What technologies would you like to see Sigma adopt for their next pro camera?

[iD Photography]

I've been shooting with my SD14 for a long long time now and while I'm not ready to upgrade yet, I do enjoy thinking about cool new ways camera's can be improved...

I also refrained from using the term SLR, since I'd rather see Sigma make a move to an EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) / MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) system (EVMILC?)

Now, here's my list of things l would like to see Sigma do with their next pro camera (SD2?)

-Video, Every other SLR on the market does video now... It's not a very difficult mode to engineer...

-Mirrorless, this just makes plain sense now a days... Contrast based AF has come a LONG way in the past few years, Olympus has made it work very well for stills and fairly okay for action (though Sigma has never really been known for sports photography... so I call that one moot). Also in video modes the mirror wouldn't be blocking the VF! There are really few reasons to retain the mirror anymore.

-Hinged electronic viewfinder, I've never seen this on any camera... though the benefits are immediately visible! Being hinged (rotatable up and to the sides) means there will never be a need for an angle finder. EVF means you see 100% what the sensor sees, no more no less and reduces the number of moving parts.

-Live View, I have no idea why Sigma has never done this... some times I don't want to bump my camera with my face when I have it on a tripod focused on something...

-Pro sized body, this is more of just a preference as I always battery grip my cameras and feel like if the grip was designed into the body rather than a tacked on extra then the screen could be bigger and the overall weight could be reduced.

-Bigger screen! This could only be done if they go with a pro body, but I'd love to see something along the lines of a 7" 4:3 screen (it would be epic if they used Apple's "Retina" display or something comparable). Then use gorilla glass to prevent cracking/scratching! If they really felt like getting fancy they could use touch controls and eliminate a lot of buttons from the camera and open up more real estate for the screen.

-Integrated wireless tethering, just because...

-Integrated wireless TTL flash triggering, again, just because...

-Optional GPS unit for geotagging, it would be a nifty addon for Sigma to market if they made a slot for it next to the batteries and kept the unit concealed inside the camera with no wires dangling everywhere.


I attached an image I photo-shopped of an SD1 with vertical grip made to look like the camera I described above! (not including the rotatable EVF) What can I say, I had some time to kill...

I'm not deluded enough to actually think Sigma would do anything this dramatically different from their usual work, but one can dream! If you have anything to add or critique, please do! We could design a perfect camera for Sigma and ask them to engineer it! No harm in asking right?

 

[tc95]

Love the PS work....the screen would be a bugger on batteries...but like the concept...

I personally would like a wireless heads-up display...IE a set of sunglasses...that has the LCD built in...for the viewfinder and playback...I would really love if they would do an FF camera...with 100MP 33.5x3....

Do not need video...but a built in range meter would be great...tell you how far a subject is so you can correctly shoot...and 100mb-sec read/write times....

But that is what I really would like....if we are dreaming....!!!

Tony C.... :z04_cowboy:

 

[jesito]

I would ask for "Focus Peaking" to manual focusing...
I've got it in the Sony NEX and it's a wonderful way to do it

Regards.
Jes.

 

[iD Photography]

@tc95:

You know I spent some time thinking about the screen, but with the advances in OLED screens, I don't think the battery life would be a problem!

The HUD idea sounds really cool, though I can think of any uses besides being generally nefarious (there's no creeper smiley )

Personally I see video as a cheap extra they can throw in and save me $300 on a separate video camera.

Not sure how you would work a range meter in, but if they did then AF would be waaay faster (unless the range finder was slow...)

Lastly, the 100mb/s R/W... Save speed has always been a gripe I've had with cameras... 100mb/s would totally be possible if they would update their bus architecture... I think they could develop a processor that could compile a 100megapixel RAW file in 2 maybe 3 seconds. If you have a bus that is designed to handle that throughput (which is what they should have!), then you have nearly instant saves, there's no excuse for the bus to be bottle necking your processor speeds.
​

@jesitoocus

I looked up what "Focus Peaking" was... so freaking cool!​

 

[tc95]

They would need to go to the new fiber-optic circuits....instead of gold...you would have almost instant transfer rates up to hmmm - don't think there would be a peak...well the other circuits around it would the the bottle-necks...

HUD would be creapy...if you ment it to be...I was thinking for applications...like astrophotography...or setting your camera up in one place...and viewing it at another...w/controls...but ya...now that you mentioned it......Ya it is...

