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Ok, any advice on this greatly received.....
I've been looking at the Sigma SD14, it seems to be a good alternative to the market leaders and I have found a very nice deal in a local shop....it looks great on paper, But is it??
Anyone here got one or used one?..what do you think?
I've not heard great things about it, to be honest. Can't be more constructive than that, but find Simon_P because I know one of his mates uses one.
Yeah! On paper anything can seem a great bargain.....!
However things to consider, Bodies come & bodies go, The less popular ones go for even less.......! So residual value nosedives...!
Whilst rumours abound with new models from just about every other manafacturer, Sigma seem a tad slow in the DSLR market.
When selling anything related the same applies, A Sigma lens in a Canon or Nikon mount will nosedive in used value, But a Sigma lens that can only fit a Sigma body will loose out even more......
Don't take my word for it, Do some research on Ebay and in the classified sections of any Photo mag....
Quote: a good alternative to the market leaders
You really have to quantify that, Price alone is hardly a consideration....!
If you are buying it with a view to getting one or two lenses for it and that's it then it may be a good buy. If you are looking for a system that will allow you to upgrade, add specialist lenses / bodies / adapters etc.. as your skills grow then canon or nikon are the ONLY ones to consider.
The IQ out of the SD14 is fine and as long as you pick your lenses carefully and are lucky enough to get good copies (sigmas quality control is crap) then you'll be happy. I suppose it depends just how good a price it is.
As things stand in the marketplace at the moment I wouldn't even look at anything but canon or nikon, but that's just my opinion.
Unfortunately as an ex SD10 user from what I understand from my research it just isn't good enough.If you are just doing landscapes then it's fine but for anything else forget it.
Write speeds and fps is rubbish especially when comparing to up to date models.
There was always some debate about the software too but I found it very user friendly and perfectly good enough.I used my SD10 for stock photography and my library had no hesitation in taking them.
The reason I didn't move to the SD14 (it would have been the much cheaper option) was the fact after quite a bit of research it just wasn't good enough.
Sigma kept delaying the release for 18 months by which time it was left for dead by the newer models from other manufacturers.
IMHO save your money and put it towards Nikon/Canon.
Hope that helps a bit.
A friend of mine in my local photography club recently bought one. He is a Pentax user, and has a K10D. He bought it as an experiment, but when I last questioned him about it... he wasn't overly impressed with it.
I understand from what I have read elsewhere that if you put the effort in, always shoot raw and post process your images, and don't mind a slower pace of working, then it is quite okay. But not stellar.
Yes, Nikon / Canon are the market leaders, though to be fair to the rest, Olympus, Pentax and SONY are solid brands producing good kit.
Hi - just joined an hour ago. I've got a Sigma SD14 - been using it for the past 10 months. Got the standard zoom that came with the camera (18-50mm f3.5-5.6) plus a 50mm 2.8, a 70mm 2.8 and also a 50-150 2.8. zoom.
Also got a couple of remote flashguns, the mains adaptor, the remote control, various filters and the battery grip - all Sigma. They've more or less got the whole range of everything you'll need. It's a really good system. The SD14, with battery-grip and the 50mm or 70mm lens looks seriously super-cool. Also, there's a sort of mystique about the Foveon sensor. Get one. It's just so alternative. The shutter is super-quiet, there's mirror-lock, a socket for studio flash - everything
When you use it on RAW and process with the (supplied) Sigma program the results are amazing, although the internal Jpegs are also really good. There's some vague noise issues above 400 iso, when on j-peg, but shoot in RAW and process on a Mac, and there's no problem whatsoever. The program can be a little slow and awkward to set up, but it works well. I found the instruction guide difficult.
Currently this camera is a real bargain. Suggest you get body plus 50mm fixed lens. The quality will amaze you. It really is an exceptionally good camera.
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