SD1 Merrill at 2299$!!

[jeff tchaderjian]

Have you seen this? Sigma advertises on its Web site a new SD1 Merrill edition at 2299$!! Same 46 MP sensor... Can't believe it. Go to:

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/sd1-...l&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monthly_email

 

[tc95]

Ok...NOW I AM Saving up..!!! Should be able to get it in about two months... :z04_carrot:

 

[jeff tchaderjian]

Sigma business morality

At the same time the SD1 price drop is good news for us, it makes me wonder about the business morality of Sigma. If less than a year after launch, they can now sell the SD1 at 23 hundreds and still make profit, I cannot do otherwise but to realize how unduly overpriced the camara was at the starting price of 9700$, or even after the first price cut, at 6800$.

Should we now make it a rule to never buy a Sigma product at launch, otherwise it is guaranteed we are being robbed?

 

[tc95]

Jeff....The real answer to this is that one Sigma spent a large chunk of money developing the new chip...there marketing had three major flaws....

1. They seemed to miss who there target market was...They were trying to go after the high-end photo elite who could afford a high price tag....the problem is most of them are heavily invested in lenses for the systems that they currently shoot...and did not want to purchase the camera and buy a new set of lenses...So for Sigma it was a good strategy, but it was not reality....

2. They alienated their current market...and lost a lot of people when they made this move...

3. There previous head of the company, would not listen to the market before he decided to move forward...just reading the BBS sites...before the lanch would have clued him in...

This has been rectified...however at what cost...only time will tell...the old head of the company passed away on Jan. 27th 2012...at which time his son took over the company...he made three big moves that will probably help the company in the camera market...Sigma is probably at a loss right now with the SD1 at 2.3K....but this shows the company is willing to eat the camera loss for the greater good...ie...lens sales...

1. He approached the inventor of Foveon and asked what he should do...then listened to him...most important thing...

2. He immediately dropped the price of the SD1...but rebranded it so the company could move forward...he introduced two new compact camera's and put the new chip in them...making them the only two compacts announced to date that can print 60 x 40 images with great detail....

3. He is implementing a loyalty program for the people that did adopt the SD1 early on...the exact info on that plan has yet to be released...but I am sure he will give lenses/discounts/extended warranties and/or or combination of this in order not to alienate his current users....

Now what will come of this...again only time will tell...but I think the new President of Sigma Corp...is making the right steps for the company right now...and is also listening to the market...

I have seen prints from an SD1 in person...at 40x60 and it hold as much detail as my 12mp camera at 8x10...so I think the camera even though is not full of features will find a nitch like the other SD line of camera's....and with the help of Luis and other companies who make mount replacements for the SD camera's and lenses...will give more options to a broader market....

Sorry this is so long...and it really is just my two-cents.... :z04_cowboy:

 

[jeff tchaderjian]

Good info

Well, a two-cents that worth the reading, because I wasn't aware that the old CEO passed away at the beginning of the year.

So all this rebranding of the SD1 makes more sense, now. My hope now is that it will start a new buzz around the SD1, though it will most certainly never reach the intensity seen at the announcement of the SD1. Very sad they did not capitalized on it.

But let's look forward and wish for a brighter future for Sigma. I, for one, will now consider buying an SD1 rather than leaving Sigma.

 

[guardian]

Jeff....The real answer to this is that one Sigma spent a large chunk of money developing the new chip...there marketing had three major flaws....

1. They seemed to miss who there target market was...They were trying to go after the high-end photo elite who could afford a high price tag....the problem is most of them are heavily invested in lenses for the systems that they currently shoot...and did not want to purchase the camera and buy a new set of lenses...So for Sigma it was a good strategy, but it was not reality....

2. They alienated their current market...and lost a lot of people when they made this move...

3. There previous head of the company, would not listen to the market before he decided to move forward...just reading the BBS sites...before the lanch would have clued him in...

This has been rectified...however at what cost...only time will tell...the old head of the company passed away on Jan. 27th 2012...at which time his son took over the company...he made three big moves that will probably help the company in the camera market...Sigma is probably at a loss right now with the SD1 at 2.3K....but this shows the company is willing to eat the camera loss for the greater good...ie...lens sales...

1. He approached the inventor of Foveon and asked what he should do...then listened to him...most important thing...

2. He immediately dropped the price of the SD1...but rebranded it so the company could move forward...he introduced two new compact camera's and put the new chip in them...making them the only two compacts announced to date that can print 60 x 40 images with great detail....

3. He is implementing a loyalty program for the people that did adopt the SD1 early on...the exact info on that plan has yet to be released...but I am sure he will give lenses/discounts/extended warranties and/or or combination of this in order not to alienate his current users....

Now what will come of this...again only time will tell...but I think the new President of Sigma Corp...is making the right steps for the company right now...and is also listening to the market...

I have seen prints from an SD1 in person...at 40x60 and it hold as much detail as my 12mp camera at 8x10...so I think the camera even though is not full of features will find a nitch like the other SD line of camera's....and with the help of Luis and other companies who make mount replacements for the SD camera's and lenses...will give more options to a broader market....

Sorry this is so long...and it really is just my two-cents.... :z04_cowboy:

Responding to the portion of your post I have bolded and colored red:

Certainly your observation is bolstered by the fact SD1M camera firmware is not friendly to manual focus lenses. Perhaps this latest firmware "upgrade" is, indeed, no accident.

Taking what you wrote at face value we must ask: Is Sigma in a position to sell an SD1M camera at a loss, and then sell no lenses at all as a follow on to sale of that same camera?

I think not.

 

[tc95]

Guardian...I understand what you are saying...but the R&D for the sensor vs what they have made on the camera must be at a loss right now...Sigma is producing the DP1-M and DP-2M which will probably bring this ok...but till then...they are getting people to test out the camera with lenses...most people will not convert there camera or even try to use MF lenses on them...(I'm one of the crazier people out there that converted mine)...

Who know what the cost to price value is...I am sure Sigma will never let us know this...

Again just my two cents.... :z04_cowboy:

 

[guardian]

Guardian...I understand what you are saying...but the R&D for the sensor vs what they have made on the camera must be at a loss right now...Sigma is producing the DP1-M and DP-2M which will probably bring this ok...but till then...they are getting people to test out the camera with lenses...most people will not convert there camera or even try to use MF lenses on them...(I'm one of the crazier people out there that converted mine)...

Who know what the cost to price value is...I am sure Sigma will never let us know this...

Again just my two cents.... :z04_cowboy:

Well, not wanting to be argumentative but:

I don't think you're crazy in the least. If you are, I'm right there alongside you, nuttier than a fruitcake. Because, you see:

I'm like many folks on a budget who cannot afford the stratospheric prices for so much of the great glass. I have to put in a bit of extra effort and use MF. Heck, even some of the better/best old MF glass has become quite expensive!

Obviously I can't afford an SD1M. But I do own an old SD14, bought brand new but at significantly off price. Yet I've never shelled out for a Sigma lens for my SD14. If Sigma was hoping to sell a lens or two when they let me have my new SD14 for $320 . . well . . let's just say that didn't work out for Sigma. At least not yet.

Indeed, it is my own experience that was largely behind my earlier post.