded to take it because the seller possibly thaught it woud become a shelf-warmer ... he supposedly thaught, SIGMA would give up making DSLRs. He agreed on his at-cost-prize.
I then got it with me .... the lens and a money back guarantee if it should not perform as promised.
The test shots then were that promising that it became my standard SD10-lens.
Well, it is comparatively slow at full aperture and shows (IMHO tolerable) distortion problems (barrel at the short- and pincussion at the long end).
Anyway, it is really sharp (at most focal lengthes open) around 35mm you have to slow down aperture to 5.6 to have the edges fully sharp.
Aberration (spheric and chromatic) is not a problem.
I did not hesitate later to go for the OS-version as well. In addition, the OS is a dream.
Back to your wonderful camera ... I really like the SD9 for its wonderful colours and its pixel-sharpness. I use it for architecture, landscape and macros.
This is an SD9-shot. I could do another quizz ... which macro lens was used?? ... The answer is NONE!
I just took a cheap SIGMA 24-70mm 3.5-5.6 HF-Aspherical and turned it round in front of my "9" using my non-destructive-retro-adapter.
It is not only a considerable macro-solution (IMHO) it works quite well in properly fitted (non retro!) on the SIGMAs.
See you with nice pictures
Klaus
In 2005 I first bought the 18-200mm DC (NON-OS), which was just released by SIGMA as an extension to the 18-125mm.
I really never had thaught about going for a megazoom. Former experiences with wide-range-zooms all were very disappointing.
Then I was heavily persuaded to take it because the seller possibly thaught it woud become a shelf-warmer ... he supposedly thaught, SIGMA would give up making DSLRs. He agreed on his at-cost-prize.
I then got it with me .... the lens and a money back guarantee if it should not perform as promised.
The test shots then were that promising that it became my standard SD10-lens.
Well, it is comparatively slow at full aperture and shows (IMHO tolerable) distortion problems (barrel at the short- and pincussion at the long end).
Anyway, it is really sharp (at most focal lengthes open) around 35mm you have to slow down aperture to 5.6 to have the edges fully sharp.
Aberration (spheric and chromatic) is not a problem.
I did not hesitate later to go for the OS-version as well. In addition, the OS is a dream.
Back to your wonderful camera ... I really like the SD9 for its wonderful colours and its pixel-sharpness. I use it for architecture, landscape and macros.
This is an SD9-shot. I could do another quizz ... which macro lens was used?? ... The answer is NONE!
I just took a cheap SIGMA 24-70mm 3.5-5.6 HF-Aspherical and turned it round in front of my "9" using my non-destructive-retro-adapter.
It is not only a considerable macro-solution (IMHO) it works quite well in properly fitted (non retro!) on the SIGMAs.
See you with nice pictures
Klaus