A photographic breakthough ! The X3 chip

[john_opitz]

The X3 chip

[CJ Swartz]

John -- thanks for the info -- I don't know how I missed that big of a technical breakthrough! Hope it all pans out and that Nikon, Canon, et. al., start to use it after the deal with Sigma runs out.

Excerpted from dpreview.com: "Foveon and Sigma have today revealed the list price and shipping date for the SD-9 digital SLR, the first digital camera to use Foveon's ground-breaking X3 sensor. The SD-9 (body only) will have a list price of $1800 in the US and £1299.99 inc VAT in the UK and should be available in late October (2002)."

I think that dpreview's Sigma SD-9 review will be out in the next month.

Found these images via Google -- WOW!

Foveon X3 images

[Ed_L]

Very impressive results. It was only a matter of time. I wonder what's next?

Ed

[john_opitz]

The pics are kick'in...... Last year, one of the corporate guys used the prototype from the company. Printed out to tiff.'s on paper. They were kick'in. Put my 760 to shame...
Pretty soon I'm going to have an $8000 dollar hammer. I'll be pounding nails into the wall with it.
But that comparison is unfair. Different technology. It's like comparing todays U.S.Army(going back in time) and fighting the indians with their bows and arrows.

<<Hope it all pans out and that Nikon, Canon, et. al., start to use it after the deal with Sigma runs out.>>

Yes, I hope they learn like the indians did. Get the high tech stuff.(learned to use firearms). Those bows and arrows just don't cut it.

[DannyRaphael]

So, for the digitally ignorant, is the signficance the higher capacity of this chip?

What's the significance of the "Sigma deal"; is that some sort of liccensing agreement that expires, that would enable camera maker use the X3 instead?

[Leah]

Their website says they are "actively engaged with other major digital camera manufacturers" , which implies that the partnership with Sigma is non-exclusive.

As far as I understand it, in other digital cameras each sensor only detects red, green OR blue light. So all images have some interpolation (i.e. calculated values) in the individual colour channels.

However, red, green and blue light each penetrate silicon to a different depth so Foveon have come up with the bright idea of making sensors that consist of red, green and blue detectors embedded in silicon one above the other, so that each sensor detects light of all colours.

This means that each sensor detects a lot more information than a sensor in a conventional digital camera, and in turn this SHOULD mean that for any given megapixel resolution pictures produced using the Foveon are higher quality than equivalent megapixel pictures from anything else.

I'm looking forward to finding out....

[DannyRaphael]

Leah:

In one post you've opened huge doors for me. Thanks very much.

~Danny~

[clare]

I've been reading up on this .... I want one! The technology is going to produce far in excess of what we have now as digital cameras.

The price that is expected to be on the launched cameras are well out of my budget, my only hope is that enough manufacters get the bug and create enough products for the market that they have to bring the price down more, to be competitive.

Clare

[clare]

Hello folks,

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and received plenty of gadgets to play with over the next year!

I have been after a few new items for the office - printer - monitor - new computer - etc. But decided they can all wait! So I ordered the SD9 and its now here. I will write a review for all to see and hopefully post loads of examples taken with my new toy! (sorry sensible piece of business equiptment )

Now I am going to play - I'll be back soon!!!!

Clare

[CJ Swartz]

Wow!! I'm not too sure we'll hear from you for a while -- you may be having too much fun!!

This will be a great opportunity to see how good this camera can be -- I'm looking forward to seeing some images and hearing your review.

[Andrew B.]

I'd been hearing about this but I never saw samples before. Now I have, thanks to the link that CJ posted.

Pretty amazing.

[jeaniesa]

Wow Clare!! I'm anxiously awaiting example images! (If you have the time, I'd be really interested in seeing comparisons between your "old" digital camera (assuming you have one) and the SD9.

Jeanie

[Ed_L]

Good for you Clare. I'm hoping you will find that there is a great deal of difference. I recently read a review in a PC magazine, and it was not generating the positive remarks I was hoping for. While the article did say it was an improvement, it was not the huge difference expected. I'm hoping your opinion is more positive.

Ed

[pierresplace]

A couple of great 'retouch" examples there also.

[clare]

My first impressions of this camera are good. The body is well made and the dials and buttons are very accessable - I hate nothing more than having to grow an extra pair of hands and eyes just to beable to comfortably use a camera!

My comparision will be against my current digital camera, which is a Casio EX3000EX/Ir (which I have had fantastic results on!) The casio is :
3.3 mega pixel
Canon lens
Compact Flash 1+2
More details if you want them above is the general idea....

At the moment I have not got the correct lens for the camera and am making do with a standard 28-85mm lens which is on loan from the shop until my lens turns up. I was hoping this would be today but no luck there - just have to wait. In the mean time I will just get used to using a SLR again.

Up to now I have just been playing with the camera - I have had good results with skin tones and as the camera has a white ballance adjuster, there should be no problems there. It comes with 7 automatic settings for the white ballance - but the manual over ride is very acurate (Sigma 1 v Casio 0)

More later
Clare

This is probably where I will write things as I find them out - at the end of my play time and when I have the right lens I will write the review ..... is this okay with everyone or would you just like the review?