Short history of Sigma cameras

ArvoJ
2 years ago
chat_bubble_outline26
    ArvoJlens
    Team
    2 years ago

    Everyone here on dprevived knows that Sigma makes lenses. Some people know that Sigma makes cameras too...

    Couple of days ago I told to one fellow forum member a bit about Sigma cameras business:

    I was asked to post that information on forums - I agreed.
    Text above is unfortunately too vague, literary and a bit exaggerated - thereby I built timeline of Sigma cameras (including few other events, mostly Foveon related) and added some random links (some sites display ads, sorry).

    1961 SIGMA Research Institute Co., Ltd. established

    (film cameras era)
    (SLR cameras)
    1976 Mark-I (M42 mount SLR, based on Ricoh Singlex TLS)
    1983 SA-1 (Pentax K-mount SLR, based on Ricoh XR7)

    (compact cameras)
    1987 AF35D-TF (36/2.8)
    1991 28AF zoom (28-50/4.2-7.0), 35AF zoom (35-70/3.5-6.0), 50AF zoom (50-100/4.3-8.0)
    1992 ZOOM SUPER 28 (28-50/4.2-7.0), ZOOM SUPER 70 (35-70/3.5-6.0), ZOOM SUPER 100 (50-100/4.3-8.0)
    1994 Mini Zoom 105 Macro (see video) (36-105)

    (SA mount cameras)
    1992 SA-300
    1994 SA-300N
    1997 SA-5
    1997 Foveon Inc. founded
    1999 Foveon presented 3-CMOS camera protype, Dick Lyon slides (PDF)
    2001 SA-7, SA-9
    2002 SA-7N, SA-9QD

    (digital cameras era)
    (SA mount cameras, Foveon X3 sensor)
    2002 SD9 - start of SD - Sigma DSLR line
    2003 SD10
    2004 Polaroid announced x530, based on Foveon sensor
    2007 SD14
    2008 Sigma purchased Foveon Inc.

    (links below are mostly to random reviews, including ad-powered ones)
    2008 DP1 (28mm eq) - start of DP - Sigma fixed lens APS-C sensor 'compacts' line
    2009 DP2 (41mm eq), DP1s
    2010 DP2s, DP1x, SD15
    2011 DP2x, SD1
    2012 SD1 Merrill first impressions video, DP1 Merrill, DP2 Merrill
    2013 DP3 Merrill (75mm eq)
    2014 DP1 Quattro, DP2 Quattro (45mm eq) video review, DP3 Quattro
    2015 DP0 Quattro (21mm eq)
    2016 SD Quattro, SD Quattro H
    2018 Sigma entered into L-mount alliance

    (L-mount cameras, Bayer CFA sensor)
    2019 FP
    2021 FP-L

    Most information above is compiled from following sources:
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_SA-mount
    camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Sigma
    www.sigma-global.com/en/about/history/
    camera-wiki.org/wiki/Sigma
    www.sigma-romandie.ch/historique-compacts-sigma
    olypedia.de/index.php?title=Sigma
    www.dpreview.com/products/sigma/cameras?subcategoryId=cameras&page=1
    www.dicklyon.com/

    As always, comments and corrections are welcome!

    dp1_kv2_03-1.png

    dp1_kv2_03-1.png

    PNG, 353.1 KB, uploaded by ArvoJ 2 years ago.

    Maobypanorama_fish_eye
    1595 posts
    2 years ago

    Thank you very much for the summary 👍🏻

    DeletedRemoved user
    2 years ago

    Thank you, Arvo, very well presented !!

    Dabblerpanorama_fish_eye
    16 posts
    2 years ago

    But … how many if you actually owned or used a Sigma camera - especially one with a Foveon sensor.

    I bought a DP1 after the review on DPR - and was the start of why I lost a lot of respect for DPR long ago.

    Some things should never have made it to production and the DP1 was one.

