Sigma Merrill - SD1 and DPs
My search is for adapted lenses that can stand up to the Merrill sensor, which is exceeeeeeedingly demanding. I just can't bring myself to pay $500-800 for a used Art lens which can't be used on anything else (maybe my fp, with another $150 adapter). Yet.
There are two challenges with adapting lenses to the SD1M:
- Adaptation itself 😩 the SA mount is not friendly to much
- Color distortions with adapted lenses (the only lens that hasn't had any was my 80mm medium format lens)
I wrote about how to fix the color casts on my blog.
Micro Nikkor 55mm 2.8
Ccan only be adapted as a close focus lens (forget the adapters with the cheap glass in them).
100% crop
This ^ 100% crop ^ is why I will never give up the SD1, no matter how much of a PITA it is.
Rodenstock enlarging lens
Macro only the way I mounted it but I'm gonna try infinity with an m42 helicoid, now I have one
What unsharpness is here, is because of handholding. The SD1 is far, FAR more sensitive to lens shake than a regular sensor, because it's so flippin sharp to begin with.
Mamiya 645 Sekor-C 80mm f/4 Macro
My copy is pretty stiff and I adapted it using a M645-PK adapter which is a little loose, but I bet I can fix it… the point is, it's sharp! Not as sharp as the Micro Nikkor 55mm is, but this is a macro and probably not its best at infinity.
And I didn't have to color correct it!
Wooo! That's some nice investigative work.I find it absolutely wild that this camera has color casts like that... most likely even with the native glass, which probably just corrects the issues for you.
Are there any SA-mount lenses that you use for less work?
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My initial observations are that the camera is about the most ergonomically comfortable thing imaginable, even if it weighs as much as a brick. I find the grip super comfortable, and the only thing I've tried that comes close is an Oly EM1X.
There are a few minor issues with the camera itself, e.g. if I leave the battery out too long, the date gets reset and it's all back to January 1, 2011 -- but it seems to take pictures A-OK. I think the metering mode was set to something weird when I got it, so after I fixed that, all was behaving itself.
Now as for some photos (all SOOC jpg):
Nothing is actually in focus in this shot, but it still captures the disorienting sway of this suspension bridge perfectly.
Manual focus
Quote from whereSs on July 26, 2022, 9:47 pmWooo! That's some nice investigative work.I find it absolutely wild that this camera has color casts like that... most likely even with the native glass, which probably just corrects the issues for you.
Thanks! And exactly, even Sigma lenses do it. I found a Japanese blog that mentions if your Sigma lenses are not mounted firmly, it won't recognize them, and you get the same problems… lolll.
Are there any SA-mount lenses that you use for less work?
Not yet, although I'm keeping my eyes peeled for deals.
But I bought this camera specifically to get the absolute crazy sharp Foveon pics for landscape and macro and if I want something easier, I just grab an easier camera!
Sigma's cameras are definitely some of the most ergonomic. The Quattro is even better!
Your shots show just how magical the colors are even if you're not stressing out about it. Maybe I should chill out. 😅
I feel like you should absolutely chill out... until it bites you. 😉
For me, I guess the main stress would be how slow I'd need to shoot in order to make sure that I actually nailed shots. It really does take a while to show you the previews, particularly for multiple images, and without them you don't really know how your exposure is... And, even with them, it's tricky to gauge precise focus without going into playback and zooming in, by which point your impatient subject has probably moved on.
So, I think the options are either ultra-deliberation, or a bit of YOLO with some restraint. I.e. constantly monitoring ye ol shutter speed + ISO + making sure that things are basically good & correct when possible, but otherwise not worrying too, too much. (Except when there's too little or too much light.)
I definitely tend towards the latter, ideally with a higher rate of stuff being as intended the more I go... but I definitely need to figure out when to trust & when to distrust the AF.
But still, I never expected to be as blown away as I was after the first day of shooting. I really felt like I wasn't sure what I was getting while I was using the camera, and I really felt like I got more than I had asked for when I looked at the results.
If we lived closer I'd loan you some of my Sigma lenses. I've had a few that I've passed on already, and I have a few I'm holding onto. No art lenses which are the best of the bunch, but still maybe good enough? I have the Sigma 70-200 f2.8, the 150mm f2.8 macro, 18-50 f2.8 and the 100-300 f4. All seem sharp enough for my little 14mp foveon x3 SD14 and SD10 😀 But maybe would show their weaknesses on the Merrill. I know even for my SD14 I was running into lenses that couldn't handle it and just looked too soft. Can't imagine on the slightly bigger and more dense sensor.
Quote from whereSs on July 26, 2022, 11:54 pmI feel like you should absolutely chill out... until it bites you.
Haha, I see how it is!!
But I do I see your point! Also my subjects aren't people (I'd MUCH rather shoot other cameras there). So I have the luxury of time.
Since I did just get the m42 adapter, I can toss on some normal m42 lenses and just… see what happens.
I wonder if the camera will overheat in the desert summer. The Quattro definitely did.
Quote from James Warner on July 27, 2022, 3:41 amIf we lived closer I'd loan you some of my Sigma lenses. I've had a few that I've passed on already, and I have a few I'm holding onto. No art lenses which are the best of the bunch, but still maybe good enough? I have the Sigma 70-200 f2.8, the 150mm f2.8 macro, 18-50 f2.8 and the 100-300 f4. All seem sharp enough for my little 14mp foveon x3 SD14 and SD10
But maybe would show their weaknesses on the Merrill. I know even for my SD14 I was running into lenses that couldn't handle it and just looked too soft. Can't imagine on the slightly bigger and more dense sensor.