 

[iD Photography]

Fiber doesn't offer any real benefits over short distances, electricity travels just as fast as light (they're basically the same thing) and only encounters less resistance when traveling though fiber than through copper, however, a wire traveling from one side of the camera to the other (we'll call it ~10cm) can be made with negligible resistance...
Though, by using more up to date technologies, increasing the buffer size, and scaling down the fab size of the ICs (then clocking them up slightly). perhaps instead of a ~512MB buffer module they could use a 1gb buffer module (14~15 shots) and if they used two processors, one to handle write operations to non-volatile memory and the other to process the photos, you could probably have the one processor finishing up the RAW processing before the buffer is full (unlimited consecutive shots).

I also put into the picture that I wanted this to be compatible with CFast (the next iteration of CF) which is SATA based and far faster write speed wise... Though this extra speed would only really show through when doing something like video or like mentioned earlier, a ton of consecutive shots.

Going mirrorless would also add to the speed of the camera, since the camera is only limited by the mechanical shutter (who's usefulness is still up for debate).

I hope I didn't go too far over anyone's head... I tend to go into excited techie mode with these conversations... (if you need I'd be more than happy to explain further, but I need to go to class now...)

 

[iD Photography]

Sorry for the double post, but I couldn't edit for some reason...

I just realized I forgot a cool, yet super simple thing that makes even crappy point and shoot cameras worth checking out... Rotatable screen!

makes low shots much more convenient, I specifically remember shooting in an abandoned factory and I had my model posed in a corner where the ceiling had fallen in... Well I wanted to put the camera low pointing up so the light coming in through the ceiling would frame the model, but with all the jagged metal and mold on the floor, I wasn't about to lay down in it and had to pass on the shot... I suppose a 90* view finder would do the trick, but some times you just don't want to get your face as close to the ground as you want your camera...

I suppose that would be a good use for your HUD though a simple flip out screen would be sufficient for me.

 

[Ille]

I would like FF, or square sensor (36x36mm).
No EVF.
Better power management, even if battery life on my SD9/10/14 are sufficient for me.
Decentered integrated flash (not on top of the VF, but on the left, where the mode dial actually is).
I also would like a bigger buffer, and as ID Photography said, probably two processors to process the raw data and one to write the data to the flash card. A second CF card slot would also be a must.
I would also like to have a raw only mode (no interpretation, no embedded jpeg, no preview; only raw data, camf parameters and exif). With 2 CFcard slots, one could be used for "true raw" recording, the second one for "processed raw". Raw processing in camera should then be done later, when the camera is idle.
What should also be cool is a wireless LCD, or the ability to control the camera from any iOS or android smartphone (via bluetooth?).

Another whish would be a 6x6 or 6x45 foveon back mountable on old Hassy 500 or Kiev.

 

[iD Photography]

As cool as a square sensor would be, you can more efficiently use the area of a circle with a rectangle (especially considering that you can rotate the rectangle). Personally I think 8x5 is the most pleasing ratio, but this has been something contested for decades now... Maybe a circular sensor? Then you could pick the aspect ratio during post process.

Why no EVF? I've always felt that the mirror lockup system in a DSLR is just bulky, fragile, and redundant... Especially when you consider where we're at with sensor (and display) technology.

I suppose maybe LiPo batteries would give an extra hour or so, the real optimization will come from getting rid of the mirror lock up system and integrating a lot of components.

I really don't see the point of an integrated flash on a pro body... I'd say get rid of it and free up some space, The cheapest hot shoe flashes from B&H (~$15) will perform better than any popup flash...

I think the RAW mode they use now is fairly acceptable, albeit a bit slow on my SD14. I go back and fourth on the RAW bit though, I don't see the harm in adding the mode for those who may not have the money for (or perhaps forgot to bring extra) high cap CF cards. What would be the point in saving a processed RAW and a "True RAW?" I honestly don't think there'd be any benefit...

I'm totally down with wireless (bluetooth) tethering, though to have the wireless LCD (I assume you mean with live view) you would need a live view, and it would be significantly cheaper to use an EVF if you already have live view functionality.

My buddy would love the medium format back for his Mamiya... It would definitely cut down on cost considering the number of Polaroids he goes through while setting up a shot (considering how expensive 6x4 polaroid film is is now-a-days) he might even switch to digital !.. doubt it though... he's one of those film "purists." *grumble*