This is a pretty interesting camera it has a 24x16mm APS-C X3 46 Mega-pixel direct image sensor with dual “TRUE (Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine) II” image processing engines. IF your not familiar with the Foveon sensor here is some highlights. It is a color sensor, unlike all the other sensors in the Digicam world which are greyscale sensors. Yes, your camera only takes grayscale images. Here is a simple explanation from DPreview
Each "pixel" on a digital camera sensor contains a light sensitive photo diode which measures the brightness of light. Because photo diodes are monochrome devices, they are unable to tell the difference between different wavelengths of light. Therefore, a "mosaic" pattern of color filters, a color filter array (CFA), is positioned on top of the sensor to filter out the red, green, and blue components of light falling onto it. The GRGB Bayer Pattern shown in this diagram is the most common CFA used.
But the Foveon X3 Sensor that Sigma is using in the SDI is different. Lets let them explain.
Foveon X3® direct image sensors use three layers of pixels embedded in silicon. The layers are positioned to take advantage of the fact that silicon absorbs different wavelengths of light to different depths. The bottom layer records red, the middle layer records green, and the top layer records blue. Each stack of pixels directly records all of the light at each point in the image.
Well thats sounds good but squeezing 46 pigamexals onto APS-C size format does not medium format make; in my mind, mayby only mine, but lets see how the muff fluffs after the pixel peeping phase when we get some images.
Here are the common sensor sizes
The camera has the option to select full-size, half-size or quarter-size RAW files: Well thats a nice touch!
Its has an O-Ring sealed mag alloy body which I would expect
The camera has just been announced and there are no reviews yet so we shall see.