    SandyFpanorama_fish_eye
    135 posts
    2 years ago

    FWIW I've bought or used every Foveon sensor camera (including a still working Polaroid x530) except the DP0,1or2Quattro or a SDQ-H. All in working condition. I have aDP3Q and SDQ. Wonderful imagery is offered by these cameras. I just checked on PBase, people should study some of the early images there. I looked to check the date of my SD14 first images, March 22, 2007.

    DeletedRemoved user
    2 years ago

    *Me:: DP1s, DP1 Merrill, DP2, DP2s, DP2 Merrill, SD9, SD10, SD14, SD15, SD1 Merrill.

    What was the intended implication of the rhetorical question? It appears to imply that many people posting in the Sigma Camera Talk have NOT "actually owned or used a Sigma camera - especially one with a Foveon sensor" ... !!!

    sattvapanorama_fish_eye
    40 posts
    2 years ago

    ArvoJ,

    I believe you maintained an archive of Sigma info. on a website?

    Thank you for the informative post...brings back nice memories!

    Regards,
    Sattva

    DavidMillierpanorama_fish_eye
    515 posts
    2 years ago

    Me: SD9, SD14, DP1, DP2 Merrill

    DonCoxpanorama_fish_eye
    280 posts
    2 years ago

    DP3M and sdQH here.
    Also an fp (with Bayer sensor but still a good camera).

    StanDisbrowpanorama_fish_eye
    482 posts
    2 years ago

    Hi,

    The only Sigma body I considered was whichever one it was that Kodak bought to stick their SLR 14 MP digital back on to create a Canon sibling to their SLR/n, called the SLR/c.

    I was still into having both Nikon and Canon at the time. I had the Nikon D1H and x and Canon 1D and 1Ds along with Kodak 620 and 660 (Nikon) and 520 and 560 (Canon). So I was considering the SLR/n and SLR/c.

    Then I decided I had gone too far already. I sold off everything but the D1H and 520 as they weren't worth selling by then. And I bought the end of the older Kodak Nikon F5 based models, the 760 and 720x. Then I added a Pro Back and Contax 645 body and had 16 MP that way vs the 14 MP the SLR series had.

    So I never did get a Sigma body.

    Stan

    JohnSheehyRevpanorama_fish_eye
    549 posts
    2 years ago

    It's too bad that the SD9's sensor doesn't have pixel shift; the small pixel aperture of the SD9 (due to no microlenses) causes a near-point sampling of a single exposure, but would be perfect for a 9-position, 1/3px shift ~31MP image.

    ArvoJlens
    Team
    2 years ago

    Yes, but I have not updated it for years, many links have gone stale.
    Anyway, as far as we don't have signatures, then here it is :)

    DeletedRemoved user
    2 years ago

    Good point, John!

    scottellypanorama_fish_eye
    9 posts
    2 years ago

    DP2 Quattro actually has a 30mm lens. You state that the DP0 Quattro has a 14mm lens, which it does, so for consistency the DP2 Quattro should be listed as having a 30mm lens, not 45mm. (Yes, that's 45mm equivalent, but the DP0 Quattro is 21mm equivalent.)

    ArvoJlens
    Team
    2 years ago

    Fixed (source error, didn't check twice), I wrote all equivalent FL there.

    ArvoJlens
    Team
    2 years ago

    Looks like Sigma made some compact film cameras too - I was not aware of them. I added those cameras to timeline (I hope now it is complete), also added few general links.

    sattvapanorama_fish_eye
    40 posts
    2 years ago

    www.jägel.eu/sigma.htm

    Thank you for maintaining and updating this wonderful resource on Sigma camera gear!

    Regards,
    Sattva

    P.s: The Foveon link redirects to Sigma Global homepage. Do you have knowledge/research and updated information about Foveon at present?

    ArvoJlens
    Team
    2 years ago

    Unfortunately not. Quick search did not reveal anything new either - most likely they as part of Sigma do not have any public facing website or other information channel retained.