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 p.3 #3 · Any SD14 love? - Full review! | |
Okay, here's my full review of the SD14!
The SD14 is not as slow as made out to be - and I'm coming from a Nikon D300 (edit here - frames per second, of course there's a huge difference! I just meant so far, haven't had to wait on the camera to take a shot)
Now of course this doesn't mean I'm going to be shooting for Sports Illustrated anytime soon. But the camera is overall, fast enough for my use of it - portrait photography. And still, you can squeeze out 6 fairly fast frames in a row, before the camera writes and proceeds to go stand in a corner.
Battery performance. Well, I might have gotten 50 shots off my first full charge. Not good. But, after the second charge, that number shot up to a livable 140 shots. I have a feeling conditioning of this battery makes a big difference to the SD14. Nowhere close to what Canon and Nikon get, but good enough and the batteries are cheap enough (Cameta, where I bought the cam has a nice kit with two batts and charger for 35 bucks!) to where stocking up won't be too much of a problem.
AF was plenty fast for me. Especially in good light and also in low-light, where it could have been faster, but I noticed, it seemed to be better at actually locking in on things than some other cameras I've had.
High ISO noise. Well, there's no doubt this camera doesn't excel at high iso shots. But I can also say the results are manageable. From iso 50 to 400 it's not a problem. Images are all usable in larger prints. From 400 to 800, still usable with some PS work. ISO 1600, well, I'm not sure I would use it for larger print work, but smaller prints (8x10 and under) should be totally workable. And again, with the right processing skills, anything is possible. But ISO 50 and 100 shots are beautiful! Just don't underexpose with this camera when shooting higher ISO work. That's when you run into trouble. There is a lot more color-shift when this occurs.
Camera locked up after first 10 shots - DOH! But, was easily fixed and never happened again!
All I did was disable the Quick Preview for the LCD. Problem solved. Haven't had another problem. I can live with that. Might also try a few different CF cards as I've seen evidence the SD14 seems to like some more than others. But again, losing the preview isn't a huge loss. You can still hit the preview button and see the image you just shot and that seems to work fine, while the camera is processing the picture.
LCD.....okay....here I go. Horrible! What were they thinking?! Really, why would you build something like this with a below P&S quality LCD (and that's from 4 years ago). I'm sure they used this LCD to save a nickel, but man. Praying, hoping, Sigma doesn't do something like this again for the SD15. Also wish Sigma made some kind of easily integrated LCD cover, like Nikon. But, that's just a wish. Bought some great, very cheap (NavProtector) LCD protectors on Ebay. 11 bucks for 3 and their shipping was super fast. Also, they are precut, specifically for the SD14 and don't leave any residue when removed.
Wireless flash had some niggles getting set up, but once it was, worked flawlessly. For some reason the camera and 500 DG Super set to channel C1, wouldn't set the flash off, but on C2, works like a charm. Just as well as my Nikon setup....which makes me VERY happy as this was a huge reason I loved Nikon!
Wow....where are the menus?! This camera is pretty much, what you see is what you get.
In this day of customization out the ying-yang, the SD14 dials that back a few notches. Most things are selectable from buttons on the camera. ISO, WB, Quality settings, RAW/Jpeg changes are made from the multi-selector. then, for some odd reason they did choose to bury some things that are accessed with the 'func' button. Hitting it multiple times to access different settings. You also have to make sure you use this to access the extended ISO features (ISO 50 and 1600) as these are not on by default.
Camera build quality. I'm going to put the SD14 somewhere between the Rebel series from Canon and the D300. Much closer to the D300 in lots of ways but also the plastics used knocks it down a couple notches. Paying 350 bucks for this camera puts things in a whole different perspective versus if I had paid 1600 when the camera first came out! Now the camera isn't small like the Rebel, so no worries there. And it doesn't look like a toy either (especially with the grip). To me, it feels very at home in the hands. Everything is laid out very nicely. The camera, despite some of the materials on the outside, feels very solid overall.
I really like the Sigma RAW software. Very simple, yet powerful! Where's the crop button though? I am really hoping Sigma adds a few features to SPP for the release of the SD15! It would only make a great RAW editor even better!
Pictures. Well, in short. Plenty of resolution! Lots of detail. Compared to the D300, if there's any difference in detail or resolution, I'm not seeing it. Sure on a chart there might be, but what my eyes can see, the SD14 shots look AMAZING! Clear is one word that comes to mind. This is what people are talking about with this camera and sensor. And this also brings into play the usefulness of Sigma's RAW editor, which is the best way to really see what the camera can do.
DG500 Super flash. Very impressive flash, especially for the money. From what I've heard there are lots of problems using the 530 version of this flash if you want to use the SD14 as a commander or master. Other than what I've already mentioned above, this flash (or two or three of them!) will work perfectly for my portrait work, in wireless mode.
Sigma 18-200 OC Sigma Lens. Must have gotten a great copy, because I got very sharp pictures and good color. For a 'walk-around' lens, I'm more than impressed and could see myself using it for Pro work.
Sigma 50mm EX 2.8....got to spend some more time with this one. I will say though, when it's sharp, it's sharp! And I love the bokeh from this lens. More than from my Canon or Nikon 50mm 1.4's! And build quality is also a step up from those.
Sigma 70-200 2.8 EX HSM (woohoo!) Found a deal on this lens (on our wonderful B&S forum) I just couldn't let go (no food for the family this week!...hehe). Will update this later, when the lens arrives. Have a shoot this weekend and this will get heavy usage!
Sigma PG-21 Battery Grip. This was a no-brainer for me. I just prefer the feel of any camera with a grip and for the vertical shutter button. Plus the extra battery time doesn't hurt. Build quality of this grip is equal to the camera itself and fits nice a snug with no flex or movement. That's all you can ask for. And it's comfortable to boot!
Final Word? If you've ever wanted to try this camera/sensor out, I can't imagine a better time. The cost of the SD14 ($350.00 through Cameta) is nothing short of amazing. Sure, it's not a speed-demon, so make sure it's usable for your purposes. And also keep in mind you won't be able to run down to Wolf Camera and pick up a lens or flash. So if you're going to try and use professionally, I would make sure I have backups!
At this point, I'm hoping the SD15 is a camera worthy of this sensor. The SD14 is a big step in the right direction and my hope is that Sigma has learned from some of the shortcomings of this camera (none of which keep it from producing stunning images!). From what I've seen so far, I'm hoping to grow with this system.
I hope this helps anyone looking at this camera!
Scott
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