SIGMA SD9 / SD10

This was recorded using SIGMA SD9/SD10 digital cameras.

Gallery
Impression
Specification
Option
Reference links

Gallery

Impression
The SD9 and SD10 were Sigma digital cameras released in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
It was the world’s first digital camera equipped with a triple-layer sensor from Foveon (later acquired by Sigma and became its subsidiary), a technology that no other company could match.
The unique images produced by the three-layer sensor created a SIGMA mania, and even today, the image quality of the SD9/SD10 is still quite good. In particular, the blur-free images of landscapes and birds with clear borders requiring color separation were a world apart from the low-pass filter-equipped 6-megapixel images of the time.
Later, as higher pixel counts and low-pass filter-less Bayer sensors came out, I began to think that I did not need to be so particular about Foveon, but I have used all the Foveon sensor cameras in the past.
Anyway, this camera has been a bundle of patience in terms of response time, and SIGMA PhotoPro is also a software that requires patience in developing images after shooting.

I bought the SD9 at Yodobashi Camera in Ueno right after its release. I was given a business card by a person in the camera section, as there were not many people who liked to buy this camera at that time. I contacted Yodobashi Camera Ueno frequently because of a problem with the power supply, which I will explain later, but the number of problems made it troublesome to go through the distributor, and I started to communicate directly with Sigma.
I remember that I had difficulty obtaining interchangeable lenses for Sigma SA mount cameras, so I had to buy them by mail order from a camera shop in Osaka.
The Sigma SA mount has a different flange back, but the shape is compatible with the Pentax-K mount, so M42 mount lenses could be used via the Pentax K-M42 adapter. Although there is a 1.5mm difference in flange back (SA mount = 44mm, K mount = 45.5mm), many older M42 mount lenses were over-infrared, so there were few practical problems with focusing.
Also, Penta-K mount lenses could be used with SD9/SD10 as long as there was no interference such as an aperture lever.
A little after the release of the SD9, a hobbyist released the SA-M42 mount adapter, which allowed the use of M42 lenses with the correct flange back.
There were also people releasing SA-NikonF mount adapters.
There was also a plan to convert the SA mount of this camera to a CANON-EF mount, and I made a small investment, but the plan was abandoned and the investment was returned. These were idyllic times that are unthinkable today.

The SD9 was a camera with power supply problems, and I sent it to the Sigma factory in Aizu many times, but it could not be said to work stably except when operated with two 3V lithium batteries (CR-V3). It was a waste of money.
SD10 is an evolutionary version of SD9 that does not need CR123A, which was troublesome in SD9. Since it was released about a year later, it seems that SD9 was given up on at this point. The author also sold his SD9 and bought SD10.
Although I rarely use it, SD10 is still in my possession.
It is a relic from the days when digital cameras were romantic.

I tried to develop SD9 images by running SIGMA PhotoPro 6.8.2 on my Mac for the first time in a while, but I could not do it because of an error.
I think there are many SIGMA users who fell in love with the colors of the SD series but dropped out because of this software. I’m glad to see DNG support since the Quattro series, but I have an unsettling feeling because I don’t know if DNG is equivalent to X3F.

Specification
Digital camera with first generation Foveon sensor.
The actual pixel count was 3.0 megapixels x3, but a higher pixel output was also possible by compositing with SIGMA PhotoPro.
The viewfinder was a 35mm full-size viewfinder with the periphery masked, called a sports viewfinder, which seems to have been adapted from the SA-7 film camera. I have heard some people complain about this viewfinder, but personally, I found it useful to be able to see what was not in the picture.
However, since the pure CR-V3 battery and charger were released at the end of the SD10’s life, they were rarely seen in the market. In addition, several companies released CR-V3 compatible rechargeable batteries, but all of them could damage the camera when used because the voltage was higher than that required by SD9/SD10. When we obtained rechargeable CR-V3 compatible batteries from several companies and measured them with a tester, we found that the voltage varied greatly from battery to battery, with some exceeding the specified voltage and others falling short, making it difficult to use them in the camera at all times.
Currently, we use Energizer batteries, which are distributed by Koizumi Seiki Co. This product costs 1,000 yen for four batteries, has stable voltage, and has little spontaneous discharge, so it is very useful for SD10, which is used only occasionally.

Items	SD9	SD10
Camera Effective Pixels	Approx. 10.29 million pixels (2,268 x 1,512 x 3 layers)	←
Camera mount	SIGMA-SA baynet mount	←
Image sensor	FOVEON X3®(CMOS) 20.7×13.8mm	←
Back LCD	1.8-inch Low-temperature polysilicon TFT color LCD monitor Approx. 130,000 pixels	←
View Finder	Pentaprism type single-lens reflex viewfinder	←
Battery	3V lithium battery (CR123A type 2 pcs.) 2 x 3V lithium batteries (CR-V3) 4 x AA Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries 4 AA nickel batteries	2 x 3V lithium batteries (CR-V3) 4 x AA Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries 4 AA nickel batteries
Record media	Compact flash	SD-CARD（SDHC）
Size	W x H x D 152mm × 120mm × 79mm	←
Weight(g)	805g (Ext battery)	785g (Ext battery)
Release date	Year 2002	Year 2003