That would be so nice!!
Yeah, some of the non-Art lenses are plenty good enough, like the 8-16mm for sure. I just bought a bad copy and had to return it. But in the 1 shot where it focused, it was delightful.
The thing that's really holding me up is that there's so little posted about the SD1 and various lenses to begin with, and much of that is gone due to forums disappearing etc, and then of what's left the elderly posters love to sharpen the living daylights out of their images so there's no way to tell anything about the lens (and definitely don't ask them their favorite lenses, it becomes a shouting contest)... Trial and error could get expensive, fast.
But now you gave me some names to google to see if I can find sample pics with the SD1. That is a huge help!
Bam: That 70-200 2.8 looks pretty great! And it's not one I've seen come up in SD1 discussions before!
I know how you feel about lens reviews. My SD1 came with a 105mm f/2.8 Macro, and even googling the old sigma lenses, it's real hard to make sure you're looking at the right version. Like, it's not easy to go "not the one with OS" or whatever, and then you're reading about the wrong thing.
& even trying to find old SA mount lenses secondhand, it can be annoying to differentiate from Sony A mount or people writing blasted things like 'Sigma Mount for Canon' -- MPB seems to have some intermittently at good prices, same but less so for KEH/UsedPhotoPro.
My 105mm f/2.8 is made of sparkly plastic and the focus motor in it seems dead, but as far as I can tell, it takes sharp pictures! Of course, I'm not sure my dioptemer was set right, so I'm blaming my misfocusing on that. Well, that and the weirdly short focus throw... 😉
(But 105mm on APS-C is pretty similar to 75mm on M4/3, which makes it close to equivalent to one of my favorite lenses. Yay!)
In terms of adapters, @ahoyhere, am I right in understanding that though K-Mount lenses need dodgy surgery, X-> K-Mount adapters work pretty okay on SA?
I briefly looked at what people sold specifically for SA mount in terms of adapters, but it wasn't much
Quote from whereSs on July 28, 2022, 12:06 amI know how you feel about lens reviews. My SD1 came with a 105mm f/2.8 Macro, and even googling the old sigma lenses, it's real hard to make sure you're looking at the right version. Like, it's not easy to go "not the one with OS" or whatever, and then you're reading about the wrong thing.
& even trying to find old SA mount lenses secondhand, it can be annoying to differentiate from Sony A mount or people writing blasted things like 'Sigma Mount for Canon' -- MPB seems to have some intermittently at good prices, same but less so for KEH/UsedPhotoPro.
Yes!
My experience thus far has been:
- I bought a dead cheap crappy old lens just to make sure the body worked (lens worked in MF but AF was broken) — this was actually my best experience so far
- I bought a great lens for a bargain but it turned out to be a Canon mount, returned
- I bought what is definitely an SA lens for a good used price from B&H and it turned out to be a bad copy that wouldn't focus half the time, even in manual the focus gauge was super off and the results were dodgy, returned
😩 Never have I felt so curséd.
My 105mm f/2.8 is made of sparkly plastic and the focus motor in it seems dead, but as far as I can tell, it takes sharp pictures! Of course, I'm not sure my dioptemer was set right, so I'm blaming my misfocusing on that. Well, that and the weirdly short focus throw...
I hope you're right and it's not a busted lens like my 8-16mm was!
In terms of adapters, @ahoyhere, am I right in understanding that though K-Mount lenses need dodgy surgery, X-> K-Mount adapters work pretty okay on SA?
Exactly.
Pentax lenses need surgery because the little stop down lever (iirc) will scratch something. But of course adapters do not have that part.
I've only been buying Pentax lenses in m42 really anyway because they work on my Pentax camera (with Pentax adapter) and almost everything else too, including SA.
I got a Kipon M42-SA adapter because I was afraid a PK one wouldn't fit well enough to reach infinity. The Kipon works!
The M645-PK adapter I am using is a little wiggly but doesn't seem to be a problem so far. I wouldn't just let the lens flop around on its own though.
Both were used, off eBay.
Thanks for the tips on adapting! So far, AF seems hit-or-miss, but ideally I can tell. It's tough to override when the focus throw on the SA lenses is real slight though.
Took a few shots today with the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM -- (whatever half those letters mean).
Just for getting comfortable and yadda yadda, I'm shooting in A mode, Auto ISO with a maximum of 400 -- yes, I should do full manual with an ISO of 100, ideally, but we'll get there later.
This makes it hard, e.g. to know I nailed focus on this middle distance seagull. That one's pretty good at maximum aperture, but I know some of the takes afterwards aren't, and I'm not sure if it's from manual focus or autofocus.
Anyhoo, the tonalities are 💯
And so far, when I'm out with friends, they haven't killed me yet
Can I shoot the SD1 Merrill out of a car window?
Sure can, with results about as good as any other camera.
Speaking of AF -- the points seem to move around sometimes when I'm not moving them. So either I'm hitting a button with my face, or like it's doing something weird. I need to keep an eye on that to better suss it.
The feeling of shooting with it is still pretty unnerving, but with time I think I will know when I think I can trust it...
