DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. Whether it is Medium Format, fullframe, APS-C, MFT or smaller formats. Digital or film. DPRF is a forum for everybody and for every format.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

trouble JPEG of SD1 Merrill with M42 screw mount lens

cv4004

Member
I felt very happy with SD1 Merrill.
But I got trouble image when use M42-SA adapter with Carl Zeiss 50mm lens M42 screw mount.
I know from my friend who use SD1 with latest firmware and got same problem.
any advise?

SDIM0165.jpg
 
Looks like SD1M corrupts JPEG output with non-native lenses. Apparently firmware glitch; try to use RAW format instead.
 
Posible solution.

I felt very happy with SD1 Merrill.
But I got trouble image when use M42-SA adapter with Carl Zeiss 50mm lens M42 screw mount.
I know from my friend who use SD1 with latest firmware and got same problem.
any advise?

Advise maybe not , but I can offer you some pointers. We have been selling Mount Replacement kits for SD1 cameras since 2011 and they have worked beautifully .

sd1-r.jpg


Recently , hoewever , when some of our customers upgraded to Firmware V1.05 they run into the same problem that you describe

It seems that because Sigma wanted to add the ability to use lens Profiling and Tethered Control to the camera they had to modify the Firmware to enable the camera to read the lens data and when the Firmware tries to read the Converted camera lens data , which is absent in Manual lenses , it malfunctions failing to generate or provide the necessary JPG for the LCD Display . The RAW image however contains all the data captured and can be Post Processed as usual.

Since the SD1 cameras that still had firmware version 1.04 did not had this problem users tried to reinstall the old version with no success . Apparently the system only allows UPGRADES OR REINSTALLATIONS ONLY , but not DOWNGRADES.

We created a Workaround by modifying the Firmware Binary files internal headers , to make them Masquerade as if they where the new SD1V_105. Once this is done the Sigma Uploader will happily upload the old firmware into the camera and EVERYTHING WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL.

This procedure is specific to the SD1 and does not apply to the Merrill or any other model but since both cameras are supposed to be identical it could be conceivable that the same solution will work with the slight modification of inserting the current Merrill Version number and name.

If you bought an SD1 Merrill you are out of luck because it already comes with Firmware version V.1.0 0 that includes all the new functionality( And the problems with the Display JPG when using manual lenses) . Many people say that it is the same V1.05 of the original SD1. Whether this is true or not it is yet to be seen . It is conceivable that the same trick described above for the SD1 could also be used with the SD1 Merrill and proceed to downgrade the V 1.0.4 firmware to trim out the undesirable features and enable he use of manual lenses. If you decide to tinker with the Merrill Firmware , you are on your own and walking in unchartered territory as nobody really know how different the two models are .


You can read about this procedure in our forum
 
Very interesting insight indeed! Thanks for the info. shared...kind of brings down my enthusiasm in making a new SD1 Merill purchase...as i use manual lenses...and i was also going to purchase some more manual lenses in the near future!

I will encourage people facing this problem to write to Sigma direct. I am hopefully sure that they will address to this shortcoming effectively.

Cheers
Sattva
 
Very interesting insight indeed! Thanks for the info. shared...kind of brings down my enthusiasm in making a new SD1 Merill purchase...as i use manual lenses...and i was also going to purchase some more manual lenses in the near future!

I will encourage people facing this problem to write to Sigma direct. I am hopefully sure that they will address to this shortcoming effectively.

Cheers
Sattva

It has indeed brought down the enthusiasm of a lot of people , me included. We are looking into this in search of a solution ,or workaround, similar to the one we found for the original SD1 (Non Merrill), but we cannot afford to buy an SD1 Merrill just to investigate something that might be solved in the next Firmware upgrade.

The SD1 increased resolving power needs better lenses . Sigma itself might produce them at some point but even then people have their own preferences in terms of Lens Character . There are Cultural differences of Vision that reside at the very base of people preferences that make them dress differently , use different colors and like different foods , among other differences . I prefer German Glass to pair with the Foveon sensor . Right now I am testing a Prototype Contax C/Y Mount Replacement on an SD15 camera witha Contax MM S-Planar Makro 60f2.8 lens .

The results are very impressive:

View attachment 2249

View attachment 2250

View attachment 2251

View attachment 2252

View attachment 2253

However we will not proceed to manufacture this mount until all this issues has been addressed properly. Modern Firmware should allow for the use of Lens Profiles right on the camera . Sigma's Merrill does not even work properly with a manual lens.
 

Attachments

  • DSC05111.jpg
    EXIF
    DSC05111.jpg
    117.1 KB · Views: 21
  • DSC05103.jpg
    EXIF
    DSC05103.jpg
    101.7 KB · Views: 17
  • _SDI5027.jpg
    EXIF
    _SDI5027.jpg
    72.5 KB · Views: 18
  • _SDI5276.jpg
    EXIF
    _SDI5276.jpg
    74 KB · Views: 21
  • _SDI5135.jpg
    EXIF
    _SDI5135.jpg
    65.7 KB · Views: 18
Very interesting work you indulge in Luis! Appreciate the technical information contributed by you very much!

I sure hope something works out soon enough for everyone's good...those with manual lenses that is!

best wishes
sattva
 
Back
Top